skyking162

Actually, the gone should come first, and then the I’m back… nevermind. Starting Friday, I spent five days in New York City, visiting and making new friends. I expected to post a couple times while away, but between going crazy, recovering, and discovering I really like Central Park, it didn’t happen. And while I technically arrived home yesterday, a midnight to 6am travel schedule will throw off even my highly motivated days. Here are some stories, notes, and tips from NYC, a couple of which are even baseball related.

• It’s been confirmed yet again — RAD is the best movie of all time and the soundtrack is timeless. The movie itself is a radical miracle.
• I went to the Mets/National game Monday night expecting to watch a Zambrano/Ortiz slugfest. Instead, the Mets managed to force an error in the bottom of the ninth to eek out a 2-1 win. My annoyance with Jose Reyes increased as he would have scored the winning run earlier in the game had he not been thrown out attempting to stretch a double into a triple. As the night was cold and windy, the extra half-inning and potential for extras was quite depressing.
• That game was my first at Shea Stadium. Decent park — better than Yankee Stadium in every way except for Monument Park, but that’s not saying much. I enjoyed experiencing the Homerun Apple, but it was more pathetic and decrepit than I expected.
• With two outs in the seventh and a runner on first, Frank Robsinson pinch hit for Ramon Ortiz… with Livan Hernandez. The game was tied. The Nationals must have figured out a new brand of smallball — instead of wasting outs to move over runners, why not just completely waste outs for no reason at all? Sure, Livan’s a good hitter for a pitcher, but his career line of .237/.247/.319 isn’t better than using Matt Lecroy, Daryle Ward, or even Marlon Anderson, is it?
• I respect the ability to live so close to two bars that they become nicknamed “downstairs” and “the neighbors” — as in, “Ok, I’m headed downstairs for a minute” or “hey, let’s go say hi to the neighbors.” And when the neighbor’s shows all the Red Sox games, that’s better than being able to borrow a cup of sugar.
• Here’s a little story to back up studes’ issue with Win Probability Added. We played a wiffle ball game in Central Park, complete with a homerun fence separating the grass from the road. In my inning+ of quality relief work I managed to give up a grand slam that turned our one-run lead into a three-run deficit. Big negative WPA. But then, in the bottom of the last inning, I cranked a walk-off grand slam to redeem myself. Big positive WPA. Overall, I was the hero (even though I was told not to be), but I sure had to f$#% things up in order to get there.
• Speaking of WPA, we discovered it’s a great stat for life in general. For example, when you’re driving five hours to make a train, you might give yourself an 80% chance of making it. But then when you pick up your friend late and extend the gas stop to a getting food stop, you’ve racked up -40% of WPA. Make four straight green lights going 65 mph — +15% WPA. Stop for Wendy’s — -25%. Do it fast — +10%. Get stuck behind two slow-ass vans — all hope is lost.
• Peace riots are a great event to take a nap at. Just remember to put on sunblock.
• Wearing an Expos cap to a Mets/Nationals game won’t garner any attention when someone else wears “a screwed up Twins hat” with an FC instead of a TC.
• Yoshi’s Cookie is the best fast-action puzzle game ever, beating out even Dr. Mario. No, my lack of Dr. Mario skill had no bearing in that decision.
• Fruit in NYC is cheap.
• Everything else isn’t.

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