Mets Were Swept by the Tampa Bay Rays as they Lose 9-0 on Father's Day

Any team will have hot and cold streaks in the course of a 162-game season.  The Mets have hit a skid, losing a 3-game series to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Met pitchers walked a season-high nine as they were dealt their most lopsided loss this season and were swept in a series for the first time since last Aug. 9-11 at Seattle. Starting pitcher Shane Baz allowed three hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings while striking out six.  He held the Mets hitless in 12 at-bats with in scoring position.  This has been a problem for the Amazins this season.  After Junior Caminero hit a three-run homer in the ninth against Ryne Stanek, Carlos Mendoza brought in position player Jared Young to pitch.  I didn't see the point in putting a position player to get the last out, especially since there is an off-day tomorrow to rest the bullpen.

As a diehard, I stayed until the very end.  On August 12, 2023, I stayed until the end to see the Mets lose to the Atlanta Braves 21-3.  In that game position player Danny Mendick gave up 8 runs.  At least Jared Young didn't give up any more runs in today's game.

Box Score

 

The Beach Boys - That's Why God Made the Radio

 

Bob Radil played my request for this on his 60s 70s show, even though it was released in 2012.  I suppose God created the radio to provide entertainment and information for its listeners. Sadly, radio broadcasting has deteriorated over the years due to the major corporations that own radio stations.  They must cater to the advertisers, not the listeners.

Mets 5 Nationals 0 as David Peterson Pitches a Complete Game Shutout

 

This Wednesday night game was included in our season package for Sundays.  To honor Brian Wilson, a few Beach Boys songs were played on the stadium's loudspeaker system.  In recent years, complete games are rare in MLB.  Complete game shutouts are even less common, but David Peterson did the trick.  Brandon Nimmo hit two home runs and Juan Soto hit one to give the Mets the 5-0 victory.

The Mets have now won five games in a row and are 44-24.  Is this 1986 again?  There are still 94 games to go.

Game Recap

Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys Passes Away at 82

 

Like millions of others, I am saddened by the passing of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys at age 82.  I cannot add to the volumes of tributes that will be written about him.  There are numerous biographies of the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson.  Here is his obituary in the New York Times.  It is normal journalistic practice to write obituaries before the subject passes away.  Shown above is a video of his album Smile.

Ten years ago, I wrote a journal entry about the link between Bob Dylan and Brian Wilson.  In that entry, there is a YouTube video with Bob and Brian collaborating in 1988 on a song called Spirit of Rock 'n Roll.  There is also a YouTube Video of the Beach Boys doing a parody of Dylan.  Both of those videos were deleted from YouTube.

A reader of that entry commented The Beach Boys covered Times They Are A-Changin' in 1965 on the Party! album, lead vocal by their resident folkie, Al Jardine.   He also said the Spirit of Rock' n 'Roll was meant for an album called Sweet Insanity, which was never officially released but did leak out on bootlegs a few years ago later.

Random Thoughts of the Day June 9, 2025

 

• I was thinking about shopping for a new air conditioner this afternoon, but I was tired after doing the laundry and some house cleaning.  I'll try to do it tomorrow as there is no big hurry,  I assume I'll have to wait for delivery and installation anyway.
• Young women find me on Telegram.  Now, I just ignore them, and they'll go away.  You never know when the friendly chat will turn into a romance scam.  I learned my lesson.
• I belong to a Facebook Group called Jewish Singles 65+.  Within this group, there was a side chat for people in NYC.  Last Saturday, the group had a luncheon in a restaurant in the Theater District.  I was the only man among 6 women.  I did feel a lititle uncomfortable, but it reminded my days working in a pharmaceutical company library from 1979-82 when I was the only man in the department.  Now they are chatting about holding a brunch later this summer.

I am a Bob Dylan Fan but Certainly Appreciate the Writings of the Scholars

 

A fan is someone who shows a strong interest and admiration for something or someone, often with enthusiastic support.  I have been a Bob Dylan fan since I first heard Like a Rolling Stone in 1965.  I am aware of some Bob Dylan fans who have done some extraordinary things, such as traveling hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to see him in concert. A few have seen hundreds of his concerts over the years, even if the set list is the same.  I consider them fanatics.

Dylan's work is examined through the lens of various disciplines, including literature, musicology, history, and cultural studies.  His song lyrics are considered literature as he won the Nobel Prize in 2016.  There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books analyzing his works.  There is also an open-access scholarly journal called The Dylan Review.

I have many Bob Dylan books in my personal collection that I have read over the years.  Since I have little room in my apartment for books, I have read many Dylan e-books on my Amazon Kindle.  Most of these books are scholarly.  I appreciate all the authors.

I often take lines from Dylan songs out of context and apply them to my situation.  Here is an example from Memphis Blues Again.

An’ here I sit so patiently

Waiting to find out what price

You have to pay to get out of

Going through all these things twice

Two Air Conditioners Broke Down on the First Hot Day of the Season

 

Since it was in the high 80s yesterday, I decided to turn on the air conditioners in the apartment for the first time of the season.  The air conditioner in the bedroom just wouldn't turn on.  The electrical outlet worked, so I concluded there was a problem with the machine.  The air conditioner in the living room conked out 30 seconds after I turned it on.

Both air conditioners were over 10 years old.  Of course, no product lasts forever, so it is time to get new ones.  I will likely buy one at a time starting this week.  I just read there was a recall of certain air conditioner models.  So when I go to the appliance store, I'll bring the list of the recalled models.

At least my car air conditioner worked.  A few years ago, I had to bring it to the dealer for it to be repaired.