Mets 6 Rockies 4 and They Avoid a Sweep

 Today was the last game of the weekend series with the Colorado Rockies honoring Mike Piazza.  For the our third game in a row we had to sit through a rain delay at the beginning.  There was a light rain in the early afternoon that finally ended as the game started about 35 minutes late.  In 2012 we received Mike Piazza bobble head dolls, but now only the first 15,000 customers get the giveaway.  Thus fans who want the doll must get to the game a few hours early and wait on line.  Once you get there early they likely eat the overpriced food.  Tonight I looked on Ebay and saw the dolls were on sale for $86.

Getting back to the game - The Mets had a 3-1 which they lost.  Neil Walker saved the day as he hit a 3 run homer in the bottom of 7th inning to give the Mets a 6-4 lead.  Addison Reed pitched the 8th while Jeurys Familia ended a 2 game slump by getting the Rockies out in order in the 9th to get his 37th save.

Game recap

Mets Retire Mike Piazza's #31 in a Citifield Ceremony

I am not at the game tonight to witness the ceremony, but I will be at Citifield tomorrow afternoon.  The Mets are extremely selective about retiring numbers as before today Tom Seaver's #41 is the only player's number retired.  They also retired #37 for Casey Stengel and #14 for Gil Hodges who were managers.  Very recently they moved the numbers from the outfield fence to the top of the stadium where they will be more visible.  Perhaps in the future more numbers will be retired.

Below is the speech that Mike Piazza gave tonight.

Jeopardy Season Ends With a Beatles Category

In July 2009 and 2010 the Jeopardy seasons ended with categories about Bob Dylan.  Today the show featured a category about the Beatles,  It was called "Working with a Beatle".  The correct questions were concerned with other musicians who played with one or more of the Fab Four at one time.  For example, Elton John played with John Lennon in Madison Square Garden in 1974.

For the next 6 weeks reruns of tournaments over the last year will be aired.  I think I need a little break from my favorite TV show.

Will The Mets Make a Move By the Trading Deadline?

Last season the trades that the Mets made at the deadline gave them a jolt so that they eventually won the NL East and got into the World Series.  This season they are still several games behind the Washington Nationals and are competing with the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals for the wild card berths.  Their major problem is getting hits with runners in scoring position.  I tend to doubt there is anyone on the market who can help the Mets in that category.  Surprising a large percentage of their scoring has been done by the home run, so they don't need another power hitter.  I think the bull pen has done well this season.  Possibily they could get another starting pitcher to replace the injured Matt Harvey.  Last season they gave up several good propsects including Michael Fulmer who is excelling  with the Detroit Tigers.  Is it worth it to deplete the farm system?

My prediction is that the Mets will not make any moves at the trading deadline this season.

Bob Dylan's Never Ending Tour is on Hiatus

I just checked Bill Pagel's Boblinks Page and noted that this leg of the Never Ending Tour stopped on July 17 in Gilford, New Hampshire.  There is nothing scheduled unti Desert Trip, a new festival scheduled for Oct. 7 through 9 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., home of the popular Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, and the Who are also sscheduled to perform at this festival.

In previous years Dylan toured all summer and fall until Thanksgiving and then took a few months off before resuming the tour.  Could this mean the end of the "Never Ending Tour?"  Please keep in mind that Bob is now 75 years old and may not have to stamina to tour as he did in the past.  We shall see.

Congratulations to Mike Piazza on His Induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame

Today Mike Piazza became the second player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a New York Met.  I will watch a recording of the induction ceremony at 8 PM, shortly after I finish writing this blog entry.  You can see a summary of Mike's baseball accomplishments at Baseball-Reference.

Below is an excerpt from Mike's speech when he salutes the police, firefighters, and first responders who were there on 9/11.

Look who is not in the Hall of Fame.  That low life threw at Mike's head in July 2000 and wasn't even thrown out of the game.  In the World Series he threw a piece of a broken bat at Mike and was fined $50,000.

Random Comments of the Day

Denver International Airport really puts LaGuardia to shame.  I think I was agree with VP Biden who said LGA is like a third world airport.  Renovations have started on LGA, but it will likely take years to be finished.

The weather in Denver was hot as it hit about 93 degrees every day, but the humidity was low.  When we returned to NYC it was very hot and humid.  I prefer that to a cold and snowy winter.

One convention down and one to go.  I think my TV will be tuned to the Mets or Yankees this next week. The conventions are nothing but rhetoric.  I think this will be a very bitter presidential campaign.

Thursday - Visits to the Aquarium and One More Museum to Conclude the Trip

Over the years I have visited aquariums in:

• Coney Island
• Atlanta
• Baltimore
• Long Beach, California

The one in Denver was slightly different since a few land animals were featured (tiger and parrot).  I don't see the point in doing that.

