What does the Ghost Investigator do when when she isn't hunting apparitons? Well, if she is extremely lucky she goes to the 1969 Mets reception at Citifield on August 22, 2009. My husband, Bob, surprised me with tickets to the event, which was easily one of the best times of my life. You see, the '69 Mets season was the epitome of my sports fan experiences, and for those of you who know me, I LOVE sports.
Here I am with Mr. Met and the 1969 World Series Trophy (above). Below, I am next to Ron Swoboda, and I did shake the hand that made THE catch in the series.
In the presence of greatness: below are some of the Mets' pitching staff (l to r): Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Gary Gentry, Jim McAndrew, Ron Taylor, and Jerry Koosman. I mean, Holy Crap, Ryan and Seaver together! Koosman stunned the crowd by revealing that the Cleon Jones shoe polish episode was actually the result of Gil Hodges telling Koosman to rub the ball on his shoe to get polish on it! It took 40 years for that confession.
Then I was lucky enough to have Kevin Burkhart allow me to ask the pitchers a question. I explained how the team had been such an inspiration to me (and still is!), and wondered whether for them the season was just fun while it lasted, or had it been a life-altering experience. At first there was silence and I said I guess I had stumped them. Then Seaver asked if I had an easier question, which got quite a laugh from the crowd. But then he went on to give a brilliant answer about the team's success giving him the opportunity to practice his craft for so many years. Then Gary Gentry responded that as a guy from Arizona, the overwhelming response of fans in New York was indeed life-altering.
Below is a photo of me asking the question, and Seaver looking at me answering. Come on, Tom Seaver talking to me! That last time he talked to me was 1970, but I'll save that story for another time. Needless to say, it was Mets heaven for me. What an Amazin' day!
