What Do Bob Murphy and The Walking Dead Have In Common?

At first glance, the question looks bizarre.  What does the late, great Bob Murphy have in common with everyone’s favorite zombie apocalypse show?  No, the long-time voice of the Mets has not turned into a ravenous flesh-eating ghoul since he passed away in 2004.  But something he did during his early years as a Mets broadcaster is now being brought back from the dead, so to speak.

In 1973, the ever-versatile Bob Murphy was the host of “Bowling For Dollars”, a show on WOR – TV (Channel 9).  The premise of the show was simple.  If you bowled well, you won dollars.  If you rolled the ball in the gutter, you wouldn’t even get the bowling shoes as a lovely parting gift.  Murphy was the show’s host for one year, then gave up 7-10 splits for seeing-eye hits, focusing his full attention on the Mets in the broadcast booth.

Since “Bowling For Dollars” rolled out its final episode in 2008, the small screen has been devoid of programs filmed at a bowling alley (I’m not including the short-lived “Let’s Bowl”, which ran on Comedy Central for a spell.  That “show” was worse than Mickey Lolich’s farts after eating a rack of Rusty’s ribs.)

But bowling is about to make a comeback on television.  And AMC is making sure it’ll be a show that’s right up our alley.

According to deadline.com, AMC is currently developing a new show called “All-Star Celebrity Bowling”.  The show would feature cast and crew members from top-rated AMC programs such as “The Walking Dead” and “Breaking Bad” bowling for fun and charity.  “Celebrity Bowling” producer Chris Hardwick - who also hosts AMC’s “Talking Dead”, a show that discusses the just-aired episode of its zombie drama - currently streams a bowling show on his YouTube channel featuring AMC celebrities.

For the time being, the new bowling show would only air as a special on AMC.  However, if the show garners good ratings, it could potentially be turned into a series on the channel.

In 1973, Bob Murphy turned a beautiful double play when he provided happy recaps to millions of Mets fans and hosted “Bowling For Dollars”.  Forty years later, bowling is about to make its return to television, this time featuring cast members from “The Walking Dead”.  This Mets fan can’t wait to watch the damn thing.

From The ZCB Newsdesk: August 15, 2009

We interrupt the blog that I wasn't yet writing for this special report. I'm Joey Beartran. Now listen to my news.

David Wright was hit in the head by a 94 MPH fastball thrown by Giants' pitcher Matt Cain today. After remaining motionless on the ground for a few minutes, Wright was able to get up under his own power, although he looked dazed and disoriented.

He was later taken to the Hospital For Special Surgery in Manhattan for a CT scan. The results of that scan were negative. However, he suffered a concussion and will remain hospitalized overnight.

Our ZCB news crew attempted to get a video or photo of Wright in the hospital to see if his head has swollen due to the blow it received. They were turned away, but not before they were given this comment by an unnamed hospital administrator:

"Mr. Wright cannot be photographed because the flash bulb would exacerbate his concussion. If you must know what he looks like, please use this as a reference."

Our investigative reporter brought back the item given to him by the hospital administrator, which I will now share with you as a ZCB exclusive photo.


Apparently, David Wright looks fine. This picture does look quite a bit like the David Wright Fathead I have in my Bear Cave. Wait a minute...it is a David Wright Fathead!

Oh, I get it! Wright gets plunked in the head, it swells up and now he resembles a real life Fathead. The hospital administrator has jokes. Hey, so-called ZCB investigative reporter! Did she tell you "I'll be here all week" when you went up to her? That does it. You're fired! Good luck on the unemployment line. Here's a piece of cardboard so you can update your résumé on it.

This has been Joey Beartran at the ZCB Newsdesk and I don't care about the news anymore!

Survival of The Dead: New Romero flick or Mets' September Goal

King of the zombie subgenre of horror movies, George A. Romero (bow before his picture! He is to zombie movies what Keith Hernandez is to mustachioed men!) has announced that the sixth installment of his "Dead" series will make its world premiere at the Toronto Internationl Film Festival in September. "Survival of The Dead" will feature Romero's trademark social commentary hidden beneath the sea of gore and pig intestines.

However, is the title of his new film also appropriate to describe what the Mets have to do as they approach the last month of the 2009 baseball season?

