Steve Gilliard, 1964-2007

It is with tremendous sadness that we must convey the news that Steve Gilliard, editor and publisher of The News Blog, passed away June 2, 2007. He was 42.

To those who have come to trust The News Blog and its insightful, brash and unapologetic editorial tone, we have Steve to thank from the bottom of our hearts. Steve helped lead many discussions that mattered to all of us, and he tackled subjects and interest categories where others feared to tread.

Please keep Steve's friends and family in your thoughts and prayers.

Steve meant so much to us.

We will miss him terribly.

Jonathan: "Real Baseball Is Back In NYC"

The sun was shining, the temperature stayed a few degrees north of bone chilling and the Shea Stadium stands were packed tighter than a clown car. The only ones not cooperating for the Mets’ home opener yesterday were their opponents, the Philadelphia Phillies, whose young left-hander Cole Hamels thwarted them through six innings before he left with a two-run lead.

With Hamels gone, the Mets did what good teams are supposed to do against suspect bullpens, erupting for seven runs in the eighth inning to coast to an 11-5 victory.

To the delight of the sellout crowd of 56,227, a franchise record for a home opener, the game turned when Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins, whose preseason proclamation that the Phillies were the team to beat in the division provided good tabloid fodder, booted a one-out, bases-loaded grounder by José Reyes that allowed the tying run to score. In a matter of minutes, after David Wright’s two-run double and Moises Alou’s two-run single, the Mets had demoralized a Philadelphia team that lost its third consecutive game and dropped to 1-6 this season. “It just happened,” Carlos Beltrán said. “When Jimmy made that error, everything changed.”

Labels: baseball, mets