The End(y)

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

  • We all remember where we were exactly when 9-11 took place.
  • We all remember what we were doing when Barack Obama was sworn into office.
  • We all remember how we danced and screamed when Endy Chavez made "The Catch."

No, not Willie Mays' catch. I'm talking about the Venezuelan's leap into the history books (or at least our history books, er, our memory banks). Grown men hugging other grown men. Shea stadium feeling as if it was experiencing an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the (Mike) Richter scale. More grown men hugging other grown men. The 6 foot Chavez not only caught a ball that night; he caught our attention, our hearts and he caught us off guard. A miracle in Shea without Buckner? Who woulda thunk!? We were bound to win the game!

But as destiNY would have it, Mr. Chavez failed to produce in the bottom half of the inning when the bat was placed in his hands and the Cards went on to take the game, the series, and later became the Champions of the World. Oh, how much greater "The Catch" would have been had Endy hit a triple down the right field line and later come into score, but, alas, this is but a dream. We walked home in tears that night, thinking of what could have been. "The Catch...and the Hit".

Although, we have moved on (sort of) and must take the happy memories along with us to Citi Field, we will never forget the way Endy leaped like no man had ever done before, caught the ball as if he was scooping for ice cream on a hot summer day, and proceeded to throw out the chicken without his head that was attempting to scramble back to a guarded first base. A double play. Inning over. Memory created.

Two bobble-head days and one off-season trade later, Endy Chavez sits on Route 95 in Seattle on his way to SafeCo field to suit up for a Mariners team in which he plays The New Kid on the bench, while, 3000 miles away in Queens, a city prepares for a new home and a new beginning. Although they have each gone in different ways and separate directions, they will both know that some things will always go together. Peanut Butter & Jelly, Tom & Jerry, and Endy & NY. Sort of like a ball that fits so perfectly in the webbing of a glove.

We'll miss you Endy.

<br/><a href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=b0869358-5f43-48f0-bc19-fee9c82bbacd" target="_new" title="Endy Chavez's leaping catch">Video: Endy Chavez's leaping catch</a>

38 comments:

Eli From Brooklyn said...

On September 28, the final day of the 2008 regular season and the final game at Shea Stadium, the Mets played the Florida Marlins. With an NL wildcard spot at stake for the Mets, Chávez made another teriffic catch in the outfield during the top of the seventh inning, the same inning in which he entered the game as a defensive replacement. After a ball was hit hard and deep to left field by Jorge Cantú, Chávez fully extended to make the catch for the final out of the inning. A hit by Cantu would have scored one run to give the Marlins the lead and surely would have resulted in extra bases and kept the inning alive.

Yep, Good Ol' Endy. Too bad he didn't produce in the bottom half of the inning. Again.

Skeptic Al said...

Like Anna Frank in her Diaries, Eli takes us back and brings us right into the story, as if it was unfolding right in front of our eyes. We feel the dread, suspense, and momentary senses of exilhiration. Like Ann's story its a place and time we choose to forget, yet is etched forever in our memories. And Like Anns diaries the ending isn't so pleasant. Goodbye Endy, we will miss you or as you would say Adiós Endy, le faltaremos!

Ohh lord where are those grown men...I need a hug.

wario said...

sorry to say that i will not really miss him all that much.... he was an offensive liability, we cant have someone one the bench who is good for three innings... if he were a clutch hitter that would be a different story(yes i know he won a couple of games for them but in the big game picture he hasnt come to work for the offense)...

wario said...

my memory of him is not getting a hit!!! thanks for bringing that back!!!

Skeptic Al said...

It wasnt about Endy getting a hit.

If the Mets win that game the Catch is remembered and receives its own place in baseball history. As it is they lost and we remember it for the excitment it brough us at the moment, and the what could have been.

But it wasnt Endy, it was a collective offensive breakdown.

wario said...

thats the problem with some met fans you cling to memories that lead to nothing!!

Skeptic Al said...
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Skeptic Al said...

Wario...for starters Shea stadium was never louder than at that moment. I would argue, it was the greatest single moment in Mets history. As much as like Gary Cohen, he didnt too do justice to the feeling in the stadium. It was madness! Even a yankee fan who was in attendance that evening, told me hes never seen or felt anything like it. So Ill take those memories, while you sit in the stall waiting for something to happen.

wario said...

Al... do you sleep better at night knowing he made that catch?? Do you get that warm and fuzzy feeling when you think of that catch? cuz it doesnt do justice for me.... and the only reason it was so loud is cuz shea WAS crap and the building rattels... sort of like the stall im in now

Skeptic Al said...
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Skeptic Al said...

Not as warm and fuzzy as I feel thinking about you, but yes I do.
And the only reason the stall your'e on rattles, is because instead of using your treadmill, you use it too dump all your mets jackets, t-shirts, hats, buttons and other paraphonilia.

wario said...

awwwwwww... thats a good piont al

Skeptic Al said...

