The Joys of Summer

Jason and I took advantage of our self-employed status to enjoy an ad hoc self-employed businessman’s special at Citi Field Thursday afternoon. Our respective gaggles of gigs may not guarantee the most secure of financial existences, but when you can get up and go to a weekday afternoon game, I’d have to say there are advantages to a State of Independence.

Heaven Knows I’ve been to a lot of games over the years, whenever they’ve been scheduled. Thursday’s was my 500th regular-season home game — 402 at Shea, 98 at Citi. It’s a symptom, I suppose of my Unconditional Love for the Mets, even though you never know how these things are going to turn out. You walk into the ballpark and you ask yourself Could It Be Magic today? Or will the game frustrate you to the point of wanting to cry? You take this stuff too seriously and you’re ready to declare No More Tears (Enough Is Enough). We do get emotional; let’s face it, when you’re a Mets fan, Love Is In Control.

Turned out to be a very good day to attend my 500th regular-season home game…although I have to admit I did get up for a bit to find something to eat and wound up being quite The Wanderer for an inning and change.  Don’t worry, though: I was back in my Mo’s Zone seat for the best part of the game.

As you probably know if you were with us at Citi Field, watched it on SNY or caught it On The Radio, it was a very good game. The Mets beat the Reds, 9-4, despite falling behind, 4-0. Many Mets contributed to the comeback, but the key blow was struck by David Wright, whose world-leading batting average of .411 certainly qualifies as Hot Stuff. (Imagine what he’d do with consistent Protection in the lineup.) David’s go-ahead double in the eighth scored Rob Johnson, who started the big rally by bunting, which was wonderfully shocking. I see a backup catcher demonstrate that kind of cunning — and enough speed to come around on Wright’s double — well, I gotta tell ya…I Feel Love.

Johnson’s run made it 5-4. An RBI single from Justin Turner increased the Mets’ lead to 6-4. And when Ronny Cedeño surprised everybody with a three-run homer to left, you could Dim All The Lights on the Reds’ chances. Even the shakiness of Frank Francisco couldn’t prevent the top of the ninth from being the Last Dance for Cincinnati.

The Mets had nice stretches the last two years yet they ended up fading. But This Time I Know It’s For Real. I’d like to think so, at any rate. After a brilliantly warm day in the sun, sometimes you simply want to enjoy the things that have made you happy across your life, whether it’s the opportunity to spend an afternoon taking in your 500th regular-season home Mets game or just sitting back and letting the music play.

Technically, it was a spring day. But it sure felt like the best of Summer.