I had a chance to hobnob with some of the legends of their respective games. I must say my hobbing is really coming around but my nobbing is still a work in progress.
When it came time for the actual meal I had the choice of sitting at a table with NY Knick greats like Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Kenny "Sky" Walker, and Bernard "I forgot to have a nickname" King or sit with some of the present Mets players at an adjacent table. I, of course, sat with the Amazins.
The conversation at the table was pretty mundane for a while until Josh Thole changed the subject and said, "Did anyone else notice that there was a baseball game on Fox last nite?"
Before I had a chance to reply, Dillon Gee, sitting to Josh's right, said, "Yeah, I was channel surfing and noticed it. I think it's one of those Caribbean Winter Leagues games. Maybe in Panama or something."
Thole then said, "No. I'm kinda sure it was the Cardinals against the Texas Rangers. I figured it was a makeup game for an interleague rainout earlier in the season."
I couldn't hold my tongue any longer and blurted, "That's the World Freakin' Series. You know... postseason baseball, the playoffs."
Ike Davis then said, "What's that all about? How long have they been doing that kind of thing?"
I couldn't believe I had to explain it but said, "Like how about every year since 1903."
Immediately Gee said, "Nah. I don't think I'd be interested in something like that. It would mess with my offseason regimen."
To which all I could say was, "Come again?"
Gee explained, "You see after the season ends in late September I don't pick up a ball for two months and then start my throwing lightly in December gearing up for spring training in February. If I had to play games in October it would mess the whole thing up."
Dumbfounded I could only say, "That's nuts. You're supposed to want to play in the postseason. You're supposed to be DYING for the chance to compete for a championship. After all when you guys take the field each day what are you trying to do?"
To which Thole replied: "Not get hurt."
And then Willie Harris said: "To make lots and lots of money."
And then Ike Davis remarked: "To impress women."
"No, no, no." I insisted, "You're trying to win games to get to play in October and compete for a championship. You know, get a ring, ticker tape parade, key to the city, doesn't anyone know what I'm talking about? And you, Willie, of all people, didn't you play in the postseason back in '05 when you were with the White Sox?"
Harris said, "Maybe. That was quite a while ago. I kinda thought that was the World Baseball Classic or something."
I looked over at Thole who had pulled out his smartphone and was banging away madly at it. When I asked what he was doing he told me that he was sending a text message to Daniel Murphy: "I want to find out if Murph knows anything about this October baseball you're talking about. He says he's never heard of it either but what does he know anyway. He spends his mornings in rehab and afternoons writing in that stupid diary of his."
By that time I had totally lost my appetite and realized that the losing culture that now pervades the Mets has a lot of changing to do. Good luck to you Mr. Alderson.
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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