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Published: October 20th 2006
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Go Cubs
Perhaps Lou will change things around next season.
Notice the team playing the cubs that day? Cardinals!!! 10/20/06 Friday, Baseball and Me
This has got to be very brief. It’s 4:45am Saturday morning and I leave in the next hour or so for my three day road trip to the Waitomo Caves and Mt. Taranaki. I am compelled to write because the Mets, the one sports team that I’ve rooted against longer than any other and will do so till the day I die, went down in defeat to the St. Louis Cardinals. The first professional sporting competition I remember watching was the ’86 World Series, Boston vs. NY Mets.
I vividly remember watching at least three of the games in the series. I was instantly a fan of the Red Sox (and still am today), perhaps because of hearing it repeated over and over how they were a cursed team. The image of the ball sneaking between Buckner’s legs and under his glove is as clear as if it was yesterday, and what followed. “Here comes Knight….. and the Mets WIN” I hated hearing that. It was right around this time that while imitating Pete Rose (in the living room) I took a swing to add to Pete’s hit number and accidentally let go of
the bat and sent it flying through our large fish tank. Within a blink of an eye water was all over and fish went flopping everywhere. I don’t think any fish survived my last allowed swing in the house. My list of favorite baseball teams is longer that the Red Sox and goes back a couple years earlier.
The first baseball team that I like was the Detroit Tigers, but not because they were a good team at that time. It must have been somewhere around 1984 that I saw Tom Selleck wearing a Tigers cap on Magnum PI. I just had to have a Detroit cap! I wonder what ever happened to it?
The next team that I liked was the Oakland A’s (yes, I know that they defeated the Red Sox twice at the ALCS) particularly 1989 and the handful of seasons after (McGuire, Canseco, Eckersley and Henderson). Fall of 1989 was 5th grade and Mr. Estrada (Mr. E) as home room teacher. That autumn he brought a television in and would turn the Oakland day games on for us to watch, he was a huge fan! We spent more time in October watching the playoffs
than we did doing class related work.
Times getting away from me so I must be quick about this.
The next team was the Atlanta Braves of the tomahawk chop days, particularly around the years following their loss to the Blue Jays. That was another series that I have some very vivid images of.
Finally, the Chicago Cubs make my list of teams. Growing up our local cable provider included WGN (Chicago) as one of the stations. I fell in love with Wrigley field and the long cursed Cubs while watching cub’s broadcasts. I’ve watched more Cubs games than any other team (with the exception of the Blazers of old). Go Cubs!
Friday night had some friends over for dinner and then we were off to one of the best haunted houses I’ve ever been to. Kiwis don’t do Halloween but they do know how to do haunted houses. An old insane asylum was converted into a horror house of frights and ghouls. A good time was had by all.
I’ve written to long as it is. I’m off in the “Bubble” rental car, photos to follow.
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David Ebstein
non-member comment
Th:10.16.1969
The Mets won the 'series' for the 1st time. Ask me why I remember that so well [but don't remember 'who' they were playing]