Met Life Insurance was the sponsor of June 17’s game and the company’s mascot, Charlie Brown’s beloved dog Snoopy, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Or at least tried to.
The world-famous beagle’s toss wasn’t anywhere near the strike zone, hitting the turf and bouncing before reaching the plate. Still, the pup, who sometimes doubles as a world-famous World War I fighting ace flying a Sopwith Camel, did a better job than rapper 50 Cent, whose first pitch at the Mets game a couple weeks ago was so bad, it practically hit the bull. Snoopy, at least, has a defense, being a 54-year-old dog, which makes him 378 in proverbial dog years.
Thankfully, Snoopy didn’t chase the ball after he threw it.
Fonzie is cool
The break-out offensive star early in the season is left fielder Joe Tuschak, who went 3-for-4 in Monday night’s loss and hit the team’s first home run of the season on Tuesday against the Aberdeen Ironbirds.
Tuschak, a 21-year-old out of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania in his fourth year in the Mets system, credits his early success to former Mets second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo, the team’s roving minor league hitting instructor, who taught him to be more aggressive at the plate.
And it never hurts to get advice from a star who has played in a World Series, and who young players grew up admiring.
“I’ve always heard about him on television, and have watched the highlights of his career,” Tuschak said.
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Cyclone manager Tom “Captain Hook” Gamboa was impressed with the way pitcher Corey Oswalt took control of Tuesday night’s game early, throwing strikes, working quickly, and making opposing players swing and miss.
It had him wondering if the third-year starter out of San Diego had some place to go.
“You would have thought he was trying to catch a 9:50 movie, or something, tonight,” the skipper joked.
That’s not a bad thing, Corey.
The fans — and the your pals in the press box — prefer a fast-moving game.