<<<The fans aren't reacting.>>>
Reactions?
You want reactions?
If convenient, take a moment to read this heartfelt article penned by a dear departed friend from my Chicago days.
As much as I love the Cubs, Mike was the ultimate Cub fan until the end.... as was Steve Goodman!
AND DID NOT LIKE THE mets AT ALL!!!
A Solid Book Can Light A Fire
By MIKE ROYKO,
Chicago Tribune
March 18, 1987
A New York publishing house has sent me a copy of a new paperback book it has just brought out.
With it came a note that said: ``We take pleasure in presenting you with this review copy and ask that you please send two copies of your notices to our offices.``
I seldom review books in my column. The Chicago paper for which I write has a section that takes care of that. But in this case, I`m going to make an exception.
This book is called If At First ... with a subtitle that says ``With the exclusive inside story of the 1986 Championship Season.``
The author is Keith Hernandez, who is the first baseman on the New York Mets baseball team. Actually, he didn`t write it -- some professional ghostwriter did. But the words and story originated with Hernandez.
I will begin my review by saying that this is a very solid book. The moment I opened the package and saw what it was about, I threw it against my office wall as hard as I could. Then I slammed it to the floor and jumped up and down on it. I beat on it with a chair for several minutes until I slumped onto my couch, emotionally and physically spent.
Although slightly scuffed, the book was still intact.
It is also a book that can cause excitement. I dropped it on the desk of a friend who has had weekend season tickets at Wrigley Field for the past 10 years. It immediately stirred him to emotional heights. He shouted:
``Why are you showing me that piece of (deleted). I say (deleted) Hernandez and (deleted) the Mets and (deleted) the whole (deleted) city of New York. And (deleted) you, too.``
Then he flung it against a wall and gave it a kick. It still remained intact. I told you it was a solid book.
It`s a book that can move a sensitive reader to tears, as I discovered when I showed it to a man who has been going to Cub games since 1946, a year that is known as The Beginning of Darkness.
When he looked at the cover, he choked back a sob, a tear trickled down his cheek, and he said: ``Why them? Why not us? What was our sin? How can we atone for it? You know, I asked my clergyman that, and he said he wishes he knew, because he lost $50 betting against them.``
And it`s a powerful book. As reviewers like to say: It can hit you right in the guts. This was proven when I showed it to a confirmed bleacherite who said: ``Excuse me. I going to throw up.``
But enough of generalities. Let us consider the contents of this book.
On the very first page, Hernandez and his ghostwriter say: ``ad made the second out on a long the Mets were through for 1986: o out, nobody on, two runs down, ox already leading the World Series en our scoreboard operator at``
And on page 81, Hernandez says: ``round during infield practice, I draw a line nan and myself and call our manager over. avy? I ask. He laughs.``
Moving to page 125, we find: ``Oh, sweet bird of youth. however, were a different story. It`s diff- quietly as I work my way out of a bad me to listen to his judgments. I wrong with my swing. I know hot to th hardheaded. Dand and I have had``
I know, it sounds kind of garbled, incomprehensible. But that`s the way a story reads when you rip the pages of a book in half, one by one, as I`ve been doing.
Don`t misunderstand me. I`m not doing that out of spite. I`m a good sport, a cheerful loser. Why, in the last two years, I don`t think I`ve watched my video of the movie Fail Safe, in which New York City gets nuked, more than 30 or 40 times.
The fact is, I have found this to be a useful book.
I have been tearing out the pages and crumpling them into little wads.
When I have about 30 or 40 of these wads, I put them in my fireplace under the kindling and light them. They`re excellent for getting a fire started.
Then I pour myself a drink, lower the lights, sit back and stare at the crackling flames.
And I pretend that I`m looking at Shea Stadium.
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