Sunday, August 26, 2007

THE OTHER CARLOS.

Yesterday, we were going up to Stamford, Connecticut, where my folks live, to collect a very important package. Our dinner plans fell through, so I called my folks and asked them if they’d like to meet us for dinner. We did our shopping, and finished about an hour and a half before we had to meet my folks. That was not part of the plan. I hate Stamford, and it’s not like I’ve voluntarily spent any time there since I graduated high school if I could possibly help it.

Me: “Now what.”
TBF: “Bookstore?”
Me: “The only one I remember is too far away.”
TBF: “Somewhere we can watch the Mets game?”
My first thought was, “Ain’t no way I know of somewhere in this town to watch the—oh, wait.”
Me: “Bobby V’s!”
TBF: “Nice!”

You need to understand that the last time I was in Bobby V’s was before I was old enough to drink. Let’s just say that back in the day, they had a somewhat - LIBERAL - identification policy, even more so if you were young and female. I didn’t give a crap about baseball, and yes, I barely knew who Bobby Valentine was, even though I am quite sure the room was full of as much Mets stuff as it is now. (TBF was especially appreciative of the Friday drink specials during Mets games: “MUST BE IN BAR AREA - MUST BE WEARING METS APPAREL”.)

So we were there as Mr. Delgado came to the plate in the 5th, enjoying a refreshing beverage, and talking about how We Don’t Know What To Do About Delgado, and how We Like Delgado, and the guys at the other end of the bar is saying something similar. We’re not expecting anything, because Delgado has, at this point, steeled us to not expect anything.

The 19th time’s the charm, apparently.

But the sound was off, and so we didn’t get the full impact of what happened since of course it was goddamn Fox, and we had to leave and meet my parents—at an establishment that was so pro-Yankee they not only had the Red Sox game on instead of the Mets, but they had years of team photos stuck behind the cash register. (TBF, as we were leaving: “I’m really sorry we gave these people our money.” Considering we had just taken my folks out to dinner, that was not what I wanted them to hear, but I secretly suspect that my dad admires TBF’s abject Yankee hatred.)

I didn’t get a chance to actually talk to TBF today, since I went off to write before he woke up, and he was on his way to tonight’s game before I got home. But there was an email earlier today:
“What we missed by having the sound not on at Bobby V’s was that in the 5th, when Delgado came up, it was because there were two outs and they had intentionally walked Conine (!) to face him.
The crowd gave him a standing O when he came to the plate.  And then he hit the 2-run single on the first pitch.
Is it cool that the fans did that?  Or is too much of a Seattle-cheering-for-the-effort thing?”

My response, which I think bears repeating:
“i have to imagine it was more like relief. because i think that we as fans like delgado and genuinely want him to do well.”

Or at least I’d like to think that. I’d like to think the booing is because we can’t go up to Carlos and say, “Dude, we’re really sorry, but you’re sucking lately, and you’re just bringing the team down, and we’re trying to get the post season but every time you come to bat with the bases loaded we know you’re an automatic out. Is there anything we can do to help? Are you not getting enough sleep with the new baby? Did you hurt something you’re not telling us about? Are you just tired, or something? C’mon, level with us.”

But we can’t. So we boo, because it’s our only method of communication with the players. But we really don’t want to boo Carlos Delgado. All we wanted was a chance to stand up and cheer for him.