 |
| Remembering 9/11/01 at Citi Field |
I was all fired up knowing my boy Gio Gonzalez was scheduled to start the game for the Nationals.
Upon arrival I saw my pal Sam Citron, who was so happy to see me as usual. He was surprised I was so early. The King told me he wanted to use up some money he had on a gift card. With that being said, I was a benefactor. He told me to have dinner on him. So I wisely did. I wound up getting a Brooklyn Cheese Burger and that came with chips and sliced pickles. It was good. More importantly, the price was right.
After I finished eating I went upstairs to our section 516 where I was joined by the King, Frank Anichiarico, Bryan Gilligan, Mike Carroll aka Sabre Mike and Vincent Ascanio.
I was looking forward to seeing a great game since Gio was starting even though it was a rather windy and cool evening. As a result, I truly believe that it affected Gio who struggled badly with his control as he managed to get in and out of trouble for six innings. He wound up walking five while striking out six. He only give up one run in the process though. Gio got some help from his teammates namely Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond who each hit two run homers to give him margin for error as the Nationals beat the Mets, 5-1. With that being said, Gio enhanced his chances of winning the National League Cy Young Award which goes to the best pitcher in the league. He picked up his Major League leading 19th victory and his 50th against 28 defeats over the last three seasons and he still has some more starts before this season ends for him.
I'm so proud of Gio. I remember him being sent back to the minor leagues after he had a brief stint in the Major Leagues with the Oakland Athletics back in August and September 2008. In May 2009, I met him in person for the very first time while he was in Triple A in Sacramento. I've followed him closely even since. The rest as they say is history. If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know exactly what I mean.
Stay tuned for a special post that I'm going to do about Gio who I had the privilege and honor of seeing again and again at Citi Field before Tuesday and Wednesday's games. Trust me it will be worth the wait. This guy is an incredible human being to say the least.
Tuesday after work, I remembered that horrific day that people like myself in the Northeast had to deal with on this exact day eleven years ago. A day from hell is an understatement. Needless to say, it's my least favorite day of the year.
I treated it as any other day when I was at work. When I got to Citi Field, that changed. I decided to eat at the ballpark since I got there early on purpose so I could try and see Gio. Mission accomplished. When I got done, I went upstairs with the pulled pork sandwich I bought from Blue Smoke. It was delicious. The Mets had a pre game ceremony to remember this unforgettable day.
After the ceremony and National Anthem was played, it was business as usual on the field.
As for the game we saw, R.A. Dickey started for the Mets. He's in the running for the Cy Young award along with Gio. On this night, he pitched well allowing three runs over seven innings. Unfortunately for him the Mets couldn't score so he left the game on the short end of a 3-2 score. The Nationals added insurance runs in the ninth to put the game away as the Nationals won, 5-2.
Wednesday marked the day the 2013 MLB schedule was released. For those of us who live for baseball and planning ahead it was like a kid on Christmas morning.
After work I returned to Citi Field where I got to see Gio again before the game. As I said earlier, stay tuned for further details.
Since I got there early I ate at the ballpark again. This time I had Two Boots pizza which is what I had when we ate at the Caesars Club over the weekend. It was really good.
As for the game we saw, the Nationals were going for the sweep of the Mets who have been awful since the All-Star Break especially at home. The Mets continued their downward spiral as they failed to plate a run as the Nationals beat them again, 2-0. Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond like Monday night were the difference as they both homered again. This time they hit solo shots.
Thursday night after work I came home to relax and recharge my batteries so I could gear up for a busy and surprising start to the weekend that lied ahead of me.
Please stay tuned as I recap the amazing weekend I had as it turned out without leaving the local area. It promises to be a worth while read. Please bear with me as I try to find time to write it.
Thank you for reading and following along.
Yours truly,
Gary Herman
No comments:
Post a Comment