It Was All So Exciting, Once
On paper last night had a lot going for it. Beautiful weather that contained a hint of chillier fall air as the hours grew later. Great seats courtesy of Nails. A late season series with the hated Marlins. Hell, I even caught a ball (OK, it bounced, but I kept it in front of me so the guys in the booth would have appreciated my fundamentals).
Nevertheless, there I was some time around the 7th inning when I had a look around, turned to Nails and said, "man, this place is like a graveyard."
Needless to say, I didn't need to go there to know that the fun had already been sucked out of this season, but the calamity of 2009 hit me an altogether different way last night.
It made me think of the past few Septembers. No matter how things ended in 2007-2008, September in those years packed all the drama a baseball fan could ask for. September 2006 was about clinching and gearing up for the postseason.
Even September 2005 was fun because you felt like you were watching something that was on the up and up. David Wright and Jose Reyes still felt so new, the whole team felt that way, it felt like you were at the start of something new and exciting.
Zoom forward to 2009 and nothing about this team feels new and exciting anymore. Instead, at the end of an altogether dreadful season with essentially zero redeeming qualities, all there is is a pervasive feeling of dread that the next few years will carry more of the same because the guys in charge don't have their act together.
These aren't new thoughts; we've written about them before on this site and you can read about them elsewhere. But yesterday I was reminded of what we lost.
There are no white knuckle games this September. No rush of victory, no agonizing over defeat. No need to get the guys together to watch the Mets or Phillies. No need to watch baseball at all, really.
It used to be so exciting; it's not anymore, not this season at least.
* * * * *
Later, inexplicably stuck in 10:30pm traffic on 2nd avenue, we heard the call of Derek Jeter collecting his record-tying hit. We heard the crowd erupt, and it reminded us that not too far from where we sat yesterday, exciting September baseball was alive and well, and with it, the attendant hope and anticipation of October baseball as well.
Oh well. Mets games are still good for catching up with old friends at least. Nails, thanks again.
- A.F.O.M.G.
Nevertheless, there I was some time around the 7th inning when I had a look around, turned to Nails and said, "man, this place is like a graveyard."
Needless to say, I didn't need to go there to know that the fun had already been sucked out of this season, but the calamity of 2009 hit me an altogether different way last night.
It made me think of the past few Septembers. No matter how things ended in 2007-2008, September in those years packed all the drama a baseball fan could ask for. September 2006 was about clinching and gearing up for the postseason.
Even September 2005 was fun because you felt like you were watching something that was on the up and up. David Wright and Jose Reyes still felt so new, the whole team felt that way, it felt like you were at the start of something new and exciting.
Zoom forward to 2009 and nothing about this team feels new and exciting anymore. Instead, at the end of an altogether dreadful season with essentially zero redeeming qualities, all there is is a pervasive feeling of dread that the next few years will carry more of the same because the guys in charge don't have their act together.
These aren't new thoughts; we've written about them before on this site and you can read about them elsewhere. But yesterday I was reminded of what we lost.
There are no white knuckle games this September. No rush of victory, no agonizing over defeat. No need to get the guys together to watch the Mets or Phillies. No need to watch baseball at all, really.
It used to be so exciting; it's not anymore, not this season at least.
* * * * *
Later, inexplicably stuck in 10:30pm traffic on 2nd avenue, we heard the call of Derek Jeter collecting his record-tying hit. We heard the crowd erupt, and it reminded us that not too far from where we sat yesterday, exciting September baseball was alive and well, and with it, the attendant hope and anticipation of October baseball as well.
Oh well. Mets games are still good for catching up with old friends at least. Nails, thanks again.
- A.F.O.M.G.
posted by A Friend of Mr. Glass' at 7:48 AM
1 Comments:
It's painful...I was at the game as well, and couldn't believe how empty the place was. At game time, I was still the only person in my (okay, promenade) section. Even though it filled in a little, it was nothing but halfhearted clapping, disparaging remarks and boredom. At the end of the game, some dude called out "we suck again!" Not even a "Yankees suck!" chant (however inappropriate that would have been last night with the record tying and all). Wait 'til next year? I guess...
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