The last day of our “Escape to Mets Camp” was Sunday and unlike all of the other days, we were welcomed by this unfamiliar site.
I googled it and learned it is referred to as “sunshine”. What a neat concept. I like it.
So if day one was about the initial excitement and day two was about perseverance, then day three was about … a few different things:
- Soaking it all in – while Jack was on the autograph hunt, I reminded myself to take it slow, enjoy the experience, carefully observe and realize just how damn unforgettable this was going to be.
- Jealousy – to be so young with your future still out ahead of you. To make a living out of your passion – for the players, coaches and media, etc. To be a 12 year old without a care in the world. Not to mention the joy that is that giant yellow orb in the sky.
- Jealousy turning to determination – for my son, I want to do all I can to allow him to pursue his dreams while keeping him on track but not meddling too much. Easy right? For me, even at 42 years of age, I CAN still follow my passions and enjoy the journey.
With that as the backdrop, here is the story of two dudes; one mature/devastatingly handsome/well seasoned/world wise … and the other his father. Read on as they tour Mets spring training camp in Port St. Lucie, FL on March 1, 2015.
Game on at 9:30 AM after having arrived at 8:00, iced coffee in hand, to watch the players arrive in their ridiculously expensive rides. And maybe a scream or ten for an autograph.
Since Jack and I were now experts on how to navigate the Mets workout, we wandered off on our own while the players stretched and the majority of the fans looked on in awe.
I decided to capture the calm before the storm on the various fields.
We then regrouped in time to catch the end of the stretch and inspirational message from the coaches.
And then they were off to their assigned drills in what appeared to be controlled chaos. One of the cool things here was the high fives given to the kids along the pathways.
While my son wandered to and fro and managed to score some free baseballs from the coaches, I settled in at infield practice. There I witnessed the familiar David Wright field, hop and throw we’ve come accustomed to the past ten years.
But even more interesting was watching the Mets manager, Terry Collins, closely monitoring his two shortstops. One of the biggest concerns this season is the defense provided at SS. You could sense the tension as Terry paced the field like an expectant father.
I then followed him to another field where his dynamic pitchers were practicing fielding drills. He said very little and just observed. That said a lot.
A quick stop to watch Bobby Parnell warm-up. To me, there is something fascinating and almost magical about a pitcher’s wind-up. To see someone throw 90 mph up close is beyond impressive. A true art form.
And then Jack and I made our smartest move of the day. No, it wasn’t putting on sunscreen. We got first in line at the batting cages and just patiently waited for the arrival of the players. One by one they poured in and we had front row access to witness their swings and baseballish banter.
Brandon Nimmo, the nicest and most accessible Met in camp.
Noah Syndergaard in what looks like the perfect baseball pose. I guarantee it is on a future baseball card. And that hair, chin line and beard is kind of awesome. To be in my early 20’s again.
Seriously, is there a better color combo on a baseball uniform?
I had to convince Jack not to steal a protein shake when no one was looking.
David Wright and Michael Cuddyer, friends from way back in the day, are the true leaders of this team and that was obvious throughout the three days we were there. And they are obviously besties.
And then our strategy paid off big time.
Autograph from David Wright.
And Zack Wheeler.
And Noah Syndergaard.
And Wilmer Flores.
After that nice run, there were two players that remained elusive and basically shunned signing for anyone.
That would be Matt Harvey …
… and Jacob de Grom.
I understand they are the two “hottest” signatures to obtain, but if David Wright can take the time out each practice to sign for all, especially the kids, so can they.
Oh well. A challenge for next spring.
By 12:30, after getting some additional autographs and watching David Wright, Curtis Granderson and Juan Lagares tear it up at batting practice, we called it a day.
We hit up Duffy’s for lunch for a third time and chilled out with our haul and our sunburns. Jack was thrilled with how day three turned out and appeared ready to head back home to the NJ.
After lunch ended, we had about two hours to kill before heading to the airport so I suggested we drive back to Tradition Field and take some pictures of the stadium now that it was empty. Lo and behold, we pulled in and some of our fellow diehards were still there. Apparently some of the players were still in the locker room so the stalkers fans could still get one last glimpse.
As expected, Jack jumped out of the car and took up his favorite position by the media gate.
And wouldn’t you know it, he got a few more autographs including #3 on the back of his shirt – Curtis Granderson.
Once it was confirmed by the security guard that the last player left, I finally saw Jack admit to himself it was over and let out a sigh.
Our father/son adventure had come to an end and while we were both exhausted and devastated to see it end, we both knew it exceeded even our lofty expectations. It truly was a time neither of us will ever forget.
Until we do it again next year …
And in 2017 …
Because we know it’s happening.
EPILOGUE
Our flight back to NJ was delayed and we didn’t land in the Trenton airport until 12:20.
We then waited 40 minutes for the staff to de-ice the ramp off of the plane.
Even after that it took 10 minutes just to walk down the ramp.
After an icy walk to the car, I had to remove three inches of ice off of my car and broke the scraper half way through. I chopped the rest with my elbow.
The drive home took an hour and fifteen minutes instead of 35 minutes because of the road conditions.
I almost hit three deer.
We walked into the house at 2:45 AM.
Jack stayed home from school.
I went to work after four hours of sleep.
I still have a stye in my eye.
I hate NJ.
THE END
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