Several players have experienced what were originally classified minor injuries and have turned them into season-long maladies. Carlos Delgado will not be coming back in mid-August as was originally stated. He will be fighting for his next contract from the trainer's table. Jose Reyes has had plenty of time to fidget with his new hairstyle while he has been "recovering" from his injury. Carlos Beltran might be closest to returning, but is it a good thing if he does?

The zombies clearly studied how Luis Castillo makes his way around the bases.

I have a feeling Citi Field was built on a cemetery that did not have the bodies exhumed properly. That could explain two things. First, it could be the reason for the abundance of injuries suffered by the Mets this season. Also, it could explain why it's taken so long for the players to return to full strength, as a zombie bite is not quick to heal.

In fact, if I were Omar Minaya, I'd trade some of the players away before they start to decompose. At least that way, the Mets can get something in return, preferably a player with a pulse. We already got Victor Zombie-rano once. We don't need another similar player.

Victor Zombie-rano would give up homers to everyone, including current Met pitcher Livan Hernandez.

George A. Romero will make zombie fans such as myself giddy with "Survival of the Dead" next month. Let's hope the Mets can survive September as well as they can. It's too bad their season died a long time ago...

ZCB Special Report: David Wright was hit in the head by a 94 MPH fastball thrown by Giants' pitcher Matt Cain. This occurred approximately one hour after this blog was published. Dig up those bodies at Citi Field already! Daniel Murphy is the only one left from the Mets' Opening Day lineup in Cincinnati that hasn't missed time due to injuries.

The Opening Night Cat Cursed The Mets!

It was April 13, 2009. Citi Field was hosting its first regular season game between the Mets and the Padres. The team was intact and ready to make a run at the division title. The Phillies' two-year reign as National League East champions was going to be a fading memory once the Mets steamrolled over the opposition. A funny thing happened on the way to the coronation. Citi Field had an uninvited guest on Opening Night as a cat found its way onto the field near the Mets dugout.

(Click here for the video of the Opening Night cat at Kitty...I mean Citi Field.)

Now I wouldn't have had a problem if this orange cat had been a crimefighter. If his alter ego was Clark Cat and he worked at a major metropolitan newspaper, then all would be fine. I would have felt safe with him running around on the field. I'd assume he was trying to protect the Mets.



However, this cat was clearly not super in any way. In fact, it may have been related to the cat that supposedly cursed the Chicago Cubs in 1969 at Shea Stadium. At Citi Field, photographers captured the cat as he worked his way onto the warning track near the on-deck circle. Notice the similarities between that picture and the picture of the black cat walking near the Cubs dugout in 1969.












The Citi Field cat ran behind Mets third baseman David Wright as he was on deck. The 1969 black cat walked behind Cubs third baseman Ron Santo as he was on deck. Wright is arguably the best third baseman in Mets history. Similarly, Santo is considered to be the best third baseman in Cubs history. After the black cat made its appearance at Shea, the Cubs went into a freefall as the Mets passed them in the standings and eventually went on to win their first World Series.

The Citi Field cat decided to take a jog on the Mets side of the field. The Mets were healthy before the cat cursed them. Now half the team is getting hurt, both on the field (Niese and Sheffield today) and coming off the field (Luis "I now use two hands, but not on the handrail" Castillo).

Forget the trainers and medical staff employed by the 2009 Mets. The CAT-astrophe that this season has become is all due in part to the events that transpired in the third inning on Opening Night at Citi Field on the 13th of April. (It had to be on the 13th as well!)

Cats have a way of deciding the fate of baseball teams in New York. It's too bad that this particular tabby chose to curse the Mets this season instead of the rest of the National League!

P.S. There is no truth to the rumor that the orange cat that infected the Mets season in 2009 was a zombie, even if this picture says otherwise.

Build-A-Bear Night is Coming!

It's coming! It's the night all ZCB fans have been waiting for! No, it's not opening night for the latest George Romero zombie flick. No, it's not the much-anticipated trailer for the upcoming Green Lantern movie.

Okay, so maybe it's only a night one-third of ZCB fans have been clamoring for. It's Saturday Night Fur-ver at Citi Field, as the Mets will be celebrating their annual Build-A-Bear Night!

