That Ancient Childhood Chant

That Ancient Chant from Childhood in Brooklyn, is being heard again in Queens. It is as if music to my ears. It is as if Shea Stadium is still standing. It is a chant signifying that I am NOT a Yankees Fan.
To those of Red Sox Nation In New England & New York, that dear, ancient chant is as if Gregorian Chant to my ears. One could almost imagine hearing the voice of "The Voice Of Summer In New York" as if it was Yesterday. To those of you in New England who remember him in the 1950s & on occasion in the 1960s, one could almost hear Bob Murphy over Radio & Television.
And that sweet, ancient chant of Childhood in Brooklyn is back, in full, flowering voice:
"Let's Go Mets", is being heard here in Queens, again.
Ok, it took the Johan Santana No Hitter to awaken the chant. Now it is a greeting on the streets.
To my brethren across Red Sox Nation, NY Mets Fans have a diabolical hatred for the NY Yankees. They actually Love Us. They share this city with the Bronx Bombers. And if Somebody is wearing a NY Mets Cap, they will know Baseball, the nuances & have actually been to a few games at Citi Field or Shea Stadium. Be careful of those people wearing Yankees Caps, for they just might only be Tourists. Yankee Stadium III is full of tourists. Citi Field, however, is where real Baseball Fans gather as well as real New Yorkers.
I still have a copy of "Meet The Mets" on my iPod Touch.
The trouble is, NY Mets Fans are still waiting for the proverbial "Other Shoe To Drop."
Like us in Red Sox Nation, who knew that feeling before 2004, Mets Fans, especially the ones who followed the Brooklyn Dodgers, have the same feelings.
But, Johan's No Hitter has created a new spirit.
"Let's Go Mets!"
So Be It!
M

THe "Other" NY MLB Opener

Forget about Yankee Stadium, Home to Tourists, October Arrivistas, Hipsters & Sheer North Jersey & Southwestern CT Monied "White Trash", of The Tennis Variety, this Tuesday Afternoon @ 1:10PM, ET:

This is where People from the 5 Boroughs, & Long Island & Parts of NJ, head for Baseball. This is also where Displaced Red Sox Fans from the Boston Area, without Tickets for Fenway Park, head to;

The Stadium is in Queens, & The Train Stop is Willets Point-Shea Stadium on The IRT #7 Flushing Line, for Shea Stadium also says Goodbye This Year;

You may see a Good Game. You might also see Jerry Seinfeld at The Games, as he does have Season Tickets;

& I saw my 1st MLB Game here, in 1966;

& for me, a Teary-Eyed Farewell, @ my last Game, in September, this year;

Memories Of The Last Season THE NFL Giants Played in NYC, The Mets of All The Years(Except For The Druggie '86 Mets), of My Beloved 1969 Mets, & of a Game, where Joe Namath came off The Bench for the Jets vs 49'ers & a Tie For The NL Wild Card in 1999;

And There was Pope John Paul II's Shea Stadium Visit and Prayer Service, when The Storm Clouds Scattered;

& Memories of The 1st Game & 1st Day Game;

This Won't Be Possible in Citi Field;

Mike-RSN-NYCQ

I Do NOT Think The Mets Are Serious About Johann Santana

Let me guess-JEFFY has entered the Picture, as in the Past, Omar Minaya ran the show, while Fred Signed The Cheques:

I think that The Fans with the Weekend Packages, aren't buying any more crap from this team, so I've heard. I've heard of a # of Plan cancellations, over the 20% Price Increase, as well as knowing that The Wilpons are trying to turn Citi Field into a Subscription-Only Ballpark, with absolutely-maximum revenues;

The Latest is that The Mets may not part with a Supposedly-Prized Outfielder;

I suspect that may be cover for Jeffy putting his foot down & saying "NO", as it might interfere with his plans to buy a MacBook Air & an iPhone, as well as a hot dog & a soda;

Take very-little, seriously, from what eminates from Shea Stadium & Mets Ownership;

FENWAY, Here I Come;

Mike-RSN-NYCQ;

PS-For Jeffy, "Fitzy" sends you a huge "GFY"!

Now You KNOW WHY I Prefer Fenway Park

$35 For Upper Level RESERVED @ Shea Stadium?

