Pitchers & Catchers won’t be reporting to Port St. Lucie for more than a month, but you can look forward to reporting to McFadden’s Citi Field on Saturday, January 18, for the first annual Queens Baseball Convention [1]. When you do, you’ll be joined by a pitcher, a first baseman, your favorite pair of bloggers, their esteemed colleagues and a whole lot of Mets fans like yourself.
So bring your offspring, bring your spouse, c’mon down to QBC and get yourself out of the house.
As outlined in this space [2] previously, QBC is the wintertime fanfest-style event you’ve been waiting for all your Met life, and now it’s about to exist. Conceived by those who love the Mets for those who love the Mets, it shapes up as a full and memorable day of baseball activities [3], which is saying something when the calendar remains stubbornly ensconced in January.
Come to QBC, you’ll meet Ron Darling [4]. You’ll meet Ed Kranepool [5]. You’ll meet Gil Hodges, Jr. [6], I’m pleased to report. You’ll meet Mr. Met [7] and Sandy the Seagull [8] (and actual non-mascot representatives of the Metropolitan Baseball Club of New York). You’ll hear from some stone-cold authorities on Mets uniforms and Mets pop culture and Mets fantastic finishes. You’ll encounter Mets trivia (with a chance to win prizes) and, speaking of trivial, Jason and I will be taking part in various panels and presentations. There’ll be fun and games for the kids, fun and games for the adults, baseball filling your eyes and coming out of your ears. Consider it total seamhead sensory immersion.
If that doesn’t sound like the best January day for a Mets fan since the Mets signed Carlos Beltran in 2005, I don’t know what does. Carlos required $119 million over seven years to come to Flushing. For you, fellow Mets fan, QBC tickets [9] are a mere $35, which includes access to all sessions and autographs (Darling’s, Kranepool’s and those of anybody else who can grip a pen…which, full disclosure, might be a dealbreaker for Mr. Met’s signature). Children 12 and under get in for just 10 bucks. There’s also a pretty sweet 7 Line-designed t-shirt + ticket deal [10] on queensbaseballconvention.com [1].
Order your QBC tickets now [9], pull your jersey of choice out of storage next and then start stretching and long-tossing so you’re ready. No matter what position you play, I’m sure you’ll agree baseball activities can’t resume soon enough.