Baseball Archives - Page 2 of 3 - The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

The end of an era

Posted on February 21, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball, Family .

I am writing this post on Saturday morning as I sit outside, a balmy 57 degrees, and watch my daughter’s softball fielding practice. People are looking at me strangely as I type and they chat nonsensically among themselves. I am not in a social frame of mind today so the laptop is a great crutch.

He must be doing important work so let’s leave him alone.

I am at Diamond Nation, an impressive baseball/softball facility where there are 3 softball practices and 3 men’s college baseball games going on at the same time. As interesting as a 3rd/4th grade softball practice can be, I’ve walked around quite a bit, watching the baseball games and allowing my mind to wander.

1977 Topps Baseball – Belloir, Kucek and Lindblad

Posted on January 31, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball .

I’ve mentioned previously that I am attempting to build a complete set of 1977 Topps baseball cards. I’m looking to do it through purchasing small lots of cards on eBay (just purchased 55 more for $3.50). I’m obsessed with the ’77 Topps set out of nostalgia and if I’m honest with myself, I’m probably regressing back to my 7 year old self as an escape from reality.

At first, there was a lot of laughing at the cards; strange photo angles, airbrushed hats, horrific uniforms, embarrassing poses and questionable athleticism. It is also fun finding the cards I distinctly remember from my childhood; players I loved (George Brett, Pete Rose) or even uniforms I thought were the coolest (Padres, Expos).

But what I’m most intrigued by now are the fringe players. Those who only had a small cup of coffee in the bigs and then were never heard from again. Their cards captured a moment in time when they realized their dream, when they “made it”. Looking at these cards now, I swear you can see it in their collective faces. Add in the fact that it is so easy to research what they have done since their careers ended, and you have the recipe for fascinating human interest stories.

Here are three of those stories:

Only 36 hits in 81 career games
12 errors in those 36 games
Debuted in ’75 and had 6 hits in a two game span. This article from ’75 sums up the excitement of getting to the MLB and just appreciating the opportunity.
Missed the ’71 season due to military service
Out of the majors by ’78
While I appreciate any type of humor, I find this type of negative blog post to be unnecessary. Dude made it to the majors, that is like winning the lottery.
I found his Facebook profile and it seems too understated. Photo should scream, I played in the frickin MLB. I’m still contemplating sending him a friend request and asking for an interview.

7 career wins over 7 MLB seasons
Career 5.12 ERA
2nd round draft pick in ’74
That grin tells me he appreciated being able to put on that killer Sox hat.
In 2008, he invented the Strike Out Strippz, a pitching glove that helps pitchers evaluate their pitching motion after each simulated pitch. A great sales pitch here: “Strike Out Strippz Pitching Glove will do for pitchers what the batting tee did for hitters.”
Here’s an example of Roger Clemens pimping it.
After digging around some more, my best guess is that he sold it as it is promoted current day through this site without his name prominently attached.
I located his LinkedIn profile as well. I am fascinated how typical it looks until you scroll down his page and see “Former Major League Pitcher”. What? Put that shit up top dude, you are one in a million with that.

I can’t shake this one. Shame on me for not remembering him and more importantly, not knowing his tragic story. More on that in a bit.
A lefty middle reliever who made 655 career appearances in the MLB.
Was the winner of game 3 of the ’73 World Series against my beloved Mets.
He has the distinction of being the last pitcher to face Willie Mays.
Participated in 3 World Series with the A’s and was part of the 1978 Yankees World Series team.
He died in 2006, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Take a look at this fascinating article from ’97 that talks about the disease in great detail.
He started showing signs of early onset Alzheimer’s in his late 40’s. It has been determined that his children have a 50/50 chance of getting Alzheimer’s as well.
Research shows that he was a descendant of one of a few German families that migrated to Russia in the 18th century and were linked to familial Alzheimer’s.

1977 Topps baseball cards

Posted on January 24, 2016 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball .

I was an avid baseball card collector as a child and into my early teens. This spanned from 1978 up until 1990. During the early years it was all about trying to get a complete set or collecting my favorite players or beloved Mets.

And then the baseball card boom hit in the early 80’s and it became all about collecting and speculating on players’ rookie cards. I completely ignored the common/veteran player and just focused on those first year player cards. I was going to be rich with my 74 Don Mattingly and Darryl Strawberry rookie cards.

The baseball card market eventually crashed and all of those cards became worthless. This was in the early 90’s and I completely turned my back on the hobby and focused on other things like college and hanging with the girl that would become my wife years later.

