b"Matters heart of thematterThingsthat Matter Since 1990 Is Baseball Calling Featuring Local People, Places and PUBLISHER My Name?& EDITOR IN CHIEFEllen DonkerIm learning to read the signalsASSOCIATEEDITORCheryl Silver BY ELLEN DONKERSOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERRachael EntineAnother good reason to root ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS for the New York Mets is the Rene Conlon team's adorable mascot H. Leslie Gilman couple, Mr. & Mrs. Met.COPY EDITORSNick HumezTia SwansonCONTRIBUTORSLacey Buccellato, Malia Rulon Herman, Donny Levit, Tami Steckler, I tsbaseballseasonandto switch teams when the going Tia Swanson, Julia Maloof VerderosaI think this may be thegot tough. Suddenly I feel the year to throw myself intoburdenofbeingarolemodel thesport.Thatswhatfor Madeline. happens when summersThe only thing holding me warm breezes tempt meback from being all in is figur-into thinking a good waying out how to make room for to spend my Sunday afternoonbaseballinmylife. Truthfully, would be rooting for the New York Mets at CitiField. As amy mind can only focus on so many things in any given family weve enjoyed our fair share of games. day. Id have to download the MLB app, check the stand-Tobehonest,though,therealbaseballfansinmyings every day, memorize the teams lineup and watch games house are my husband, Rob, and our sons, Christian andon TVfor hours. Please address all correspondence to: Timothy. Madeline and I are along for the food and familySomething would have to give, and this is the problem. Visual Impact Advertising, Inc. camaraderie. (CitiField does boast a Shake Shack!) But IIm not sure I can abandon watching Jeopardy, devote less P.O. Box 198 feel like I could really get on board with following baseballtime to reading books, or step back from the care of my Maplewood, NJ 07040 because its a sport that I get. I understand the rules. I like200+ houseplants. It would be a sacrifice, but I can only 973-763-4900 the action and its fun to keep up with the players.imagine how it would boost my familial bliss. mattersmagazine.comA little bit of baseball knowledge is also good for smallRob and I could have deep conversations about why info@mattersmagazine.com talk. Rob says I have a knack for picking up sound bitesthe Mets took out their ace pitcher Jacob DeGrom in the Matters Magazine is owned and publishedthat make it seem like Im a fan. My trick is to listen toeighth inning only to have their bullpen blow yet another by Visual Impact Advertising, Inc., P.O.WCBS radio while Im cooking dinner, pick up a snip- game in the ninth; the boys and I could laugh about the Box 198, Maplewood, NJ 07040. Matters Magazine is free, with editions direct mailedpet of baseball news and casually drop it into our dinnerescapades of sports announcer Keith Hernandez cat Hadji; 7 times a year to the residents of Maplewoodconversation. And it gets him every time. A flash of satis- and wed all lament the possibility of the National League and South Orange and distributed to busi- faction crosses Robs face and he expands on the teaser justallowing the designated hitter.nesses and surrounding communities total-ing 16,000. Subscriptions are available tobefore realizing the tidbit for what it is: his wife is still aWed change our travel aspirations and instead set the non-residents for $30 (U.S.), $40 (Foreign)baseball rookie.goal of seeing the Mets play in every ballpark in the coun-annually. No part of the publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced withoutBut maybe this year I will become a fan. I think thetry. I would even help Rob complete his scorebook at each writtenpermissionfromVisualImpacttiming is right with stadiums opening up and spectatorsgamethe same one he has used for decades. Advertising, Inc. able to attend games maskless. And if I think about it, IBut Im getting ahead of myself. I think I need to launch CIRCULATION VERIFIED BY have the genes of fandom:My grandmother rooted formy new fan status by attending my first game of the year. If U.S. POSTAL RECEIPTS. the Chicago Cubs her entire life and my mother does thethe Shake Shack gets my order right, Ill take that as a signal READ & RECYCLE same despite only one World Series win during her 88that baseball wants me. Lets go Metsand Ill take some years. My father also loved baseball, but he was knownfries with that burger. 8/ matters magazine / summer 2021"