N.Y. Mets: 2015 Review - The Year That Was Podcast

Here's our final podcast of 2015
a/o December 29th

On behalf of the crew at 

RisingApple.com

Happy New Year

The three Rising Apple veterans,

Sam, Rich, and I, talked about the 2015 season that was. 

Gary Mac from MetsMusings.com called in to wish a Happy New Year.

Stuff: 

Michael Conforto, Bartolo Colon, Curtis Granderson, Wilmer Flores,

Thor, Jeurys Familia, the departed Daniel Murphy, 

where's next year's offense coming from, 

favorite moments, and much more.

We actually exercised some discipline 

and limited ourselves to a one hour show.

Enjoy!

#LGM

Merry Christmas ~ 2015

Have a Holly Trolley Christmas...

A rainy day, is still a great day at Coney Island

Mid-December 2015

Someone got a new paint job.  Lookin' good!

Agreeable weather has no doubt helped work crews perform much needed off-season renovations 

to Brooklyn's famed Cyclone Roller Coaster.  By the looks of things, 

she'll be in great shape for next season.

OPENED 1927

MADE A NYC LANDMARK ~ 1988

Built 1920

Made a NYC Landmark ~ 1989

Work crews are also grinding down the exterior of Deno's Wonder Wheel 

in preparation for a new paint job as well.

The next hot dog eating contest is still a ways away, but there will be a fireworks show at the Parachute Jump for New Year's Eve, and I think the Wonder Wheel might be open as well.  Sounds like a new cool way to bring in the New Year.

The Force is Strong in B'klyn

Sorry for my inactivity, folks.
Sometimes life leaves one no choice but to step away from our hobbies.
Be sure, however, this Trolley is still rollin', and as usual, closer than you think.


I WILL see Star Wars this week ... at some point.
I was 10-years old when Episode IV came out.

I couldn't resist..

Picture from the latest edition of The Brooklyn Paper.

Knicks Victorious in Season's First Battle of the Boroughs

From the desks of:

DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP  and  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Friday Final

Nets        91

Knicks  108

Knicks rookie backs up his words.

Add trash talkin' New Yorker to his resume...

As a lead-in to the season's first East River showdown, the freshly minted Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month said Europeans know the Knicks well, but the Nets, not so much.

Kristaps Porzingis then backed up his riff in so far as Knicks fans being better than Nets fans with 19 points and 10 rebounds during Friday night's 108-91 lopsided victory over Brooklyn at Madison Square Garden.

Indeed, twenty games into the Knicks season Porzingis has turned boos into cheers, and is easily the lead story in town.

His selection was met with resounding disapproval by fans at the 2015 draft, but a quarter of the way through his first season as a pro, he has won fans over with 13.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game - but doing so with smoothness and skill.

Most importantly, Porzingas has Carmelo Anthony believing he's here to help expedite the rebuilding process, and elevate Melo's game - not hinder it.

Proof lies in the numbers.  The Knicks improved to 10-10 with Friday's victory.  This time last season, they were a mere 4-16, en route to a 17-65 regular season.

This time, they really, really mean it..

The Brooklyn Nets have become notoriously poor starters (among other things...).

The Nets were 11-9 after the first twenty games during their inaugural season, and were playing .500 ball in late December when they decided to fire coach Avery Johnson.  Under P.J. Carlisimo, the Nets posted a 35-19 record the rest of the way.

The Nets started 6-14 in the 2013-14 season, and posted an 8-12 record after twenty games last season.  Each time, they rebounded well enough in order make the playoffs.

This season, the Nets are 5-14 to date and appear really, really, determined to keep a steady course.

*

Friday night, the Nets had 15 assists for the entire game.  The Knicks Jose Calderon led all players with 10 assists by himself.  Joe Johnson led the Nets with four assists, and got ejected for a flagrant elbow foul late in the game.

The Rivalry Comes to Brooklyn: Rangers vs. Islanders - I

From the desks of:

RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS  and  FIVE FOR FLATBUSH

The Rivalry

TONIGHT

New York Rangers

vs.

New York Islanders

FROM

BARCLAYS CENTER

BROOKLYN

Six points separate the (#2) Rangers and (#5) Islanders in the Eastern Conference standings. 

Sandwiched between them are Washington and Pittsburgh.  The gap between them, however, is now far closer than New Yorkers are normally accustomed to.

This evening, the Rivalry prepares to cross the East River, and invade the Borough of churches.

Lord Stanley pray for us all....

Both Nassau County leadership, and locals, rejected further financing of the decades long campaign, and ultimately pulled the plug on constructing a new base of operations for their NHL hockey club.

Forced to move on, the crossroads of Brooklyn are the new battle front between Tex's Rangers, and the seemingly nomadic Islanders.

The Battles of Uniondale are done.  The fight for Flatbush, is on.

Now it's Borough against Borough - or maybe it will build up to that over time, as Long Islanders are the one's largely attending games during this early going.  On that note, you can bet there will be hoards of Rangers fans in the building.

It's going to take some time in order for the Isles to establish their settlement along Flatbush Avenue.

In the meantime, enjoy the first regular season game between the Islanders and Rangers in Brooklyn.

The Skates of 'Rath...

Kevin Klein's promotion to the top defensive line didn't last very long.  He is due to miss the next few weeks with an abdominal injury sustained against Carolina.

As they say, one man's injury is another man's opportunity, meaning, Dylan McIlrath will finally get a block of consistent playing time (whether Alain Vigneault likes it or not).