Why I Can’t Watch Mets Spring Training Games [PICS]

There has always been an emotional tie between me and my dad with the New York Mets. He would always stay in Port Saint Lucie for a month during spring training and go to all of their home games. One year I went to visit and we went to a few games together. But something happened during those games that leaves me so emotional, I am not able to watch them.

My dad was a huge baseball guy. He played minor league ball for the Phillies and he taught me everything I know about the game. When I went down to Florida a few years ago to visit him as he vacationed, we went to a bunch of Mets spring training games.

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My dad was funny. He would yell witty things out during the games to the umpires or to some of the players. There was a player on the Mets at the time named Lucas Duda. My dad really liked him, not just because he was a great player for the Mets, but because of his last name. While we were at one of the games, Lucas Duda was coming up to bat. My dad yells out, "Let's go Zippidee". It took everyone around us a minute to get his witty play on his name. Zippidee Duda!

I loved every minute I was with my dad at those games and when I traveled back to New York I realized that they were showing the spring training games live on the SNY channel. I knew my dad would be there so I texted him. I asked him to yell out, "Let's go Zippidee" every time Lucas Duda came up to bat because I knew I would be able to hear him through the broadcast. Sure enough, he did it every single time. I would watch entire spring training Mets games just so I could hear my dad shout it out.

Well, my dad has since passed but those memories I truly cherish. I flip through the channels and I see that they are showing the live Mets spring training games still on SNY. I can't bring myself to watch even one pitch. I know he would still be going to the games if he could and yelling out so I could hear him.