So THIS stirred the emotions yesterday and today which is fine because baseball should be an emotional thing.
I was chatting with Media Goon yesterday and I said that about 95% of this blog is about me trying to reclaim my childhood. Let’s wear what we wore then. Let’s go to Banner Day again! Let’s give Seaver a standing ovation.
That’s what we do. We’re a tribe.
So I buy some tickets and merchandise. I like wearing jerseys. I like going to games.
As I reclaim my youth this time I have to be the Dad in the story and Junior gets to play the 8 year old.
I think back to going to all those games with my father and I can’t remember one single score. I know where we sat. I remember flashes, like Randy Jones walking the park. A home run here and there. Us asking Ron Gardenhire to hit a home run (he didn’t).
The Mets likely won’t win the World Series in 2012. Reyes may be gone.
Let it go.
Just enjoy the baseball game.
Man, what I wouldn’t do for one more game with my dad, never mind 15 of them.
I’m not going to spite the Wilpons by staying home. I’m going to make some new memories.
…
Yesterday I got my first “sell out” comment. I have been waiting for that since I went to the game with Dave. As I have said before, I can do a lot more good for us by being fortunate enough to have some pretty interesting conversations with various people in Queens. I don’t ask for freebies. I pay for my own tickets. If I get invited to something cool like being on the field I go. Would you not go?
So friends..just enjoy a baseball game. Buy tickets. Don’t buy tickets. Buy a jersey or don’t. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m just doing my thing, some of you like reading about it, and for that I thank you.
My Dad took me to my first Mets game in the summer of 1977, and I sat with him in an empty ballpark watching a real bad baseball team. Now 34 years later I intend this year to introduce my 4 year old daughter to Citi Field and a Mets game this coming season, and quite probably it will be an empty ballpark watching a real bad baseball team. I agree with Shannon, it’s about reclaiming youth. I don’t remember the score from that game in 1977, I couldn’t even tell you who won to be honest. My fondest memory of that day is the cheap plastic toy Mets bullpin cart my Dad bought me, you know the golf cart with the Mets hat on it. I want to introduce her to what made me happy as a kid, give her a taste of what I enjoyed with my Father in the end that’s what it’s really about the wins and losses are secondary especially when you see the awe in your daughters face when she sees a ballpark for the first time. I can’t wait to see that.
I’m still going to the games. I understand the sentiment for the “starve out crowd” – hey you vote with your money, don’t feel like spending it so be it. Most games I go by myself, a few with my brother when he’s free, and some with a friend or two. I still enjoy: taking the 7 train to (and from) the games, having a
pre-game beer at McFaddens, maybe grabbing another beer in the park, walking around, tweeting about the game, taking game pics, having a tasty pastrami on rye sandwich by Section 135. Being a child of immigrants, I’ve actually gotten my father into baseball, which is the reverse to many other fans (he didn’t understand the game until a few years ago, now he’s better informed). Now I take him to at least 1 game a year. I buy the two of us a beer and a Shake Shack burger (which he says is tasty). He likes the openness of Citi Field. He’s getting older, so how many of these games will be left for me to enjoy with him… well I don’t know, so I enjoy the time regardless of who wins on the field when we’re there. Unless, I’m barred from Citi I’m still going to do these things whether Fred, Saul, Jeff, etc… are in control.
Like you all, as a kid, I had a child-like enthusiam for the Mets and going to Big Shea, with those blue and orange panels, etc…I wouldn’t have cared if Atilla the Hun owned the team…I would have gone happily. As we become adults, our critical thinking skills develop. Questions such as “do I go to a game or do work around the house?”…”do I save money for a vacation or buy a 15 game pack?”…”will my wife be pissed if I watch the game tonight?” become more frequent. Thoughts also pop into our heads, such as “if I were as competent as Met ownership, I would lose my job”…and “I could fix this team in no time.” In the era of blogging, we can express these thoughts now…in fact, isn’t it our duty, and the tenets of this blog, to hold the Mets accountable? It has already worked wonders. The bottom line is are the Mets a great team to watch or a bumbling organization that risks having its fanbase get distracted by the real world at times? I think we all know the answer. I cannot fault a fan for losing enthusisam…switching allegiances is another matter…a true Met fan is a fan for life.
I really want to see all these fans that can “fix” the Mets sports Management Degrees. Do any of you have any qualifications to be able to fix the team? Do you know all the intricacies of trades, contracts, league rules, finances, being able to deal with other owners, the MLB and all the other variables that are part of being a GM or an owner. I tweeted a question earlier today. How many people on twitter who suggest they can do a better job then the current GM have a sports management degree? I am still wondering.