I finally arrived back at Huntington at about 3:00. After spending some time setting up I was then able to catch the end of the Mets game (a win- of course!) It was great to see three of the four athletes( that would soon be appearing at the store) contribute to the victory. The game ended at about 4:10 and the seemingly endless line began to grow even more. Unfortunately the guys did not show up until about 6:30 (to no fault of their own) Some people began to become a little bit agitated but what you guys need to understand is that the players have a routine after each game that takes at least an hour. All the pitchers ice their arms for a while and the position players may have meetings or other obligations in the training room or clubhouse. Whenever we have players appearing after a game it is a safe bet that they will arrive anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours after the completion on the game. Aside from all that it was that Long Island traffic (see the previous blog entry) that delayed the appearance even longer. Anyway, once the guys finally arrived everything was awesome. All four guys took photos with everyone and took the time to talk to each customer. I had a feeling that Ramon Castro and Joe Smith would both have huge lines (and I was right). In the short time he has been with the club Joe Smith has become a big fan favorite (and deservedly so). Castro has long been a cult hero here in New York. He is, by far, the best backup catcher in the game. Once the public portion of the day was complete I was able to get some strong product signed by the guys. Ramon, Joe and Pedro signed some great photos as well as MLB baseballs. Lo Duca and Feliciano also signed a few incredible game used pieces including baseballs and batting helmets (Note: A game-used batting helmet from a relief pitcher is a rare, rare item...a must have for a serious Mets game-used collector). Anyway, I finally left the store at about 10:00 PM and headed right back into traffic. This time it was on the Northern State...and then the Clearview. It is definitely good to be back in Westchester.
We have another exciting week coming up so keep checking back for updates.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Let's Go Mets!