You tell me, who has a cooler mascot.

Greetings from Houston! It’s freaking hot here. Game one didn’t go as well as a Mets fan could hope. Homeruns did us in as Heilman couldn’t hold a 3-3 tie. That and having the bases loaded with no outs and not plating a single run, which seems like a lingering problem. Sooner or later, this team is going to start hitting with RISP by sheer law of averages.

I still hate that stupid Astros train. I was surrounded by the most uneducated ignorant baseball fans on the planet, who among other things:

-Suggested that the Mets were pitching around Brandon Backe.

-Were incensed that the Astros wouldn’t bunt over a leadoff runner with no outs in a tie game with the number five hitter at the plate.

-Couldn’t understand why a hitter would take on a 3-0 count.

-After every pitch yelled “you knew that was coming!”

-The Astros fans trash talk has fallen off quite a bit. The most common “jeer” all night was a thumbs down and “boo Mets.” I’m not big on trash talk, but I would hope I could come up with something a little better than that. Still I guess it’s better than the profanity laced threats of violence that were prevalent here after 1986.

On a separate note, Mrs. Lonestar Mets hatred for all things Astros is starting to scare me.

I did have the pleasure of meeting a fellow blogger as well as TBF. Getting ready to head to Minute Maid right now to see the Great Santana. I’ve never seen the Mets lose more than one game in Houston and I don’t plan on starting now.

I am going to see the Major League debut of Dan Murphy. The last MLB debut of a Met i saw Jose Reyes’ at the Ball Park in Arlington. Let’s hope Murphy has the same success.

The heat index is at 110 today. Thank God the Astros put a roof on Minute Maid Park.

As far as cab service in Houston, every experience I’ve had has been a poor one. Cabs are not plentiful and are usually obtained by calling the cab company. Whether the cabbies we unfamiliar with the city or elongating the cab ride was unclear, the fare was always more than parking in downtown. If you fly in from out of the area or head to Houston on a road trip, a hotel within walking distance is the way to go.

“As a teammate, I know, I see when somebody’s not happy and I didn’t think he was happy,” “I tell him ‘I want you to be the Reyes that you always have been. ”

“We’re happy he’s doing it again. We don’t care if other teams get offended.” – Carlos Beltran

I think Carlos has stumbled into this year’s marketing slogan:

The 2006 Mets: Our Team, Our Time
The 2007 Mets: Your Season has Come
The 2008 Mets: Fuck’em if They Can’t Take a Joke.

Last night’s game was the Mets baseball I’ve missed for the past dozen months. The Mets played the way a division contender plays. Maine wasn’t dominant but good enough to win. The bats did their share and our leadoff man reminded me why he’s my favorite player. The trademark ear-to-ear smile was desperately missed.

Here’s the chip on our shoulder, we dare you to try and knock it off.