What the Mets Mean to Me

Many  people have written about what baseball means to them. As a senior, I am finding that I have become an avid Mets fan as I age. There are several reasons for this.

The seeds for my baseball interest started in Brooklyn. Growing up there, I was a Dodgers fan, as was everyone else I knew. And we all shared a dislike for the Yankees. They seemed to have a lot more money than the Dodgers, and they often won, so we saw them as “stuck up snobs.” In addition, they were in the Bronx, a foreign land. Those childhood impressions were so strong, that when I married my husband some 20 years later — a Bronx-born Yankees fan— I thought of it as a mixed marriage.

I experienced the Dodgers’ 1955 World Series win as one of the most exciting things to happen in my neighborhood- pure joy reigned in the community for a few days.  But we all were soon greatly saddened, with a sense of abandonment, when they moved to LA, also a foreign land, two years later. When the Mets came to NYC in 1962, although some of my fan loyalty went to them, their location in Queens, and the increased activities in my life that came from finishing college and starting my first job, made them more peripheral to my life.

Over the next 25 years or so my interest continued, in part because of their underdog status and the periodic jolts of pleasure that came from their World Series wins in 1969 and 1986. But during these years, even during the Mets’ highlight times, I was very busy—I married, obtained my PhD in psychology, headed a large research center, and raised children. The Mets were less important in my life.

Now in retirement I have renewed interest in the Mets and have become an avid follower of the team. I feel my spirits lifted when the Mets win, it’s as though they were representing me and “we” did it. A loss produces a brief feeling of sadness, that quickly dissipates in anticipation of the next game. 

Watching the game itself is relaxing and enjoyable. Given all the breaks in the game, during commercials between innings and when new pitchers must be brought in, there is plenty of time to get a snack, read the paper, do a puzzle, have a bathroom break, and talk to friends. I like that. It means I don’t have to constantly stay in front of the screen for the approximately three hours it takes for most games.  The instant replays means that even if I wasn’t watching the screen when an important play happened, I won’t have missed it.

And watching each Met batter closely (I must admit, I pay less attention when the opposing team is at bat) – I can enjoy the beauty of a home run and cringe when the umpire calls a strike that was clearly out of the strike zone.  Once or twice a season I go to Citifield for a game, and I like this experience for additional reasons- watching the fans cheer for the Mets and being a participant in the crowd reminds me of how enthusiasm for sports can erase differences between people. I always have a hot dog, beer and cracker jacks, foods that I generally avoid as unhealthy, but seem necessary and I thoroughly enjoy at the ball game.  I also like singing “Take Me out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch, and at key times in the game I will stand and yell as loud as I can. There are not many places where I feel comfortable doing that.

The enthusiasm and team spirit of the players is also pleasurable to watch. I love when they get excited for each other’s achievements- be it a hit or a great catch.  I enjoy watching the hugs, the ritualistic handshakes, and in special times, like when a Met hits a home run, the pouring of Gatorade or other liquids on the head of the hitter. The players all seem truly happy for each other’s accomplishment. I know that even in the closest families there are those who don’t appreciate or may be jealous of the accomplishments of family members. This is likely true among team members too, but the team spirit and the fact that a win is something everyone can benefit from, seems to overcome jealousies and elicit happiness among them all.

There are many other joys of the game itself, including the fact that there is no time limit as in other team sports like football and basketball, meaning redemption of a losing game is possible until the last out. Also, the fact that during the season teams play almost every day means that a loss can be quickly forgotten in the engagement of the next day’s game. There’s always tomorrow… and when necessary – next year.

But many of these reasons apply to any team. Why are the Mets special to me? Each year I find that the players I especially admire change. Pete Alonzo, Edwin Diaz, Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom are my favorites this year. But the team transcends the players, many of whom have played on other teams before coming to the Mets or may be traded away. My childhood attachment to a non-Yankees NYC home team is part of the reason for my being a Mets fan. And the ineptitude of the Mets during their first few years, followed by many wonderful players and highlights, left a lasting message that one must never give up hope for success.

But I think I have become a bigger fan because of what it has meant in my personal life. Being a fan has brought me closer to many people. My stepson has been an avid sports fan his entire life, maintaining loyalty to the Mets even after his cross-country move. When there is a good game we will text each other and he happily writes “Put it in the books” at the end of a victory. Little communication occurs when they lose, but it’s as though we are respecting each other’s period of mourning in our own way. And my doorman is another avid fan, who often wears a Mets tie pin during the season. When he is on duty the day after a game, we exchange brief comments as I walk out the front door- from “Wow-what a great game” to “tough loss,”  or “ you can’t win ‘em all.”  I think we both enjoy this connection that erases the distinctions in our roles- we are both just Mets fans.

My family knows I follow the Mets, and this had led to several birthday and mother’s day gifts, making me appreciate their thoughtfulness in selecting the gift. I have received a Mets T-shirt, jacket and mug. And a few years ago my daughter bought me a baseball cap that said “Mets” in Hebrew letters. I love wearing this hat when I go to the game and wear it with my Mets shirt and jacket.  I still laugh in remembering one day when I was going through the turnstile at the stadium and the elderly ticket checker pointed at my cap and with a smile and said “I know what that says.” I was pleased he shared my cultural background and asked what that was— “Shalom Aleichem” he proudly said— which means “Peace to You”. Appreciating the benediction, I smiled and said “Mets” and walked on.

And as my husband and I age, while his interest in the Yankees diminished, he now shows interest in the Mets and watches some of the games with me. I think for him the interactions and joint activity with me, rather than the Mets themselves, is what engages him.  Although we both have less energy at this time in our lives, we can still get excited when the Mets are in the lead. The lessons of baseball and the Mets are especially important at this stage in our lives. These include:  you can come from behind even if you start out in a weak position, take as long as you need and don’t worry about a time limit, and it’s the team camaraderie and spirit that makes for greatness, more than any individual’s performance. And there’s always the hope and promise of the next game. And on those rare occasions when the Mets and Yankees play each other, our old rivalry can still be felt, reminding us of the pleasures of watching these teams so many years ago when we were young and both teams were in NYC.

 So that’s what the Mets mean to me. Thank you Mets for all you give me- and as for this promising 2022 season, “Let’s Go Mets.”