IV
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.
When the Mets clinched today, the person I wanted at my side to celebrate was my son. He means more to me than anything. He must’ve known it was a big game because even though I can never get him in a hat, he wore one today:
After celebrating with this little guy, I then talked to my Dad, who I knew was dying to talk to the two of us. Through the magic of FaceTime, we could celebrate together. It was great to see the Mets players do the same:
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 26, 2015
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 26, 2015
It was especially heartwarming to see Daniel Murphy out there because of all he went through when his child was first born. He was also the guy that gave my son a ball before he was born.
It was also great to see Jon Niese out there with his child as my post about him was the first time my blog was noticed. I smiled when I was on FaceTime with my Dad because I remembered this was the same technology that allowed Niese to let his child being born. My grin was a little wider when I remembered the Mets are in the playoffs. It gets bigger each time I think of it.
However, that wasn’t the highlight of my day. The highlight was when my son counted to 10 with me for the first time.
It’s funny. Never before did I think the Mets in the playoffs would be a distant second to me. I’m not any less of a fan than I used to be. I’m probably a bigger fan.
The difference between now and then is I’m a Mets Daddy.
While not truly part of the series, I couldn’t hesitate to inform you the Mets Maguc Number is . . .
Since my son was born, my mother, who is a big Giants fan, has made sure her grandson has always had a jersey for game day:
Today? I honestly forgot the Giants were playing today. It’s a big game too against the Redskins. Instead, today he’s dressed like this:
He’s adorable, but he’s not ready for football. That’s fine. He’s going to want to watch baseball and so am I. Trust me, I’ll utilize the PIP to follow both games, but the Mets will be on the big screen. After the Mets game is over, I’m sure the Giants will still be on, and I’ll change the channel. Unfortunately, by that time my little buddy will be fast asleep:
But what do you expect? I’m trying to raise a Mets fan after all. Lets Go Mets!
Coming off an emotional Subway Series and the Jets playing on Monday Night Football, I was curious to see what the Mets ratings were against the NFL. I wasn’t shocked when the NFL has the better night:
Combined @ESPN and local TV rating for Indy market Monday night: 32.2% of homes. Combined rating in NY market: 13.5.
— Neil Best (@sportswatch) September 22, 2015
My first impression was I wasn’t surprised. Right now all Indy has is the Colts. New York has the Mets and Yankees in pennant races, and they were both playing last night. The Yankees have a huge series against the Blue Jays. I decided to dig deeper and see who watched what:
To answer good question from @Froikey: Seahawks-Packers on NBC beat Yankees-Mets on ESPN in NY market – 9.4% of homes to 8.1.
— Neil Best (@sportswatch) September 21, 2015
Unsurprisingly, the NFL had the better night. Wait! What? Those are Sunday night’s numbers. The Giants and Jets weren’t playing. The Mets and Yankees are in pennant races. There was the whole Matt Harvey angle. This lost to Seahwaks-Packers in September? I mean, I knew the NFL reigned supreme, but New York?
How can New York hold itself out as a great sports city when it can’t support its local teams when they’re good? What’s MLB’s plan of attack to counteract this? New York is baseball. It’s the home of “Willie, Mickey, and the Duke.” It’s where Jackie Robinson changed sports forever. It’s now the place where football reigns supreme.
I’m still raising my son to be a Mets fan. Right now, he loves baseball and the Mets. He watched Sunday night with me. Seemingly, we were the only ones.
For a second straight week, I am lucky that I do not have to choose between the Mets and football. Now, I would choose the Mets, but I wouldn’t be thrilled with missing the Giants game.
There’s an extra treat for Mets/Giants fans like me today because
Always excited to be back in NY! Should be a great game! https://t.co/tTU8a6edGk
— Kevin Burkhardt (@kevinburkhardt) September 16, 2015
That’s right, we get to see and hear Kevin Burkhardt call a Sunday 1:00 game. Forgive me if I instinctively tune to Channel 11.
It’s amazing if you think about it. Burkhardt was the Mets version of a sideline reporter, and now, he’s the football play-by-play man for Fox’s #2 broadcast team. In essence, it was like finding Jim Nantz doing postgame interviews for the Dodgers. No one going to ask Vin Scully to step aside for anyone, but Jim Nantz is way too qualified for the job he’s doing.
