Mets vs Angels

The Mets came to Angels Stadium for the first time ever this week. It was a three game series, and I took the opportunity to go see them twice.

Part of it was the appeal of one of the best pitching match-ups of the year in Johan Santana and John Lackey. Part of it was the chance to see David Wright in person again. And part of it was, admittedly, the three dollar ticket price. Really, it was a winning combo.

Seeing the Angels make big name Johan Santana, and his then 2.96 ERA look nothing more than mediocore was great. Even better was seeing John Lackey have his "bad inning" in the first by giving up one run. Jeff Mathis homering wasn't too bad either.

Jon Garland pitched the second game I attended, the third and final game of the series. This was the first time I had seen Garland pitch in an Angels uniform in person, and I was less than impressed. Maybe its because I like real power pitchers who strike out 179 guys a year. But even more than that, I don't like seeing my starting pitcher give up a bunch of runs. Call me spoiled by John Lackey, but even three runs is kind of irritating. Ok, lets be honest, if the Angels had an offense that scored over 4 runs EVER a starter giving up 3 in 6 or 7 innings wouldn't be so bad. But because the Angels can't score at will it is that bad, especially considering the hype around the trade that brought Garland to Anaheim.

Perhaps most importantly though I learned something about the game. Something I of all people should have known to begin with.

It probably has to do with the fact that time after time I'm disappointed by "fans" who wear Yankee and Red Sox hats that know nothing about the team, its history, or even MLB as a whole. But I had the preconceived notion that REAL METS FANS looked and acted like Kevin James.

Now, of course this is a stretch. I never really believed this, but I certainly didn't expect the guy in the Mets jersey and hat sitting next to my dad and I to be a Real Mets Fan. He clapped overly loud, my dad and I figured he probably lived in New York for all of three weeks and felt he had something to prove. He had tattoos all over. Honestly, he would be the last guy I'd expect to be a Mets fan. But after Tatis missed a ball he yelled "Wright would have had that," and he was probably right. So we started talking about David Wright. About how he was from Queens and about Shea Stadium. When I asked him how he felt about Shea being torn down he said it was "bittersweet," and at that point I knew he was a Mets fan.

So I learned not to judge a book by its cover. I of all people shouldn't have done this, after all, I'm a girl who lives and breaths for Baseball History. No one expects that.

So to all Mets fans, and baseball fans alike, that I have prejudged based on the jersey or hat you were wearing, I apologize and admit to my error.