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| Aaron Judge drawing a walk in the sixth inning. Photo by Jason Schott. |
When Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run in Toronto on Wednesday night to tie Roger Maris' Yankees and American League single-season home run record, the stage was set for him to do it on Friday night at Yankee Stadium against the Baltimore Orioles.
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| Pete Alonso (20) points back to first base to congratulate Eduardo Escobar on his two-run single in the eighth inning. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Mets, powered by five RBI from Eduardo Escobar, came back from a 4-0 deficit to beat the Miami Marlins, 5-4, in 10 innings on Wednesday night at Citi Field.
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| Pete Alonso connecting on #40. Photo by Jason Schott. |
Pete Alonso, just one game after setting the Mets' new single-season RBI record, hit his 40th home run on Tuesday night, becoming the first Met to hit that plateau twice, as he hit 53 in his rookie year, 2019.
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| Photo by Jason Schott. |
Starting on Tuesday night, when the Mets open a two-game set with the Miami Marlins, fans can check out the Amazin’ Deli interactive experience.
Located behind section 131, fans can take pictures in front of the set used for the Mets promotional materials throughout the season.
Since this has been one of the best seasons in Mets history, as they have clinched a playoff spot and lead the National League East, it is a great way to commemorate it.
Available for purchase at the deli counter is the “October Special,” a one-of-a-kind Amazin’ Deli-themed T-shirt.
Hoodies with a sketch of the Amazin’ Deli and the commemorative T-shirt are exclusively available at the adjacent team store, where they can also find all Mets postseason gear.
Killing The Legends: The Lethal Danger Of Celebrity
By Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
St. Martin's Press; hardcover, 304 pages, $30.00; available tomorrow, Tuesday, September 27th
This is the 12th book in TV journalist and radio host Bill O'Reilly's Killing series, which he has written with Martin Dugard, who has authored several bestselling books of history, including Taking Paris and Taking Berlin. It comes just months after the release of Killing the Killers (click here for our review), which focused on the War on Terror and became a #1 New York Times and national bestseller.
In Killing the Legends, O'Reilly and Dugard focus on the lives, legacies, and tragic deaths of three of the most iconic people of the 21st century, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and Muhammad Ali.
Elvis was a singer and actor who dominated the 1950s and '60s, Lennon was a member of The Beatles and then had a very successful solo career, and Ali was one of the greatest boxers of all-time. They changed the worlds of music, film, and sports, but their influence went far beyond the entertainment and athletic fields.
They were known and inspired people around the globe, they each became larger-than-life figures, and they were on top of the world until their lives spiraled out of control. Their immense success led to failure, addiction, or unhappiness that led them to reinvent themselves and their talents. In the end, they were all isolated by their fame, and it was their inner circles, full of people they trusted the most, that contributed to their downfall.
"A poor boy from Tupelo, Mississippi. A poor boy from Liverpool, England. A poor boy from Louisville, Kentucky," O'Reilly and Dugard write.
"Ironically, these three legends had much in common despite living vastly different lives.
"All three men achieved vast wealth and fame. All possessed talent and charisma. All surrendered their autonomy to others.
"And that capitulation sealed their destinies."
Elvis died suddenly on August 16, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee, and O'Reilly and Dugard write of his passing, "The King is dead.
"Nobody knows-not yet. Elvis Aaron Presley lies alone on his bathroom floor, his depleted body struck down by years of narcotics and unhealthy living. Death came so suddenly that he could not even call for help or struggle to his feet. Thick red shag carpet muffled his fall from the commode. So, while Presley's girlfriend sleeps peacefully just a few feet away in the master bedroom, she is completely unaware of the corpse on the other side of the bathroom door.
"Elvis, as he was known all over the world, was forty-two at the time of his death. He was once widely acclaimed as the King of Rock 'n' Roll. But by this point, the King, as he was still called by legions of fans, was no longer relevant in the music world. Presley had become an oldies act, still performing hits from a decade and a a half earlier after being displaced from the Top 40 pop charts by bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Recently, he was also eclipsed by rising stars like Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen.
"Although he still made millions of dollars playing Las Vegas and other concert venues, Elvis Presley was a physical mess. In his early twenties, he was a virile and handsome man, a sex symbol whose hit records and movie roles made him one of the biggest stars on earth. But at the end, that was no more. His slide into debauchery was long and pronounced, and the sycophants who depended on him for money and prestige did nothing to stop his decline. Onstage, Presley, though still charismatic, had become a garish caricature of himself: swollen, obese, and often unable to remember lyrics due to a barbiturate addiction. And while Elvis was still a relatively young man, his drug addiction and gluttony destroyed his overall health and aged his body well beyond its years."
