Requiem For An Amazin' Season

There I was, a 65-year-old attorney at law, respected member of my community, and father of two adult children, wearing Met socks I refused to wash because I had worn them the game before when the Mets had won. The Met Hawaiian shirt that worked so well when we defeated the Phillies in the NLDS had lost its magic in the NLCS, so I switched to a Lindor shirt, and then, in desperation, to a black Met jersey. Alas, in the end, my sartorial choices couldn't overcome the lack of reliable bullpen arms or the dearth of clutch hitting. 

The Mets needed to win just two more games to reach the World Series when their season ended. But this was unlike other years where we came up painfully short of a championship, seasons which mostly left a bitter taste. See, e.g, 1988 (the end of a dynasty that never was); 1999 (losing to the Braves with Kenny Rogers walking in the winning run); 2000 (a rageful, steroid-fueled Roger Clemens throwing a broken bat remnant at Mike Piazza); 2006 (Carlos Beltran's strikeout with the bases loaded); 2015 (Matt Harvey pitching just a little too long and Lucas Duda throwing just a little too wild); and 2022 (a dispiriting team-wide end-of-the-season fade).  

This year was in many ways sui generis, but for me the most analogous Met season is 1973. That was the year of "Ya Gotta Believe," with beloved players from the 1969 squad and widely popular additions sprinkled in such as Rusty Staub, John "The Hammer" Milner, and Felix Millan and, of course, a last hurrah from Willie Mays. That team, like this one had low expectations. Indeed, they were in last place with a month left in the season and barely won more games than they lost. But they came within one poor managerial decision (i.e., pitching Tom Seaver on short rest in Game #6 -- no, I'm still not over it) from winning the World Series against the Mighty A's. For me, the two championship years (1969 and 1986) and 1973 are my three favorite Met seasons.

I can now add a fourth. This season was as fun as any I can remember. It was a rollercoaster to be sure, with a horrible start and some really disheartening play until late June, when the Mets began to play inspired ball that lasted for the duration of the season -- and beyond. 

The 2024 Mets played with unbridled joy that resonated from the dugout through Citi Field and reached fans like me watching nearly every game from across the country. It has become a cliché to refer to team chemistry but this team had it -- the love and trust among the players was palpable. There was the silliness of the rally pimp and the Grimace and OMG. But there was also the remarkably steady leadership of their new manager, and some compelling story lines, from the incredible out-of-nowhere brilliance of Jose Iglesias to the budding stardom of Mark Vientos to the unexpected pitching from reclamation projects, Sean Manaea and Luis Severino. And then there was Francisco Lindor, who emerged as a true superstar with a season as good as any Met position player ever had (with all due respect to David Wright and Carlos Beltran).  

And that wasn't all. Lindor's homer to beat the Braves on the last day of the season, Pete Alonso's 9th inning homer to beat the Brewer's in the first round of the playoffs, and Lindor's grand slam to crush the Phillies in the next round will be cherished by Met fans forever. In the end, they ran out of gas and out of magic. They simply didn't have the depth of talent as did the Dodgers, their opponent in the NLCS, who won the series in 6 games and will now face the other powerhouse from the Bronx. 

But that's OK. Really. This was a season for the ages, an incredibly fun, exciting journey with so many magical moments that is only slightly marred by the final result. And it doesn't really feel like an ending. Although some of the key players that comprised this special group won't be with the team next year, it feels like the beginning of a new Met narrative. Perhaps we are no longer lovable losers but, dare I say, lovable winners? 

OMG, there are only about 100 days until spring training 2025.