Many looks back have been taken at the glorious 2009 season — high points, low points, legendary points.  Sometimes, funny stuff happens, too. So, without further ado, I present…

(Yes, the above picture is a Met.  But as we’ll see, the Mets are pretty darn funny.)

(Link to mlb.com article, video included)

Jorge Posada has plenty of experience with strike-ball counts. Aside from being the long-term starting catcher, he averages 130 strikeouts and 85 walks over a 162-game season.  Strike three, ball four – not too difficult.  However, our dear Jorge is sometimes something of a knucklehead.

On a September 1 game against the Orioles, Posada first neglected to leave the batters’ box in the second inning after taking ball four — prompting dugout ribbing from Johnny Damon — and then in the fifth inning began the trek back to the dugout after taking strike two.  Although Posada admitted to being “a little embarrassed” by his displayed inability to count to three, he made the most of his extra strike, cracking a two-run homer that gave the Yankees a two-run lead.

I promise this is not “let’s pick on Jorge” week.  A.J. Burnett became famous throughout the season for his “pie in the face” routine — apparently, pie-ing Jorge after his walkoff proved to be a difficult enough task to warrant Joba’s help.

http://mlblogsenternight.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/laughingjeter-thumb-350×193-17919111.png070409_tornya_pg_posada_800.wmv

Launch in external player

(Video property of the YES Network)

Joba sneaks around the front, fake-pies Jorge, A.J. wraps around and creams him in the face (pun fully intended).  Jorge is grouchy.  Life is good.

It took me a while to warm up to Nick Swisher.  Though these days I am as enamored as the next Yankees fangirl of the Swish-hawk, the Swisher Salute, and the overall ridiculousness, at the beginning of the season … well, he was just sort of a hyperactive loudmouth without a terribly good batting average.

ERA, however, is a different story.  In the eighth inning of a 15-5 embarrassment at the hands of the Devil Rays, in a valiant attempt to save the bullpen, Mr. Swisher volunteered to pitch.  The result … a 0.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 9.00 K/9, and 9.00 BB/9

Yeah.  This one’s an instant classic.  We’ve relived it so many times.  Doesn’t make it any less funny.

This classic moment gets a heck of a lot less press than does the one above, but I thought it was, if anything, funnier.  It was overshadowed by the fact that it resulted in Mariano Rivera’s 500th save, but, seriously … the top of that 9th inning at Shea Stadium Citi Field was one of the funniest things I’ve seen on a baseball field.  I have no video, so here’s my best shot at description:

It’s the top of the 9th.  Mariano Rivera, sitting on save number 499, is already in the 3-2 game.  Derek Jeter is at the plate, Rivera is on deck.  You don’t have to be smart to realize that there is no chance in hell that the Yankees pinch-hit for Rivera at this point — and you don’t have to be smart to realize that, with the pitcher on deck, the only reasonable thing to do, if you’re the Mets, is to walk Derek Jeter.  The Yankees play the “are we going to pinch hit?” game, and send a pinch hitter to the on-deck circle.  Francisco Rodriguez, the Mets’ closer, inexplicably throws the first pitch to Derek Jeter in the strike zone. 

Derek starts laughing (the above shot is a screenshot from that night)… I’m at home half-dying of incredulous laughter, and my brother asks me if the Mets are really that stupid.  The Mets then “get smart,” intentionally walk Jeter (imagine, though, if he’d actually hit that first pitch?) … and then the comedy escalates, as Rodriguez issues a bases-loaded walk to Rivera, driving in a huge insurance run and giving Mo his first career RBI on the same night as his 500th save.

Bottom Line: Baseball is sometimes funny, especially when it involves the Mets.

Till next time,

Ana

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