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  1. #1
    Sgt. At Arms Worf101's Avatar
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    9:07 PM September 24, 1969

    Many who lived through 1969 remeber it for many different reasons. For some it was the moon landing, for others.. Woodstock and for too many Viet Nam. For me and many of my family and friends 1969 will always be remembered but not just for those momentus events but for a rather much smaller one.

    Professional Baseball had had a long and storied history well before that year. Many great and not so great teams had come and sadly gone over the years but no team had been so inept an hopeless as the New York Metropolitans or "Mets" as we called em of the National League. The Mets were born in a desperate attempt by Major League Baseball to quell an uprising. New York City had had TWO National League teams until 1957 when both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants left for Coast. This left millions heart broken and the town completely in the hands of the New York Yankees, perrenial winners and hated rivals.

    Bill Shea, businessman and Baseball fanatic threatned to create his own league if we didn't get National League baseball back in New York City. Major League Baseball caved and in 1962 we got a "team". But it was a team in name only. The Mets were staffed by "has beens" and never was'. They proceeded to lose more games in one year than any other baseball team in history (a record that still stands by the way).

    The Mets were awful, they stunk, they found ways to lose that were unimaginable. Their manager was a cast off from the hated Yankees and even he couldn't believe how bad they were. But inspite of that or perhaps because of it, the City loved the team more and more with each passing loss and each passing day. The fans began making homemade banners and signs and paraded them through the stands between innings. This led to the first instance of "Banner Day" where fans were allowed on the field between a double header and their banners were shown on TV and judged.

    We loved them and they loved us.

    Slowly but surely the worm turned and in 1969, a mere seven years after their birth, the team found itself stocked with future Hall of Famers in Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan as well as tons of young raw talent. In 1969 a glimmer of hope became a roaring fire. The Mets stormed from last place to overtake the Cubs and by winning 38 of their last 49 games taking the National League Eastern Division. The clincher for their first pennant of any kind came at 9:07 PM, September 24, 1969.

    Champagne celebrations in locker rooms may be old hat now, but if you watch this footage you can't help but marvel at the innocence of the players and the fans who didn't storm the field to riot but to exult in the hithertoo unknown feeling of victory. I remember watching some of this that night on a crappy little portable T.V. with tinfoil on the antennae. I hadn't seen this footage since that night. For those who might remember enjoy, and for those who don't enjoy as well.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYHOM81SlfE


    Da Worfster

  2. #2
    Musicaholic Forums Moderator ForeverAutumn's Avatar
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    A great post and a great video Worf. I love baseball stories!

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