“You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat”
“Losing after great striving is the story of Man”
Roger Kahn (The Boys of Summer)
Roger Kahn, working for the New York Herald Tribune, was the beat writer for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950s. He covered them during the Dodgers glory days of Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider and Gil Hodges. He witnessed and wrote about incredible pennant races, worlds series, personalities larger than life, and so much heartbreak for players and fans.
Kahn’s book, The Boys of Summer, inspired me to write this article. I highly recommend reading this book during this winter’s respite from baseball games.
In both 1950 and 1951, the Dodgers lost the pennant in the final inning of the final game of the season. This sounds eerily similar to the plight of the New York Mets in 2007 and 2008. History does repeat itself.
In 1950, the Phillies were coasting to the NL pennant They had a seven game lead over the Dodgers with eleven games left to play. But the Phillies lost eight of their last ten entering the last game of the season. As the two teams squared off against each other on the final day of the season at Shibe Park, the Phillies lead was down to one game. With the score tied in the 9th inning, the Dodgers Cal Abrams led off with a double. After a walk, Duke Snider singled up the middle. With no out, the 3rd base coach (who was fired after the season), waved Abrams home, and was easily thrown out. The Dodgers failed to score. In the bottom of the 10th, Dick Sisler hit a 3 run HR off of Don Newcombe. The Dodgers and their fans had their hearts broken.
We are much more familiar with the heartbreak of 1951. The Dodgers led the Giants by 13 games. The Giants caught them and forced a playoff series (best 2 out of 3). The Giants won game one in Brooklyn but the Dodgers responded with a win at the Polo Grounds. The turning point of game two was when a fellow by the name of Bobby Thompson struck out with the bases loaded. In game three, it happened so quickly. A 4-1 Dodgers lead in the 9th. Two singles and a double. Ralph Branca was brought in. The rest is history.
Players have hot streaks and slumps, bloops for hits and wicked line drives for outs. No one remembers that Don Mueller had a seeing eye single past Gil Hodges in the 9th inning of game three or that Bobby Thompson’s home run barely traveled 300 feet. One day Thompson strikes out and the next day he is the hero.
As Kahn said “choker and hero are two masks for the same plain face”. Did the Dodgers choke? Did they lack courage or character? Or were they just unlucky? What is choking anyway. As Pee Wee Reese said ” when you chew gum and saliva don’t come you’re choking”. To me it sounds like everyone’s mouth gets dry when the pressure is on. Puking before a game doesn’t imply choking.
The Dodgers remained defiant. They did not choke. Choking doesn’t exist. It is imagined by the fans and media. Pressure affects everyone.
Personally, and in this context, I despise the word “choke”. It has no place in the dictionary of sports. It is a sleazy and short-sighted way of not examining the true reasons behind failing. Have you ever heard anyone claim that Gil Hodges or Duke Snider choked? Yet numerous times they didn’t come through in the clutch during the Worlds Series.
I think that Brooklyn Dodgers history teaches us why we love the Mets so much. It is psychological, but by no means a personality flaw or an indication of mental illness. It is a sign of character and a testimonial to the quality of our existence that we can identify, sympathize, and commiserate with our beloved Mets. Our cause is noble – we fall in love with the loser. It is a justified essential trait that makes us better human beings. Yankee fans, unfortunately for them are lacking this trait, and will never understand the wisdom of this argument.
The Jackie Robinson Rotunda. The Ebbets Field resemblance. The quirky right field. Maybe the Wilpons have accurately defined our history by making CitiField a memorial to honor the Brooklyn Dodgers. They were the Mets predecessors and when they left for L.A., like it or not, we inherited their history and legacy. The Mets were born and created in their image. That is something to be proud of, and not forgotten.
Imagine if the Dodgers had moved to Queens. We would all be New York Dodgers fans. And what a proud history we would have. We would have a dozen retired numbers. The legacy of Robinson, Snider, Hodges, Campanella, Furillo, Reese, Newcombe and Branca would be genuinely ours to honor.
