What This Division Title Meant to Me

After the Mets clinched, I didn’t immediately write about what it meant to me. I wrote what it meant to the Mets. I wanted to process my feelings fully before putting my thoughts to paper (or fingers to keyboard). 

Somewhere in my house, I still have my  2006, 2007, and 2008 World Series tickets. I was there for the final game of the season. These tickets depress me because they are reminders of the times I could’ve gone to a World Series game with my Dad. He’s the reason I’m a Mets fan. He’s the reason I’m the man I am. He’s never gone to a Mets World Series game. 

Judge me if you will, but winning the World Series is secondary to going to a World Series game with my Dad. Personally, I don’t think it makes me s bad Mets fan or anything less than the diehard I am. It’s about sharing a moment withy Dad. I don’t remember it, but I know we celebrated 1986 together, or so I’m told. He has that memory. I want him to have another. 

Sure, I’ll be depressed if they lose. When the Mets lost to the Yankees in 2000, I actually had family members calling me to make sure I was alright. I just remember watching the highlights all night. It was like a train wreck. I just couldn’t look away. On a side note, it was on that night I developed an irrational hatred of Edwin McCain and his awful song “I Could Not Ask for More.”

If the Mets don’t make it this year, I won’t be as upset as I was in 2006 -2008. The reason is because I got to celebrate it with my son. It quickly became my favorite baseball memory. The only thing that will top it is if I get to go to Game Three of the World Series this year. We got the tickets. 

Trust me, it wasn’t an easy decision. A lot of thought went into it.  I know my Dad wanted to go do it (for the right price) after going to a Mets game with my son this year. My Dad was just amazed at how a kid that’s always on the go-go-go eagerly sits down to watch a Mets game. I am too. After all other options were exhausted we hit the secondary market a while ago and eventually found tickets at an acceptable price. 

We chose Game Three for a few reasons. First, if the Mets make it, the game is guaranteed. Second, my Dad loves the player introductions. He still laughs at the fans chanting “SUCKS!” after each Cardinals player introduced in the 2006 NLCS. Finally, Game Three is going to be the first ever World Series game at Citi Field. 

My Dad and I laugh at the prospect of going to a World Series game with my son. He will be 68. I will be 35. My brother will be 33. My son will turn two at the end of the month. Maybe it’s a sign my son will experience more winning than the three of us had. I know that I’m getting ahead of myself. 

I hope the Mets make it that far. I want to be there with my Dad, brother, and son. It’s the only thing that will top the feeling I had on Saturday.