Fast forward to current day and my son has taken card collecting to levels so way beyond anywhere I ever went with it. But now it is about collecting/finding rare inserts and autographed cards. One pack of cards was 30 cents back in my day yet they are now anywhere from $3 to $10 per pack. He has cards worth hundreds and actively sells and buys cards off of eBay. A burgeoning entrepreneur.

My son’s interest in the card collecting hobby has awakened a nostalgia in me that harkens back to a simpler time. The innocent era of collecting cards without any financial motives. Trying to complete the entire Minnesota Twins team set. Enjoying the players from back in the day who clearly never indulged in any performance enhancing drugs. Players that looked more like my weird uncle then a young and blossoming professional athlete.

Which brings me to 1977 Topps baseball cards. The set I worshipped as a child. The set I am now collecting again. The set that has inspired me to learn about each and every player in the set.

As a young dude, I always found the 1977 Topps baseball set to be the coolest. I loved the white border and bright colors.

The sets prior and subsequent to 1977 Topps baseball were drab and missing that 70’s funk. The players seemed to be photographed in cooler and stranger poses. I willingly traded many ’78, ’79 and ’80’s Topps cards for any 77’s anyone was offering up.

I’m now 43 years old and I still love these cards. I dug through my entire card collection recently to reunite with my favorite cardboard cutouts. As expected, they were in awful condition but just like I remember them. They made me smile and brought back a wave of great childhood memories.

But I didn’t have enough of them. I wanted more. I wanted the rush back.

So I followed my son’s lead and purchased a lot of 1977 Topps baseball cards on eBay. I didn’t want any superstars from the set. The more obscure the better. When they arrived, I found a quiet spot in the house and leafed through them slowly. They are still the best.

Here are some of the cards I received in the lot and why I love them so much. Some are based on the photos, some based on the uniforms and some are just freakin funny.

Going forward, I plan on doing one post per week featuring one of the players and an in depth review of their story.

My favorite hat of all time. That mustard color is phenomenal.
Quintessential 70’s mustache.
Traded to the Mets in ’79. Touted as the “savior”. Never liked playing in New York so I came to hate him.

Coolest cat around. That necklace alone made this card awesome. Claimed it was the “second baseman’s teeth”. This photo captures him even better.
Wore a helmet in the field at first base.
Died in 2013 in his hometown of Greenville, MS.

Killer perm.
Had his best season in ’76 and then signed a 10 year, 2 million dollar contract the first year the MLB had free agency.
He was never good again.

Even as an 8 year old, I knew this dude looked stoned.
Epic mustache.
Funny thing, he never pitched for the Expos.

Bake is the best baseball first name ever.
Always had a solid 70’s fro.
This video brings me back to Saturday afternoon games with Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola.

Interesting fact – combined with his brother for a shutout. Only time in MLB history.
Great article from 1985 article on what he was doing now.
Maybe the least intimidating pitcher of all time.

This is why I bought that lot of cards.
Phenomenal sideburns
More my weird uncle than an MLB player

Managed Mets for exactly 7 games in ’91.
Always thought if he could play, so could I.
Great old video of him thrown out of a game

That name.
Was hit in in the head in ’75 with a come backer, never the same
Coached a young Greg Maddux and credited with much of his success
Just read this about him and the legendary Pete LaCock

The air brushing of the hat is pretty awful. The Mariners had yet to play a game when their cards were added to the 1977 Topps set.
Probably the best Mariners hitter (27 HR and 90 RBI) in their inaugural season in ’77.
Was included with Nolan Ryan in the worst trade in Mets history.
Was beaten out by Bobby Bonds in ’77 and did little after that.

Top ten ugliest uniform contender.
Great action shot although I can’t figure out where the base is and why he is fielding the throw on the inside of first base.
Within 2 months had two 2HR/8RBI games.
Had no idea until now that he died of a heart attack in 2002 at the age of 55.

Impossibly hideous uniform
Scored 1,000,000 run in MLB history. Great party trivia question.

In the top ten worst uniforms list. The matching shirt and pants are classic.
Known as the “Bogalusa Bomber” which is simply awesome.

I loved these quad rookie cards. Such promise and potential for the card gaining value in years to come. These are the guys I paid close attention to.
Mike Champion only played 2 years with San Diego.
Juan Bernhardt hit the Mariners first home run but only played a total of 154 games in the MLB.

My favorite card in the set to this point based on the hair/uniform combo.
Cy Young award winner the year this card was created.
Credited with All Star save in ’75 and All Star win in ’76.
In his last start of ’76, he was injured and never the same again
Owned a catering company and hosted a baseball radio show.

