Boring Game as the Astros Beat the Mets 2-0

 

It was another weekday afternoon game at Citi Field, so I am there taking advantage of the pleasures of retirement.  I couldn't go to this game or watch it on TV if I was still working. It was a pitchers duel with Justin Verlander facing Taijuan Walker.  It was scoreless after eight innings,  Manager Buck Showalter made a strange move by bringing in closer Edwin Diaz to get two outs in the eighth inning.  Drew Smith came in the ninth and gave up a single to Yuli Gurriel followed by a home run by Jason Castro.  It was Castro's first dinger of the season.  The Mets only got two hits in the game.

Astros left fielder Yordan Álvarez and shortstop Jeremy Peña were hurt when they collided in the eighth while running down Dominic Smith's popup. Both called for the ball and as Peña caught the pop, they hit each other in the face with their gloves. They both left the game and were evaluated for possible concussions.  No replays of this accident were shown on the video screen at the stadium.  I had to go to Twitter to see the replay from SNY.  Hopefully, they will be OK.  I never like to see any player experience an injury.

Game Recap

Passing of Two Facebook Friends - James Benson and Dennis Frank

 

I have discussed several times in this journal how Facebook friends are at best acquaintances with a common interest.  I just read about the passing of two Facebook friends.

James Benson was a Professor of Library Science at St. Johns University who eventually become the Head of the Library Science program and then Dean of Libraries.  In the late 1980s, I took a continuing education course with him while I worked at NYPL.  I don't remember having contact with him while I worked at St. Johns from 1990-92.  He became Dean after I left.  Obviously, librarianship was our common interest.

Dennis Frank was an oldies radio enthusiast and one of the "Survey Guys".  I vaguely remember meeting him at a few of the oldies Meet and Greets that we had at Ben's Deli in Manhattan.  Oldies music was our mutual interest.

My condolences to their respective families.

Green Green Grass of Home - Elvis Presley Song of The Day

 

This was not a hit for Elvis, but I have heard it several times on Elvis Radio on SiriusXM.  Tim Jones had the hut version of this that peaked at #11 on the Billboard Charts.  I believe Tom Jones hit #1 with it on the British charts in 1967.

Lee and His Dad Saw the Elvis Presley Movie Today

 

I documented in 2008 that Lee is the biggest Elvis Presley fan in the family.  When we visited Graceland in 2003, I distinctively remember that most of the visitors were not yet born in 1977 when Elvis died.  We found out about this biopic while listening to Elvis Radio on SiriusXM in the car.  Lee insists on listening to this channel in the car.

Baz Luhrmann does an excellent job of directing this film that features Austin Butler as Elvis and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker.  They certainly did an excellent makeup job on Tom Hanks.  It was certainly impossible to cover every aspect of Elvis's life in 2 1/2-hour film.  His appearance on the Ed Sullivan show was not covered.  There was no mention of Elvis's part in the Million Dollar Quartet with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.

I certainly recommend the movie for all, including very young people who are not familiar with Elvis.  Perhaps the movie will generate new interest in his music.  Classic Hits stations such as WCBS-FM still would never play his music.

Lee and Elvis and Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum in 2013

Take a Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed

 

I am following up on my visit to the Lou Reed exhibit at NYPL.  I remember hearing this for the first time on WPRO - Providence when I was a student at the University of Rhode Island.

Lou Reed Exhibition at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

 

Lou Reed: Caught Between The Twisted Stars is the full name of the exhibition at the Lincoln Center library.  It includes musical recordings, videos, posters, interviews, books, vinyl records, cassette tapes, photographs, and personal correspondences that are the archives that he donated to NYPL It covers his entire career from his start as a doo-wop singer to his passing in 2013.

I first found out about Lou Reed after hearing his hit Take a Walk on the Wild Side in 1973.  I didn't hear much about him until October 1992 when he sang Foot of Pride at the concert for Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary.

Lou formed the Velvet Underground with John Cale in October 1965.  Between 1972 and 2011 he released twenty studio albums, seven live albums, and three collaborative albums.  I found out from viewing this exhibit that Lou Reed was also a poet as some of his works and readings were displayed,

Lou Reed with Allan Ginsberg

I highly recommend this exhibit to all reading this journal entry.  There is no fee to view it.  It will be at the library until March 2023.  Please also see the following websites:

NYPL site describing the exhibition

Digital Collection of the archives  - some of the material can only be accessed from the library

Our Second Trip to Citi Field in Two Days is a Winner as the Mets beat the Marlins 6-0

 

I am certain sometime during the Shea Stadium days I went to two games in a row.  It was likely when the ticket price was $1.30 to sit in the upper deck.  Today for the first time I attended consecutive games at Citi Field.  I prefer going to day games since night games end at about 10:30.  I will get to the bus stop at 11:00 when they run very infrequently and get home extremely late.

The Mets played small ball their way to a 4-0 lead against Trevor Rogers (3-6) with two sacrifice flies, Mark Canha's bases-loaded walk and McNeil's scurry home on a wild pitch. McNeil left the game at that point with right hamstring tightness. They scored two more runs on an RBI single by Eduardo Escobar in the eighth inning.

David Peterson (4-1) was on top of his delivery and covered 5 1/3 innings with a season-high seven strikeouts on 100 pitches. He allowed six hits and two walks as the Mets won the four-game series 

Game Recap