This was sent over to me at the end of the season in response to the ongoing conversation that 2013 was a waste of a season. We always welcome different perspectives and this certainly makes the case.
Today is September 28, 2013. Five years ago, to the day, I made my final trip to the happiest place on Earth. Walking down the now-nostalgic ramps, purposefully scraping my hand against the concrete, I realized what was in the process of slipping away, with each defeated step. The next five years were to come with uncertainty… And losing the constant of Shea Stadium was a devastating blow, considering just how unpredictable life can be. But, the team that played there was going to be back. The Mets are always there for you.
When Citi Field opened the following season, objectively I saw its majesty: the open concourses, massive scoreboard displays, and countless vantage points. Subjectively, however, it wasn’t home; the happiest place on Earth was replaced with “Acme Stadium”, as generic as Jane Roe, herself. However, it got better. It slowly got better. For each time I attended, the Mets took the field. See, the Mets are my team, good or bad. It didn’t matter what other change occurred. The Mets are always there for you.
A lot has happened in the past five years. Indeed, there was some good and some bad. In early 2010, April 24 to be exact, the Mets hosted the first “Bark in the Park” at Citi Field. It was great to be able to share that day with my best friend. It turned out being one of the greatest days of my life, with a full-page feature in the Daily News as a lasting memento. However, less than three months later, my best friend was gone, ostensibly from some wretched neoplasm. I hid in grief from Citi Field for quite some time, but when I returned in 2011, a noteworthy thing happened: the Mets took the field. They are always there for you.
It was Opening Day of last season that Citi Field finally felt like home to me. It’s special how a different color scheme to a wall can do so much. I was there on June 1. I felt my best friend was there too. In addition, I was fortunate enough that my girlfriend was there as well. I could tell after around five years together, I was slowly losing her to her new life as a law student. But, this night we witnessed history. Afterward, my relationship with her continued to travel in the same direction as Kirk Nieuwenhuis’ success did at the plate. Heading into this year, she went the way of R.A. Dickey, but the Mets didn’t. The Mets, albeit without Dickey, are always there for you.
For both the Mets and me, 2013 was a year to cope: a year to get by in something like a purgatory. I finally graduated medical school, but with ambivalence and trepidation toward future endeavors, I immersed myself in the Mets like never before. Today, I will attend my 63rd season, already shattering my previous record. Along the way, I had quite a ride in spite of the Mets’ foibles. I allowed myself be more of an active participant within the Mets community. I enjoyed meeting both fans and players. I collected 19 Citi Tuesday cards and redeemed them toward an authentic, Matt Harvey jersey. I won on Beer Money, was the Delta Lucky Fan of the Game, got two “Stump Gary” questions read on SNY, got two foul balls (against one, televised duff), and honestly, I won Mets Twitter Trivia 26 times (out of 50, but I wasn’t always picked even though I was first). I have two games left to try to find Cuppy.
I understand that outside of the phenomenal emergence of Matt Harvey, the Mets did not look too well this year. Also, I do realize the finances may not be there to guarantee a playoff-contending roster in the near future. However, even in a lost season, even when you’re not there for them, the Mets are always there for you.
