Andy Williams got it wrong, everybody knows that Spring Training is the most wonderful time of the year. To smell that freshly cut green grass and breathe that warm spring air, with the sounds of gloves popping and bats cracking… there’s nothing else like it in the world.
Gone is the long, cold, dreary winter with talks of wind chills and accumulations, and in its place is the promise of bright sunshine, blue skies, and the hope and optimism of a brand new baseball season.
And this Spring Training in particular, carries an extra special tingly feeling for the fans of the New York Mets. The die-hards have come out in droves this morning at Port St. Lucie on the day of the team’s first workout.
Over a thousand hopeful fans greeted pitchers and catchers as they went out about their drills and routines under the watchful eyes of an adoring fan base who sense something special in the air. Children watched in awe as they caught their first glimpse of their favorite players, armed with baseball cards they hope to get signed, many of them donning jerseys emblazoned with Harvey 33, Syndergaard 34, deGrom 48 and Wright 5 on their backs.
Young and old, all of them are bound by their overflowing joy and enthusiasm for being there and taking it all in. It’s been so long since the fan base was stirring with this much excitement and anticipation for what’s bound to be an extraordinarily special year for the New York Mets. It really is true my friends… The Magic is Back.
Spring Training is always an incredible and indescribable feeling for Mets fans and why not – we have always been the most hopeful fan base in baseball. Year after year since our humble beginnings in 1962 the Mets were not just a team we rooted for, no, much more than that, they were our first love. The connections and bonds we’ve formed with the team over the years are emotional, inexplicable and timeless.
Today marks the official start of the Mets’ 2016 season. A season that promises to be every bit as good as those unforgettable years in 1969 and 1986. It’s okay to dream big, that’s what the start of Spring Training is all about. Don’t be bashful, soak it all in and relish the moment.
It may be freezing where you are today, but here in Port St. Lucie the sun is bright, the weather is perfect, and the sounds of baseball are in the air. Let’s Go Mets.
