Category Archives: 1999 Project

1999 Project

The 1999 Project: The Director’s Cut

Last week, I announced that I would be reviewing all of the posts in The 1999 Project for typos, factual errors, and spiffability. This quick note is to let all you fine folks that I’ve completed that review. In most cases, the changes were extremely simple, although I did peep a few items that were just flat out wrong.

Which ones? NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS! Just know that I’ve corrected all such things, so you can sleep easy now.

As for the future, I should have at least one 1999 Project post up this week in order to keep pace. My goal is to post reviews of the various postseason games on their respective anniversaries.

Regarding the other item in my post of last week–migrating older posts to the new site interface–that’s going a little more slowly. But I still fully plan to have all posts from 2007 and 2008 up and running by the end of the year.

Carry on.

1999 Project

1999 Project: Games 141-147 (West Coast Swing #3)

Click here for an intro/manifesto on The 1999 Project.

johnrocker.jpgAs the Mets began the last of three lengthy cross-country road trips, they were 3.5 games behind the Braves. It was no small feat to be so close to Atlanta so late in the season. The Braves hadn’t had a serious rival for a division title since 1993, when they edged out San Francisco to take the NL West crown on the last day of the season. Ever since their transfer to the NL East, they strolled into the postseason every year; their closest shave came in 1996, when Montreal finished a mere eight games behind.

If there was any year to catch the Braves, 1999 should have been it. Andres Galarraga, Odalis Perez, Javy Lopez, and closer Kerry Ligtenberg were all lost for the year with injuries. John Smoltz spent time on the DL, and Tom Glavine pitched surprisingly mediocre. Rumblings began early that their dynasty was over.

And yet, between July 25 (when Lopez was sidelined indefinitely) and September 11, the Braves had a mind-boggling 30-11 record. For the season, they had an astounding 27 come-from-behind victories. Chipper Jones said, “No matter what happens this year, it’s going to be my most satisfying season. This is a team that really has overachieved.”

The Braves even said they welcomed the Mets nipping at their heels. Quoth Chipper again:

In years past, September was a month when we kind of took it easy and took some days off here and there to get ourselves prepared for the postseason. That may have an impact on what happens in the postseason, in that guys have trouble just flipping the switch on and off. I don’t foresee us having any problems flipping the switch this year.

As the Mets would soon find out.

Although the Mets had more than Atlanta to contend with. They began this trip 3.5 games ahead of Cincinnati for the wild card berth. The Reds were not picked by many baseball minds to seriously contend in 1999, but manager Jack McKeon had gotten the most out of them (as he would for a young Marlins club a few years later).

Plus, they would have the advantage of a softer schedule than the Mets down the stretch. While New York had six games left with the Braves, The Reds had only one series left against a team with a winning record (Houston), and would only play two games against them. During the series in LA, Darryl Hamilton admitted, “I think [now is] the first time I’ve actually looked to see what the Reds were doing. We’re not looking back, but we’d like to know who’s trying to get up on us.”

Continue reading 1999 Project: Games 141-147 (West Coast Swing #3) →

1999 Project, Technical Nonsense

Technical Notes: The 1999 Project and Everything Else

99_si_cover.jpgAs I’ve compiled the 1999 Project, I often go back and reread earlier entries to refresh my memory. While doing this, I’ve noticed some inconsistencies and errors, not to mention some posts that just cry out to be spiffed up.

So in the coming weeks, I’m going to review each post and make a few adjustments. Some of these changes will be small, like making style consistent or repairing typos. For instance, there are several posts where I inadvertently spelled John Olerud’s first name as ‘Jon’. And I wasn’t always consistent in re: stuff like spelling out numbers (which, as a copy editor by trade, drives me nuts).

Other changes will be bigger, in the case of info that’s incorrect. I hope there’s not too many of these, although I already found a statistical error in an early post regarding Rickey Henderson getting 12 total bases in a game, which I originally wrote was a club record (it wasn’t, even at the time).

I’ll also be adding, where appropriate, links to posts that came later–something that was obviously impossible the first time ’round. And I’ll add a few pics here and there to spiff up the joint.

In summary, I’m just letting everyone know that some posts will be revised and THERE IS NO REASON FOR PANIC.

In other news, something else recently hit me. The current blog-arific incarnation of this site began in 2006. But not all of those posts have been integrated into the even newer, searchable and commentable Scratchbomb that debuted last year. All of the posts from 2006 were added, but only a mild smattering of posts from 2007 and 2008 have been given the royal treatment (usually added when I wrote a new post that brought to mind an older one).

My plan is to get all Scratchbomb material 2006 forward integrated into the ‘new’ site by the end of the year. That way, the whole world can search for and guffaw at my take on NFL playoff games from two years ago.

Incidentally, I’ve had this site longer than since 2006. A lot longer, in fact. But it was kind of a mess back then. If there’s any real clamor for that stuff (pause to see tumbleweeds pass through), I’ll go ahead and add them. If I still have them, that is.

Oh, and you’re welcome.