Comments on: Where It Began, You Can Begin to Knowin'

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:16:11 +0000

If the 2009 Nationals take over the tag of being the worst club in baseball history Manny Acta's bunch would only be remembered as an awfully bad ballclub that was boring and played in front of small and non-enthusiastic crowds.
But even worse would be an important moment in the annals of both baseball and social history slipping into obscurity. If there are indeed baseball camelots, then at least one of them was when rooting for a team that lost three of every four games (in probably the most funniest of ways ever seen) and played in an old and crumbling home became a passion.
No loss was unforgivable and no player was chastized for ineptness. A win was savoured like a fine wine. Even with the losses, if a player homered or made a good play, then all went well that day. Winning was really only secondary. As Jimmy Breslin so elegantly explained, the 1962 Mets in the Polo Grounds reflected the everyday man, the hard working blue collar perpetual loser who struggled and almost always wound up short. Cynics might think the stories have become exagerated over time yet everything happened exactly as we remember it.
It might seem unbelievable today but that ineptness also helped to teach us youngsters valuable lessons in the meaning of compassion and forgiveness. If that legacy is forgotten due to the Washington Nationals it will be a shame for what the 1962 Mets were goes beyond that of being just a baseball team.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:16:24 +0000

The Washington Nationals can win their next three games with my blessing, but I wouldn't mind ceding the 40-120 “crown” to them (or 40-122 should they avoid rainouts). I felt the same way in '03 when the Tigers seemed en route to outdoing the '62 Mets but saved themselves. The 1962 Mets will always be the 1962 Mets no matter how many losses somebody else compiles.
But I do see your point.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:41:39 +0000

Hi Greg,
One of the few advantages of being an early baby boomer like Peter was being there from the beginning and, at the same time, being young enough to make true heros out of Marvelous Marv, Choo-Choo, Hot Rod and the others in a time innocent enough that a generation like the “new breed” could be born. I doubt something like that could ever occur again.
Those sitting in the upper deck behind home plate in the Polo Grounds got a perfect view of the old Yankee Stadium judding out behind the bleachers, sandwiched between the center field scoreboard and the stands in right. It had to be in that small section of seats for the stadium would be blocked sitting in the lower deck or a little bit toward third or first.
Can still hear Bob Murphy saying after a long road trip how great it was to be home. It's just too bad we can never go home anymore.
I'm also sure that every new breeder hopes the Washington Nationals win enough games so not to take away the distinction of our 1962 Mets being the worst team in baseball. They deserve to hold onto that distinction with pride, honor and the gratitude of all of us for the joy we got.