I became a Mets fan in 2005. Before then, they were just that other New York baseball team. I could've been a Yankees fan, heck for the first 10 years of my life Mike Piazza was the only Met I really knew much about. Edgardo Alfonzo was the guy whose last name was Alfonso Soriano's first name. I saw Nick Johnson and Chuck Knoblauch more than Benny Agbayani and Robin Ventura.
But in 2005 that changed. It changed with David Wright and Cliff Floyd. I just saw David Wright make that barehanded catch and I didn't care about the team record or the ERA of the pitchers. I just wanted to see Wright and Mike Jacobs and Jose Reyes. 2005 was the first year I enjoyed watching baseball game after baseball game on TV. Somehow that year I finally understood simple concepts such as the difference between the top and bottom of an inning and what the designated hitter actually means.
The Mets just seemed to mean more to me than their crosstown rivals. The great thing about being a die-hard fan is that there's never really an explanation for the obsession. There's a reason for the initial interest but the full-blown addiction just kinda happens. That infatuation is why die-hard fans will enjoy next season no matter what happens.
I have come back to the Mets every year since 2005. I have seen them dominate in 2006 and crash and burn in 2007 and 2008. Yet none of that stopped me from watching and rooting the next year. It didn't stop any of the other die-hard fans. This group of fans found a way to root for the backup backup backup 2nd baseman in 2009. This group of fans will find players to fall in love with in 2013.
I'm going to root for David Wright next year, contract extension or no contract extension. I'm going to enjoy every inning he plays as a New York Met because he's the only player left from that 2005 season. He's the first Met that I called my favorite player, the last Met left from the 2006 playoffs. I'm going to watch Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Ruben Tejada, and Ike Davis grow into the future and cheer for every win because it's all another piece of the puzzle.
In 2013 I'm going to watch as many Mets games as possible simply because they're the Mets. They're the team with Gary, Keith, and Ron in the booth and Kevin Burkhardt sitting somewhere in the stands. They're the team that is perpetually the underdog no matter how many runs they score or strikeouts their pitchers get.
There is no simple explanation. There isn't really a complicated explanation either. But I'm going to come back next year and the year after that and the year after that.
I guess it's just because they're the Mets.
Let's Go Mets!
But in 2005 that changed. It changed with David Wright and Cliff Floyd. I just saw David Wright make that barehanded catch and I didn't care about the team record or the ERA of the pitchers. I just wanted to see Wright and Mike Jacobs and Jose Reyes. 2005 was the first year I enjoyed watching baseball game after baseball game on TV. Somehow that year I finally understood simple concepts such as the difference between the top and bottom of an inning and what the designated hitter actually means.
The Mets just seemed to mean more to me than their crosstown rivals. The great thing about being a die-hard fan is that there's never really an explanation for the obsession. There's a reason for the initial interest but the full-blown addiction just kinda happens. That infatuation is why die-hard fans will enjoy next season no matter what happens.
I have come back to the Mets every year since 2005. I have seen them dominate in 2006 and crash and burn in 2007 and 2008. Yet none of that stopped me from watching and rooting the next year. It didn't stop any of the other die-hard fans. This group of fans found a way to root for the backup backup backup 2nd baseman in 2009. This group of fans will find players to fall in love with in 2013.
I'm going to root for David Wright next year, contract extension or no contract extension. I'm going to enjoy every inning he plays as a New York Met because he's the only player left from that 2005 season. He's the first Met that I called my favorite player, the last Met left from the 2006 playoffs. I'm going to watch Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Ruben Tejada, and Ike Davis grow into the future and cheer for every win because it's all another piece of the puzzle.
In 2013 I'm going to watch as many Mets games as possible simply because they're the Mets. They're the team with Gary, Keith, and Ron in the booth and Kevin Burkhardt sitting somewhere in the stands. They're the team that is perpetually the underdog no matter how many runs they score or strikeouts their pitchers get.
There is no simple explanation. There isn't really a complicated explanation either. But I'm going to come back next year and the year after that and the year after that.
I guess it's just because they're the Mets.
Let's Go Mets!
No comments:
Post a Comment