50 years. 8,020 games. Tons of near-misses and one-hitters and bloop singles. It took generations of frustration, seasons of suffocation … so many palpitations. But here we are tonight — this oh so glorious night — and the New York Mets — driven by Johan Santana’s sharpness and conviction — have finally done it. No hits on the scorecard for the opposing St. Louis Cardinals. No hits from Carlos Beltran or Yadier Molina or Matt Holliday.
Nothing.
Zilch.
Nada.
There was Carlos Beltran’s double that wasn’t. Too bad. Besides, how many calls have gone the other way for us over the years?
There was Mike Baxter’s amazing catch in left field. This time, the Cardinals wouldn’t come back to break our hearts, you know, like they did in 2006.
And then there was Johan Santana striking out David Frese to end the game and seal the deal and send me into the stratosphere.
50 years.
8,020 games.
134 pitches.
8 strikeouts.
No matter what happens from here, they can’t take this away from us, from our fathers and our grandfathers, from our children and our children’s children.
After all, you don’t become a Mets fan.
You are born one, for better or for worse.
Tonight, it’s for the best……….
THANK YOU Johan.
–CB
