It’s never been easy being a New York Mets fan and everyone knows that. Now, as my crying of an orange and blue river has subsided, I sit staring into space and keep thinking of what might have been. I try watching the Jets and, even though they won today’s game, I find no solace in that at all. I take a walk through the falling leaves, seeing an occasional Mets’ flag or banner waving in the wind from someone’s house. I understand that person’s loyalty since I’ve been fervently rooting for the same team for so long, but I am still too hurt by this loss. I’m not in my right mind, and I know if I saw Mr. Met on the street (with his incessantly happy face) I’d punch him in his great big head.
I guess there are other fans for other teams who could maybe empathize with my feelings, but I think no other team has the ability to break one’s heart more than my Mets. It has to do with many things, but one thing I remember from my youth was manager Casey Stengel saying something about having to get them (fans) early, when they‘re really little tykes. Sure, they got me all right. I was hooked in my youth by the team that made me dream.
They couldn’t win too many games, but damn they were fun to watch and also just amazingly likeable guys. I felt like they could be my uncles or older cousins. Art Shamsky, Ron Swoboda, Ed Kranepool, Tommie Agee, Tug McGraw and the rest were just like any other adults I knew; they just happened to get to suit-up, run out on the field at Shea, and play ball against Henry Aaron, Willie Mays, Bob Gibson, Pete Rose (grrrr!!!!), and all the rest of the league’s superstars.
Living a stone’s throw from Shea in Queens, New York, I really felt like the Mets were my neighbors. I grew up with them, loved them whether they won or lost (but mostly they lost), and then experienced the shock of my young life when Cleon Jones genuflected in left field as he caught Davey Johnson’s fly ball, signifying that my Mets had actually defeated the Baltimore Orioles and won the World Series in 1969.
The love affair was thus cemented and meant to be forever, for I collected on several two-dollar bets on the team, but even more importantly I was able to now boast to those Yankees fans I knew that my team was on top of the world.
Article comments
1 - Donnie Marler
Victor,
"I felt the Tigers could be had easily, that we really had it in the bag already,"
You've hit on why you lost. Everyone from Omar Manaya down already had this series played and decided and was looking to Detroit. The Cardinals slumped the last month of the season but they had a fair year. They also have a bunch of veteran players that don't give up.
You've got some great kids on the Mets, you'll be back. Of course, if you're from Missouri the Mets are lovingly referred to as 'pond scum.' lol
Seriously, I really like Wright, Reyes and the rest of them. There's always next year.
2 - Victor Lana
Thanks for the pep talk, Donnie. Still down in the dumps. Mighty Beltran has struck out and there's no joy in Metville.