New York Mets 2015 season

Posted on November 12, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball, Family .

The New York Mets 2015 season officially came to an end on November 1st.

It still makes me giddy to say that out loud. Playing baseball in November means you had one hell of a season and were one of the top two teams in baseball. I’ll be damned if I saw that coming before the season started.

This past baseball season was without a doubt the most enjoyable I’ve ever experienced in my 43 years on this planet. Even though our beloved New York Mets just fell short and lost in the World Series, it cannot erase the joy it brought to my entire family and all of the memories we’ll have from this season. Each and every one of us was glued to the TV from April through October and I miss the hell out of it already.

I grew up watching the god awful Mets teams of the 70’s and early 80’s on a small black and white TV with my dad always sitting there next to me. It didn’t matter that the team was horrendous, it was a time to just hang with my pops. We didn’t even have to talk much during each game; the game itself was our conversation with only a telepathic communication needed. If a Met player made an error, a glance towards each other spoke volumes. Even attempts at real conversation would go like this:

“How was school today son?”

“Um, good or whatever, Doug Flynn cannot be our shortstop next year.”

Fast forward to 2015 and my son and I watch the Mets in the exact same manner. Except in high def on a big screen TV, while we are simultaneously tweeting via Twitter and discussing the OPS and BABIP for each hitter. Beyond that it was like totally the same.

This year we kicked it up a notch though. We got into it early. Like as early as humanly possible. We attended Spring Training for the first time ever.

I won’t rehash the story now as you can read about our experience through the following links:

Spring Training Day 1

Spring Training Day 2

Spring Training Day 3

Looking back on it all, it truly was magical from the very beginning. Not only did we get an up close and personal view of the players …

… and endless autographs for my son

Yes, that is the Noah Syndergaard. But he also got his first go round on TV and did not disappoint. To this day, I still get people asking me if it was possible that they saw my son on the TV while they were eating dinner or out with friends.

Hells yeah you did.

Port St Lucie, FL will now be a permanent destination each and every February. And this year we are quadrupling our group by adding friends and family to the mix. It is a must for all hardcore baseball fans.

Allow me to wax poetic even more about America’s past time.

Baseball isn’t for everyone, I know that. It is a slow moving sport and yes, they play 162 games over the course of 6 months. It isn’t the juggernaut that is the NFL and games do lack that “event” feeling, at least up until the playoffs.

But the pace is what makes it so fantastic. It is the background music/soundtrack of spring and summer. It doesn’t ask you to stay riveted to each and every moment. It fits right in with the relaxed and chilled vibe of summer. It is a familiar friend where there is the comfort of knowing you can hang for periods of time without saying a word.

Now having said that, there is a unique drama that only occurs in baseball. Because there are so many games and they are played nearly every day, there is always a new twist or turn to contend with. Especially in larger markets like New York, Chicago or Los Angeles where there are a number of beat reporters who cover the teams on a day to day basis. They need a daily story/angle and do a good job of drumming them up regularly. Why did that guy glare at the manager after his at bat? Why didn’t he run his hardest after hitting that ground ball? Why was so and so benched for a second straight game? Typically not earth shattering stuff, but interesting all the same. Like the kind of family stuff we all encounter on a daily basis. A problem on Tuesday can quickly become a non issue after a good night’s sleep and a successful game the next day.

Baseball is also a thinking man’s game and if I am anything, I am a thinking man. You can debate lefty/righty splits, bunt or no bunt and defensive substitutions all day and night. The depth of baseball stats is overwhelming but completely fascinating at the same time. Some say it ruins the game, others rely solely on stats when debating the intricacies of the game. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, the game is still being debated after the last out is recorded. I love that.

After we returned from Spring Training, we felt a different kind of connection with the team. These were real people who just happened to have maybe the greatest job in the world. We saw them from day one; literally introducing themselves to each other as they took the field; very cool stuff. And because the Mets are a very young team, you got the feeling like you were there when it was all starting. The initial hype was palpable and frickin exciting.

As this season progressed, and the typical ups and downs occurred, my wife and daughter also became attached. We could discuss any aspect of the team and we all knew exactly what we were talking about. They’ve always enjoyed baseball but this was different. We even knew the names of the Mets players’ children. Again, like family.

By July/August, the Mets kicked it into high gear and we were riveted. Every game was must watch TV. This young and up an coming team was maturing right before our eyes. We knew good things were coming, just not this quickly.

By the time the playoffs started, we all had our assigned positions on the couch. Every ball and strike was the end of the world. As much as I like the slow pacing of the regular season, the playoffs are a different animal. It is insane and all consuming and worth the stress.