In the afternoon we headed to the Colorado Historical Museum as seen above.  I was amused by an exhibit called Awkward Family Photos.  Locals were invited to send in family photos that were wierd in one way or another.  That didn't seem to be historical in nature, but other exhibits here described the history of the Centennial State.

Wednesday - We Came To Colorado to See Mountains

Grayline Tours offered a trip to see the mountain parks close to Denver.  We hopped aboard the bus which left the city to view the mountainous areas.  The first stop was the Red Rocks Amphitheatre which is a rock structure in Morrison, Colorado which have featured concerts in many genres of music.  There was a small building nearby which had a wall documenting all the concerts over the years.  the Beatles actually performed there in 1964.  Other musical artists that performed there included Willie Nelson, Simon and Garfunkel, Crosby Still and Nash and Bruce Springsteen.

The tour guide was very knowledgable and the areas we drove through.  The second and last stop with the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave in Golden, Colorado.  Below is a photo of his grave

Since the tour ended by the early afternoon we had time for one more activity.  So we visited the Capital of Colorado.  We rceived a tour by a guide who told us much about the history of Colorado and the capital building.  We actually climbed to stairs to the top of the building where I took the photo below which shows the Denver City Hall.

Tuesday - From An Impressive Art Museum to a Long Rain Delay

I am not an expert on art, but I enjoy visiting museums.  The Denver Art Museum consists of the Hamilton Building which was added in 2006 and the North Building.  The latter held permanent exhibits while the former contains temporary exhibits.  Some of the exhibits we viewed were:

• Women of Abstract Impressionism
• Rhythm and Roots - Dance in American Art
• Why We Dance - American Indian Art in Motion

Our next stop was the National Ball Park Museum located across the street from Coors Field.  This museum is a real gem with memorabilia from defunct parks including Ebbets Field, the Polo Grounds, Crosley Field, Forbes Field, and Shibe Park.  I was impressed by seeing a ticket from the first Seattle Pilot's game at Sick Stadium. We saw a video with highlights from the 1953 World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers. The lady who gave us the tour was very knowledgable.  I highly recommend this place for any fan of baseball history.

From there we went to Coors Field to see our second game of our trip.  When the game was to begin at 6:40 the rains came for the second night in a row.  On Monday the delay was only 30 minutes but on Tuesday the game did not begin until 8:40.  After 5 innings the Tampa Bay Rays were leading 7-0 so we decided to leave as it was almost 10:30.  Since it was a one-sided game I didn't feel guilty about leaving early.  The final score was Tampa Bay 10 Rockies 1.

Game Recap

Eventful Day - 2 Stadiums and Even Time for Bowling

Since this is a public transportation vacation we took the #15 bus to the C light rail line to Sports Authority Stadium at Mile High where the Denver Broncos play.  The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame was our first stop as it was located within the stadium  It was started in 1964 and features athletes who were born in the state or who played for one of the Colorado teams.  We found out that John Elway is certainly held in high regard in Colorado.  At 11 AM we were given a tour of the stadium which opened in 2001.  We saw the  luxury boxes, press box, and visitors' locker room among other parts of the stadium.

We were thinking of going to the aquarium, but there just was not enough time, so perhaps we'll go another day while we are here.  We took the light rail back to the 16th Street Mall, but found we had a couple of hours before our game at Coors Field.  We actually went bowling.  I don't think I have bowled in at least 15 years even though Whitestone Lanes is right near my home.

From there we went to Coors field to see the Rockies play the Tampa Bay Rays.  There was a short rain shower at 5:30 so the start of the game was delayed about 30 minutes.  It is certainly a beautiful stadium.  The Rockies won 7-4.

Game Recap

Arrived in Denver Today

We woke up at 5 AM to catch a 7:50 flight from LaGuardia to Denver.  The flight on United Airlines took off on time and there were no delays as we arrived at Denver Interntional Airport by 10 AM Mountain Daylight Time.  That is some airport which really outs Laguardia to shame.  It is so big that after we deplaned we had to take a train to the baggage claim area.

It is also a long distance from the airport to downtown, so the cab fare was a small fortune.  We got to the hotel about 11 AM, but could not check into the room until 2 PM.  So we walked around the business area.  We stopped by the 16th Street Mall and found some restaurants and stores that we will check out later in our visit.

Leaving for Denver Tomorrow

I need a vacation!  This year we decided to go to Denver to visit Coors Field and see many attractions in the city.  We are staying in a downtown hotel so we'll be walking or taking public transportation to the places we visit.  I'll be taking my laptop so there will be be entries to Bruce's Journal while I am away.

