Game 4 – July 27, 2008

Cardinals vs. Mets
Shea Stadium, New York

Mets 9, Cardinals 1
Home runs: Albert Pujols (Cardinals), Fernando Tatis and Ramon Castro (Mets)
And Ryan Ludwick DID have one, but Carlos Beltran leaped to catch it when it was over the wall

Beer: $8

Photos

First, apologies to my friend Karen in New York. I know you’re a Mets fan, but I really didn’t like Shea at all. It’s hard to come up with a positive about it. Well, it IS good this is its last year. Although that fact – with good reason – isn’t being publicized like the final season at Yankee Stadium. And the new stadium does look much, much nicer. (Even though the bar is set pretty low.)

This was the game I was most looking forward to on the trip, since I would be seeing the Cardinals. I was giddy when I woke up that morning, eagerly anticipating seeing my team play in person for the first time since August 2006. As we drove toward Shea, the increasingly gray skies should have been an omen.

Here’s a summary: crappy stadium, crappy weather (rained before the game and then late in the game, windy and cool), crappy seats (couldn’t even see the whole stadium – see pictures), crappy game.

And, actually, it was only a crappy game from a Cardinals fan’s perspective. Johan Santana pitched a complete game, his first as a Met, and had a perfect game until the fourth inning. The crowd was chanting “Johan” throughout the ninth inning. Fernando Tatis (long-ago former Cardinal) had three hits, including a homer. Carlos Beltran made that incredible catch to rob Ryan Ludwick of a home run – he reached over the wall to grab the ball. It reminded me of Endy Chavez robbing Scott Rolen in game 7 of the 2006 NLCS.

And speaking of game 7, there is one plus about Mets fans: they have good memories. Each time Yadier Molina came up to bat, they booed him. (Yadi hit the game-winning home run in that game, which sent the Cardinals to the World Series and the Mets home.) They also booed Albert Pujols continually, I suppose just because he’s Albert.

I did laugh (hysterically) at this e-mail on the game from my uncle Jim when I read it the next day: “I turned on the radio in the 6th inning, 7-0 Mets. Turned it right off. I said to myself "At least I didn't have to sit and watch it with 2 Cub fans like Christine.” [Marybeth and Eileen are those Cub fans.]

Ah, well. It WAS the first time I ever saw the Cardinals blown out in person. In the 15 or so games I’ve been to since 2000, they’ve now only lost twice. And at least I can say I’ve been to Shea and heard the airplanes roaring overhead in person.

Following the game, we had several hours free in the Times Square area. That was nice, once we got away from the crowds, and we had a terrific dinner here.

Then it was off to our hotel in New Jersey, where we were actually going to stay for two nights! Not hauling our suitcases out to the bus the next morning would be a nice change.