A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
New York National League Baseball

At Shea yesterday, the fans - at least those in the upper deck - were yelling at and sometimes throwing things at those wearing Dodgers jerseys.

Near my section, they weren't quite sure how to react to a fellow, probably in his 60's, wearing a Mets cap and a Brooklyn Dodgers jersey. Common sense prevailed and they left him alone after a couple of very brief and relatively mild insults.

With the exception of 1958-1961, New York has had a National League team since 1892, when the NL absorbed teams from the American Association, which was founded in the 1870's. The New York Gothams - soon to become the New York Giants, were joined by the Dodgers in Brooklyn (initially called, of all names, the Bridegrooms).

It is fitting that the Giants last World Series victory was in 1954; they have never won it in San Francisco.

Almost instinctively, I've always considered myself a fan of the Mets and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Sure, the Dodgers moved long before I was born, but having lived my first 24 years in Brooklyn, they're still part of my history, just like the '69 Mets, the '68 Jets and (l'havdil) the Six Day War.

A few months ago, when Elster confused the Polo Grounds with Ebbets Field, I was horrified.

I don't know whether Walter O'Malley was simply evil, or if Mayor Robert Wagner was arrogant. Likely a little of both. But regardless of who was to blame for the loss of the Dodgers, Brooklyn has only recently been recovering.

After nearly 70 years, the Dodgers won their first (and only in Brooklyn) World Series in 1955, defeating the Yankees in Game 7. The pain of all the World Series losses to the Yanks, and of the 1951 debacle against the Giants, was finally alleviated.

And then two years later they were gone. It would be like the Rangers leaving in '96, or the Red Sox moving to the West Coast this year.

Or the Jets finally winning a second Super Bowl - 30 years from now - and going to LA.

Other good sports cities have suffered the pain of teams leaving, like Baltimore, Oakland and Cleveland in the NFL. But all three of those cities got NFL teams back within a few years.

The Dodgers, in contrast, were gone forever, but yet they still have sort of played on 3000 miles away.

Being an avid sports fan might be very silly in some ways, but it's a shared link between fathers and sons, a connection that was severed when the Dodgers and Giants left the city.

I think that's why playoff baseball at Shea is so special. Unlike Yankee fans, who by now are spoiled and used to making the playoffs every season (after their long dry spell prior to '95), New York fans of National League baseball know to appreciate the good times.

NL baseball in New York (and AFC football too, of course) is a lot like life itself. There are tough times, sometimes lasting for what seems to be an eternity. And those tough times make one especially appreciate the good moments.

When the Mets open their new stadium, it will be much more difficult to get tickets to a playoff game, since there will be more than 10,000 fewer seats. More importantly, that new stadium will lack the memories of October baseball at Shea. The '69 playoffs, the three consecutive World Series home victories, the scuffle between Pete Rose and Bud Harrelson in Game 3 of the '73 NLCS, Tom Seaver's masterpiece to win the series two days later, Lenny Dykstra's homer in Game 3 of the '86 NLCS and Gary Carter's winning hit in Game 5, the pain of Games 1 and 2 of the '86 Series and the euphoria of Games 6 and 7, Todd Pratt's homer to win the NLDS in '99, the incredible NLCS Game 5 against the Braves the following week, Benny Agbayani's homer against the Giants in '00, the way the stadium shook when Todd Zeile hit a three run double in the pennant clincher vs. the Cardinals in 2000.

I hope not, of course, but it's possible that the last playoff game ever played at Shea will be tonight.

One day, whatever the new stadium is called, we can hope that it will produce unforgettable memories like the ones that have been provided from one generation to the next at the Polo Grounds, Ebbets Field, and Shea Stadium.
posted on 10/05/2006