One Hit Away

Authors Note: The below column was written in the early morning hours following the New York Mets 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in game 7 of the 2006 NLCS at Shea Stadium in New York.

October 17, 2006
3:14am

It’s times like this that you sit and wonder…why do we care so much? Why does the outcome of a trivial sporting event impact the lives of so many people? Roughly three hours ago, the New York Mets were one hit away from the World Series –– one hit. I was at the game, sitting in the upper reserves at Shea Stadium as the events unfolded. After the last pitch was thrown, resulting in Carlos Beltran getting called out on strikes, people funneled out of Shea like a bomb threat was announced over the PA. I stayed in my seat and watched. The Cardinals charged the mound, in our stadium, like the Yankees did in 2000, and they celebrated. I stayed in my seat and watched. This was supposed to be our moment. Once again another season ended on a loss.

The closer you get, the more it hurts. This one was like climbing Everest all the way to the top and then dying on the side of the mountain right before the final hike to the summit. All you can do is think about what could have been. All the years of caring, all the hours spent watching the games, all the money spent supporting your team, wearing your loyalty on your sleeve. Then when they finally get so close you can taste it, one short climb to the summit away, they come up empty. This is the ugly reality of being a sports fan. The majority of the time you’re left devastated and distraught, wondering if that one moment in time will ever come when the season doesn’t end on a loss. Right now I can’t help but ask myself if it’s all really worth it. Why does it really matter so much…if your team wins or loses? Why do so many of us care for our respective teams with that life-or-death intensity? Where does it come from? One thing is becoming increasingly more apparent: The fans seem to care more than the athletes about winning and losing. In this day and age, with so many outside influence$ pulling players in a million different directions, this has becoming increasingly truer. The only people who show any loyalty these days are the fans.

Once again it begs the question…Why do we care?

I envy those people who were never inflicted with the passion that so many of us have – what freedom. They are not burdened with having to bear the weight of all the losing. But at what cost do the rest of us pay to reap the pleasures of winning? What cost does the wildly rabid, consistently passionate and endlessly dedicated sports fans endure to experience those rare moments of bliss, that are, without question, few and far between. If you’re smart you remain mindful of the fact that this hypothetical moment, when your favorite team wins the championship, might never happen in the first place. That’s why this one really stung; they were one hit away – one hit.

Most people are passionate about something in life. Whether it’s music, the fine arts, politics, water skiing, scuba diving, shopping, literature, animals…you name it. However, having a passion for sports is a totally different beast. This passion brings you to your lowest point. It leaves you feeling empty inside. It makes you want to put a fist through the wall. This passion involves decade upon decade of losing, with no guarantee that winning will follow. And even if it does and you’re one of the lucky ones who eventually experiences a championship – it’s over in a flash! All you’re left with are photos and ticket stubs, autographed pictures of the legends, a leather bound Sports Illustrated magazine, a DVD season-in-review, old championship t-shirts and hats, and an indescribable longing for it all to happen again. And what about everybody out there in Sports Land who never gets to experience these special moments: The Bengal fans, Clipper fans, Bills fans, expansion teams, ect. What kind of awful hobby is this that they indulge in? What joy do these fans get from their teams? At the end of the day, think of the torture you’ve inflicted on yourself, all the games, the hours invested, the meaningless conversations, all the money down the drain, and all that’s left is absolutely nothing. No trophy. No parade. Nothing.

Again I ask…Why do we care?

The answer is simple: The reason we care is because all of the years of losing and the pain that comes along with it would have been completely worth while if Beltran would have hit a homerun in that final at-bat and sent the Mets to the World Series. The Subway Series loss to the Yankees in ’00; the Kazmir trade; Kenny Rogers walking in the series-ending run in ’99; the ‘worst team money could buy’ team in ’92; the season ending collapse in ’98; Strawberry signing with LA – it would have all been worth it. In the meantime, I’ll just add last night to the list and take solace in the thought that hopefully one day, one hit will change everything.