Lennon was killed in New York City on December 8, 1980 while entering the Dakota apartment building near Central Park with his wife, Yoko Ono. The shooter was Mark David Chapman, a twenty-five-year-old security guard from Texas, a huge Lennon fan who was waiting among other fans for him to return. After he shot Lennon and was waiting to be arrested, he opened a copy of A Catcher in the Rye, a book he was obsessed with, and sat down on the curb to read. Lennon was just 41 years old.
Ali died on June 3, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona, at 74 years old, after suffering for years from Parkinson's disease, a result of the nearly two hundred thousand blows to the head and torso he suffered during his legendary boxing career. Ali's wife, Lonnie, said he went to the hospital with a "little cold," but once his serious condition was quickly diagnosed, his body couldn't fight the infection, and he was moved to intensive care and placed on a ventilator.
"The cause of death is officially septic shock, with some believing Ali's Parkinson's was a contributing factor," O'Reilly and Dugard write. "But as with Elvis Presley and John Lennon, the downfall of this legend was brought on by other human beings."
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| Pete Alonso celebrating his home run with Francisco Lindor. @Mets. |
The Mets ended the road trip on a high note, as they beat the Oakland Athletics, 13-4, on Sunday afternoon, led by a great outing from Max Scherzer and some history from Pete Alonso.
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| Aaron Judge's best chance at a home run was in the third inning, when he hit this one to center field. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox, 7-5, on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, powered by three home runs, but not one from Aaron Judge, who is still looking for his 61st to tie Roger Maris' Yankee and American League record.
For the second straight week, the top four teams in the FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll were Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and Michigan.
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| Aaron Judge connecting on home run #60. Photo by Jason Schott. |
Yankees Manager Aaron Boone's pregame press conference on Tuesday afternoon, ahead of their game with the Pittsburgh Pirates, had the air of a playoff game, as there was a buzz about Aaron Judge entering the night with 59 home runs, two away from tying Roger Maris’ Yankee and American League-record of 61.
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| The Mets celebrate on the field in Milwaukee. @Mets. |
The Mets clinched a playoff spot with their 7-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night, led by six perfect innings from Max Scherzer, who earned his 200th career win.
This is the 10th postseason appearance for the Mets in their 61-year history, and the first since 2016, when they appeared as a Wild Card.
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| Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Yankees recently announced their annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which includes Latin-inspired food items at Yankee Stadium, and a ticket offer for the upcoming homestand beginning Tuesday night, in which fans will receive a Yankees cap with their homeland's flag within the Yankees interlocking NY logo.
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| Jacob deGrom firing a strike to Rodolfo Castro in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Mets, backed by a big start from Jacob deGrom and four runs in the eighth inning, beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon to complete the four-game sweep.
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| Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt striking out Ben Gamel in the second inning. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Mets beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-1, on Saturday night at Citi Field, as Chris Bassitt had a great start and David Peterson followed with a solid outing in relief, as both recovered from tough outings against the Chicago Cubs earlier in the week.
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| The unveiling of the Tom Seaver statue outside Citi Field on Opening Day started off the 2022 season on the right foot. Photo by Jason Schott. |
On Thursday night, the Mets announced that Sandy Alderson will "step down as President at the conclusion of a search for his successor," and that he will then transition into his new role as a special advisor to owners Steve and Alex Cohen and the senior leadership team.
Alderson was the Mets General Manager from 2011 to 2018, shepherding the ballclub out of the financial trouble that owner Fred Wilpon had after he was embroiled in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. Alderson put together a team that made it to the 2015 World Series, but within three years, they were back in the doldrums, and he was replaced by Brodie Van Wagenen.
When Steve Cohen purchased the Mets ahead of the 2021 season, he brought Alderson back as team President. After a rough first season with Cohen at the helm, this year has seen the team thrive with a new General Manager in Billy Eppler, and the hiring of Buck Showalter as Manager, as they have won 91 games through Friday and have been in first place in the National League East for most of the season. The Mets also embraced their history this season, as the team unveiled the Tom Seaver statue outside Citi Field on Opening Day, retired Keith Hernandez's number 17 on July 9, and held a very emotional Old Timers' Day on August 27 that brought back many Mets legends who had not been around for years. That day has even more poignancy with the news that John Stearns, a Mets catcher in from 1975-84, passed away on Thursday night, after a long battle with cancer, just three weeks after he willed himself to Old Timers Day, and was in uniform.
On Friday afternoon, Alderson met with the media about the announcement. The first quesion he was asked was what he felt has been achieved in the past two years, and he said, “I think that, what I hoped we’d accomplish as an organization is a transformation, if you will, of a perception of the Mets as we go forward under what was then new ownership, and I think that has largely been accomplished - doesn’t mean it will be sustained, but I believe that the image of the Mets is different today than it was roughly two years ago.
“I think we’re all very proud of that, but the challenge is to continue that direction and sustain it over a period of time, and I’m confident that will happen. We’ve got a great leadership team here, very happy with the way the organization has responded this year, both on the field, off the field, in terms of creativity, in terms of execution, in terms of our internal culture, which I think is reflected externally in a lot of the things that we do.
