So much for that quaint notion about New York baseball fans being so knowledgeable and so respectful of the opposition. The vicious booing and chants of "No More Streak" at Shea Stadium Friday night directed towards Chase Utley showed a distinct lack of class.
What is baseball without its history, and wouldn't have it been nice if Utley's 35-game hitting streak lasted a little longer to generate more discussion and make us appreciate what Joe DiMaggio did even more? The Mets have such a huge lead in the NL East that games against the Phillies can hardly be considered critical right now. And the fans booed Utley right from the start, not just late in the game when a hit might have been damaging.
Even Willie Randolph admitted before Saturday's game, "It felt a little weird. I guess they didn't want him to continue the streak. It's changed. That's the culture we live in now. There's always a group that wants to show its displeasure."
Randolph, admittedly a passionate Knicks fan, said he's never once booed them, not even last year. "As long as the effort is there," he said. Which is why he remains aghast at the treatment of Alex Rodriguez by Yankees fans. "That's totally out there," Randolph said. "This guy always works hard. He's one of the best players in the game and he's one of your guys. Wouldn't you want him to do well? It would help your team. It's a weird mentality. I think talk radio has a lot to do with it. People feel they're entitled to do it."
This blogger has one word for many Mets and Yankees fans after their recent actions: Boo!
Comments (27)
That's crap! I was rooting at home against him getting a hit too! He's a Phillie for christ's sake! I would rather he got a hit and the Mets win but that didn't happen. 56 games is history, 35 is a pretender and if I root against it, so what! Do I want Bonds to get Home Run # 748 against the Mets? no. But do I want him to hit #755? Heck Yeah!
Do I love baseball history ...YES!
Do I root for the Phillies ...hell NO!
I wonder, if Bobby Herzog has ever BEEN to a sporting event in Philadelphia? Remember, those Philly "fans" regularly booed Mike Schmidt and Santa Claus for that matter. Do you really want to see fans with no class....there was a small courthouse in old Veterans Stadium during the football season. That way "justice" could be swift for the drunk idiot fans that were arrested there. So someone please tell Bob to put the Larry Bowa jersey back in his drawer and let the Met fans have some fun. Truth is the Phillie fans would boo you too for your article just like Cory Lidle slammed his ex teammates to the media. We would never boo you Bob.Never. No matter how politically correct you might want to appear to your "bingo" night group.
BINGOOOO !
I was at the game, and someone hit the nail right on the head: "Hey Chase, you're good, but you ain't Joe D." They were discussing the booing ad nauseum on WFAN today, and I'm thinking, since when did we become so politically correct? You know what, I paid for my ticket. If I want to boo Chase Utley, who the hell is Bob Herzog, Ed Coleman, or ANYONE for that matter, to tell me otherwise? Chase Utley? Gimme a break. If the fans would have booed an all-time great like Tony Gwynn, I would MAYBE see Bob's point of view. Hey, Chase Utley may be a scrappy player, and a great teammate, and a breath of fresh air in a baseball world dominated by chemically enhanced muscleheads like Barry Bonds, but let's be serious: He couldn't hold DiMaggio's jock, dead or alive.
Hey Bob, you don't like seeing the opposition getting booed? Move to St. Louis, where they cheer anything and everything. And somehow I didn't see any uproar from the press when Mets fans cheered Mark Prior after he was yanked with a no-hitter. There's no problem with cheering Mark Prior, but booing a media darling like Chase Utley suddenly shows a lack of class? Please.
"The Mets have such a huge lead in the NL East that games against the Phillies can hardly be considered critical right now"? Man, am I glad you don't run the Mets with an attitude like that. You would probably make Art Howe look good.
Is lack of class only if you boo the opposition? The NY sports media should be the last to pontificate about class after the treatment of A-Rod,Beltran and other local players.Hey, you sanctimoniousness freeloaders need to develop a conscience and stop the slant and distortions before telling paying fans how they should act.
Bob Herzog, a man who works for a newspaper that inflates its circulation numbers, talking about a lack of class? Stick to writing about sports, although you're not actually very good at writing about sports either.
Bob- You are a moron.
While moron is a bit harsh, I think the vitriol being spewed at Mr. Herzog will hopefully make him think twice about making silly statements like booing at an oppsing player is classless. It's one thing to call out fans if they throw objects on the field (batteries at Yankee Stadium, anyone?), or if they shout vulgarities at a player. It's another to chastise fans when they boo an opposing player, regardless of what the situation is. As another poster said above, stick to your job covering sports.
Joe D didn't hit in 56 games either. It's a historical fraud, perpetuated in the days before ESPN would replay all bad calls and reveal it to the world.
Link:
http://www.cincypost.com/2002/jun/24/mccoy062402.html
I bet HErzog wasn't in the stands. If he did he would have had the Mets fans pulse. He would have known that any boos were in opposition to the annoying, irritating Phillies fans, who felt it was their birth right to walk into Shea and be as drunk and belligerent as possible. It didn't help that they all were wearing Utley shirts. When you have a drunk fat Phillies fans screaming in your ear, spilling both of his beers (in each hand) all over you while telling you how much the Mets suck, in your home stadium, there is not a Mets fan on earth that is going to cheer for Utley.