I'm full of good points. But do something about it...how about 1-800-Got-Junk and a psycologist to help you get over losing that satin looking too-tight mets jacket you got for your bar mitzva.

wario said...

I WILL NEVER GIVE THAT UP!! you know that, especially with all those opening day pins i have accumulated over the years and are now embedded into my jacket....NEVER

Skeptic Al said...
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Skeptic Al said...

Just as a reminder to our community of fellow blogstres, readers, and commenters. The comments section serves two purposes

A) To talk about the topic at hand
B) To rip other commenters for their asinine comments...

What it isnt, is a place to have a chat about the weather, and other off topic, off color subjects, as some commenters (for now to remain nameless), like to do.

haraz31 said...

What a catch every time i see it i think maybe the outcome will be different, maybe the mets will win unfortunatley it always leads to the same thing Yadier BLEEPIN' Molina.

Skeptic Al said...

Dont blame Molina he was doing his job. How bout...Ahron BLEEBIN Heilman or Carlos BLEEBIN Beltran.

wario said...

AL , did you put a hit on eli and take over ?? i havent seen him yet, this is shady.. now your giving orders

Skeptic Al said...

No I havent...but not a bad idea at all. Although I dont have the time to write and maintain a blog...you know I left yeshiva many years ago,

wario said...

you seem to be doing a good job... imagine all that money....

k back to baseball, when we doing a fantasy league , we will make it easy, so it wont take time away from your work time (blog time)... we will just draft and leave it as be ... once a month you can make a trade or whatever.. tell me what you think

wario said...

so was jeter trying to loose the wbc on purpose?? did he forget how to win??

he needed wright to bail him out!!

he sucks overrated, rey ordonez would have done a better job than him last night..... tell him to stop crying about his playing time, he is not CAPTIN AMERICA!!

Eli From Brooklyn said...

LOL, Good early early afternoon to everyone. The weather is quite nice outside and the feeling of spring is in the air. It is supposed to be nice later today, as well, so look for a pleasant commute back home.

Okay, Okay, I'll spare you the weather. Although Wario is correct that the catch led to nothing...it momentarily gave us hope. Hope which got us nowhere and I don't know about you, but, the thought of the thrill at that moment is enough for me to blog about, talk about and dream about what could've been.

Enjoy reality, Wario, because it is all you have.

wario said...

i live season by season not 3 seasons ago by 3 seasons ago... unless they won of course but they didnt .. so move on eli

Eli From Brooklyn said...

I can't move on unless I have something else to get into. I will not get into the 2009 season until they start to take a nice lead over the Phillies in the East (and keep it). I know it will come but I just cannot emotionally invest in the team until later into the season. Even if I know it will happen this year... Or it really could. They are a nice size amount better than what they were last season and you will see my predictions with the standings... You will like.

wario said...

STOP LYING !! YOUR WATCHING A SPRING TRAINING GAME RIGHT NOW!!!! ya "you cant emotionally invest" THEN PUT DOWN THE REMOTE!!

Eli From Brooklyn said...

There are two reasons someone would watch a spring season game. 1) To think if he or she should emotionally invest in a team in the upcoming season. 2) He or she runs a high class blog on the world wide interweb involving that particular team.

You decide which falls into EFB's reasons for doing things.

wario said...

If i choose choice #1-- how can you deduce from spring training what the Mets will do with the Phillies (since that is your measuring stick for the season apparently )when they are playing the braves!!??

choice #2-- i thought this was a private chat room where Al sneeks into like a little weasel every once in a while??!!

Eli From Brooklyn said...

A true baseball fan can see where the Mets will be holding come mid season time, no matter whom they are playing. Did you just call Al a weasel? How dare you do so without placing the word LARGE before it?

Mets win NL EAST. Any argument there?

wario said...

AGREED (about the large part)... lol

Eli From Brooklyn said...

We await your arrival Skeptical Skeptic Al. We know you are out there. (da da dum...da da dum)...

OMARitis said...

I can see that clip over and over and over...
Maybe its bec as a pathetic met fan i dont really have many clips that i could watch but this one will never be forgotten.

He was great while he was here but i wont miss him moving on, we have much bigger problems to worry about now (livan, maine, livan, livan, livan, livan...)

Eli From Brooklyn said...

Livan pitched amazingly today! If you are posting your message at 6:44 today then you obviously missed his outing this afternoon. Immediately go watch the highlights (if there are any on the web). He pitched quite fine and basically cemented his name into the previously empty 5th spot.

Maine? That's a different issue.

haraz31 said...

Al, watch and see that Heilman has a great year as a starter the mets were to stubborn move him out of the pen

Skeptic Al said...

Haraz31...I've go no problems with Heilman, I think he has some good stuff, but on that night he bleebed up.

Skeptic Al said...

Can't figure out if I'm loved or loathed on this blog!

Eli From Brooklyn said...

LOL. I love ya. Does that help your query?

Eli From Brooklyn said...

and its bleeped*. Not bleebed.