Spring days spent listening to the Mets on the radio
by Steve
One fantastic aspect of my new job is that I sit in the sort of office where they really don’t mind if you wear earphones all day. Even better, half the people there already do, so as the new boy I don’t feel out-of-place plugging myself in and letting the day whiz by.
This has enabled my MLB subscription to really come into its own. As part of the package, there is full access to every radio broadcast of every game. So, over the past few weeks my days have quite often been soundtracked by the sounds of Mets games from the night before, relayed by Howie Rose and Wayne Hagin on New York’s WFAN.
This has meant that I have had to be extra careful with my internet activity, in order to avoid any spoilers, but this has been a small price to pay for being paid to listen to sport. (I hasten to add at this point, that I have of course been working very, very hard at the same time).
To make this even better, my team, the New York Mets, have started their season surprisingly, amazingly, well. I was expecting to perhaps listen to bits and pieces of their games, hear them lose, and then move on to something else. Instead, I’ve heard win after win. I feel a little funny typing that – it’s bound to curse them.
Today was one of the best games to listen to, going from one that I could have easily given up on (and may well have done if I was at home), to one I couldn’t tear myself away from. At the start of the eighth inning the Mets were 6-1 down. Incredibly, by the end of that very same inning they were 8-6 ahead, and would go on to win by the same score.
Beyond the inevitable excitement and disbelief, it highlighted two things for me.
One, the real beauty of sport is in the improbable. 95 per cent of the time a team isn’t going to turn around a game like that. The fact that 5 per cent of the time they do is what keeps us enthralled and what keeps us watching even the most terrible game or most terrible team, just in case things turn around. We are capable of going weeks, months, years without reward, all in the hope that something wonderful might happen one day to our team. To enjoy sport, at heart you must be the eternal optimist.
Second, today showed me yet again how wonderful it is to experience the longer forms of sport, such as baseball and cricket, through radio. You can get on with other things while it plays in the background. You can pick up on the ebb and flow. You can get to know the commentators as well as the players. It is just a lovely way to spend a few hours, especially when you then get the win.
Wait until next year 
I envy your ability to listen to baseball at work and, more importantly, to get any work done. I’ve always been a big fan of baseball on the radio; as you say, you can get on with other things while listening. In my case that doesn’t include work. I can cook a meal, mop the floor or perform other chores but when it comes to the kinds of tasks my job entials baseball, and other audio delights, are out. Clearly you have a more powerful brain than I do.
As a kind of counterpoint to listening to games without watching, I grew up with a father who would often have games on a television with the sound muted and, as I’ve grown older, I often do the same. This allows for good conversation and, more importantly, good music on the stereo while following a game. Of course this activity is not to be considered late in the season when pride and championships hang in the balance.
LikeLike
Oh, I wouldn’t say I’m an amazing multi-tasker, not by any means! I just have the ability to work to an average level, while generally, kind-of, paying attention to what I’m listening to. Anything that requires any significant level of concentration probably needs silence to accompany it. Saying that, the joy of baseball is that it is quite easy to dip in and out of, so I can just listen when I’m working on less taxing stuff.
I’ve been known to watch with the sound down too, but should try it more. I think it is an interesting exercise for any sport, as it shows just how much we can be influenced by a commentary team. I have watched football without commentary and have come to completely different conclusions on the game to the pundits. Mine have been the correct opinions, of course!
LikeLike
I’m lucky that I can listen to and/or watch Mets games at work also. In fact, one of the men who shares an office suite with us is a big Cardinals fan and he’s thinking of switching over from MLB Extra Innings to MLB.tv because he sees that I can listen to and/or watch Mets games at work. His MLBEI subscription costs around 75% more than the MLB.tv subscription, yet I can watch games at work, and he can only follow his games on ESPN or MLB.com.
Also, there’s an iPhone and Droid app that, for $14.99 for the season, allows you to listen to games on your phone. And, unlike other portable radio options, you can choose which feed you want. So, if I take my daily constitutional and there’s a day game, I can plug earphones into my Droid and listen to Howie and Wayne.
Life is good (it would be better if the Mets would start winning again).
LikeLike
I recently got an Android phone and was very tempted by that app. However, as I have got an unjustifiably large bill for my first month’s usage, I may have to hold off. Who would have thought that “unlimited web access” really means “we’re going to bill you over £150 for accessing the web”?
LikeLike