I’ll never forget texting with my wife and son from a bar during a game while I was in Florida for work.

I’ll never forget my father-in-law calling my son after every big home run by Daniel Murphy.

I’ll never forget waking up my daughter at 12:30 to allow her to see the Mets celebrate their first trip to the World Series since 2000.

I’ll never forget having my parents over on Halloween night and the highs of the early lead in Game 4 and the absolute agony of losing the game late.

I’ll never forget watching the last minute of commentary after the Mets lost the World Series and the last camera shot of the empty stadium.

I’ll never forget realizing that I will miss it all dearly once the kids get older and leave the house.

Thank you for the New York Mets 2015 season. I dare you to top it all in 2016.

A weekend of softball, baseball and a flooded basement

Posted on June 8, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball, Family .

It all started around 5:30 on Friday afternoon. The work day was done and like a certain prehistoric icon of my youth, I was outta there.

Yabba Dabba Friggin Do!

First stop was to pick up a quick dinner so I could wolf it down on my way to the baseball field. Over the years, I’ve mastered the art of eating pizza via the “fold” while driving and most importantly without dripping on the pants. Do not try this at home, it takes years of practice and experience and I think you have to be from the Northeast in order to do it.

I arrive at the field with 5 minutes to spare. We are staring at three consecutive games Fri through Sunday if my son’s team could win that night. This has been the most enjoyable season to date so we are all in on a victory.

And they won.

Our weekend schedule was rather clear cut and a whole lot busier.

We’re cool with that.

We get home late on Friday night and after a second dinner for my always starving son, all is quiet by about 10:30 P.M. In a bold move, my wife and I decide to finish off the last two episodes of our latest must-watch-binge-TV show “Bloodline”. Two thumbs up from both of us on this messy family drama/mystery. Go watch it now and thank me later.

By 12:30 we are drained from the show (yes we are that dedicated) and from the prior week as well. Off to bed we go knowing my daughter has her last softball game at 9:00 A.M.

We make it to the field by 8:30 on Saturday morning, mega coffee mugs in hand. At times it was too hot, too cold, too foggy and too rainy, but we persevere and enjoy the hell out of it. This has been such a fun year with such a great group of kids and truly outstanding coaches. But more on that in a little bit.

With a few hours to spare before my son’s next game, we map out a plan to get some things done within the 4-5 hour window. Dry cleaning, food shopping and some other things are on the docket so we split up and dominate the task completions.

One task I may have failed to mention to my wife was the need to plant my three secretly purchased Veronica ‘First Love’ (I’m only slightly embarrassed to share that name with you).

With an hour to spare before heading out to the field, I sneak in a run. Truth is, I despise running. I’m a mouth breather so while running I look like I am going to keel over at any time. But damn, once that runner’s high kicks in it is heavenly. Eyes sting from sweat, calves are burning and the possibility of being attacked by a coyote all make it worth while. I’m ready to take on the remainder of the weekend.

Fast forward to 9:00 and my son’s team has been eliminated from the playoffs. The kids are distraught but we do get one more game the following day so they look forward to a less pressure filled consolation game.

That night my wife and I decide to watch a movie. A real uplifting tale known as “Still Alice”. Yes that was sarcastic, but it was a great movie with a better performance from Julianne Moore. She suffers from early onset Alzheimer’s disease so it is heartbreaking to watch her slowly deteriorate. My grandmother had Alzheimer’s and it was so difficult to watch my grandfather not understand her condition. It didn’t seem fair to live out their final years that way so my wife and I are very sensitive to it. And now of course we continue to test each other’s memory in a fit of panic. Great way to go to bed on a Saturday night.

Sunday morning is casual as we have nowhere to be until 3:00 in the afternoon. My wife makes pancakes, we drink tons of coffee, the kids obsess over the Game Show Network and we all chill.

Around 12:00 or so, I decide to head to the basement for a quick exercise session. I know, you are impressed by my dedication. Well just know that the session never came to be … and here is why.

As I completed the descent into the basement and glanced ahead to the weight bench I noticed something didn’t seem right. Is it normal to step into 2 inches of water down here? I didn’t think so.

After gathering myself and fighting off the panic attack, the “water leak detective” kicked in. Is it our hot water heater? Did the dish washer leak underneath? Nope and nope. Upon further inspection, it was clear that the sump pump wasn’t operating. Oh good, that will play out nicely. I immediately ran upstairs, informed the family that I’ll be out of commission for hours and began sopping it all up with the wet vac.