Many of us were Mets fans from the beginning. Forty five years of the Mets memories at Shea Stadium are significant too. They are just very different. Let’s not measure them in wins and losses. Truly, nothing beats rooting for the New York Mets. I feel lucky and proud to be a fan.
Amen, Brother!
Boys of Summer–easily one of the finest bb books ever written.
To lose frequently doesn’t make us losers. That we return every season bound and determined to do better and win it all is what it’s all about.
The good folk know too that in this life we’re probably going to lose a whole lot more than we’re gonna win.
I am loud, I am proud: Let’s Go Mets!
Choke DOES exist. People DO fold under pressure and if you’re afraid to admit that or you try to rationalize your way around it than you probably choke under pressure yourself.
I’ve played sports, I’ve coached sports, and I’ve managed teams in sports.
People DO fold under pressure. People DO fold when the spotlight is on them. The person that blinks first does lose
And if that’s you’re reputation, it’s real. By the same token, if you have a reputation as winner, as a clutch performer, as a go-to guy, that is VERY REAL too.
That’s competition.
…and I’m going to take it one step further.
There are athletes who don’t stand out, who are not that good as performers on a day to day basis, who don’t look good at tryouts.
But, for whatever reason, they just happen to always come up big in the right spots. And it happens in kids as well as professional athletes.
Bayonne, They always said a-rod couldn’t do good under pressure and look at the postseason he had. I agree with you that some people fold under pressure. Just because a player has done bad in postseason it doesn’t always mean it was because they can’t play in the in the post season or can’t get th big hit the team needs. I could just be a slump.
Even though you never say his name I know you are talking about David Wright. I agree he could have done more in 06 07 and 08. But I wouldn’t blame him for the teams failures because he had great years. and if you look at it closley it was the pitching that hurt us not the hitting.
Wrong,
I was not even thinking about David Wright when I wrote that. I was referring to my OWN experiences coaching in youth baseball and all the years that i’ve been watching professional sports.
Your completely twisting the story around.
And THEY were right about Alex Rodriguez. Everybody knows it, it wasn’t a secret. And he did turn it around this year. Well it continue? Maybe, maybe not but he was one of the all time most famous chokers before this post season
Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed you said that. anyway you can’t say for sure that a-rod was doing bad because of the pressure he could have just been in slumps. Or maybe he tires at the end of season? Remember he played alot less games this season than in years past.
chich, right on! 2006? getting to the nlcs was a near miraculous accomplishment after losing 2 key sp, neither pedro nor duque made 1 pitch in those playoffs leaving glavine & trachsel as our stalwarts in the rotation from the get go. under those circumstances, one should consider getting so close with so little someone had to have exceeded expectations. to consider the ’06 postseason a failure is reduiculous sans 40% of our rotation & 50% of our setup tandem(sanchez). if pitching is the key to success in postseason how can battling with such a crppled crew & almost succeeding be considered a failure? no pitching, no glory! taking everything into consideration pedro must be considered the worst signing of omar’s nym career, as he was gone in the most needful times. i know that’s heresy to many; but it’s certainly true! not one critical end of season pitch successfully completed by pedro through ’06-’08. what’s worse than that? i loved having him too; but i’m self deluded on that matter in my heart; but not my head!
Great article. Thanks.
A minor correction. The Giants had both a Bobby Thomson and a Hank Thompson. Bobby Thomson was the player who hit the less than 300 feet home run. To a Dodger fan like me, it was just a shallow pop fly that made history because of the weird shape and overhanging deck of the Polo Grounds.
Outfielder Bobby Thomson was Number 23. Infielder Hank Thompson was Number 16. He was one of the Giants first black players. Both of them played a lot of different positions, but Bobby was primarily a center fielder, while Hank was primarily a third baseman.
Des,
I suppose the more we learn about the “shot heard ’round the world” the more tainted it’s become. I mean, isn’t the latest scandal involving that fateful game the fact that Thomson knew exactly what pitch he was getting, that the Giants were cheating essentially?
