When Citi Field becomes an LI reunion site
For his birthday this year, Billy McGloin's daughter gave him a personalized Mets bobblehead doll. Credit: Paula Ganzi McGloin
I’m not a sports fan, but my husband is as is evidenced by his wardrobe. Billy’s closet is a shrine to the Islanders, Giants and especially the Mets.
I grew up close in Kew Gardens Hills, close to Shea Stadium and though I didn't follow sports, I thought of myself as a Mets fan by logistics. And now by marriage. I’m thrilled to be part of the "Let’s Go Mets" spirit and love Billy’s passion.
How passionate is he? When we met in 2011,my boss, a Yankees fan, offered us great seats to a Yankees game with Legends Suite access to five-star dining.
Billy’s response? “I’m not setting foot inside Yankee Stadium unless they’re playing the Mets.” They weren’t. We didn’t go.
When we moved from Nassau County to Delaware in 2020, we discovered some Mets games were blacked out due to broadcasting agreements. But a Verizon subscription, MLB package and Prime membership solved that.
And of course, we still go to games. At least once a year our out-of-state license plate can be seen in Citi Field’s parking lot.
Decades ago, Billy started what would become an annual tailgate party. It has grown from a handful of people to dozens of tailgaters from Melville, Bohemia, Smithtown, Bay Shore and more. Billy emails the group a few dates, we decide on a game, then Billy buys the tickets and sends out the who-brings-what list for a Mets moveable feast.
“Everybody brings something -- hot dogs, burgers, shrimp cocktail, tables, grills, snacks, sides,” Billy explains. “It’s great! I’ve been organizing this for 44 years!”
Billy’s enthusiasm for the Mets is all-consuming. During baseball season, we schedule our downtime around gametime. Often at night, I’m watching television in another room while hearing shouts from the living room: “Yeah!” or “Are you kidding me?” with his expletive deleted.
His fandom often inspires gift-givers. For his birthday this year, his daughter, Allie, had a personalized Billy Mets bobblehead made. He loved it!
Last year, I bought him an MLB stadium map. It has all the U.S. ballparks, along with tiny baseball inserts to mark the stadiums visited. Eleven slots are empty. In September, we'll rectify some of those by taking a driving vacation to St. Louis’ Busch Stadium, Detroit’s Comerica Park, Milwaukee’s American Family Field and Chicago’s Wrigley Field. Of course, Billy scheduled the trip so that we will see the Mets play.
To sweeten the vacation for me, there will be excursions to the Ford Museum in Detroit, a show in Chicago’s theater district and the Clydesdale VIP Experience at Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis, including photo ops with the horses!
No, I’m not a sports fan, but I will have attended six baseball games this year.
With Billy, you can take the Mets fan off Long Island, but you can’t keep him from watching their games.
Reader Paula Ganzi McGloin now lives in Millsboro, Delaware.
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