As I was watching the coverage of the opening ceremonies this afternoon, one moment that stood out in my mind was the introduction of Carlos Delgado and the subsequent crowd reaction. It seemed as though the fans in attendance weren't sure whether they wanted to cheer Delgado or boo him, so there was this awkward semi-silence. Three hours, one home run, and one extremely costly error later, they still weren't sure. As I mentioned in the game thread, I was unable to see a significant portion of today's game (I had to leave for class after the top of the second inning and returned just in time for the meltdown that was the eighth), so there may be some important moment that I'm missing - feel free to tell me about it. For those in need of a reminder of how things fell apart this afternoon, some "highlights":
Thumb: I think this honor has to go to Oliver Perez today. It wasn't his best outing (he walked three, only struck out two, and needed 94 pitches to get through 5 2/3 innings), but he faced a formidable lineup and did not give up a run, something that unfortunately cannot be said for some of the pitchers who followed him this afternoon. The Mets organization as a whole also deserves a thumbs-up for the tribute to William A. Shea.
Pointer Finger: I was all set to lambast Willie Randolph for not using Pedro Feliciano at all since last Wednesday despite the presence of game situations that cried out for bringing Otro Pedro in, but then I read that Feliciano had been dealing with family issues and a flight delay prevented him from getting to the ballpark in time to be of use today. I do my fair share of second-guessing managerial moves that I disagree with, but this is one situation where it's really not fair to blame Willie.
Middle Finger: However, it is absolutely fair to blame Scott Schoeneweis for loading up the bases with the tying and go-ahead runs, Delgado for canceling out his good day at the plate with an atrocious defensive miscue, and Aaron Heilman for letting the Phillies score a pair of insurance runs.
Ring Finger: Yes, every game counts, but getting off to a poor start over the first handful of games doesn't mean that a team has no chance of making the playoffs. Three of the four NL playoff teams last year had losing records in April. Look over at the AL, where the Tigers have yet to win a game and the Orioles have the best record in baseball. There's still a lot of season left to play, people (96.3% of the season, to be exact).
Pinky Finger: In case you haven't been following the highly amusing eighth inning singalong saga, this should get you up to speed (this may also be helpful).