Russell — Probably to most Dodger fans of my generation the events of that day in the Polo Grounds have seared our minds. They likely still revisit all of us from time to time. Today Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca are apparently good friends, due in large part by Ralph’s congenial, forgiving personality. I don’t know if Thomson has ever confessed but if he knew Branca’s pitches ahead of time, it was cheating, pure and simple.
Some writers now call Thomson’s hit a line drive. To me, that’s making a mountain out of a molehill. I remember it as a shallow, lazy fly ball which grazed the overhang in left field.
While its an excellent book lets not compare those teams to these Mets teams. Those Brooklyn teams had 2 KEY elements these Mets are lacking. Talent and Heart.
And sorry I don’t share you’re enthusiasm for a new Mets stadium honoring the Dodgers more then the Mets.
P.S The Jason Bay offer was just another propaganda move by the Wilpons. It’s just so ownership can say “Hey we tried to get Bay” because after Bay rejected the Redsox offer theres no way he would except basically the same offer from the Mets. Oh and I love that the Mets have developed “Special statistics” to determine Bay is a better hitter than Holliday! Ahh my NYU Mets, always on the cutting edge.
Actually to think of it, those Dodger teams and the Mets teams of the last few years have absolutley NOTHING in common other than they both played in the NL, and in NY.
and I say bull to that……….I think that its todays automatic standard terms thrown out when their team fails, No heart and No talent………..sorry, I did NOT witness the same…….
Des Thanks for reminiscing with me although I wasn’t born yet. It’s part of American history. I’m just curious about your opinions as you’ve obviously seen a lot of baseball over your lifetime.
Did Branca “choke”? Or we he just unlucky.
When Piazza made the last out in 2000, did he choke?
If his blast had gone out, would Mariano have been called a choker?
Awful examples.
Here’s the short answer,
NO.
Why? Because every situation is different. Clutch guys do make outs in big situations too. Nobody is a robot.
I think what’s more amazing is you can’t see that for yourself.
How are they awful examples? The thing is Bayonne I do see that clutch guys make outs. If they didn’t everyone would bat 1000. people like you don’t get that there other reasons why players make outs other than pressure. Here are a few of them Facing a great pitcher, great defnsive plays, hitting a line drive right at a fielder, fatigue, and a slump. You can’t just say they fold under pressure there are other reason why a player can do bad in a perssure situation. It is also infair to label a player not clutch because of past games.
What do you do? Label a player unclutch because of future games?
Obviously you DO NOT know what you’re talking about, have no desire to learn and don’t waste my time please.
Everything is already explained.
Stop following me around. You don’t get the point.It is getting boring proving you wrong all the time. You’re lost.
I only enjoy debate with people who “get it”.
Bayonne, you put to much stock in on clutch or unclutch. It is a simple way of looking at it. It’s more complicated than that there are alot of variables as I explained before. I don’t think YOU get it. How are you proving me wrong anyway? what have you said that has proved me wrong? I would like to hear it.
You only enjoy debating people who agree with you, and anybody who doesn’t you claim is an idiot or is wasting your time. You haven’t proved anybody on this entire website wrong ever, you have only stated your opinions in a way that makes you look like a total a**hole. I don’t know if your managerial experience in the Babe Ruth leagues has showed you this, but there is a clear difference between being an a**hole, and being correct.
“You only enjoy debating people who agree with you”
How do you debate somebody who agrees with you??
They ask for it people…I’m tellin ya, you can’t make this stuff up.
I think he meant you only like talking to people when the agree with you. And that you think anyone who doesn’t agree with you is an idiot. Jim B is right.
I sitll want to hear where you proved me wrong. I have looked back and couldn’t find it. Maybe you can explain how you proved me worng instead of saying that I don’t just get it.
Bayonne, it shows your lack of common sense and ability to read a sentence to understand it’s meaning. Let me explain this to you in a way someone as simple minded as yourself can understand. You enjoy debating with people who agree with you = you enjoy only talking to people you agree with, and you believe that is a debate. You always seem to rip on people for there “dumb opinions” or claiming that they are wasting your time. It not only shows your innate ability to make yourself look like a d-bag, but also reveals that you probably have such a low opinion of yourself that you have to always put down anybody else who contributes an opposing view. If you have such a great baseball mind, can view talent from the tv in your basement, and can contribute such great baseball knowledge why are you still debating people on a website?
