5/12/14

Craig Mitchell -- A Tonic for a Spoiled Mets Fan

Hello. My name is Craig and I’m a Mets fan. If you are too, then this will be an extremely polarizing article for you to read.  I have become very frustrated with some of my fellow Met fans. Now, the past 10 years or so have been very trying on all fans of the orange and blue. There have been ups and mostly downs. From 2001 to 2005 we had the recovery from the Subway Series years. From 2006 to 2008 we had the heartbreaking late season collapse years. 2009-2014 we've had The Coupon era.

I have been a staunch Met fan since 1971.  That’s 43 years living and dying with the Mets. Mostly it’s been a lot of mediocrity with a small period of dominance (1985 to 1990).  Mets fans have seen it all in a relatively short amount of time. From the funny, “Lose a 100 games year” Mets of the early to mid-sixties to the “Grants Tomb” Mets of the late 70’s to early 80’s to the “Bonilla” years of the early nineties to the “Piazza Surge” of 1997.  It’s been a wild ride. But I think current Met fans have reached their limits.

As of this writing, the Mets stand two games over .500, and despite all accounts to the contrary the Mets have been competitive so far in 2014. But you wouldn't know it if you go to any of a dozen Met fan sites, blogs or even MLB, or Mets.com. Met fans are surly, combative, negative and downright pissed. Even after games that the Mets win the comments you see are incredible negative. You see comments like “This won’t last……”, “I wonder how we would do with a real pen...”, “Colon is a fat loser”, “Wright regrets signing now.”  I mean seriously, I personally find it very tough to read this crap. Met fans seem to be suffering from some sort of baseball related PTSD.  I don’t’ mean to make light of a serious medical condition, I only use it as a point of comparison. But the negative fan response just doesn’t seem to match the event. We’re competitive for shit sakes! But a certain amount of Met fans act as though things have never been worse.

I keep thinking maybe all this is an after effect of the Yankee dynasty that has been ongoing since 1996. The Mets and their fans have taken a back seat to the Yankees winning five world series in that time while the Mets have mostly sat on the sidelines and the one year we met them head on we were brushed aside in five games. We were just a mere afterthought.

Perhaps, it’s the after effects of the Madoff scandal and how that has hampered the Mets ability to be competitive in the free agent market since 2009.  Well, the Mets last splash (before the Granderson signing) was in 2010 when the Mets went out and signed Jason Bay to a 5 year 80 million dollar contract. That couldn’t have been a bigger bust. Seriously, Bay struggled so furiously it made Vince Coleman look like a Hall of Famer. While not the Mets fault, the Bay scar runs deep.  Met fans still curse and twitch at the mere mention of Bay’s name. Already, because of Curtis Grandersons slow start there is a fan that I saw is already referring to him as “Granderbay”. Seriously, I think some Met fans need a hug. More realistically, I think they need to get over themselves.

While the Mets have had their share of down times and trials and tribulations, they are far from being the saddest franchise in baseball. Every time I see one of these caustic remarks fly into the cloud I wonder to myself “What would that fan do If he followed the Cubs?”  The Cubs have been the poster child for mediocrity for 116 years, with a few post season spikes (1945, 1984, 1989, 2003,08). Their last World Series title featured the infield of Tinkers, Evers and Chance. Their last appearance was in 1945. The Mets have been to the World Series four times since 1969.  Met fans could learn from the Cub Fans. They have been through goat curses, black cat curses, the curse of Steve Bartman, the Leon Durham curse and on and on. While I’m sure Cub fans are frustrated, I don’t see the outright hate in Chicago that comes out of some of these Met fans. There’s a love there. There’s an understanding that they are and always will be the loveable Cubs. Perhaps it’s because Chicago is the 2 nd city. This is New York after all. This is the big apple. The Met fans I cited feel that the Mets have a higher standard to live up to.


The impatience has grown. The Mets haven’t won it all in 28 years, by far the longest time they had ever gone in their history.  The longest drought without a championship before was 16 years (1969 to 1986). Losing isn’t cute anymore. It’s drudgery. But then again the Mets aren’t losing 100 games a year either. They are in a upward swing. They have young arms that are proving to be a force to deal with. We know what we have in Matt Harvey. Zach Wheeler is still developing. Jenrry Mejia has been terrific. Still coming are Noah Syndergaard and Jacob DeGrom and Rafeal Montero. Seems to me the waiting is almost over, the winning is about to begin (if it hasn’t already)

Dare I say it? Some Met fans are spoiled? Perhaps so. Hey, I hate watching the Mets lose, but realistically there seems more to be excited about now than in years past. Let’s compare the Mets situation to that of The Padres, Astros, Mariners, Royals (last win 1985), Nationals, Orioles (last won in 1983), Pirates (Last year was first year over .500 since the early 90’s), Brewers, Rangers (back to back World Series losses and no wins ever) and Rockies.  The Mets are considerably better off than most of the teams I just mentioned. The Mets have won a championship later that all of them. The Mariners and Nationals have never been in the fall classic. Just food for thought.

I can see it now. I can see the comments accusing me of being “too positive” or demanding everyone agree
with my point of view. Nonsense, I get pissed off too. Back 2009 when Luis Castillo dropped Alex Rodriguez’ pop up that would have sealed a Met win in the first game of the subway series at Yankee Stadium. I went bananas. I throw my remote control I screamed expletives at the TV (directed at Luis Castillo) I even changed my profile picture on Facebook to that of a little kid in a Met hat and uniform giving everyone the finger.  I was mad.

