Everyone has different memories of attending their first baseball game, whether it be as a young child with a parent, going with friends, family, etc. These are memories that we hold near and dear to us, and are special because of the people we went with, the game we watched, and just being in pure awe of these cathedral like stadiums we had just entered into.
One such moment of being young and getting accustomed to baseball for many of us was autograph collecting. I still have vivid memories of running around like a chicken with its head cut off, vying to obtain signatures from my favorite ballplayers as a kid. Going to Shea Stadium nice and early and waiting for the players to arrive and walk through the gate was always fun, or sprinting to the Mets’ dugout once the stadium opened up, and securing a good spot to try and get a ball signed by David Wright or Jose Reyes were memories I’ll always keep.
I thought it would be fun to reminisce and talk about some of our favorite autograph moments or pieces of memorabilia we own. Or talk about a time where you met one of your favorite Mets, and the experience you shared with them. I’m always curious to hear about different fans experiences with players, who was nice and who was a jerk, who took the extra time to wave and say hello to the fans, or a really cool piece of memorabilia that you own and holds special meaning.
One such example for me would be back in 2005, which was Wright’s second year with the club. My dad and I had seats in the field level, I believe it was near right field. It was a day game, and the Mets were losing handily, to which team I couldn’t tell you. However, since it was a day game and the Mets were down several runs by the sixth, Shea Stadium started to become a ghost town, so my dad and I were able to finagle our way down to behind the Mets’ dugout, about ten rows back.
Slowly we inched closer and closer to the front row, as we watched as fans left the game to get an early start on the commute home. By the eighth inning, my father and I had secured front row seats behind the dugout, close to the first base side of the dugout where the players would enter and exit from.
In the bottom of the ninth, with the Mets wrapping up a loss on that muggy sun-soaked day, Wright was on first base with two outs. The ensuing batter made out, and Wright was walking back to the dugout to collect his gear and make his way back into the clubhouse to meet with the media. I saw Wright take off his black Nike batting gloves, and I politely asked if I could have one of his gloves. He pulled the fingers off one by one, looked up at me as I made my request, and tossed one glove my way, and another to the section to the left of me.
I looked down at my shaking hands, in disbelief that I had caught one of Wright’s game used batting gloves. The biggest grin spread across my face, as I turned to show my dad what I had gotten. He smiled back at me and gave me a thumbs up, repeatedly saying “nicely done, nicely done”. Wright was and continues to be my favorite Met of all time, and made a young fan’s day by doing a small act of kindness. In ensuing times I met Wright, he was nothing but gracious with his time, and would routinely sign autographs down the first base line about ten minutes before the game was about to start.
I still have that batting glove to this day, as I await to get that framed along with my 8×10 signed photo I have of Wright. I was a huge memorabilia collector growing up, and like most, fazed out of it by the time I reached my late teens. I’ll still occasionally purchase a signed baseball or photo, as my lovely girlfriend recently bought me a Noah Syndergaard signed MLB baseball with “Thor” inscribed on the sweet spot for our anniversary. Needless to say, I was ecstatic, and also extremely proud that I was able to turn her into a savvy Mets fan who now knows the entire 25-man roster, and keeps score during the games we attend.
But beyond owning a prized piece of memorabilia and adding it to one’s man cave or hanging it proudly in an office or home, the memories that come with it are equally if not more important. The day Wright threw me his batting glove was awesome, but I remember it also being a day I went with my dad to the game, and what a nice time we both shared together that afternoon. That’s the beauty of sports, and certainly baseball, where we look for an escape from our lives and sit back and enjoy a game for a few hours with friends and family.
So please, leave your comments below for your favorite piece of sports memorabilia, or a time you met one of your favorite stars and had a cool interaction. Looking forward to reading your responses!