Bayonne,
You are one argumentative chap, aren’t you!
Whatever turns you on, babe.
When you get a chance, would you please give us the bona fides on “choking.” You ain’t done too good of a job so far, even given your coaching credentials.
amen brother
Hell no, Branca did not choke. Thomson’s sacrifice fly ball a couple of innings earlier off of Don Newcombe that scored Monte Irvin was undoubtedly hit further and harder than his home run off of Branca.
Just as Mets fans have noticed the sometimes cruel fate of the Gods at CitiField when balls that are crushed become long outs and a few cheapie homers are hit to right field, so too it was at the Polo Grounds. It was a weirdly shaped facility, designed like a bathtub.
Maybe the only place worse for baseball that I’m aware of was the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum where the Dodgers played in during their first few years on the west coast. Its left field line wasn’t much more than the width of a football field and surrounding track area. It was just 251 feet from home plate. So when Don Drysdale or Sandy Koufax gave up a homer at the Coliseum, did they choke? I don’t think so.
What the Mets did in 2007 was choke. In fact it should be the definition of the word.
@ Danny krieger
Great article, I come from a family history of brooklyn dodger fans who turned into Met fans in 1962 and there is a very clear link between the two. It is almost like the LA Dodgers are a totally different organization entirely from the Brooklyn Dodgers, Dem Bums continue with the Mets, and unfortunately it seems the Mets inherited the bad luck as well.
The difference between the Dodgers and Mets however is that when Dodger fans said “Wait till Next year” they actually meant it and were close to or in the world series, the Mets…..lets just say they don’t come close sadly.
I too come from a family of Dodger fans who turned into Mets fans. There is a linkage in the history and the traditions. Your are correct that Brooklyn Dodgers fans lived with the slogan “Wait till Next Year!”. They lived in a rivalry with the Giants and Yanks in a period of Golden Years in baseball. Dodger fans lived with that slogan over their entire history as a franchise only finally reaching success in 1955 and only to leave forever in 1957. The Mets had a similar kharma in their early years when the fans reveled in the team trying even as they inevitably failed. But 1969 changed everything. The Mets hit success early on in their history as a franchise. Ever since winning is demanded and “Wait till Next Year!” has been replaced with “Win Now!” Mets fans now demand success every year and see 1969 as our introduction into the the Bigs and 1986 as a very long time ago. There is no patience with trying. We demand to be the best. Let’s Go Mets!
maskman-
I have plenty of patience. In fact I would love nothing more than for the organization to look itself in the mirror and say “you know what, we can’t compete for a championship these next few years, lets start rebuilding this thing for the 2011/12 season and beyond.” Much like the 5 year plan Cashen put in place when he took over the Mets in the early 80′s. But instead I get this bumbling idiot owner and even dumber GM, and I watch them build a horrid baseball team. Not only devoid of talent, but lacking a fundamental element, of hustle, heart, desire, whatever you want to call it. But without that it makes the team unwatchable. And really, hard to root for.
“Wait till next year” fine, I’d love too. I’d gladly wait till 2013 if they just told me they had a plan. But unfortunately my rallying cry and I think the rallying cray for most Mets fans has become “Wait till the Wilpons sell”. Hopefully it will be soon.
The dodgers won pennants. Dem Bums were slightly different then the Amazins’ Most of the Dodgers’ “choking” were done by losing the WS. Great time for NYC baseball!!!!
Nosh, You’re right. It would be worth waiting if we knew we had something to wait for. As you say with these owners and GM there is no sense of progress season by season. You would think that we could think in terms of a pennant contender by 2012 or 2013. But how can you when the ownership acts as though it’s all about the money and building the grandchildren’s fund. I agree that the best thing for the Mets would be the Wilpons selling out. And as you say it can’t be too soon.
