RICH MACLEOD: the blog

Remembering “The Catch”

On the morning of Game 1 of the 2011 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals I’m taking a look back.  Five years ago today, October 19, 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals played the New York Mets at Shea Stadium in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series.  We all know the end result, as the Cardinals would win 3-1 because of a Yadier Molina homerun against Aaron Heilman and an Adam Wainwright curveball that still gives fellow Mets fans nightmares.  But this is also a remembrance of one of the greatest catches, if not the greatest, in postseason history.  Us Mets fans will never forget when Endy Chavez took away Scott Rolen’s what-would-have-been go-ahead 2-run homerun and kept the game tied at 1 in the 6th inning.  On the national scale, this play is widely forgotten 5 years after the fact because of the final result but if you’re looking back at Game 7 today or any other day don’t remember the homerun, don’t remember the strikeout, remember The Catch.

Rating The Decade

Seeing as how today is not only the last day of 2009 but also the last day of the decade, I decided to rate each year of the decade starting with #10.

10. 2005:  Probably one of the most unimportant and uneventful years of the decade.  George W. Bush started his 2nd term this year.  Plus Sophomore year of high school wasn’t my favorite year ever.  Worst year of the decade.

9. 2001:  Definitely one of the most heartbreaking years for anyone for obvious reasons.  The September 11th terrorist attacks as well as three relatives dying (at separate times) make this year one of the worst.

8. 2003:  Nothing against Flood but starting middle school isn’t too great, especially when you’re put in a homeroom with no one you knew in elementary school.  Still met a lot of people but this year we had the start of the Iraq War, the space shuttle Columbia crash and SARS.

7. 2004:  End of middle school and first year of high school and I was sick for the first day.  Plenty of awkward moments and definitely a forgettable year for myself.

6. 2007:  Although things starting improving for me, can’t put this year in the top 5 because of that monumental collapse by the New York Mets which still affects me to this day.  Plus my friend ruined the end of the Harry Potter series for me when he read the last book.

5. 2009:  This year was pretty good in many ways.  First full calendar year in college which went pretty well but just too many deaths, both to people I knew and celebrities I respected, keep this year from moving up any further in the rankings.  Oh yeah, can’t forget that this is the year we got swine flu.

4. 2002:  Almost nothing at all sticks out for me from this year.  It was the end of elementary school for me and there were those sniper shootings in D.C., but nothing too particularly bad happened for me to bring this down.  Pretty average year.

3. 2000:  The new millennium.  After people got over the Y2K crisis this started out as a pretty good decade.  Lots of hope and promise as well as the beginning to a huge technological age.  Also the only year of this decade without war.  That makes this year one of the best.

2. 2006:  Definitely when things started to turn around for me personally.  The fact that the Mets and Jets both made the playoffs this year definitely  contributes to this year being #2 in the rankings.  I saw my first concert this year, joined the band (which won 3rd place in Nationals for my section) and made a ton of new friends so this year is almost tops.

1. 2008:  The second half of my senior year in high school and the first half of freshman year in college.  A lot happened for me in 2008 that makes this #1.  In a rare case I’m forgetting the sports side of it and that the Mets & Jets both choked while the Phillies won the World Series.  This year those things weren’t that important.  The memorable Summer Olympics which briefly bring the World together is a contributing factor.  I know the financial crisis started late this year but this year Barack Obama was elected and even though things haven’t started well, I still think he can make a difference. I did a lot of activities, had some good times and I think this year I really grew up and became a better person.  2008 had a big impact on me and for that reason, it’s the Best Year of the Decade.

Happy New Year everyone!