Casey At The Mets (1965)

[music] A love affair usually means two people, moonlight, soft, sweet words. But this love affair takes place in broad daylight and at the top of its lungs. [cheering] How do you explain this love affair? Baseball fans usually fall for only the great teams. And in baseball, there have been many far greater than the Mets. [bell] And there have been greater heroes than the Mets. The immortal babe. Bill Dicki. Melt. A giant with a bat. Lou Garry. Joe Deaggio, the splendid splinter. Ted Williams, one of the 400 hitters, the WY Whitey Ford and Yogi Barrett. When Bobby Thompson of the Giants hit that penant winning home run against Brooklyn, New York went steady with him for years. But the adoration accorded the Flying Scotsman was just a crush compared to what the fans felt for the Mets. New York first met the Mets here at an informal little get together. They were introduced to each other by this matchmaker from Manhattan, Casey Stangle. He invited some friends over to his place to meet the new team in town. It was a blind date and it was love at first sight. The New York fans fell head over heels. This is a new breed of baseball fans. Sensitive, emotional, and creative. There are slogans and poems, and they come from the heart. Cards are created [music] by the hundreds and every day is Valentine's Day. A team that has a dog for a mascot can't be all bad. This is Homer. He's one of the few homers the Mets see all season. The Mets have a rough first year, but the fans never blame them. Neither did Casey. Every game the trumpet sounds. The Mets hear the call to greatness. But the line is always busy. [cheering] As any couple knows, the first year is always the hardest. The Mets lose game after game, but the fans never lose hope. [cheering] Baseball has never seen anything like it. >> Is it a question of rooting for the underdog? >> Maybe it's because the fans fell for the Mets on the rebound. Remember, millions of hearts were broken when the New York Giants ran off with that rich fellow to San Francisco. One of the games most exciting players, the Say Hey Kid, goes with them. >> New Yorkers, baseball has gone to the dogs. They had also been jilted by that team from Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Bums make the great trek west, too. Stake out a claim and strike it rich in Chavez Ravine. They left, but it wasn't because they didn't like New York. They just wanted to get out of Brooklyn. >> There was one team left in New York. The Yankees with their superstars like Mantle and Yogi Barra, but there is no comparison between the Yankees and the Mets. The Yankees win, but the Mets fans remain loyal, unique, and vocal. Excuse me, sir. Why do you like the Mets? >> Well, the Mets are a team that's supposed to be understood. You know, they are young. They're trying to make themselves understood to the fact that they lose and they come behind and that's it. We're a good team and uh and above all, you know, they got years ahead of us. >> Excuse me, sir. Why are you a Mets fan? >> I'm not. >> Then why are you here? >> I came with my buddy. >> Is he a Mets fan? >> I doubt it. >> Excuse me, madam. Do you like the Mets? >> Mets? Matt, who likes the net? This is the ball scene. >> Then why are you here? >> Cheaper to get a sane here than in Florida. >> I see. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Sir, are you a Met fan? >> Why don't you get lost? I'm trying to watch the ball game. >> This is a ball game. >> At the end of that first year, the Mets and their fans are still on a honeymoon. It's time for an anniversary gift. Most people would be content with a little white cottage. The Mets decided to give their fans a whole stadium. While a magnificent new home is being built, the Mets move to the sunny South to begin spring training. Casey was determined this year that the Mets would not fall below last place. Rookies battle veterans for a birth. Some of the veterans on the Mets are almost 22 years old. The rookies are gathered from all over the country. To make the Mets, you have to have ability. But more importantly, you have to be lovable. Some made it, some didn't. >> Casey has his back to the camera. He doesn't want you to see a grown manager cry. These are umpires. You can tell by their determined look and superior attitude. They all came south for group therapy. It's important when an umpire speaks, he is heard and understood. Here is the umpire first in his class. >> NOW REMEMBER, BOYS, whenever the play is close and he's safe, DO THIS. NO. [screaming] >> AND ON A SAME thing if it's out ON A POST PLAY DO THIS. >> What do YOU MEAN I'M OUT HERE FLYING THE BAT? >> YOU CALL ME FLYING AS A BAT. I'VE BEEN OUT FLYING FOR YEARS WITHOUT A FAVOR. I'VE HAD THE ENTIRE LEAGUE BEFORE THE NATIONAL EVERYONE. YOU YOUNG ABOUT THE F trying to find the ball game WITHOUT A TRA WHEN I call a play. I know what the proper style. There was no way of adminating the ball. You have a trade. Umpires always have THE RIGHT FACE. YOU'RE OUT OF THE BALL GAME. HE KNOWS