I've heard of Nostalgia for the Flushing DUMP, but the Mets are TOTALLY-Ridiculous with their version of Ticket Scalping, called Sliding Scale;

That's ONLY for the Premium Games(Opening Day, Yankees Series & The FINAL Game);

This used to be ONLY $1.30 & you could see a doubleheader for that price;

The Mets have convinced me-DON'T Take a Ticket Plan with Them;

Mike-RSN-NYCQ

WHAT NY Mets Fans Have To Look FORWARD To In '08

A 20% Increase in Ticket Prices, which is all part of "The Citi Field Fund Raiser":

People who've NEVER been to Shea Stadium in their Lives;

Loads of Red Sox Fans who couldn't get through during the Big Sale of Tickets, being stuck in the "Virtual Waiting Room", all of Yesterday. I've met quite a few of "The Nation" over the Past Few Years @ The Stadium where "Game 6" of The 1986 World Series Was Played;

The Usual A--hole Yankees Fans, who look for trouble, wearing Jeter & A-Jerk Jerseys;

JEFFY Wilpon tying the hands of GM, Omar Minaya;

Rick Peterson PRETENDING to be Pitching Coach;

It's going to be '02, ALL OVER AGAIN, in '08;

Eric Gagne' will get the s--t booed out of him by Exiled Red Sox Fans & Mets Fans;

So will Armando Benitez, as always;

& The Chants of "Gay-Rod" will follow "Jeter Swallows";

& Suzyn Waldman will be mocked, OBVIOUSLY;

& it will be funereal;

& will that IDIOT in a Red Sweater be rolling her arms around, just like in '86, only for the "Old Guard" to drag her to an Upper Level Shea Ramp & force her to look down from up there, to teach her that she's NOT a real Mets Fan;

I will have my Memories & at The End, it'll be a Time Of Closure & Saying Good Bye, perhaps filled with tears;

Will The 7 Train Be Running?

Mike-RSN-NYCQ;

PS-RSN-NYCQ is an abbreviation for Red Sox Nation-New York City-Queens;

Michael

Shea Goodbye(1964-2008)

It all started here:
The 1st M L B Game, on September 2nd, 1966, before 15,000+Fans & The Mets Lost 6-0 to The Phillies. My Yankees-Hating Days had begun & in earnest. Dad's words in regards to the $3.50 Box Seats, between 3rd & Home, were 'These Seats are expensive'. He wasn't thrilled about paying $.55 for a cup of Rheingold, either. I can say that I was in Shea, in the Pre-Seaver Era:

I was around for the Borden's Coupon Era, as well, when 15 of those things would get you into Shea Stadium, on certain days. I once saw a ballplayer, in 1967, honored by the C Y O, on an afternoon game. His 1st Name was Tom. The Year was 1967. His last name was NOT Glavine, for sure, but this Tom won over 300 Games, & dubbed "The Franchise". Yes, his name is Seaver;

For I remember watching Doubleheaders(Remember Them?) for the price of $1.30, in Upper Level. Now, prices are as high as $22, for the Interleague Series with those lost souls, who play in "The Toilet" in The Bronx, The Yankees, where such chants as "Gay Rod, Gay-Rod, Gay-Rod, Gay-Rod, Jeter's Boyfriend", are sung in Shea Stadium. Old Fenway Park Chants, such as "Jeter Swallows", are commonplace, if someone wears a Yankees Jersey with #2 on the back;

I witnessed the filming of The Triple Play Scene, for the movie, "The Odd Couple", starring Jack Lemmon & Walter Matthau. It was done in one take, as Current Baseball Hall Of Famer, Bill Mazerowski of the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit into the "Triple Play." This was in June, 1967 & the Mets won that game over The Pirates;

I remember $3 Standing Room for NY Jets Games. Shea Stadium was @ its' Windiest & Coldest for those Games & you could go into the Mets Bullpen & toss a football around during those games, as there's a men's bathroom, next to the bullpen. I even got my 1st In Person look @ the NY Giants, who waited for Giants Stadium in NJ, to open. It was 1975 & the Mets shared the ballpark with the Jets, Giants & Yankees. Yankee Stadium was being renovated & would reopen in 1976. The Shea Grass was ruined by overuse in 1975;

His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, visited Shea Stadium for a Prayer Rally, in October, 1979. I was in Upper Level for that occasion;

I was in Shea Stadium for a North American Soccer League Playoff Game, in 1976 & the Great Pele', scored. So many of my Sports 1sts were at Shea Stadium;

IF you're curious about that symbol on top of this blog, it's a patch to be worn by Mets Players in the Farewell Year of Shea Stadium, in '08;

The Sad Memories by Red Sox Nation of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, still linger, but now, many Red Sox Fans, who're unable to get tickets @ Fenway Park, now make the 4 Hour trek to Mets Games @ Shea Stadium, The NYC Home of Red Sox Nation In Exile. Outside of NY Mets Caps, Boston Red Sox Caps, are visible in great #s @ Shea Stadium. I don my Red Sox Cap @ Mets Games, all the time;

& it'll be a bit teary-eyed as both Mum & Da, are gone, as they took me to that place, so I would understand that in life, you can't win everyday. That's an important lesson. Thanks to both for imparting that lesson;

Michael-RSN-NYC-Queens