In previous years, this promotion has only been for children 12 years of age and under. I have tried unsuccessfully to wrest one of the adorable bears from a 12-year-old boy who would normally be too old to want to keep a teddy bear. (Yes, I do notice the irony of that statement. I am three times the age of the boys I claim to be too old to like bears.) Unfortunately, prepubescent boys have matured faster than I did when I was that age. Either they ask for big bucks in return or they do not want to give up their furry friend because they went it as a gift to their girlfriend.

When I was 12, I had a $1-a-week allowance and I still thought girls had cooties. Ah, but I digress.

This is the first year that the bears will be given to the first 20,000 fans, regardless of age. It's about time the Mets marketing department woke up from their state of hibernation and realized that adults, including a certain man-child Mets blogger, love these cuties as well!

Now, if they'd only bring back Banner Day. Also, instead of Bring Your Dog To The Park Day, why not have a Bring Your Dead To The Park Day? Even better, combine Banner Day with the Day of The Dead! It could look something like this:











Are you listening, promotions people? ZCB fans want us all covered. You finally rectified your Build-A-Bear fiasco with your adult fans. You've also covered the superhero part with players like Johan Santana and our resident Superman, David Wright.

Now it's the zombies' turn to have their own promotion. Let's make them hear us until we get what we want. Raise your voices! Sing with me! All we are saying is give zombies a chance!

To my ZCB fans: I will be at Citi Field for Build-A-Bear Night. If you are also going to be there, please come by Promenade Reserved Section 501, Row 3, Seat 4 and say "howdy!!" There will be no zombies accompanying me to the game, but Joey and Jerry will be there!

Why Do The Mets Hit Into So Many Double Plays? They're Zombies!

Now we know why the Mets have been so putrid lately in the batters box. They've been replaced by zombies like the one in the picture to the left. How else can you explain the increasing number of double plays they've been hitting into recently? Zombies move around slowly. They have no chance at beating the relay throw to first moving at that speed!

If they had loaded up the farm system with the running zombies from the Dawn of The Dead remake or the rage-infected runners from 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, they could have called up some of those undead minor leaguers to replace the likes of Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado.

I'd like to see how many double plays they would hit into then. Imagine if the Mets were playing the Phillies and a fast zombie was up to bat with a runner on first. If he hit a routine ground ball to Jimmy Rollins, he could go from killing a rally to killing a Phillie. Not only would the Mets still be alive (well, sort of alive) but the Phillies would be left one player short.

Also can you imagine an opposing runner getting caught in a rundown? He wouldn't dare try to advance if one of the "runner" zombies was charging at him. Before being tagged out by the zombie, he'd be called out for running outside the baseline trying to get back into the dugout safely. Being called safe on the bases would mean nothing to him. He'd rather be safe in the dugout.

But no! The Mets had to be stingy and signed the cheaper zombies, the ones that walk at a snail's pace. With the way the Mets have been playing, don't you think it would have behooved Omar Minaya to send some scouts to better cemeteries to dig up faster talent?

Thanks again, Omar! You can't even get the right undead players when they're available! No wonder this season died long before the players did!

Welcome to Zombies and Comics and Bears...Oh My!

Thank you for checking out my site. Many of you might be familiar with my writing from MetsMerizedOnline. I've decided to branch out so you can read more of my work here. Obviously, the majority of my posts will probably involve the Mets in some way, but for those Mets fans who are also fans of horror movies (especially zombie movies), comic books (DC Comics in particular) and teddy bears, this is the place for you!

That's right. I'm talking to all two of you!

I don't expect everyone to find something to read here, but I'm sure at some point, I'll write something worth reading. There may even be a poem or twelve in here, as eclectic is my middle name (actually, it's Lucifer, but that's a story for a different day).

I may even have a guest blogger occasionally just to mix things up. Some may be human bloggers who write for some of my fav'rit sites; some might be furry critters. Either way, I can guarantee that what you read will be informative and fun! (...and there will be pictures. Lots and lots of pictures!)

Thanks again for visiting the site and I hope you enjoy Zombies and Comics and Bears...Oh My!

Oh, by the way, please show your support for the site by clicking on the "follow blog" thingie. I know it's somewhere on this page. All comments, whether positive or negative, are greatly appreciated, as they will foster discussion between myself and my readers. Thanks again!