Two hours later I had taken care of the bulk of it and had a decision to make. Skip the last game and jump on replacing the sump pump or take care of it later that night. My instinct was to skip the game, but I relented and we were all in attendance together.

I don’t even remember the final score but do remember how sad we were to see it end. Another year in the books. My son will be 13 in July so who knows how many more baseball seasons we have left. What I do know is just how fantastic this season was.

There are a lot of knocks against organized sports and crazy coaches and spoiled kids. In many cases, I’ve seen that to be true. But not this year, not by a long shot. Between my daughter’s team and my son’s team, I’ve seen what it means to have great coaches, great parents and great kids. The kids were not only coached well, but coached fairly and treated with unbelievable respect. That results in an experience they will never forget and cherish for the rest of their lives.

And back to the sump pump.

Luckily we had no additional rain so the basement wasn’t a complete washout by the time we returned home. We picked up a new sump pump and thank the good lord above, my brother-in-law/neighbor put it in for me and taught me a hell of a lot along the way. I think I now owe him a new 30′ x 30′ garden bed or some new grasses … if he allows me to put it in.

While the pump is fixed, we still have a problem with the pipe that drains the water away from the house. The best guess is that an animal is stuck in the pipe (probably one of those frickin rabbits) and for the life of me, we cannot locate where it all drains. Because of that, I am waiting for Roto Rooter to show up any minute now. Writing is how I handle stress these days so that is why you have had to put up with this long winded post.

But there is more.

I have been digging through our old house records to see if we had anything that indicated where the sump pump pipe could be located. In doing so, I came across this.

The letter that the young couple who purchased our old home had sent to us back in 2004. My wife cried like a baby when she read it the first time and in fact, cried again today when I sent it to her via text.

I also found this stuck in between a few old papers.

My son, not even two years old, harassing me while I was trying to work. I kid you not, within seconds of taking this picture, he broke the letter “g” on my keyboard and for years after that, I had to make a specific pressing motion to get the “g” to appear. I would like to go back in time and laugh more at that mishap. And rub his curls a few times.

One last memory for ~~you~~ me. This was the brochure when our old house was up for sale.

This is where all of the early garden experimentation started. I laugh now reading the description of the home as having “beautiful perennial gardens”. They were OK at best, but damn if I don’t remember the time spent in that backyard tinkering with the Coreopsis and Sedum, knowing my two favorite people in the universe were waiting for me inside.

A special time and place and for today, a nice escape from the smell of stagnant water and pipe glue.

Thanks for doing me a solid if you made it this far.

John

2015 Mets Spring Training: Day 3

Posted on March 3, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball, Family .

The last day of our “Escape to Mets Camp” was Sunday and unlike all of the other days, we were welcomed by this unfamiliar site.

I googled it and learned it is referred to as “sunshine”. What a neat concept. I like it.

So if day one was about the initial excitement and day two was about perseverance, then day three was about … a few different things:

Soaking it all in – while Jack was on the autograph hunt, I reminded myself to take it slow, enjoy the experience, carefully observe and realize just how damn unforgettable this was going to be.
Jealousy – to be so young with your future still out ahead of you. To make a living out of your passion – for the players, coaches and media, etc. To be a 12 year old without a care in the world. Not to mention the joy that is that giant yellow orb in the sky.
Jealousy turning to determination – for my son, I want to do all I can to allow him to pursue his dreams while keeping him on track but not meddling too much. Easy right? For me, even at 42 years of age, I CAN still follow my passions and enjoy the journey.

With that as the backdrop, here is the story of two dudes; one mature/devastatingly handsome/well seasoned/world wise … and the other his father. Read on as they tour Mets spring training camp in Port St. Lucie, FL on March 1, 2015.

Game on at 9:30 AM after having arrived at 8:00, iced coffee in hand, to watch the players arrive in their ridiculously expensive rides. And maybe a scream or ten for an autograph.

Since Jack and I were now experts on how to navigate the Mets workout, we wandered off on our own while the players stretched and the majority of the fans looked on in awe.

I decided to capture the calm before the storm on the various fields.

We then regrouped in time to catch the end of the stretch and inspirational message from the coaches.

And then they were off to their assigned drills in what appeared to be controlled chaos. One of the cool things here was the high fives given to the kids along the pathways.

While my son wandered to and fro and managed to score some free baseballs from the coaches, I settled in at infield practice. There I witnessed the familiar David Wright field, hop and throw we’ve come accustomed to the past ten years.

But even more interesting was watching the Mets manager, Terry Collins, closely monitoring his two shortstops. One of the biggest concerns this season is the defense provided at SS. You could sense the tension as Terry paced the field like an expectant father.