Random Comments of the Day

We are leaving on Sunday for a vacation in Denver,  We will see two games at Coors Field with the Rockies playing the Tampa Bay Rays.  Check back here for details on the trip later.  It certainly will be refreshing to get away from the public transportation hassles and work grind.

The second half of the baseball season begins tonight.  Will the Mets get hot and take over first place from the Washington Nationals?  Will Sandy Alderson make moves at the trade deadline as he did last season to stimulate the Amazins.

Will the Yankees be buyers or sellers at the trade dealine?  If they trade away players like Beltran, Miller or Chapman they will tell their fans that they are giving up on the season.  Thus attendance will go down the last two months.

Happy 74th Birthday Roger McGuinn

I have been a fan of Roger McGuinn since 1965 when the Byrds version of Mr. Tambourine Man hit the charts.  He has had a distinguished career with the Byrds and later as a solo artist.  In 1979 he reunited with Gene Clark and Chris Hillman and had a minor hit with "Don't You Write Her Off".

I am Not Excited About the All Star Game This Year

Years ago I used to follow the All Star Game, but in recent years I have just lost interest.  By its nature there must be many substitutions which in my opinion detract from the game.  The only Met players on the team are Bartolo Colon and Jeurys Familia as Noah Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes dropped out due to injuries.  Carlos Beltran, Dellin Betances, and Andrew Miller represent the Yankees.

I just don't like the rule when the pennant winner of the league who wins the All-Star games gets the extra home game in a 7 game World Series.  They started that a few years ago after the game ended in a tie in extra innings since both teams ran out of players.  I guess that is the way it is.

Nationals 3 Mets 2 - the last game before All-Star Break

The Washington Nationals signed Daniel Murphy for $37.5 million over 3 years.  Why couldn't the Mets sign him for that amount?  I am sorry to say that Sandy Alderson really dropped the ball here.  Murphy hit a 2 run homer in the first inning today to lead the Nationals to a 3-2 victory over the Mets.  The Mets must beat them regularly to have any chance of winning the National League East.  Murphy has now hit 7 home runs in 13 games against the Mets.  Again the Mets could not mount much of an offense as their only scoring was by two solo home runs by Jose Reyes.

Game recap

Bob Dylan at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium

The only time I ever attended a concert at the Forest Hills Stadium was in the summer of 1967 when I saw Simon and Garfunkel and the Doors when the latter act was almost booed off the stage by the S&G fans,  As I stated in a previous journal entry I did not see Dylan there in August 1965.

As we exited the Continental Avenue subway station it was raining.  We met my old friend Roy by the Midway Theater and walked over to the Tennis Stadium.  Open act Mavis Staples started promptly at 7 PM in the light rain.  It rained very heavily at the Paul Simon concert last Friday and I certainly did not want to get soaked.  Fortunately, the rain stopped by the end of Mavis's set.

At 8:05 Dylan came out in a black suit wearing a white hat.  I could not see his face from where we were sitting.  He played mostly newer music from the recent adult standard albums and the Tempest which was released in 2012 and the last album with Dylan compositions.  I was disappointed that he did not talk to the audience at all and didn't even introduce the members of his band.  It would have been nice if he had related his experience with the August 1965 concert at Forest Hills.  He sang the songs as he has done on several concerts on this leg of the Never Ending Tour.  Do musicians get board performing the same songs over and over?

Below is his singing Blowin' in the Wind.  I thank reader Frank D'Agostino for bringing this to my attention.

