Ah, baseball.
Losers. Winners. Green (diamond) success stories.
It’s October and Green Success Stories can’t help but thinking about America’s Game.
Soy Un Perdedor
First, a nod to the losers.
The Chicago White Sox have “won” the record for most losses in a Major League Baseball season. 121 losses. In doing so, they take over from the 1962 Mets, prior holders of that ignominious record. That Mets team was in the first year of existence, a beloved crew of lovable losers who lost ground balls in the sun and ran the bases backwards. But those losers are losers no more.
In a mocking or perhaps empathetic manner, WFUV in New York dedicated their musical question of the day to them. Songs about losers. Loser by Beck. Soy un perdedor…
And how about the Brewers. Haven’t won a post season series since, what, 1982? Three outs away from victory and they give up a crushing three run homer that crushes their dreams once again. Players in the dugout are in tears.
I’m a winner I’m a sinner
While Pete Alonso and the New York Mets are surrounded by cheers.
Talk about losers and winners.
Those same Mets who now no longer hold the record for worst record ever.
The team that lost its first five games of the season, who were 11 games under .500 midway through the season, who couldn’t buy a win from a pawn shop, suddenly turned their whole season around and won and won again in dramatic fashion. Late inning heroics every other day.
Pete Alonso, aka the Polar Bear, was mired in the most awful of slumps, this during his “walkoff” year, when his contract was up for bids and you’re supposed to show what you can do.
And he did. Down 2-0 to the Brewers in the deciding game of the wild card round, two runners on, two outs away from packing up the bats and taking out the fishing poles, Pete Alonso steps up to the plate…
In the Big Apple and beyond, Jewish fans celebrating the Jewish New Year put away their Rosh Hashana apples and honey to sneak a peek at their neighbor’s TV. Soon they praise the Lord with cries of OMG and dance a hora along with the entire Mets dugout. They decide from that moment on that polar bear is kosher.
He did it. Pete Alonso hits a home run just beyond the outstretched arms of the right fielder and into the stands.
The Mets lead and soon win the game and the series.
What’s this got to do with sustainability and climate tech?
Well, no, they Mets have not decided to plant a tree for every baseball bat they swing (though maybe that’s a good idea).
This is more a note of empathy and encouragement.
To those who are losing but trying like crazy in their green efforts – Keep on swinging. Even when you’re in a slump. Take a lesson from the beautiful green baseball diamond. You might be in a “I need a win so badly” slump that you wonder sometimes if it’s worth getting up and lacing up your sustainably sourced cleats at all.
It is. Keep playing.
There will be day for your sustainability efforts to come out on top. Renewable energy, clean technology, kindness to the earth and to its inhabitants will prevail.
As Mets fans have said for years:
Ya gotta believe.
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