I then followed him to another field where his dynamic pitchers were practicing fielding drills. He said very little and just observed. That said a lot.

A quick stop to watch Bobby Parnell warm-up. To me, there is something fascinating and almost magical about a pitcher’s wind-up. To see someone throw 90 mph up close is beyond impressive. A true art form.

And then Jack and I made our smartest move of the day. No, it wasn’t putting on sunscreen. We got first in line at the batting cages and just patiently waited for the arrival of the players. One by one they poured in and we had front row access to witness their swings and baseballish banter.

Brandon Nimmo, the nicest and most accessible Met in camp.

Noah Syndergaard in what looks like the perfect baseball pose. I guarantee it is on a future baseball card. And that hair, chin line and beard is kind of awesome. To be in my early 20’s again.

Seriously, is there a better color combo on a baseball uniform?

I had to convince Jack not to steal a protein shake when no one was looking.

David Wright and Michael Cuddyer, friends from way back in the day, are the true leaders of this team and that was obvious throughout the three days we were there. And they are obviously besties.

And then our strategy paid off big time.

Autograph from David Wright.

And Zack Wheeler.

And Noah Syndergaard.

And Wilmer Flores.

After that nice run, there were two players that remained elusive and basically shunned signing for anyone.

That would be Matt Harvey …

… and Jacob de Grom.

I understand they are the two “hottest” signatures to obtain, but if David Wright can take the time out each practice to sign for all, especially the kids, so can they.

Oh well. A challenge for next spring.

By 12:30, after getting some additional autographs and watching David Wright, Curtis Granderson and Juan Lagares tear it up at batting practice, we called it a day.

We hit up Duffy’s for lunch for a third time and chilled out with our haul and our sunburns. Jack was thrilled with how day three turned out and appeared ready to head back home to the NJ.

After lunch ended, we had about two hours to kill before heading to the airport so I suggested we drive back to Tradition Field and take some pictures of the stadium now that it was empty. Lo and behold, we pulled in and some of our fellow diehards were still there. Apparently some of the players were still in the locker room so the ~~stalkers~~ fans could still get one last glimpse.

As expected, Jack jumped out of the car and took up his favorite position by the media gate.

And wouldn’t you know it, he got a few more autographs including #3 on the back of his shirt – Curtis Granderson.

Once it was confirmed by the security guard that the last player left, I finally saw Jack admit to himself it was over and let out a sigh.

Our father/son adventure had come to an end and while we were both exhausted and devastated to see it end, we both knew it exceeded even our lofty expectations. It truly was a time neither of us will ever forget.

Until we do it again next year …

And in 2017 …

Because we know it’s happening.

EPILOGUE

Our flight back to NJ was delayed and we didn’t land in the Trenton airport until 12:20.

We then waited 40 minutes for the staff to de-ice the ramp off of the plane.

Even after that it took 10 minutes just to walk down the ramp.

After an icy walk to the car, I had to remove three inches of ice off of my car and broke the scraper half way through. I chopped the rest with my elbow.

The drive home took an hour and fifteen minutes instead of 35 minutes because of the road conditions.

I almost hit three deer.

We walked into the house at 2:45 AM.

Jack stayed home from school.

I went to work after four hours of sleep.

I still have a stye in my eye.

I hate NJ.

THE END

2015 Mets Spring Training: Day 2

Posted on March 1, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball, Family .

If yesterday was all about awe and excitement, today was about perseverance, determination and maybe a dash of insanity. This was the view from our car as we arrived in the parking lot at 8:00 AM this morning.

Not giving up on practice yet. Son won’t let me. #mets #mlb

A photo posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on Feb 28, 2015 at 6:16am PST

As we drank our Starbucks (Decaf for the little guy) and wolfed down our chocolate croissants in the rental car, the mood started to head downhill quickly. I then made the mistake of suggesting we take the two hour drive to Walt Disney World (only half joking). The look my son gave me would scare small children and I knew then we were in for the long haul.

By 9:00 or so, through the wonders of social media, we learned that practice was going to be canceled and that the players were going to work out inside the bowels of the complex, out of view of the public. Not good.

In a move of desperation, I started tweeting directly to the players and posting all over Facebook, Instagram and Twitter under the hashtag #Mets in the hope that they would just say “C’mon inside you silly diehards, you loonies have proven your commitment to the team.”

That never happened.

But my son was still determined to not give up. While he wandered the grounds and peeked through the media gate, I started taking photos through the deluge. This pretty much summed up the vibe.