Losing Burkhardt was tough for Mets fans. He’s one of us. Like Gary Cohen and Howie Rose, he was not only a Mets fan, but he’s also tremendous at his job. He showed he was capable of more, and he got it. However, that came at a huge loss to Mets fans.
We miss him. I know we get him on Sundays and doing pre-game and post-game baseball work. It’s not 162 games.
I do have one personal antedot regarding Burkhardt. I got a chance to meet him when we just found out my wife was pregnant. I had a Mets Bob on me, which he was happy to sign. When he asked me what we were going to have, I said a baby, which he responded with an incredulous look.
I think he thought I was trying to be funny. I explained to him that it was too soon to find out. In fact, he was finding out before most of my family because it was still too soon to tell. He then laughed and congratulated me.
So now, I get the chance to turn him on today with my son. I’ll get to tell him that’s the guy who autographed the bib that hangs in his room. I only wish my son could get to watch him more frequently because he brought something to Mets games that made them a little more enjoyable.
However, Kevin Burkhardt is too talented for that. Mets fans loss is America’s gain. I’m going to enjoy the Giants and seeing an old friend today. I just want to wish continued good luck to Kevin Burkhardt . . . not that he needs it.
I’m a card carrying member of the IBWAA, which means I have the opportunity to vote on the following year end awards:
- NL & AL MVP
- NL & AL Cy Young
- NL & AL Rookie of the Year
- NL & AL Manager of the Year
- NL & AL Reliever
Now, this blog is about two things: the Mets and being a father. With the NL categories, I haven’t made my mind up, but I suspect the Mets could be featured in any of the above categories. With the AL, there obviously will be no Mets featured unless I vote for Yoenis Cespedes for AL MVP. I’m kidding of course.
I’m going to publish all of my votes and my reasons for my vote, whether I voted for a Met or not in any particular catergory. The reason why is that I obviously have opinions, and I try to back them up. I now have an opportunity to vote my convictions. It’s one thing for me to say Cespedes isn’t the MVP, it’s another for me not to pick him as an MVP.
As you know, I have a son. I want to tell him to stand behind his convictions. If I can’t do it here, how can I convince him to do it in the future? Seriously, if I can’t back up my vote for something relatively meaningless like an MVP vote, how can I have that conviction when it’s truly needed?
So with all that in mind, I will make my votes available on the site. Thank you for reading.
When I was born, I only had two grandparents, and I lost my grandfather when I was five. My son is lucky to have three grandparents: two grandmothers and one grandfather.
The grandfather is my Dad. He’s the man that got me started on my Mets’ fandom. He brought me to my first game. Last year, he got tickets so he can bring his grandson to his first game. He got tickets again this year to bring him to another game. My Das gets a kick out of seeing his grandson, his namesake, cheering on the Mets. He’s amazed his grandson that never seems to stop running around can sit and follow a Mets game.
He’s also more fun as a grandfather than a Dad at these games. When he took my brother and I, we brought our food, and we got one souvenir (that cost a certain amount). As a father now, I really understand why, but back then? I just wanted a Mets jersey. That wouldn’t happen until I purchased one myself when I was 17. However, with his grandson, his opinion has changed:
Yup, my son has his own Mets jersey. What’s even better is my son is the IV, which meant my Dad had to do this:
Yes, it’s personalized. It makes me happy because these are things my Dad and son can bond over. My son tells my Dad that Duda, Murphy, and Wright plays for the Mets. My Dad gets a kick out of it.
Isn’t that supposed to be the grandfather-grandson relationship? I only had a small taste of it, and I know I missed out on something. I’m glad my son and Dad are getting that experience.
If you’re lucky enough to still have your grandparent, I hope you reached out to them today. I know I would’ve. My son saw his grandparents yesterday, and he FaceTimed with each one of them today (technology really is amazing).
So to my parents and my mother-in-law, Happy Grandparents’ Day. Somewhere I know my Nana, who though Grandparents’ Day is a made-up holiday, is up there saying, “for God’s sake.”