Dipping Into The Archives Vol. 27
1998
My copy of the 1998 yearbook is another one that suffered water damage, so no pictures to share from this edition. I believe that’s the last one with which I have that issue, so it should be smooth sailing the rest of the way. As for the 1998 season, it was another major step forward. The Mets finished in 2nd place in the NL East, falling just a bit shy of the wild card. But better times were imminent, and on a personal level I experienced one of the more festive evenings at Shea during a random Friday night game against the Brewers.
The Mets were aided in no small part by one of their division rivals. The Marlins won the World Series in 1998, but fans did not get much of a chance to enjoy the aftermath. Then owner Wayne Huizenga decided that he hated writing paychecks more than he loved winning, so the club traded away practically every player who was either old enough to shave or was making above minimum salary. The Mets were one of many teams who benefited from that fire sale. They traded for Dennis Cook, a key bullpen cog, in the offseason and then acquired top of the rotation starter Al Leiter late in spring training.
Those moves were but a preview of coming attractions. The Marlins made a blockbuster deal with the Dodgers in May, receiving Mike Piazza. It was clear that they had no intention of holding on to him for very long; it was assumed that they would flip him at the trade deadline. I don’t think many people imagined they would trade him away as quickly as they did, as he was moved after only a week. The winners of the Piazza Sweepstakes? None other than your New York Mets! We were all stunned upon the announcement of that trade. The Mets have long had a disturbing history of acquiring big name veterans at the exact moment their decline phase began, but here was a guy in the midst of his peak who had several near-MVP level seasons in his future.
I happened to attend the game that was played hours after the trade announcement, and the atmosphere at Shea was near playoff level. The crowd would roar with every plane that flew overhead. Was this the plane that our new catcher was on? Of course, this being the Mets, the Piazza trade still came with its share of drama. He went into a bit of a slump early on, and the boo birds came out. I can’t tell you how much that irked me. You want a guy like him to sign a long-term contract, why are you irritating him? Thankfully, it eventually turned out well. Piazza got red hot, and did in fact commit to staying with the Mets. A bit more unfortunate was what happened to incumbent catcher Todd Hundley. He suffered a significant elbow injury late in the 1997 season, and his recovery continued well into the new year, which is why the Mets were in the market for a catcher in the first place. Things got awkward when Hundley finally returned; the Mets tried to convert him into an outfielder but he did not take to that position change very well. In 1998 he hit poorly, fielded even worse, and was eventually traded away in the offseason.
As productive as Piazza was, he wasn’t alone. John Olerud had one of the greatest offensive seasons any Met has ever had, hitting .354 and falling a few points shy of winning the batting title. The team also added several players who would be key elements of the squads that finally broke through the next two seasons. Japanese veteran pitcher Masato Yoshii came aboard. Youngsters Benny Agbayani and Jay Payton made their major league debuts. And although they would not remain Mets past 1997, what season would be complete without appearances by guys in the Who Remembers They Were Mets club? Hideo Nomo was briefly on the Mets that year, as was Tony Phillips.
As mentioned, the year ended with the Mets just missing out on earning a playoff spot. They would take the next step in 1999, with some more key players making their way to Shea. Better times were ahead.
SNL Recap
It was the second goaround as host for Khal Drogo/Aquaman/generally large human being Jason Momoa. It’s clear why there was mutual interest in his return; he seems to be a likable guy and he went into each sketch with full enthusiasm. That exuberance often elevated the material. If I were to judge the episode, however, I would call it replacement level. There weren’t any moments where I found something I would long remember, but on the other hand there was nothing truly dreadful.
The cold open dealt with a Joe Biden press conference following his meeting with Xi Jinping. Mikey is once again the show’s Biden; JAJ does a better job as the President, but with a Biden/Trump rematch seeming inevitable, and with the realization that debate sketches will recur as we move deeper into the campaign, the show correctly believes it best to keep JAJ as Trump and recast Biden. So, Mikey it is. The premise of this sketch was that the press were overly focusing on Biden’s age while glossing over any accomplishments his administration has made. The pivot came with Bowen joining in as one of the pandas returning to China. It fell into Bowen’s wheelhouse, but nothing spectacular. Momoa then rushed through his monologue, largely promoting his environmental activism. A result of a short monologue meant that there was more time for Update, and it was the longest edition we’ve seen this year, with 3 correspondent pieces.
My favorite sketch of the week followed a similar template from a sketch from last year concerning the first Spring day in Central Park. This time Bowen & Ego acted as TSA agents hosting the Thanksgiving Week Airport Parade, featuring people such as a woman refusing to check a bag and a female passenger creating a viral moment. Momoa popped in intermittently as a pilot at the Chili’s bar flirting with Ego. If the show needs to find a way to include as many cast members in a sketch as possible, I prefer this type of sketch rather than one in which they try to incorporate as many quick impressions as possible. At least in something like this it introduces several characters that are recognizable.