Outstanding article………..my favorite part “Personally, and in this context, I despise the word “choke”. It has no place in the dictionary of sports. It is a sleazy and short-sighted way of not examining the true reasons behind failing. Have you ever heard anyone claim that Gil Hodges or Duke Snider choked? Yet numerous times they didn’t come through in the clutch during the Worlds Series”
As far as things go, this article was great, but at my ripe old age of 35, I feel a different way. My Dad was a Brooklyn Dodger fan. He was born in 37. He, at that age did not understand the impact of #42. He grew as a fan. He never talked to me how he was so imnportant to beseball, but how important he was to the team (Jackie did retire b/c he was traded to the hated giants). No one could steal a base like Jackie.
My Dad watched a lot of heartbreak. None like a Met fan can imagine.
It was year after year. The Dodgers died in 57.
My Dad gave up baseball until his favorite player became Mets Mgr in 68. Won a series in 69.
There is a lot more I can write, but it’s just different
If the Mets want to be “Dem Bums” then make every 1b 14, Cf 4, 2b 42,
SS 1, C 39, RF 6, 3b 3 and so on.
Matt74, Although 5 yrs younger than your dad, I also had the same favorite player, #14, as a kid. I was thrilled when he was drafted by the Mets. One stabilizing factor for me is seeing his retired number displayed at Mets games. When the Dodgers left I was 15 yrs old. There was no baseball for me until the Mets arrived when I was 20. I have been a Mets fan since and, although I criticize the current ownership and mgmt, I will always be loyal to the emblem and look forward to new ownership and mgmt because I see that as what is needed for the team to improve to true competitive stature.
The Mets image pays homage to both former NY teams. The NY emblem is from the Giants, the orange is from the Giants, the blue is from the Dodgers. Only the current owner seems to want to recreate his beloved Dodgers at the expense of Mets history. Just look how they had to be shamed into creating a Mets museum at their own ballpark. Think the Yankees would EVER forget to do that? The Dodgers mean nothing to me.
The Mets history began in 1962. My history with this team began in 1968. For me THE greatest team in Mets history will always be the 1969 Mets. Talk about a team that played with heart. I’m tired of all the talk about the Brooklyn Dodgers. They ran off a long time ago to California. If the current owner loves that team so much sell the Mets move to California and buy the Dodgers.
TommyJ, You are correct. I began as a Brooklyn Dogers fan in the 50′s and greeted the Mets in 62 with open arms as an abandoned fan. I was always a NL fan and the 5 years of no NL team in NY was a disaster during my teens. I look back to those 50′s Dodger teams with fondness, but have no allegiance to the current Dodgers. I am now a Mets fan and the Dodgers are just another competitor. As such, I find the Wilpons homage to the Dodgers as an affront to the Mets, although I think there is a need to honor Jackie Robinson in a reasonable way much less than with the current excessive shrine. Jackie is a huge heritage in baseball having broken the color line and standing up to all the hostility he unfairly received and as such deserves to be recognized in NY. That needs to be done in a balanced way and should be secondary to honoring the historic Mets in their home stadium. If Fred is unable to do that, he should move to LA and buy the Dodgers from the McCourts. Let’s get an owner here who can do what is right for the Mets.
I also take nothing from Jackie Robinson. He deserves every accolade MLB can bestow upon him. But having said that Citifield is the home of the NY METS. Jackie Robinson was never a Met. Honor him in a reasonable at Citifield, fine. That rotunda should have been named for someone like William Shea who got the Mets into the NL, or my choice #14 Gil Hodges.
Absolutely yes. The Rotunda should have been named for either Bill Shea or Gil. Gil would probably have been the better choice and the Wilpons could still have had the Dodger presence there as Gil was honored as a Met and the manager of the ’69 team. It would have been a great way of working in recognition of Tom Terrific and the other ’69 Mets as well. The 86 Mets ould have been honored in a different way or at a later date. But then the Rotunda would have been about the Mets and no fans would have criticized if Jackie was represented there as well in some way.