“So, from those standpoints, we’ve made strides as an organization, and I’m really confident that the organization will continue in that vein.”
Alderson then said "we'll see" when asked what his role advising Steve and Alex Cohen will be like before he added, "The statement was issued in part because I think the rumor mill was catching up with events, so there were a lot of things to be discussed, but I expect that will all be fleshed out over the next couple of months. You know, being an advisor's kind of a tricky thing, and I want to be helpful. I don't want to detract from what the organization as a whole is doing, but I think I can be helpful, and so I'm looking forward to that possibility."
On what he envisions the role of the next team president going forward, Alderson said, "I don't know, I think that, you know, in large part, Steve will determine that, and to some extent, I think it's a function of the qualities that any individual candidate brings. You know, I don't know that you can mold a person to the job, I think you have to, in some ways, shape the job to fit the qualities, experience, expertise of candidates. It's not all about professional expertise, it's also personal qualities, and in terms of leadership, I've always felt that those are far more important, so I think that, in terms of the job description, that will be determined, to a large extent, based on the successful candidate, and that candidate will be successful for reasons that go way beyond the job description."
Alderson then was asked how involved he was in baseball operations this season, after the hiring of General Manager Billy Eppler, and he said, "I would say very much removed, you know, by design, by preference. There was a lot going on on the business side, and you know, I was, and I think Steve was confident in what Billy was doing, so I tried, it's difficult to provide any real insight unless you're in the weeds with everyone else. I've been careful not to go beyond what my sense of, you know, my knowledge, current knowledge, has been."
On what he's happiest about what has been achieved on the business side, Alderson said, "I mentioned it at the outset, that we have, through Steve's direction and guidance, embraced a lot of traditional elements, such as Old Timers' Day, such as retiring numbers, but done it in a way that has been creative, a sense that there have been added dimensions, but also well-executed, and there's a lot to be said for execution. I mean, I've said before, maybe not to this group, but you know, the difference between good teams and bad teams is not always ideas or information, it's execution. I think that I've really been proud of the organization, from those who've really been creative in nature and, you know, think about these things in those terms, but also our rank-and-file who have executed, I think, exceptionally well over the course of the year. It's easy to screw up, especially with all of you and others, you know, constantly observing (in reference to the media), and I've just been happy because I think that's, you know, it's not just ideas, it's execution, that's what creates a perception of professionalism.
"I think we've sort of limited the forced errors this year, and I think that's a function of a better organization, better leadership, and attention to detail that I think has become more of a cornerstone of this organization than it was in the past."
On if he could envision another role in baseball after his time with the Mets, Alderson said, "My time is running short a little professionally, so you know, by making a commitment to Steve post-presidency, if you will, I think that is pretty strong evidence that my commitment to the Mets as well as, you know, my sense that, look, family's important, lots of other things, you know, I haven't been on a summer vacation in 40 years, so the fact that I'd never been to Yosemite and lived in California for 25 years, it's somewhat telling, not that I have this strong desire to go to Yosemite (he laughed) or Lake Tahoe, or the Catskills for that matter, anyway, I'm looking for a little different cadence, I guess is the right word...
"Right now, I don't look back. That statement yesterday was not about closure as of September 15th, we've got a lot going on between now and the middle of November, hopefully, and you know, I've been in this position before, I left the Padres when the team was sold, etcetera. My goal is to power through whatever length of time my tenure is. You know, it could be six weeks, it could be six months, I don't know. My goal is to try and keep powering through because, ultimately, last impressions are important and, you know, my responsibility's my responsibility - it didn't end yesterday."
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| Daniel Vogelbach is ready to bump forearms with Mark Canha after he crossed the plate on his home run. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Mets appear to be back to normal, as they got great pitching from Taijuan Walker, and the offense delivered, as Daniel Vogelbach hit a solo home run, on their way to a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field on Friday night.
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| The Mets posted this tribute on social media Friday morning. @Mets. |
Mets legend John Stearns, who was at Old Timers Day a few weeks ago, passed away on Thursday night in Denver, Colorado, after a long battle with cancer at the age of 71.
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| Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Mets beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-1, on Thursday night at Citi Field on Roberto Clemente Day,a nice-bounce back after they were swept by the Chicago Cubs to open this homestand.
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| Sandy Alderson. |
Just before the Mets took on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night, the team announced that Sandy Alderson will "step down as President at the conclusion of a search for his successor."
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| Christopher Morel and Seiya Suzuki after crossing home plate with the first runs of the game, as Mets starter David Peterson (23) awaits the ball from the umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Chicago Cubs came out and scored six runs in the first inning against the Mets on Wednesday night at Citi Field, and that was more than enough, as they went on to win, 6-3, and complete the three-game sweep.