As for the rest of the show, it was a solid Please Don’t Destroy. This time, the boys had begun ordering food from their favorite ramen place just as John received a breakup call from his girlfriend (later revealed to be Sofia Vergara.) Ben and Martin console him while they try to complete the food order. I liked that they realize it’s John’s turn to pay, so Ben gives him a hug and discreetly snatches his wallet, revealing that not only does John still carry his Blockbuster membership card in the wallet, but it’s kept in the front slot. I also enjoyed the documentary piece about the first tennis Battle of the Sexes between Sarah’s and Momoa’s characters. The joke of course was that Momoa is such a behemoth that his first serve cut a massive hole through her as if this was a Looney Tunes cartoon. Devon as ball boy continued to do his job and retrieve the ball even after Momoa’s second serve decapitated his opponent.
As I said earlier, there were 3 correspondent pieces on Update. Bowen returned for perhaps the final time as George Santos, Devon appeared as Draymond Green (nice character work as he added names to his enemies list,) and Andrew & JAJ introduced the band that acts as the emergency backup musical act - Remember Lizards, an Imagine Dragons type band. I found that a little too derivative of the old Jon Bovi routine that Will Forte & Jason Sudeikis used to do.
The general tone of the show followed a similar pattern - Jason Momoa is a large, physically imposing man with a goodnatured vibe. He acquitted himself well, and it seems that everyone likes him, so it would not surprise me to see him back in the future. This week’s standout among the cast was Devon Walker. He made the most of the little time he was given, and I appreciated his sense of subtlety.
The show is taking off for the Thanksgiving week. It returns on December 2, with Emma Stone being fitted for her smoking jacket as she becomes the newest member of the Five Timers Club.
The Charissa Thompson Fallout
The reaction to Charissa Thompson’s claims on a podcast that she would sometimes make up quotes when she was serving as a sideline reporter came fast and furious from all directions. The vast majority of her fellow sideline reporters were horrified by the comments and passionately defended their profession. There were also predictable responses from people who like to belittle that position and the people who hold it. It does not go without notice that a high percentage of sideline reporters are women, and often younger women, so this adds fuel to the fire for the type of people who are offended by a female presence when watching sports.
Which is why this whole story is so depressing. It’s about much more than Thompson’s apparent lack of professional ethics. (She immediately went into damage control and walked back her comments to some extent, but the damage was already done.) Women attempting to get into sports broadcasting are frequently steered in the direction towards the sideline, and because of that too many people just look at them as eye candy dispensing obvious information.
Sideline reporting entails much more than the vapid coach interview, however. Most games don’t need much more than that, but when something newsworthy happens, their value increases immensely, and it’s noticeable when they are absent. The play by play crew is too far removed from the field of play; the sideline reporter has the vital field level view and a hard-working one can gain crucial information. To overuse a metaphor, they are like the duck swimming in a pond. We the viewers only see the brief reports throughout the course of the game, we don’t see the constant running back and forth between the two benches.
Hall Season Begins
Later on today the Baseball Hall of Fame will release the 2024 ballot. I’ll obviously have a lot to say over the next couple of months, but it figures to be an intriguing election this year. Adrian Beltre is certainly going to be elected, and Todd Helton came so close last year that he is just as certain to gain the additional votes he will need to move past the 75% barrier.
Beyond that, we’ll have to see. Billy Wagner and Andruw Jones both had tremendous increases in their voting totals last year. Will their momentum continue? In addition to Beltre, what will the support for the other big first year candidates look like? And what of Carlos Beltran? This cycle should give us a better idea about the ultimate fate of his candidacy. In short, how many voters feel that his central involvement in the Astros’ sign stealing scandal is disqualifying, or how many feel that holding off on voting for him in the first year is sufficient punishment? Time to start hitting refresh on Ryan Thibs’ ballot tracker.
One more quick baseball note - it took more than 2 weeks, but we finally have our first free agency signing. Aaron Nola will stay in Philadelphia after agreeing to a 7 year deal with the Phillies. That at least sets the market for pitchers as we await the first big name to change teams. In addition, today is the day that Yoshinobu Yamamoto will officially post, so the click begins on his bidding war. With this being a short week it’s unlikely there will be much movement until after the holiday, so no need to start wishfully photoshopping Shohei Ohtani into your favorite team’s uniform just yet.
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
I’m sure there’s some sort of context that would explain why Fox had Fabio of all people discussing the war. I’m also not picking on Fabio as much as I’m pointing out a pet peeve of mine. I hate the condescending “shut up and sing” mentality. If you really feel that public figures should not comment on current events, that’s all well and good. At least be consistent. Don’t say, “shut up and dribble” and then book Enes Freedom to appear on your show. Celebrities should stay in their lane, unless they agree with me is not a logical philosophy.
Closing Laughs
And with that, time to call it a day. See you again on Wednesday. Catch ya later.