The other day, I had a lovely phone call with Heather Quinlan who is trying to make a movie about the 1986 Mets (please go here to donate to her kickstarter as she has raised 12,000 towards her goal of 50,000 dollars and has to reach the goal to earn the money), the last Mets team to win the World Series.
The phone call was an interesting one mainly because I was not lucky enough to have been alive when the Mets beat the Red Sox to win their second title in franchise history. I was not able to give Heather an account of what it was like or how it felt as it happened.
I would be born 15 months after that happened and have only seen the Mets win four playoff series and one NL Title since. As the days go by (Over 10,000 now) since that great moment in October of 1986, I ask myself the same question from time to time and asked Heather this as well…
When will I get to finally see the Mets win a World Series?
Don’t get me wrong, I have told many people that were around to watch that team roll to a championship that I’m proud the team I root for once did what they did 28 years ago.
But, considering I don’t have that moment for myself, I get a bit jealous of the fact that others at least have that in their memory banks and all I have is the stories they tell and the highlights of that great season.
It took the Mets only seven years to go from World Champions to laughing stocks as the 1993 Mets really brought down the franchise to depths not seen since the early 1960’s. It would take 14 years of the team to get back to the World Series in 2000, still their only appearance in the fall classic since 1986.
The 1986 Mets should have been apart of a greater dynasty and yet were not. Sure the rules of baseball today would have gotten the Mets into the playoffs more often back then, but there is nothing we can do about it now.
This is really about sour grapes that the Mets fans that are 30 years old and younger can only cling to teams that did not reach the mountain top.
I love the 1999, 2000 and 2006 Mets for bringing me the joy of playoff baseball and a trip to the World Series in 2000. I talk about where I was when Pratt hit the walk off homer, Ventura’s grand slam single, Agbayani’s walk off homer, Timo Perez catching the final out in the NLCS and the double out at the plate by Paul LoDuca.
Those are memories, and others as well, that I cherish each and everyday. Especially even more as the current Mets have been mired in a playoff-less drought that seems will go on forever. (Not really but it feels that way sometimes)
The point is that this movie is one that I will watch, I will love and I will tell people they should see because anything related to the Mets and winning should be cherished.
This movie will show us that once upon a time this franchise was the best in baseball and give us hope that one day they can return to that perch.
Until that day comes, I will be wondering…
When will I get to finally see the Mets win it all?