A dreary day at the park today but big ups to the #Mets players who signed on their way out. A photo posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on Feb 28, 2015 at 12:46pm PST

And this is where my son eventually settled in for about three hours, unaffected by the disappointing news.

Dude refuses to give up on #Mets spring training practice. Waiting for any glimpse of players. #mlb #lgm #baseball #determination

A photo posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on Feb 28, 2015 at 8:16am PST

While so many gave up and left the park, our perseverance did eventually pay off as so many of the players graciously signed for Jack as they were leaving Tradition Field between noon and 2:00 PM.

Mets injured and former closer and all around good dude Bobby Parnell. The beard is even more incredible up close.

Jack getting autograph from Bobby Parnell #mets A photo posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on Feb 28, 2015 at 12:13pm PST

Mets current closer and entertaining character Jenrry Mejia. He was fantastic with the two young kids who were with us and like a superstar, sped out of the parking lot like a maniac.

Jenry Mejia granting Jack an autograph in the pouring rain. #Mets

A photo posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on Feb 28, 2015 at 12:15pm PST

For a blogger like me, it was such a cool experience to meet and chat with famous Mets blogger, Matthew Cerrone. His award winning blog is entitled, shockingly, Mets Blog.

He has been a personal inspiration for me, and my son and I bond over every one of his posts. The Mets have finally embraced bloggers these past few years and we the fans are better off because of it.

Jack with our fave blogger, Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog. #Mets A photo posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on Feb 28, 2015 at 12:17pm PST

Mets manager and all around good guy Terry Collins, was kind enough to stop as well.

Former Met, new member of the SNY team and all around cool guy Cliff Floyd made an appearance. We had actually sat behind Cliff at Chili’s the day before but chickened out and couldn’t approach him. This was a nice turn of events.

By 2:00 I was shot and told Jack I needed to sit down in the car. I need my food and missing lunch can take its toll. He was all like “go ahead old man, I’m sticking this out because I’m 12 and awesome and I know there are still players who haven’t left yet”.

Sure enough, Mets outfielder and Jack personal favorite Curtis Granderson emerged and signed for the last man standing, my damn cool son. After they exhanged pleasantries, Jack looked at me through the rain and through the car window with the shit eating grin that said “Now we can go.”

Tomorrow is our last day and as of this evening, the weather looks OK for the morning but then nasty again in the afternoon. We’re staying optimistic and hope to deliver more great news in the next post.

2015 Mets Spring Training: Day 1

Posted on February 27, 2015 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball, Family .

As I write this, I’m sitting in a hotel room in Port St Lucie, FL and my 12 year old son is asleep in the bed next to me. I wish I could just push the “life pause button” right now. He’s at that age of still being my little boy but displaying those great traits of maturing into his teenage years.

Sigh.

Other than the day he was born and I held him for the first time , we’ve never had a better moment together. And by moment, I mean the four hours we spent together this morning at the New York Mets spring training camp.

I am and have always been a huge baseball fan. I grew up watching every Mets game on TV with my dad. I still remember summer nights watching the small black and white TV we had on our screened in porch, hoping I’d never hear those words “Time for bed John”. The Mets were horrific in the late 70’s and early 80’s but I never cared. I just wanted to watch the theater of it all night.

My son’s passion for the game blows mine away. He knows every player in the league, their mother’s name and their Instagram handle. He knows all about the legends who played throughout the 20th century. He owns a hat from 22 of the 30 major league teams. He just recently taught me how to throw a knuckle curve ball. Most impressively, he has received 25+ autographed cards through the mail after sending each player a personalized hand written letter.

Having said all that, I’ve never seen him more prepared, more focused and more passionate than I saw him this morning. He had plans on how to get autographs and followed it to a tee. The sheer joy this typically quiet and laid back boy exuded today was worth every penny we paid for the trip. His smile and nervous excitement literally brought tears to my eyes. To watch my son follow his passion this young warms the heart and I can only hope he continues to do so in the future. Do what you love, do not worry about the money. Is it too soon to teach him that?

So as Jack painted Tradition Field red, I tried my best to document it all. Here are some photos from day 1 one of 3. If the next two days are half as good as today, we are in for more awesomeness.

The full squad meeting at the start of practice.

Mets ace Matt Harvey warming up surrounded by a massive group of onlookers. It is a thing of beauty to watch a pitcher of his caliber. That pop in the catcher’s glove is a true sound of spring.

Another Met stud pitcher of the future, Noah Syndergaard (aka Thor). Color me excited about the Mets future.

