The cause of this excitement was the actual selling of a season ticket.
This is newsworthy since Mets season ticket holders have been abandoning the team like lemmings going over a cliff. (Truth be told it seems that lemmings don't actually commit suicide in this manner but it makes for a cool visualization.) So why would a fan actually choose to buy a ticket for every home game of the upcoming 2011 Mets' season? There had to be a backstory and, of course, we've got it.
We caught up with the fan, 29 year old Harley Briscomb of Elmont, Queens.
Here's what he told us:
It's just a miracle. The coma that I was in - and they tell me it's been almost 3-1/2 years - just let go and I woke up just the other day. The last thing I remember was driving home from Shea. It was September 30th, 2007.
All we needed to do was beat the lowly Marlins and we'd be in the playoffs. Old reliable Tom Glavine was pitching for us. No way would we be denied. And then he got crushed and we lost big. The final score that day was 8-1, I'm told, but I left in the 3rd inning when it was obvious our season was over.
Maybe I wasn't paying attention as I drove home because there was an accident and - poof- that's all I remember. There was a dream that lasted like an eternity. All I could think about was what a great team the Mets had and how bright the future would be with our young talented pitchers like Oliver Perez. Plus we had the iron man at short, Jose Reyes. The front office had the solid competent Omar Minaya running the show. Everything was looking rosy for the team's future. Those lucky Wilpons had a financial goldmine in their hands.
So as soon as I came out of the coma and the docs OK'd my release I drove straight over to Shea to buy a seasons ticket. Boy, was I surprised to find Shea gone and a gorgeous new stadium in what was Shea's parking lot. I walked through what they call the Jackie Robinson rotunda and started to wonder if the Mets still lived here or maybe the Dodgers had moved back. As you can imagine, it was pretty confusing for someone who hadn't been around for a while.
When I announced that I wanted to buy a seasons ticket for the Mets all hell seemed to break out. Most of the people there were playing Sudoku on their PC's. They just started clapping and cheering and popping champagne corks.
From one of the side offices three men came out all excited. I learned they are Sandy Alderson, JP Ricciardi, and Paul DePodesta.
They shook my hand vigorously and took me right out to see the park.
What was really cool is how they gave me a choice of 40,000 seats I could have. I tried out a few dozen locations but was becoming tired what with all the up and downs.
I eventually selected a seat and gave them a check.
They assured me I could have the same seat when the team makes the playoffs. So I'm one happy dude. It's gonna be great.
All articles featured on The Apple are fictitious. No Mets were harmed in the writing of this story. Story by Larry Smith. You can follow Larry Smith on twitter @dr4sight
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