Its Time - Play Ball

By John R Rahilly

It’s time to play ball and meaningful games in April for the New York Mets.  In the fall whenever my beloved Metropolitans are eliminated, I always recall my favorite quote from one of my favorite men, Bart Giamatti (may god bless his soul this Easter season).  He said, “It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone."  This offseason we were not left alone, we were reminded how twisted and greedy one man’s actions have impacted an entire nation – Mets Nation.

At the onset of the offseason some sense of hope existed for Mets fans, starting with the news of the cancellation of the off Broadway production of, “Jeff, Jerry and Omar, The Professional Baseball Operation – A Parody”. Then all of the ponzi madness ensued and we had the offseason that kept on giving.   

Then we had the drama with Ronnie Paulino trying to get into the country this spring.  Is it me or am I right when I say it would have been easier for Osama Bin Laden to get to Port St. Lucie this spring?  Then we had the sad, but ongoing drama with Carlos and his knees.  Then of course we had the auto accidents with Willie Harris and Ike “blinky” Davis – I know money is tight but maybe the Mets need to invest in defensive driving school?  Last but not least, the potential new whipping boy for Mets Nation, Jason Bay is hurt again.  With that, we are here and it’s time to play ball, and I leave you with this one last rhyme about Mets Nation.

It was the night before opening day in Mets Nation, not a disaster was looming, not even a ponzi scheme (or even a wager was being placed by a trainer on a Mets game – or a family member being assaulted in the family room) at CitiField.  The gloves, uniforms and equipment have all been placed in the lockers and dugouts with care, with the hope that Alfonse D’Amato will soon be there, to render an innocent verdict showing that Freddie and Saul will soon be cleared.

Here is to the hope that we play some meaningful games in September for all to enjoy and say “Let’s Go Mets”, and play ball.