that we umpires are always right. But he's trying to tell me about a statement. WHEN AN UMPIRE GIVES A DECISION, HE HAS NO play without a score. Every ball has to be safe for safe. And an umpire is always given the sound because nobody has a type of thought until we call a play. We find the score and we give it because an umpire, >> if you understood him, >> see your doctor. Even at spring training, the marvelous Mets draw big crowds. There's a lot of excited talk about the coming season. When it comes to talking, Casey talks for the Mets. All of them. >> Casey, how come the Mets drew a bigger box office last year than most any other team in both leagues? >> Well, that's because public in New York supported the ball club. They were loyal for years and years to the New York Giants. They were loyal to the Brooklyn Dodgers. We only had one team there, which was the Yankee team. It was doing splendid in itself, but they wanted to see another team come back into the field. And why shouldn't they go out and patronize? There's too many people in New York City. It's a cosmopolitan town in which when you go into a city of that size, there should be more than one entertainment. They decided they wanted to. It proved to chamber of commerce and New York City and to the governor and also to Mayor Wagner that we could draw over a million people, which proved the city is a better place for baseball than 15 franchises that are in the major leagues at the present time. There's 10 or 12 cities in the major league. They think they're major league cities, but they don't draw a million. They maybe were up in the race. Shows that we should have another team that's in New York, and they proved it and stuck by the team. The officials of the ball club have worked all winter and during the summer and negotiating with other owners and they get some stronger players. We've been unable to get an outstanding star that's on the team that has a great reputation. Wouldn't make any difference if you spent a large sum of money cash. The other man said, "I need the man myself, so why should he be presented to our clubs?" >> Meanwhile, up north, workers rush to complete the new home for the Mets and their fans. >> [music] >> nobody has seen anybody move that fast in Sha Stadium since. Meanwhile, back at the training camp, 50, 60, 70 year old people. They're now following baseball. They follow it through television and the newspapers. What do they do right now? Now they know the names of her players. They're looking for the team to go up. They're pulling for you. Whether they're in New England, whether they're around New York City, we have a following around Missouri, Oklahoma, around in Maine. They've watched them on television and so forth. And they say we're trying to see that little team get to the top. That's the reason why we're drawing so well through the turn style. And we're going into a new ball club. Greatest in baseball. There'll never be anything built this good. It'll have escalators. What good is an escalator? Well, it'll take you up and sit you down. You'll see the World's Fair. You can see the New York Mets, the amazing Mets. And the last thing you can do, you can sit in a nice comfortable seat. Everything of comfort, any kind of a meal that you want to desire. Now, it's up to the Mets to do the winning. And you'll never get sick when you're watching the Mets. This summer, the Mets and their fans threw the biggest [music] housewarming New York has ever seen. It was even catered. The dream comes true. The Mets and their fans settle down in their own place. Alone together at last place. >> What do you think of the Mets stadium? >> Most beautiful thing I've ever seen. >> It's best thing, you know. It's great. It's fantastic. >> Why do you say that? >> My father designed it. >> What do you think of the Mets? >> Well, I hope they measure up to the stadium, but I don't believe they will. Do you like the Mets? >> Yes, I like the Mets. >> Why do you like the Mets? >> Cuz my father said when they get older, I'll learn more and that will get better strikes. >> They may not be a good ball team, but who cares? We got Casey, >> a man who started this whole romance by introducing the Mets to the fans. He was also their best man. >> And so, the fans give him a gift of love. Dy is having a birthday. Let's sing happy birthday 74 and a gent we adore even in last place there is simply no doubt he is [singing] going the route he's keeping the metal alive birthday till next here when Ta is [cheering] [music] [music] >> Casey. He's the greatest. >> I think Case is the most. Yo, professor. Well, he's just great. I'll tell you that. He's great. >> No matter where he is, no matter where he goes, Casey will always be number one in the hearts of the Met fans. [cheering] And so, as the Mets sink slowly into the cellar, we say goodbye. But they'll be back next year and the next. And one day, we hope they'll be a little addition to the family. the National League penalty because every love story should have a happy ending. >> [bell]