Living Reflections from a Dream

A few days ago a co-worker from the NY office informed me that baseball was still going on. Baseball? After the Red Sox's and Yankee's seasons were over. Baseball.. with no teams from the American League East? Hmph! Yes, this Met's fan responded: and the Mets are in Game 7.

Game 7 of a league championship series... ah, yes I remember the feeling well. The optimism, the nervousness, the hope, the terror.. But I didn't really watch the game. I would flip it on from time to time, for short bursts (I can only put up with McCarver to watch my Red Sox): 1-1 in the 5th. 1-1 in the 7th. 1-1 in the 8th! 1-1 in the 9th. 20,000 re-plays of the "greatest catch in post-season history" (and it was fine) later, Scott Rolen is up and there is a graphic beneath him that says: last homerun in game 7 of the 2004 NLCS. First I think: only in the post season, right? Then I think, ohhhh 2004 didn't work out well for the Cardinals (heeheehee). This won't, either. Fox has jinxed him. But he singled and the next batter appeared. Oh, I thought: baby Molina.. must be hard to always have lived in the shadows of his brothers. Then: smack! Shadows no more. Baby had put his team up by 2 runs in the top of the ninth of Game 7. I turn the tv off. I know there will no Met comeback. That is too deflating, after having a 1-1 game for inning upon inning.

In the morning I woke up thinking: what a nightmare for Mets fans! That was before I found out how it went down. They in fact, did rally a bit, bases loaded, bottom of the 9th, your best hitter up and: NADA. Series over. It's worse than 2003 was for the Red Sox, it's 1986 bad! See Baby Molina is the Mets Aaron Boone, but they could have won in the bottom of the 9th. Brutal. Just brutal. Mets fans: I feel your pain.

Of course, for Red Sox fans, it's always about us. This morning, I was listening to sports talk radio to here the disection. A caller starts in with: "yeah, it was a great catch.. never heard of that guy before, but whatever.. but you know what? I'm happy the Mets lost. Even though we won in 2004, I'm still not over '86. I hate the Mets. I hate them!" And I smiled.. wait til next year!