- Thread starter
- #1
Used 2 B Hu
Baredevil
Yes, with the Atlanta Braves winning 6-3 over the St. Louis Cardinals last night, the most un-breakable record in major sports remains intact for yet another season.
Surviving members of the 1962 expansion New York Mets gathered in upstate Schenectady on Sunday, August 7th, to have a champagne toast to their vaunted squad that lost 120 times in their inaugural season.
Members have died, franchises have been born and passed away (sort of), Presidents have been elected and assassinated, and yet the aura of the '62 Mets remains inviolate.
No actual players could be reached for comment, as this was a private ceremony by invitation only, but this writer did speak with a former bat boy of that team: Marvin "Stumpy Marv" Hochenblash, of nearby Ballston Spa.
Stumpy Marv was a 16 year old high school freshman in 1962, and he remembers the team fondly: "Yeah, they used to try rubbing different part of my body for good luck. It started with the head, then went to other places like the chest, back, armpits...I don't even wanna TELL you where they started rubbing during that 17-game losing streak in May and June," the now-70 year old recalls, his eyes glazing over with what could be nostalgia. He continues with a faraway look, "Yep, those were some real men back then, not like these prima-donna fellers they got out there now."
Hochenblash has spent the last 40 years of his life over in Saratoga Springs, "renting" himself out for lucky rubs and pats to the crowds at the local horse races. "You gotta keep doin' what yer good at, I guess," Stumpy shrugs.
No word on how many of the former Mets players actually were at the event, but a local wine merchant did disclose that nearly a case of Spumoni had been purchased on Saturday evening (by a person who wished to remain anonymous) when the Braves trounced the Cards 13-5. The same wine merchant also disclosed that 8 bottles were returned unopened to his store on Monday morning.
Surviving members of the 1962 expansion New York Mets gathered in upstate Schenectady on Sunday, August 7th, to have a champagne toast to their vaunted squad that lost 120 times in their inaugural season.
Members have died, franchises have been born and passed away (sort of), Presidents have been elected and assassinated, and yet the aura of the '62 Mets remains inviolate.
No actual players could be reached for comment, as this was a private ceremony by invitation only, but this writer did speak with a former bat boy of that team: Marvin "Stumpy Marv" Hochenblash, of nearby Ballston Spa.
Stumpy Marv was a 16 year old high school freshman in 1962, and he remembers the team fondly: "Yeah, they used to try rubbing different part of my body for good luck. It started with the head, then went to other places like the chest, back, armpits...I don't even wanna TELL you where they started rubbing during that 17-game losing streak in May and June," the now-70 year old recalls, his eyes glazing over with what could be nostalgia. He continues with a faraway look, "Yep, those were some real men back then, not like these prima-donna fellers they got out there now."
Hochenblash has spent the last 40 years of his life over in Saratoga Springs, "renting" himself out for lucky rubs and pats to the crowds at the local horse races. "You gotta keep doin' what yer good at, I guess," Stumpy shrugs.
No word on how many of the former Mets players actually were at the event, but a local wine merchant did disclose that nearly a case of Spumoni had been purchased on Saturday evening (by a person who wished to remain anonymous) when the Braves trounced the Cards 13-5. The same wine merchant also disclosed that 8 bottles were returned unopened to his store on Monday morning.