Before I get into this weekend’s plans, let’s me just mention the weekend past. As I may have mentioned previously, I am an Arizona Cardinals fan and I confess that that was some pathetic effort they put in against Carolina in the first round of the NFL playoffs. The Panthers literally gave two touchdowns to the Cardinals and their third-string quarterback, Mark Lindley, who displayed the athletic prowess of David Lindley. The Panthers even threw in an intentional safety at game’s end. But any year in which my team, football or baseball, winds up in the playoffs shall not be considered devastating. (I reserve that word for Tom Glavine’s Hall of Fame lexicon.) My teams simply don’t get to the playoffs often enough for that level of pretension. I’d still give Omar Minaya’s right arm for the Mets to get swept out of either the 2007 or 2008 postseason, intentional safety and all.
Now that I don’t have to worry about missing a Cardinals playoff game this Saturday, I can concentrate on attending the second Queens Baseball Convention. This was put together by Shannon Shark of Mets Police, whose campaign helped bring back Banner Day. Shannon as well as many others put in their time so the Mets wouldn’t have to bother. Unlike many other teams, the Mets don’t do a winter caravan to try to get their fans psyched for the upcoming season. They figure if you can’t get up for a Buddy Carlyle signing, it’s your own fault.
And I like reliever Buddy Carlyle, but I really like the Queens Baseball Convention. I did not know what to expect for the first installment last year, and it was wonderful. The second annual QBC begins a little after noon on Saturday at McFadden’s next to Citi Field. It runs through 6:30 p.m., with some two dozen events on the schedule. Among the guests will be former Mets Mookie Wilson, Wally Backman, and Ed Charles, plus announcer Josh Lewin, Adam Rubin from ESPN.com, Jared Diamond from the Wall Street Journal, and Todd Radom, who is not just an old friend and colleague but a designer of team logos, pro sports branding, and an expert on the legacy of uniforms. Heather Quinlan, who is putting together the documentary ’86 Mets: The Movie, and who I’ve spoken to many times regarding my ’86 Mets book, will host a panel on that beloved Mets team at 1:45 p.m.
So bring your kiddies, bring your wife. Mike Piazza may not have made the Hall of Fame, but I think there will be a happier end to this story than what has happened to Gil Hodges’s candidacy (to read a good piece on the reality of that situation, check out Mike Avallone’s piece on Amazin’ Avenue). The Hall should one day join Mike with Glavine—and I don’t mean Mike Glavine, who played first base instead of Piazza at the end of the lamentable 2003 season (though give Mike Glavine credit for becoming head baseball coach at Northeastern University). Piazza’s day will come, but in the meantime take a day for yourselves at the QBC. You’ve earned it.