Since their inception in 1962, the New York Mets have long been enamored – and at times endured – by their supportive fan base.
Some of those followers have even taken their sporting devotion across the Seven Seas, from haze gray underway across ocean vastness to running silent and running deep in the briny depths.
There have been several Mets fans who have celebrated and commiserated during their time assigned to Naval Hospital Bremerton.
Brooklyn, New York native U.S. Navy Capt. Robert Uniszkiewicz, MD, MPH, became a Mets fan the day he was born.
“I have been a Mets fan my entire life. I watched games as a kid. It was how I spent time with my grandfather. Every year was going to be ‘our year.’ Even if it wasn’t, it still felt like it was,” reminisced Uniszkiewicz, stationed with North American Aerospace Command and U.S. Northern Command office of the command surgeon, force health protection division for public health threats.
Being a Mets fan is not for the faint of heart. Uniszkiewicz can attest to that.
“I cannot recommend being a Mets fan as the ups and downs they put you through will take years off your life,” Uniszkiewicz related. “For me though, it is the ups and downs that make them so enjoyable. Win or lose, they get up to play again tomorrow. I equate that to life, and military life in particular. The thrilling highs and sometimes challenging lows come to us all. It is how we deal with them that builds our character. Baseball teaches patience and resiliency.”
Many a servicemember knows that sports provide common ground at times to connect, discuss and parse. To a certain degree it can even level the hierarchy playing field.
“Sports transcend ranks, rates, and all walks of life,” said Uniszkiewicz. “Baseball brought people like me and retired Navy Senior Chief Culinary Specialist Submarine Kevin Flatley together in ways we may never have otherwise.”
“When I was NHB Directorate of Branch Clinics leading chief petty officer and Dr. U took over as my boss we instantly connected over our shared fandom of the Mets. That blossomed into a wonderful friendship now that I have retired,” added Flatley. “It also keeps me connected to several friends I grew up with on Long Island even though I have not lived there in 28 years. The Mets have served as the glue that has brought me together with several important people in my life.”
That mutual formed bond over their chosen team has had Uniszkiewicz and Flatley savoring wins and lamenting loses.
“Met games are never boring. They prove to me over and over that nothing is guaranteed in life, but you have to get up and keep playing. Although nobody in my family will make the bigs, it is from the couch that I will get into every game,” Uniszkiewicz said.
Although he insists no family member will play in the big leagues, Uniszkiewicz did enjoy the unique opportunity of throwing out the first pitch at a Tacoma Rainier – Triple A farm team of the Seattle Mariners - home game in 2017.
“That’s remains a highlight of my life,” Uniszkiewicz said.
When the Mets traveled to Oakland in 2023 for a three-game series, Uniszkiewicz and Flatley took in one of the games. Not only did their team sweep the Athletics, 17-6, 3-2 and 4-3, Uniszkiewicz snagged a foul ball. The odds of that happening are one in a 1,000 chance.
“That was incredible. I take that ball everywhere. It’s my lucky charm each time the Mets play,” exclaimed Uniszkiewicz.
The cool memory of catching the foul ball and tossing out the first pitch join another cherished remembrance for Uniszkiewicz which is also intricately related to baseball.
“My dad took me to a game at Shea Stadium [home field of the Mets from 1964 to 2008] every year on my birthday,” said Uniszkiewicz. “He did this even though he has no interest in sports. He did it for me. I want to carry that on to my kids. Baseball fills me with joy even when it fills me with pain because of the close ties to family and so many friends.
For Flatley, he can trace his support to the Mets back to the mid-1980s. After finishing 98-64 in ’85, the Mets went on a roll in ’86, finishing with a 108-54 record, claiming the National League East by 21.5 games. After knocking off the Houston Astros to win the National League Championship Series, they took on the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. After dropping game one and two to the BoSox in the fall classic, they came back to claim the title in seven games.
“The Mets magical run to the World Series title in 1986 cemented me as a fan for life. Game six [Mets down by two runs, bottom of the tenth, two outs, no one on base, yet rallied for the win] is still one of my best childhood memories,” related Flatley.
“As a New Yorker, you have the Mets or Yankees. But my dad was a Mets fan,” Flatley continued. “He had rooted for the Giants growing up but was left without a team when they moved to San Francisco [for the 1958 season]. When the Mets brought National League baseball back to New York, he became a Mets fan. I simply followed suite.”
Flatley spent the majority of his Navy career on submarines. On those long silent service patrols, with confined working spaces and cramped living conditions, he would bring a little haberdashery of his team for a sporting dash of home. “I would typically bring a Mets hat and perhaps a t-shirt,” he said.
The 2024 Mets finished with an 89-73 record and claimed a National League wild card spot in the NL playoffs. They took two games out of three to knock off the Milwaukee Brewers before upending the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series three games to one to make it to the NL Championship Series.
“This year's team has the magic,” stated Flatley. “At the beginning of the season, this was billed as a gap year, during which the team would be competitive but not necessarily compete for a championship. At the end of May, the Mets were 11 under .500 and just got swept by the Dodgers. At home. After a team meeting, they have the best record in baseball. They have carried that momentum into the playoffs. They have done so because they believe in themselves, have a steady manager, and because they don't rely on any one player to get the job done.
The Mets currently trail the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in the NLCS, with the Dodgers slightly favored.
Yet not to steadfast fans like Flatley and Uniszkiewicz.
“They are truly playing as a team. The Mets have not enjoyed a lot of success over their history. I, along with most fans, tend to be pretty pessimistic. But this team has shown they can beat anyone. Will they win it all? I don't know. But I plan to enjoy the ride as far as the team takes me,” said Flatley.
When asked for his prediction on the playoffs, Uniszkiewicz replied, “The Mets will go all the way.”
“Full disclosure,” noted Uniszkiewicz. “That’s my prediction every year.”