Set List from Bill Pagel's Boblinks Page

Queens, New York Forest Hills StadiumJuly 8, 2016

1.	Things Have Changed (Bob center stage, Donnie on pedal steel, Stu on acoustic guitar)
2.	She Belongs To Me (Bob center stage with harp, Donnie on pedal steel)
3.	Beyond Here Lies Nothin' (Bob on piano, Donnie on electric mandolin)
4.	The Night We Called It A Day (Bob center stage, Donnie on pedal steel, Tony on standup bass)
5.	Pay In Blood (Bob center stage, Donnie on pedal steel)
6.	Melancholy Mood (Bob center stage, Donnie on pedal steel, Tony on stndup bass)
7.	Duquesne Whistle (Bob on piano, Donnie on lap steel, Tony on standup bass)
8.	That Old Feeling (Bob center stage, Donnie on pedal steel, Tony on standup bass) (written by Sammy Fain with lyrics by Lew Brown) (published in 1937)
9.	Tangled Up In Blue (Bob center stage with harp then on piano, Donnie on pedal steel)
	(intermission)
10.	High Water (For Charley Patton) (Bob center stage, Donnie on banjo, Tony on standup bass)
11.	Why Try To Change Me Now (Bob center stage, Donnie on pedal steel, Tony on standup bass)
12.	Early Roman Kings (Bob on piano, Donnie on lap steel, Tony on standup bass)
13.	I Could Have Told You (Bob Center Stage, Donnie on pedal steel, Tony on standup bass)
14.	Spirit On The Water (Bob on piano, Donnie on pedal steel, Tony on standup bass)
15.	Scarlet Town (Bob center stage, Donnie on banjo, Stu on acoustic guitar, Tony on standup bass)
16.	All Or Nothing At All (Bob center stage, Donnie on pedal steel, Tony on standup bass)
17.	Long And Wasted Years (Bob center stage, Donnie on pedal steel, Stu on acoustic guitar, Tony on standup bass)
18.	Autumn Leaves (Bob center stage, Donnie on pedal steel, Tony on standup bass)
	(encore)
19.	Blowin' In The Wind (Bob on piano, Donnie on violin, Stu on acoustic guitar, Tony on standup bass)
20.	Love Sick (Bob center stage, Donnie on electric mandolin)

Music Directors at 2 NYC Radio Stations Know that Dylan is Coming to Town

For the last few years I set the clock radio to WFUV at 6:10 AM.  This morning at 6:15 Corny O'Connell played Like a Rolling Stone which of course is Dylan's biggest hit.  Later this morning I had an appointment with my oral surgeon in Bayside for a followup visit.  I don't want to bore my readers with a discussion of the extraction of my wisdom teeth.  Anyway at 8:35 I was listening to Q-104.3 when Jim Kerr played Like a Rolling Stone.  So I heard it twice within 3 hours.

I have been following the set lists on Boblinks.com and it appears unlikely he'll play it at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium tomorrow.

Please Support That Thing With Rich Appel

There are many good streams on the internet that play oldies. However, specialty shows with a person behind the microphone who is a walking encylopedia of oldies music and artists is quite rare.  One such show is That Thing with Rich Appel which I listen to on Sunday night on Rewound Radio.  It may also be heard on the internet on several other radio stations.

Rich needs a little financial support, so if you enjoy his show please support it.

Back in October 1994 I visited Rich at Sony Records in Manhattan.  He gave me a ticket to see Bob Dylan at Roseland.

Noel Neill Passes Away at Age 95

Back in the 1950s I watched the Adventures of Superman on WPIX-11.  The re-runs aired on several TV or cable stations over the years.  Right now the series is seen Saturday nights at 6 PM on MeTV.  After all these years I never tire of the episodes.  Lois, Jimmy, Perry White and Inspector Henderson still can't figure out that Clark Kent is Superman in disguise.

Over the years there were Superman movies and the TV series Lois and Clark, The New Adventures of Superman.  The best Lois Lane has to be Noel Neill who passed away today at the age of 95.  I found about her passing on Facebook from John Porcaro and from Bill Dillane through a private email.  As you can see in the video below, she had other roles in movies, but distinguished herself as Lois Lane.  I believe that Phyllis Coates who played Lois in 1951 is the only cast member still living.

Keep Wilmer Flores at Third Base

I wish I was at Citifield today as the Mets creamed the Chicago Cubs for the fourth game in a row.  For the second time in this series the Mets hit 5 home runs in a game.  Wilmer Flores seen above hit two home runs and went 6 for 6 tieing the Mets record for hits in a game. 

Wilmer started the season very slowly as he was the backup infielder.  Once he played regularly at 3rd base, his hitting improved dramatically.  So what happens when Jose Reyes is ready to come to the majors?  I say keep Flores at third base  and get rid of Alejandro de Aza who has played poor in the first half of the season.  At that point Jose Reyes can be a backup infielder/outfielder.

I hope Sandy Alderson makes the right decision.

Mets Hit 5 Home Runs as They Beat the Cubs 10-2 in a Rain Delayed Game

The disadvantage of buying tickets in advance is that you never now what the weather will be.  It was raining at the time we usually leave the house, so we waited until it let up and arrived at Citifield at about 7:00.  They were taking the tarp off the field as the game started at 7:20.  James Loney and Asrubual Cabrera hit back to back homers in the second inning just before the rains came.  We were afraid that the game would be called and the Mets would lose the lead.  After and hour and 10 minutes the game resumed.  There were home runs by Cespedes, Cabrera (#2 of the night) and Brandon Nimmo (first career homer).

By the top of the 6th the Mets were ahead 10-1 as the rains came again.  Since it was a one-sided game we decided to leave at that point.  When we arrived home the game had resumed.  The final score was 10-2 as the game ended at 12:05.  All's well that ends well.

Game recap