I’m one of the few people who can say he was a New York Mets fan before he was born.
My Mom was 3 months pregnant with me when the Mets debuted in April 1962. Being that I was the second of three boys who all came in at over 10 pounds (my younger brother was born weighing over 13 pounds), you can imagine Mom didn’t do a lot of moving around while she was waiting for me to pop.
By her estimation, it was a hot, muggy summer, witnessed by her spending most nights in front of the TV watching the marvelous Mets (with me listening in utero). Years later, I would lay in bed during the summer, my window open, listening to Mets broadcasts coming from my neighbor’s TV. He would spend his nights on the patio, watching the Mets, drinking beer and belching at 120db. No wonder Lindsay Nelson’s voice resonates so strongly with me today.
No wonder the Mets collapse (yes, collapse) again this year has us a bit muddled today. Jose Reyes is a joy to watch. Degado, Beltran and Wright at the plate are masterful. We love the way Endy and Church play the outfield. But then our stomachs sink when the words Shoeneweiss, Heilman and Felciano are spoken. Two words for Omar Minaya.
BULL. PEN.
Who can we root for enthusiastically in the NL this year. The Brewers? Well, since we’ve made ourselves perennial underdogs (despite huge salaries and great hitters), maybe we need to through our support behind the Brew Crew.
While the Mets were putting the last mangled touches on another ‘almost there’ season — and waving goodbye to our beloved Shea with the air of a funeral — here on the home front it was baseball as usual.
My oldest boy had himself a nice tryout with a local premier team in yesterday’s 80+ degree weather. He threw a bullet from centerfield to the plate (from about 175′) during outfield work and did a respectable job in the infield. He hit well (with one nice pop into the outfield) and looked great on the mound. We’ll see how everything sifts out when it comes offer time. We’re holding out for at least as much as Oliver Perez will be getting this year.
Out of our front yard field, my 8-year old and I did an experiment for his science class to see what bat material hits a baseball farther: wood, aluminum or composite. He tested four bats, hitting 12 balls with each. The result? Surprisingly, the $275 composite bat he borrowed from a friend didn’t deliver any better than the $30 aluminum we bought 5 years ago. In fact, the aluminum performed considerably better, hitting the ball an average of 20′ farther.
If only the Mets could get some aluminum pitching arms over the winter.
I notice “The Ballgame – Sister Wynona Carr” is no longer available on your blog. Curious is you had problems with copyright or something? I want to put this on my blog also – any suggestions? Thanks! – Also interesting blog! Ronni