Thoughts From Last Night

I must admit, I should be punished, and harshly. I should be made to watch Yadier Molina's HR off of Heilman and Carlos Beltran's called third strike from Adam Wainwright repeatedly...

I didn't see last night's celebration of the 1969 Mets live...thank God I DVR'd it. I watched it this morning, and what a thrill I got.

As many of you know, Jerry Grote is, without question, my favorite Met (A Fan's Fond Memory - June 13, 2008 ).

I have the utmost and sincere admiration for Gil Hodges (The Mets Gentle Giant - August 22, 2009).

Kooz was my favorite Mets pitcher (Where Have You Gone Jerry Koosman - October 26, 2008).

But last evening's celebration of the team that captured America's hearts was OUTSTANDING! It would have been great to attend, but thankfully in today's day and age, we can digitally record it.

To see that final moment when Seaver, Koosman, and Ryan threw to Grote, Dyer and Berra was AWESOME!

My boys, Metsfan97 and Metsfan99 watched with me, and it was fun being able to tell them about some of the players I remembered. Granted, I was quite young in '69 (not giving my age up that easily!), so I don't remember that team, but I do remember Wayne Garrett, Buddy Harrelson, Eddie Kranepool, Cleon Jones, Jerry Grote, Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Tug McGraw - all from that team, in the early 1970's. The other's I feel like I know from all my research on the 1969 team.

It was a real pleasant trip down Memory Lane, and it was wonderful to see my favorite ball player, Jerry Grote, who looks like he could still don the tools of ignorance, get behind the plate, and play a few innings.

I am always all over the Wilpon family and the Mets for their lack of sense of Mets history. This though, was GREAT! So, for all the times I have hammered Jeff and Fred, last night they did it right.

*** Side Note ***

Is it me, or do the 1969 Mets (most of them) look in better shape in their mid and late 60's than the 1986 Mets do in their 40's and 50's?

Eddie Yost, Joe Pignatano, Yogi...they all looked great.

Have you seen some of the '86 Champs? They don't quite look as fit.