Herzog should blame it on the Phillies fans who came to Shea and provoked the Mets fans rather than blaming the Amazin' faithful.
I had to sit in Saturday's game with my brother-in-law, a die-hard Phillies fan. At least no beers were thrown in his direction for fear of hitting the die-hard Mets fan sitting next to him.
In all seriousness, I'm sure the door swings both ways. With Philly a relatively short drive from New York, you can imagine the abuse that Phillies fans get from the Mets failtful who make the trip to watch a Mets/Phillies game.
On the other hand, I was walking with the (happy) crowd home on Saturday after the game when some guy in a Phillies jersey busted out this gem: "God, I'm sick of all these *bleeping* Mets fans". That was pretty brave of him to say that while stuck in Shea surrounded by thousands of Mets fans. On the other hand, he said it under his breath, so maybe he's not as brave as he would have everyone think.
Here's a dollar, go buy yourself a clue: If you're at someone ELSE'S home ballpark all decked out in your gear, don't be too surprised if you get heat when the home team wins.
The next move... in an effort to be more "politically correct" at Shea Stadium, will be the complete banning of all the hotdogs because of their "falic" representation to womens groups.
Hey Herzog you want to see something classy? Check out tonight's game when Mike Piazza comes up for his first at-bat. The cheers for Piazza, an opposing player, will be deafening.
Mets fans gave Prior a standing O after he came out with a line of 5 2/3 IP, 0 H two weeks ago. Not a single word was written about that in any paper I read.
And now the ink flows freely about "classless" Mets fans. I guess this is a lesson on what's newsworthy around here.
Which just goes to show what a hack Bob Herzog is. What's the matter Bob, you have no problem ripping Mets fans when they boo the opposition, but when that "quaint notion about New York baseball fans being so knowledgeable and so respectful of the opposition" rears its head after Mets fans cheer Mark Prior for his no-hit effort, you suddenly clam up? As a matter of fact, you have been very quiet since opening your mouth and ripping on Mets fans. Why not put your money where your mouth is and respond?
Bob Herzog: The people await your response.... Any notable silence you keep only increases the indignity that you have brought upon yourself, and the Newsday sports department.
Forget the booing for Chase. Why all the cheering for Piazza? Were Mets fans happy because they could be sure Reyes would steal a few bases off him?
Something like that.
Actually, there's a difference betwen Chase and Piazza. Piazza was once a Met, and one of the greatest players to ever put on the Mets uniform at that. Aside from the fact that he was the face of the Mets for 7 years (what does that say about John Franco and Al Leiter?), Piazza brought the Mets back to respectability while he played in New York. Piazza took some indignities, like having a tabloid insinuate that he was gay and the disastrous switch to first base, and never once complained or whined about it. Piazza was never rude with the media or the fans, and was one of the most approachable pro athletes in New York. Unlike some former Mets, like Darryl Strawberry or Doug Mientkiewicz, Piazza never once badmouthed New York when he was told he was no longer in he Mets plans, and took his departure from New York in stride. On top of that, Piazza has constantly stated that he still has an affinity for the city of New York and its fans.
Chase Utley may be a nice guy and a class act, but Mike Piazza is a nice guy and a class act who was once a Met, and if he had it his way, would probably still be a Met.
What Response you nitwit.Herzog could care less about you and your ridiculous rants. Learn the game and think before you act.
Norton: Can you explain where Bob Herzog has suddenly disappeared to? Why does the Newsday staff HIDE him and how is it that he has suddenly been replaced in the forum guy? Can you explain that jerk? THAT is the game that you must learn. The game of NEVER ADMITTING YOU HAVE BEEN WRONG. Grow up.
Norton: Has anyone ever told you that you are a jerk? Oh yeah, that was me one post ago.....
The next one that says you are an idiot? That will be mine as well, u BIG LOSER
Who the hell is Chase Utley that he can't be booed?! I could give two figs about his hitting streak - We Mets fans didn't want him extending it, not in our house. Hey, I was watching at home and was booing at the tv screen and cheering when he went 0 for 5. Classless you say - get a life.
Met fans cheered Piazza because we liked him. He gave us his all for many seasons and it was respected and appreciated and if we feel like cheering him, we will. Same thing happened when Lenny Dykstra returned to Shea, Seaver too.
On the other hand, Utley was never a beloved Met, he plays for the hated Phillies and so what if we were happy to see his stupid streak come to an end thanks to the Mets? We are just supposed to hope everyone breaks every record? Who cares, it's not like it was a 55 game hitting streak that ended.
stop obsessing and get back in the closet
I like hairless Mike Piazza. So smooth and kissable....
I am a gutless puke....
Newsday: Can we all chip in and get Bob Herzog's face on a milk carton? Has anyone seen this cornball? ...
Just trying to help.