I Hate Jeff Kent

So, growing up, I was a Mets fan. Only because my sister was a Mets fan and I didn't know any better. But in 1997, I fell in love with David Cone. By 1988, Cone and Kevin McReynolds were my favorite players. When I love a player, I go all out. I read everything about them, buy their merch and just become obsessed. In August of 1992, my world shattered. The NY Mets traded David Cone to the Toronto Blue Jays. Canada! The American League! I was crushed.

In the trade, the Mets got Jeff Kent, nicknamed Superman. When he arrived in NY he was anything but. He did nothing to help the team and eventually moved on. When he ended up in Houston, they moved furture Hall of Famer, Craig Biggio from 2nd base where he'd been positioned once they realized he was a catcher who could RUN. Having grown up watching the National League, I was fond of Biggio, collected his baseball cards and everything. Again, I have a soft spot for catchers, so I was TICKED that they moved him just because they acquired Kent.

Fast forward a bit, after August 1992, I disowned the Mets and began to like the Yankees. They were getting better and some of the players I had seen play AA with the Albany-Colonie Yankees were on the team (Bernie Williams) and they signed Paul O'Neill, a name I knew from watching the National League so long. And one night, in 1995, my dad picked me up from work to tell me the Yanks traded for some schmuck. Who??? David Cone. That sealed the deal. I cried when they lost in the play offs in 1997. I was hooked. My whole family became Yankee fans.

In 2001, I moved to Kingston, NY and hated every minute of it. So to console myself, I bought a 48 game week day package. I had season tix in the upper deck, section 4 behind home plate. Awesome seats. I would take my friends, or go by myself. It was my second home. I had tix for the Yanks vs the Astros. I could see Baggy, Biggio and Berkman. Yippie!

Usually, after the game, I would hang out by the baracade at the players' entrance to watch them leave. I had gotten an autograph from Jason Giambi that way. I liked to watch the players, cheer for those who deserved it. I stood out there in the rain after Roger Clemens' 300th win and he waved at all ten of us still hanging there waiting for him to emerge. It was getaway day, and there was a bus waiting for the Astros.

Out walks Jeff Kent. As loud as I could muster in the hot summer day, I screamed "Jeff Kent, you suck!" My mom is so proud. Kent was standing at the bus door, looked over at me and laughed, as if to say, "another crazy New Yorker". I didn't care. He heard me. That was all that mattered. My voice was heard.

So Many Ideas

A friend of mine talked me into doing a 5K. Walking, mind you, I am so not a runner. But we trained and raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ($1500 to be exact) and as it got closer, I was terrified. Would I be able to finish? My 14 year old nephew recently pointed out to me that I never finish anything. Nice, huh? Sadly, he's right. So, after a week of being sicker than a dog, on a humid gray morning, I got up at 7 am and headed downtown, hoping to not throw up, praying to finish.

I did, in 52:30 minutes. Go me. So I learned that I can set a goal and push myself to accomplish it.

Saving Myself for Joe Mauer

All I want to do is see Joe Mauer play baseball in person. Okay, so I did back in the day when he was on the Rochester Red Wings, but that doesn't count (although I was sitting behind homeplate!)

I don't care if it's in Minnesota, NY, Boston, Baltimore or Chicago.

I have seen all of my other favorites over the years play in person: David Cone (I drove from Buffalo to Toronto after my morning classes to see him pitch for the Yankees, saw him pitch well for the Sox AND sat in freezing drizzle to watch him get his final Major League win at Shea Stadium), Jason Varitek, Robin Ventura, Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera... I need to see Mauer.

However, I am at a crossroads. My full time teaching position was cut back in February to a part-time one, I have been doing some independent consulting to help pay the bills and am scraping by. But I have no money to spare. I am not good with money, other than saving up for something I want. I need to save for the bigger picture.

So, this summer I am setting some goals for myself, that include not spending any money, working out a budget for myself and saving not just for my future, but to see Mauer play. Seeing him play is my incentive to 'save myself' and get myself out of this financial hole.

This is the final countdown. The project begins on July 1st. Wish me luck.