Highlight #1. Jack being interviewed for Mets Kids Clubhouse on SNY. He will be on an upcoming episode this season as he answered trivia and asked question of his favorite player, David Wright.

Highlight #2. Yes, that is the David Wright signing and somewhere buried in there is my son. The biggest score and I’m forever grateful for his patience with all of the loonies surrounding him.

That would be David Wright #mets #mlb

A photo posted by john markowski (@jmarkowski0) on Feb 27, 2015 at 7:56am PST

Highlight #3. Not only a signature from Daniel Murphy, but a pic for the ages.

I love watching the players interact with each other and talk about important things like batting gloves.

Newly acquired veteran Michael Cuddyer sharing his years of experience with some of the younger players, like Lucas Duda.

As a former ~~bad~~ catcher, I couldn’t get enough of watching their drills. I have no idea how their knees survive the grind.

And there is that familiar swing again.

Yep, baseball is back.

MLB All-Star FanFest

Posted on July 16, 2013 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball .

As I mentioned in a previous post, my son and I went to the MLB All-Star FanFest yesterday. It was an amazing time and my son still hasn’t stopped smiling.

So please forgive me today for a truly non-gardening post.

Birthday gift

Ready to take advantage of all they have to offer

Former Mets pitcher Sid Fernandez

Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry

Former Met 2B and current 3B coach Tim Teufel

One of my favorite players from my younger years, Fred Lynn

Howard Johnson (aka HoJo), a fave Met from the 1986 World Series champion team

The infamous Met closer from back in the day, Jesse Orosco

My personal fave pic, Jack with New York sports radio personality “Mad Dog” Russo

A Cal Ripken spotting

“The Wizard”, Ozzie Smith

New York sportswriter, author and radio host, Mike Lupica

Sweet Jose Reyes shoes

Jack with his hero, David Wright

Couldn’t get close enough to see him in person, so watched David Wright on the big screen

One last pic from an incredible day

Back to gardening tomorrow, pinky swear.

John

A weekend of baseball and plants

Posted on April 23, 2012 by jmarkowski Posted in Baseball, Family .

I’m considering a blog name change to “Bee Balm and Baseball” or “Catmint and Curveballs” or maybe even “Dogwoods on the Diamond”.

Baseball and gardening have sort of merged into this hybrid “past time” for me. I’m watching baseball on TV as I write this post. I find myself sneakily pruning shrubs while I’m pitching to my son. I’ll shop for seeds online while using my phone at my son’s baseball game. Hell, I even wrote a post on how baseball and gardening are very similar.

And guess what? More of the same today.

Saturday was “Opening Day” for both my son’s baseball team and my daughter’s softball team:

Not only did they have both have their games at different times and locations, but also had their team photos at different times. The dreaded team photos are not too unlike herding a bunch of hyenas on Red Bull. I pity their poor coaches.

My daughter’s game was first and it couldn’t have been more entertaining. She actually wore a helmet into the field at one point and still gets confused as to which hand the glove goes on. But damn, I’ve never seen someone who enjoys being out on the field as much as she does. And she LOVES her uniform, and posing while in it.

Here she is in her first at bat. Take notice of the fact that her eyes are completely closed before the ball even reaches the plate:

Amazingly, she made solid contact AND knew she had to run to first base. Maybe I’m underestimating her interest.

And no one could match her “ready position” out in the field (Also, I guess cutting the lawn for opening day wasn’t in the plans):

When her game ended, it was time to shift to another field for my son’s first game.

He was pitching for the first time ever and so that explains why I have no pictures of him or his team. My wife and I were an emotional mess the entire time and photography was the last thing on my mind. He had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time and we were so friggin anxious to see him succeed. And home boy did. Four strikeouts over two innings and only one run allowed. I’m already ~~pushing~~ thinking scholarship.

It was a long day out in the sun and we were happy to finally return home. And guess what greeted me in the driveway?:

Real shocker, huh? Yes, another delivery. I ignored the rest of the family and dove in.

There were only three plants inside but they are damn solid ones. Check out this packaging, the best I’ve ever seen:

First, we have a Tsuga canadensis ‘Moon Frost’:

Next up is Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’:

And finally, the one I am most pumped about, the Chasmanthium latifolium ‘River Mist’ (AKA variegated Northern Sea Oats):

Good times for me. Each has their future home marked out and will be planted soon.

The long awaited and desperately needed rain arrived on Saturday night and continued on throughout the day on Sunday. I managed to jump outside at the only break in the rain in the late afternoon to snap some photos of the garden.

The Viburnum ‘Shoshoni’ started to bloom this weekend and I couldn’t miss out on capturing it: