Terrific and weird Game 1, overshadowed by the death of Edison Volquez’s father.

Final Score: Royals 5, Mets 4 in 14 innings.

[Photo Via: USA Today]

Last night I go to my wife, “Holy shit, the Mets are in the Whirled Serious.” And she goes, “I know isn’t it so awesome?”

And it is, for so many friends and relatives and wonderful people I know who root for the Mets–and who have rooted for the Mets, through it all. What’s not to like about that? It’s great for the city. Truth be told, this is about as likable a Mets team as this non-Mets fan can imagine. Love Grandy, of course, and David Wright, and my favorite, Lucas Duda (Duda’s my favorite because The Wife and I randomly went to Spanish Appreciation Night and Dominican Heritage Night at Citified a few years back and the announcer had a particular way of saying Duda’s name–LooooKas Doo-Dah–sounding just like Ricardo Montalban).

I mean, I’m still rooting for the Royals, but it’s awesome for the Mets and if they win it, good for them (I know some Mets fans are prickly about the idea of any Yankee fan rooting for their team, but lighten, up, Francis, you know? We can be happy for you, if it’s as clean as that–if it’s about something else, I can see the beef).

The real pickle would have been in the Mets played the Blue Jays. Then, for the first time in my life, I would have actually felt–even privately–some real pain at Mets pain, and that would have perhaps been too much to handle. Being forced to be a Mets fan. Even if I didn’t tell anyone, just by circumstances. Because believe me, after the Yanks’ painless exit, I was rooting harder for the Jays to lose than I’ve rooted for anyone to win.

I just hope the Mets and Royals play a long series, maybe some extra inning games. Hopefully nobody will be a Bill Buckner Goat on either side–got to say a littler prayer for that. I like the Royals, they’re fun. The Mets are fun. No matter who wins, I just hope it’s one to remember.

Let’s Go Base-ball!

Picture by Bags

Vic Ziegel got around. His career in journalism spanned more than 40 years. Vic worked at the New York Post, New York Daily News and New York Magazine. He also contributed to Rolling Stone and Inside Sports and co-wrote a funny book with Lew Grossberger called The Non-Runner’s Book. He was, at various times, a reporter, columnist, feature writer and editor. He was always funny and was interested in a good many things other than sports, particularly early jazz records (Bix Beiderbecke!), country music, and film noir.

It’s hard to believe that he’s been gone five years now. I grew up reading Vic in the News and got to know him a little about ten years ago. He generously answered my emails with the playful, cynical wit that marked his column. We once met for a pastrami sandwich and conversation at Liebmann’s in the Bronx.

Yesterday, I spent a few hours with his lovely wife, Roberta. We looked through a few boxes of Vic’s old stories and clippings when we came across an old leather bag stuffed with matchbooks. Vic didn’t smoke but he got around.

I thought you guys would enjoy this so dig in.

And maybe the coolest matchbook of them all:

The Royals beat the Blue Jays last night in a tense game replete with misfortune, controversy, and regret for the visiting team. Jose Bautista hit two big home runs but was on the wrong side of a great running play by Lorenzo Cain (not to mention KC’s third base coach) and his season ended with him on deck when Josh Donaldson grounded out with the tying and winning runs on base.

KC goes back to the Serious where they’ll face the Mets.

Happy Baseball.

Photo Credit: AP

The hometown team tries to advance to the Whirled Serious for the second year in a row while the Gashouse Gorilla Blue Jays look to push this to a one-game-winner-take-all tomorrow.

I’m going for the Royals.

Let’s Go Base-ball!

Congrats to the Metsies.

The Royals and Mets can both advance to the Whirled Serious with wins today. I was wrong about the Royals yesterday but am still skeptical that the Jays will go quietly. The Cubs, man, they might be finito.

In the meantime:

Let’s Go Base-ball.

Dickey vs. Young today in Toronto. You can count on the Jays tying the series up.

Mets and Cubs move to Chicago tonight. Man, tough order for the Cubbies, what with deGrom going for Los Mets.

Never mind the chill:

Let’s Go Base-ball!

Picture by Peteski

Royals are in Toronto this week. Gotta figure the Jays are going to make some noise and, at the very least, get this series to return to K.C.

Here’s hoping I’m wrong about that because the sooner the Jays are defeated, the better.

Man, the Metsies pitching has been tough. And what about Daniel Murphy doing his Mr. October routine?

Matt Harvey delivered for the Mets last night as they took a 1-0 lead over the Cubs in the NLCS. I like David Price fine but wasn’t sorry to see a 3-0 lead go down the drain as the Royals rallied to beat the Jays. K.C. reminds me of the ’90s Yankee teams. Yeah, they can hit homers but mostly, they’ll nickel-and-dime you to death–a walk, a single, a double, a steal. Make a mistake against them and usually you’ll pay.

It’s cold in New York and tonight will be football weather at Citi Field.

In the meantime, enjoy the afternoon.

Painting by Richard Diebenkorn.

Royals and Jays already underway, the pale, late afternoon October light setting the tempo and nature of the game.

Mets, Cubs tonight. Should be good.

Let’s Go Base-ball!

Picture by Bags

Royals host the Big Bad Blue Jays, baseball’s answer to the old Detroit Pistons in their assumptive arrogance. Everyone loves a bad guy so this series could be fun. Hope the Royals can pull it off. My feeling is that if anyone is going to stop the Jays they are going to come from the National League.

Never mind the bullies:

Let’s Go Ro-Yals!

Picture by Bags

I say I want to root for the Mets. It feels right. They are from New York and so many of my friends and family root for them. Then I watch them play and part of me, constitutionally, just can’t do it. It’s like kissing your sister. It’s just not natural. And so part of me was rooting for them to fail last night, I’ll admit it. Then, during the last 3 innings of the game I texted with 5 different Met fans and that was the difference–I rooted for the Mets because I was rooting for them, my friends.

And, as I’ve mentioned before, this is a particularly agreeable Mets team.

So, congrats to them and their fans.

[Photo Credit: AP/Lenny Ignelz]

Winner of the Mets-Dodgers game will face the Cubs in the NLCS.

Never mind the view:

Let’s Go Base-ball!

[Photo Credit: Linda Posnick]

Oh, hey, did you hear that yesterday’s game in Toronto was “epic”? Maybe you heard it was “insane” or “stunning” or–“historic.” Literally. Literally epically historic.

Or, if you are Elvis Andrus–such a nice kid–horrible.

The Jays beat the Rangers thanks to a miserable half-inning of fielding by the visitors and a long, loud home run by Jose Bautista. Bad guys wear blue and I don’t recall a team in the last decade that I’ve enjoyed disliking this much (Red Sox don’t count).

The Royals beat the Astros and now the two best teams in the AL–who almost scrapped earlier this year–will face each other in the ALCS.

Picture by Kilian Eng. 

Couple of Game 5’s in the AL today; first, the Jays will beat the Rangers to advance to the ALCS and next the Astros try to upset the Royals in K.C.

I want nothing more than the Jays to lose but Jays vs. Royals does have a ring to it, doesn’t it?

Never mind the prognostications:

Let’s Go Base-ball!

Picture by Bags

Cubs, Cards followed by Mets, Dodgers.

Figure the Cards will win and the Mets too.

Never mind the foliage:

Let’s Go Base-ball!

Picture by Bags

Anything going on in baseball tonight?

[Photo Credit: AP]

Man, what a turn that game took last night when Bartolo Colon came in the game, Howie Kendrick hit the ball hard, Daniel Murphy made a nice stab, and Chase Utley flattened Ruben Tejada, breaking the shortstop’s leg. And that was the for starters. When the smoke cleared, everything that could, did go wrong for the Mets as the Dodgers evened the series at one.

If this year’s NLDS series needed more juice–Cubs, Cards is so loaded–it’s got it for Game 3 tomorrow night in Queens with Matt Harvey going for the Mets. I say he shoves it up the Dodgers’ ass and I actually think the Mets will win the series. You know, Citified still needs to lose its October cherry. I think it’s primed to happen this week. I’d like to see Kershaw get another shot at it but my gut says the Mets find a way to win it at home.

The ALDS moves to Texas for Game 3. First, Royals are in Houston, later the Jays hope to save their season in Arlington.

Don’t really care who wins the first game–though, I’d like to see the Royals win the series; there’s nothing that I’ll root for more this fall than to see Texas win one more game against the Toronto. Hard to imagine the big, brash Jays going out quietly. They were already pissed in Game 2. I bet they romp tonight.

Anyhow, never mind the brisket:

Let’s Go Base-ball!