The Day The Music - And The Franchise- Died...By David Rubin

It was the worst of times for Mets fans...we didn't believe it would happen, even though there had been rumors of a trade for Don Sutton, among others...and that it came as a result of the "reporting" by a drunken sportswriter (Dick - aptly named - Young), whose only motive was getting his son-in-law a job with the Mets by shilling for (NY's Most Hated) Chairman, M. Donald Grant. I was all of 13 years young and my heart had been broken not long before, when my beloved Nets sold Julius Erving to the 76ers...but this was THE FRANCHISE!!!!!! The Mets had NEVER had a home-grown player like him, and truly haven't since...and, depending upon your argument, he lies somewhere between the greatest pitcher of all time and anywhere you choose  within the top 5, but for some perspective, the Yankees were around, in some form or another, over 60 years longer then the Mets, and have more Hall of Famers then any other organization, yet they have never had a pitcher even close to Seaver's ilk...

Injuries heal, but sadly, this one has merely scabbed over, the wound still deep and perpetual...it opens up every time on this day, once a year, and this year, it runs a bit deeper. It's both the year that we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the '69 World Series AND the year that we found out that Tom Terrific, sadly, is in the throes of Dementia as a result of years of suffering from Lyme Disease. 

I dread this day every year, and when I get to CitiField later this month, in tribute to number 41, I'll be wearing his number three days in a row, on jerseys and t-shirts, and I'll choose to remember his amazin' moments...but this day certainly won't be one of them...and I'll be glad, once more, that it will be over.

Now back to our regularly scheduled Mack's Mets posts & I PRAY we take the next 2 from the Cards or we might be singing "Bye, Bye, Mickey" on Monday...