I know I missed Throwback Thursday this week, but 45 years ago on Thursday (October 16, 1969) the METS won the World Series. Back then, youngsters, World Series games were played during the afternoon. I was in 7th Grade science class, 8th period and our Teacher made us shut off our transistor radios. We knew that the METS were down 3-0 before the class started. But there was another teacher that had the period off. And he snuck into the classroom and put an updated score on the blackboard, METS had cut the lead to 3-2 just as the class had started. I remember our teacher yelling at him to stay out. About 20 minutes later, he walked into the room again and changed the score - it was now 3-3! Light hitting SS Al Weiss had hit a HR!!! It was bedlam in the classroom! No one could concentrate and the teacher finally relented and let us listen to the game for the next 10 minutes. When we were finally dismissed, I had a loooong walk home and had to cut through an Elementary school to get to my block, all the way listening to Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner (I think Lindsey Nelson was doing TV with the National Team with Curt Gowdy) on my tiny transistor radio. Crossing the school property, the METS scored a run on a double in the bottom of the 8th to take the lead and I remember hearing a lot of the kids yelling with me - we were all listening to the game separately, but sharing the experience together. I started to sprint home so I could catch the last inning on TV. I ran through the door and sprinted to the TV to change the channel. My mother was yelling at me - What are you doing, why are you running. I was just in time, it was top of the ninth. I ran back across the street to get my friend Bobby Olsen and he came back with to my house. We watched in utter disbelief as Jerry Koosman got the final out - that iconic shot of Cleon Jones catching the final out (from Davy Johnson, no less) and dropping to one knee as all hell broke loose. We grabbed pots and pans and went out into the street like New Years Eve and were banging them like lunatics! It was finally our time. They say you never forget your first... My goodness - 45 years ago. Where has the time gone, my friends?
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 19:37:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015