Jacob deGrom is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and truly a pleasure to watch.
The pitching motion deGrom has is very traditional in the sense, he makes a turn to the right, followed by a big leg kick, then sweeps his glove before his wind up, which is finished by an over-the-top motion before he fires, and finishes with a big leg kick.
In the five pictures below, deGrom's motion is captured while facing Franmil Reyes of the Chicago Cubs in the first inning.
The Mets ace went on to strike him out, one of 10 K's he had in the game, a bright spot on a night the Mets went on to lose to the Cubs, 4-1. DeGrom suffered his second loss of the season to fall to 5-2 with a 2.01 ERA, as he went six innings, and allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits and no walks, with those 10 strikeouts.
Text and photos by Jason Schott
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| Jacob deGrom pitching to Franmil Reyes in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott. |
For the second straight night against the Chicago Cubs, the Mets' best chance to score came in the first inning, and soon after the Cubs got the lead against Mets starter Jacob deGrom and went on to win, 4-1, on Tuesday night at Citi Field.
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| Javier Assad pitching to Eduardo Escobar in the fourth inning. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Mets suffered one of their most dismal losses of the seasons, as they fell to the Chicago Cubs, 5-2, on Monday night at Citi Field, with their starting pitcher Chris Bassitt knocked out in the fourth inning, and they left 10 runners on base.
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| Courtesy National Football Foundation. |
The second week of the college football season saw Georgia overtake Alabama for the top spot in the FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll. Ohio State and Michigan held on to the third and fourth spots, as they had in the opening week of the season.
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| Brandon Nimmo crossing the plate on his home run. Photo courtesy of @Mets Instagram. |
The Mets beat the Miami Marlins, 9-3, on Sunday to take two of three in their weekend series down south, and coupled with their 11-3 win Saturday night, gave the Mets' offense 20 runs in two days.
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| Aaron Judge connecting for a single to open the game. Photo by Jason Schott. |
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| Photo by Jason Schott. |
Major League Baseball announced on Friday that they will be implementing three rules changes for the 2023 season that have been largely expected: a pitch timer, the outlawing of defensive shifts, and bigger bases.
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| Gleyber Torres striking out in the ninth inning against Minnesota's Michael Fulmer. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Yankees fell just short of earning a four-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins, as they lost a tight one, 4-3, in the series finale at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night.
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| Jacob deGrom pitching in Game 2 Wednesday night. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The one word that can describe the 2022 Mets, which was proven once again on Wednesday, is resilience.
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| Jim Abbott celebrating his no-hitter on September 4, 1993. |
On Saturday September 4, 1993, Yankees pitcher Jim Abbott no-hit the Cleveland Indians in a 4-0 win, completing one of the most remarkable accomplishments in baseball history 29 years ago.
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| Carlos Carrasco pitching to Cesar Hernandez in the second inning on Sunday. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Mets had another somber Sunday at Citi Field, as they suffered one of their toughest losses of the season, 7-1, to the Washington Nationals.
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| Starling Marte facing Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. Photo by Jason Schott. |
Entering Sunday, one could look at the Major League Baseball offensive rankings, and one name pops up all over the page: Starling Marte.
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| Max Scherzer pitching to Joey Meneses in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott. |
On Saturday night at Citi Field, Mets starter Max Scherzer was attempting to win the 200th game of his career for the third time, and once again, he came up short, and got a no-decision as his old team, the Washington Nationals, beat the Mets 7-1.
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| The Mets banners now on the roof at Citi Field. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Mets called up veteran stolen base extraordinaire Terrance Gore on Wednesday, and he made his debut in Thursday's win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, as he stole a base in the eighth inning after he pinch-ran for Daniel Vogelbach.
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| Pete Alonso being greeted by Daniel Vogelbach after his sixth-inning home run. Photo by Jason Schott. |
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| Mets Manager Buck Showalter walking back to the dugout after discussing the light situation with the umpires in the third inning. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Mets won their three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field with a 5-3 win in the finale on Thursday evening.
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| In the shadows: Pete Alonso facing Clayton Kershaw in the first inning around 4:30 p.m. Photo by Jason Schott. |
The Mets, with four late runs, came back to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-3, on Thursday evening in the series finale to win this three-game set between the National League's finest.
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| The Mets will take on the Dodgers Thursday afternoon in the series finale of their three-game series. Photo by Jason Schott. |
Mets rookie Brett Baty went on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 29, on Wednesday night after an MRI earlier in the day revealed a UCL tear in his right thumb.
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| Brandon Nimmo being greeted by Eduardo Escobar and Pete Alonso (20) after his big catch on Wednesday night. @Mets on Twitter. |
The influence of having Buck Showalter as Mets Manager has been felt this season, with so many players growing leaps and bounds, perhaps none more so than Brandon Nimmo.
