WORLD SERIES NOSTALGIA

I imagine there are children in New York City in the 8-10 years old range who are loving this World Series appearance by the Yankees. It's new for them - they've heard all about these world champion Yankees of the past (decade) and they're probably very excited about their team playing for a championship.

I remember when I was one of those kids.

The 2000 World Series came at a time that I didn't live in New York, but more importantly, during my first full year in the workforce. As such, I was transitioning from someone who cared only about sports to someone who had other things on his mind (a new relationship with the woman who would later become my wife, an entry job in what I thought would be my career). I worked nights, so I saw the games, but I don't have a distinct memory about that post-season.

It's 1986 that comes back to me whenever the World Series rolls around.

I remember being in the schoolyard after school and people from the Daily News were handing out scorecards (I still have them) for the NLCS. A very cool book - 7-10 newspaper pages with spots to keep score of every game. I remember taking them home and my parents being very suspicious about how I got them. I had to convince them they were free handouts. To this day, though, it's strange to me why they were handed out at an elementary school.

I remember afternoon NLCS games at Shea...and I distinctly remember Billy Hatcher's homer in Game 6 that went into the netting on the foul pole. And I remember the celebration when the Mets won the NLCS.

I remember going to my best friend's house to watch a game of the World Series - I'm not sure which one it was. I remember watching a bit of the early innings, but then we went into his bedroom to play tackle football. I remember the entire time wanting to watch the game, but I never said anything.

There's a chance this may have been Game 6 of the 1986 World Series - I have a faint memory of the parachute guy coming down while I was at Steven's house. But that's about all I remember about Game 6. I wrote this earlier in the week - but I don't know if it's because I've seen the game on video so many times since or why it is, but I don't have any other live memories of what is probably my favorite sports memory ever.

There's a strong possibility that I was asleep for the end of Game 6...but it was a Saturday night, so I doubt it - I was pretty sports-crazy. Sports-crazy enough that my dad woke me up for the end of Game 7 a couple of nights later....like he did a month before after the Mets clinched the NL East. I remember watching the champagne celebrations - the "champagne party", we called it - and exclaiming, "We should have a milk party!!"

I remember how exciting it was.

I want to feel that feeling again.