A Mets Fan in September
Fellow Mets fans – fellow sufferers – tomorrow is Sunday, September 28th. It is the last day of baseball’s regular season. It was merely a year ago, on this very weekend, that we watched, in horror and dismay, our beloved team CHOKE on their last game, and lose a spot in the playoffs. It was painful. It was an experience that made us consider arson, vandalism, even overdosing on a controlled substance. Anything to take out our frustrations. Anything to dull the pain. Now, 365 days later, we get to do it again. Yay!!!!!!
Well we wouldn’t be Mets fans if we didn’t have masochistic tendencies. Tomorrow afternoon, many nails will be bitten off, much alcohol will be consumed, and many fingers will be crossed. As usual, it’s down to the wire. Regardless of what happens, Mets fans (sickos that we are) can at least take pleasure in knowing that the Yankees will NOT be making a playoff appearance, for the first time in thirteen years. Whew! Thank god. At least we don’t have to listen to their shit.
I’m going waaaaay out on a limb by posting this video. It’s totally premature and presumptuous. But as badly as the Mets choked last year, the Yankees choked even worse in 2004, in the ALCS against the Red Sox. So I just need something to make me laugh. Mets fans will appreciate it (especially you, Steph 
) This video is pretty funny. Crude, but funny. Hey, I’m a Mets fan and I live in a state of mental torture. Cut me some slack! I’ll take anything I can get.
Ron said,
September 28, 2008 at 7:14 am
Baseball’s best fans? With what that team puts us through, we should be nominated for sainthood!
Go Mets! Close out Shea with a win!
exbrun2 said,
September 28, 2008 at 10:31 am
Some friends and I rode our motorcycles from Chicago to Milwaukee yesterday. We were on our way to the Harley Davidson museum in Milwaukee (a dangerous endeavor for me as I was the only one in the group who rides a Yamaha sport bike- everyone else rides Harleys) and drove by Miller stadium.
There was much lamentation at Miller stadium as the Chicago Cubs broke the Brewer’s five game winning streak by winning yesterday’s game 7 to 3. Despite this, the Brewers will still be in running for the Wildcard playoffs while the Cubs will choke and once again manage to avoid the World Series. So don’t worry- every city with two major league baseball teams has at least one team that consistently lets its fans down.
I just feel lucky that I reside near a town with two major league ball clubs and I applaud any team from Chicago that actually makes it to the playoffs. I’m actually more of a White Sox fan (Chicago south-siders are somewhat less pretentious than North-siders) but I’ll tip my hat to either team when they do well.
I admit it must be a bit frustrating to have a one team in town that has been so dominant (the Yankees) and another that seems to struggle every season. In Chicago both MLB teams seem to eventually choke so the disappointment is universal.
I do wish the Mets the best of luck- it would be nice to see them go to the World Series again. I was in New York back in 2000 for game one of the subway series and I was amazed at how focused the entire city was on the game. There’s die-hard fans for every team out there but all of New York seemed to have taken sides behind their club that year. It was exciting to see and to be there while it was happening.
Keep your fingers crossed- anything can happen!
artmodel said,
September 28, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Ron,
Sainthood indeed! Right now, it’s 1:08, and I’m scared shitless. Keeping my fingers crossed. Yes, last regular season game at Shea better be a win.
Hang in there, friend!
artmodel said,
September 28, 2008 at 12:23 pm
exbrun2,
My fingers are crossed so tight they are welded together. You’d think we Mets fans would be used to this. But t never gets any easier.
Thanks for your comments about the Chicago teams and the scene over there. I imagine that the acrimony between the Cubs and the White Sox can rival that of New York’s. Honestly, I think the hostility between the Yankee fans and Mets fans has diminished slightly over the past couple of years. It was at an unbearable fever pitch in the late 90s, up to around 2003. Exactly around the time you were here for the 2000 series. It was ridiculously bad! The whole city was in need of group therapy
Personally, I hated it.
Thanks for your good wishes for the Mets. We need it! We’ll see what happens. Like you said, “anything can happen”. That’s what makes baseball such a great game.
Claudia
Stephanie said,
September 29, 2008 at 11:09 am
Well, we’ve done it again. And the worst part of it is that it has to be the Marlins! I may live in Miami, but I will forever be a Queens girl. My sympathies go out to all my fellow Mets fans.
Brian said,
September 29, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Claudia
Knowing what a diehard Mets fan you are, I want to offer my condolences to you and all the other Mets fans out there – better luck next year! In the mean time, I’d just like to say one thing:
Go Brewers!!
artmodel said,
September 29, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Stephanie, yep. They blew it AGAIN! Jerks. Couldn’t even provide a win for Shea’s swan song. But don’t worry, my dear fellow Queens girl. Like the saying goes, “Wait ’til next year!”
Love you!
Claudia
artmodel said,
September 29, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Brian,
If you were ANYBODY ELSE, I’d banish that “Go Brewers!” cheer from my blog! But since it’s you, it stays
Your native Wisconsin heart should feel good. Hey, they played better. Thus they deserve it. I might even root for them! But I’d kind of like to see the Cubs make it too.
Thanks, honey, for your Mets condolences
Claudia
babahr said,
September 30, 2008 at 8:21 am
there’s plenty of blame to go around, but really, don’t you think Omar could have done something about the bullpen? it was evident last winter that it needed shoring up–unless everyone expected Duaner Sanchez to come back and be lights out. If i were a GM, I wouldn’t bet my season on somebody coming back from surgery to lead a bullpen as a setup guy.
I’m not answering text messages or emails from Filly fans or Brewer fans or the like. Mets Fan October Hibernation–an all too familiar state.
next year….you gotta believe!
artmodel said,
October 1, 2008 at 12:14 am
Bob,
It was definitely a collective group failure. But yes, the bullpen issues could have been dealt with better. I honestly think Omar is a scout at heart, not a GM. And betting on Sanchez was a mistake, if that’s what they did. Wagner going down was bad.
A friend of mine had a mantra since April; that the Mets were not as good a team on the field as they were on paper. I disputed that with him all season, but now I have to think he was right.
Good idea to hibernate! Are you going to watch the playoffs? Feel like I should root for the Cubs, if I root for anybody. But it’s still all very depressing.
But Bob, I can see the sports headline during the offseason: “Mets Sign C.C. Sabathia!” Woohoo!
Claudia