This year held many emotions for me ranging from good to bad to ugly. So with 2008 leaving us tonight, I just wanted to take a quick look back at the year that was.January
Welcome to New York Johan Santana! In what was by far the biggest off-season move for the Mets, the two-time Cy Young Award winner graced us with his presence in Queens and made Yankee fans everywhere cry.
February
The slow season, but the Giants winning the Super Bowl was a great distraction. Check out the Mets Heads coverage of the parade, etc.
April
We took off March here, but came back in April in time for the final Opening Day at Shea Stadium:
"I have been to the last couple opening days, and this one was a bit different from the rest. It wasn't the last game at Shea, but being there for its final season sparked many memories such as my first game with my dad, and spending many a Sunday in the mezzanine."
I also went to Wrigley to see the Mets play the Cubs...and came back the same day.
May
Mets at the Movies sucked, and was much better the first time around.
June
Willie was rightfully fired, and the Gangsta era kicked off. I tried to warn the Mets to get out of their own way, but apparently it wasn't enough.
July
Ah, the dog days of summer. Chase Utley showed he had no class at the All-Star Lame. I also caught the second to last play at Shea by Billy Joel which was really great from the little I can remember.
August
Blogger Day at Shea was awesome, and I was in a suite there for the first and last time.
SeptemberMy postseason tickets came, or as I have come to call them, the annual jinx, and I was banished to the far reaches of the upper deck despite buying them within minutes of them becoming available. I attended what was to be the last game ever played at Shea Stadium and never got to use those tickets after all. Here are my final thoughts on that mess. The month was highlighted by the Mets bringing on new third base coach Razor Shines.
October-November
Hibernation
DecemberAny lead after the seventh inning is now safe thanks to K-Rod and J.J. Putz. Every time I hear Thunderstruck by AC/DC I get excited for 2009. However, we did bid adieu to the loveable Venezualan rockstar, Endy Chavez. Interviewing the original Mr. Met, Dan Reilly was a step back into the past and I also received my Tom Seaver signed seat back as well.
Overall, this year held a season of discontent for me. I felt more upset at how the team played than I did satisfied with their wins. It never felt like they were playing to the level that I thought they could have been in 2008. The injury to Billy Wagner started the bullpen debacle that made the Keystone Cops look like a bunch of consummate professionals, and the Mets weren't able to recover. Omar has been making the moves that are necessary to help the team in 2009, and he isn't done yet as Derek Lowe was just offered a contract yesterday.
As soon as this season was over I turned the page because I never was of the mind that this season was "meant to be." You might think that is losing faith, but that's not true. I just held the team to a higher standard than the one they performed to. The 2007 season took me about 3 months to get over, if I even have. I am looking completely forward now, and am excited for next season, even if Citi Field will undoubtedly extract mucho dinero from my pocket.
Happy New Year everyone!