But I got over it. It’s a game. It’s not the end of the world. I realize most Met fans get that. The Met lows are pretty painful, but the highs are really worth waiting for. I feel the wait is almost over now. It’s becoming our time again.

Man, I still get pissed thinking about Luis Castillo………..See? I am a true Met fan.


6 comments:

Reese Kaplan said...

I usually refer to him as Curtis Bay. It makes the adult beverages required to watch he and Terry Collins' crew slide down as easily as a margarita over a setting sun.

Tom Brennan said...

Craig, Mack and all other faithful readers of, and contributors to, this blog site - i humbly ask you to consider the following:

Being that it was Mother's Day, I went to visit Mom yesterday - it was the 9th inning and I turned the game on just in time to see Citifield turn Chris Young's tying HR in the 9th into a double. I am a loyal Met fan. I am SO sick of these dimensions and the robbed extra base hits and HRs, which make our team look inept and anemic.

So I think there needs to be a call to arms, based on stats - I ask each of you to consider whether we should complain and ask that this park, where the fences remain deep and the ball does not carry, be further shortened dramatically. My vote is by a full 8 feet all the way around, to give the hitters a fair chance.

Below are the stats upon which to base your analysis...please note that I do not analyze the pitchers here. My focus is the hitters. The hitters may not be the league's best - but it is my take that this park crushes them. And as a fan, after a while, who wants to watch offensive ineptness? I listened to Howie Rose the other night, commenting that David Wright had not homered in 135 at bats. He promptly drilled a ball that Howie excitedly thought was going out. It bounced on the track - Howie postulated that because of the heavy air, it stayed in the park.

Mets in 2014 are .208 (64 runs in 19 games). On road, Mets are .252 (78 runs in 17 games).

Last year, Mets were .254 away (351 runs), home just .219 (268 runs).

2012, Mets were .256 away (363 runs), home just .242 (287 runs).

2011, Mets were .265 away (390 runs), home .262 (328 runs).

In 3 1/4 seasons an astounding 235 less runs than on the road. Almost a run per game. What an incredible home field burden on our hitters. Again, I would vote to move the fences in 8 feet further - all around. Give them a fighting chance. Duda - under .200 at home, over .300 on the road. Mets hitting almost as much as the Rockies on the road, 150 points lower at home. What a stupid way to run a business. "Come see us struggle and NOT score, Mets fans! And make sure to spend lots of $$ while you're here. Stop by the Pepto Bismol stand - it will help."

Mack Ade said...

Well, nothing is going to change this year.

I think it's a worthy cause and someone needs to take up the subject and begin to write a series of articles on it... wait... you just did!

Thomas, you say you're not a writer but look at the job you just did?

Let me invite you into the site and THIS could be the subject you target into 1x per week or 2x per month. The rest of the time you could remain a comment maker.

Whatta you say?

Tom Brennan said...

Let me think about that, Mack. It would be fun - and I know I am on here a lot commenting. Just want to see if I can set aside real time to do it right. You run a professional site - i'd want it to stay that way!!

By the way, I just happened to glance at Ike's #'s: on 15 for 30 in last 6 games...the Citicurse may be lifting from him! Meanwhile, Duda (Terry Collins once called him "Power Supreme") has 2 doubles and no HRs his last 45 times up - his rushing back Saturday with Campbell arriving reminded me of Bob in the Account Temps commercial - might have feared he would be the next Wally Pipp.

Stubby said...

Thanks for trying, Craig. I doubt you'll get through to the "new breed" of Mets "fans".

I blame 1986, in a way. I've been a Mets fan since the beginning. I remember how wonderful it was to be a Mets fan in those first 20 years or so. It truly didn't matter whether they won or lost; the Mets were family and, if they succeeded you were proud and, if they failed, you just loved them more. Through the sixties, you'd get to the end of the season and kids in school would ask me who was going to win the Series that year. I always said, "The Mets, of course." Even during the M. Donald Grant days (and I know they created a whole new level of hell just for him), you supported and cheered on whomever was on the field. Then '86 happened and every jerk and bully in the country declared themselves to be Mets fans. Winning was their birthright. C'mon, its New York, after all. Spend big and win big. Beat the other teams into submission. Eff 'em all. That was the attitude and that was not, prior to '86, what it was to be a Mets fan.

Of course its nice to win. But baseball's a different game than football. Its a long game with a long season and a long arc to greatness. If you can't just enjoy the game, win or lose--if you can't just support your team regardless--then I don't think you're much of a fan and I question whether or not you really "get" baseball. Its fair to question the front office. It's not fair to root against the team "until the Wilpons sell". To me, its not fair to pile on the players the way that has been done by supposed Mets fans. Ruben Tejada clearly isn't the best shortstop in the game; that doesn't mean you get to root for his demise. So long as he's a Met, you root for him to win the Triple Crown. That's what being a Mets fan used to be.

I stumbled upon some chat forum the other day--don't even remember what it was--but there were Mets fans discussing the team in a rational manner, realistic but without vitriol. I was enjoying reading it. Then one guy--one complete jerk--started in in the manner I've become accustomed to in Mets forums lately. He completely destroyed that forum (IMHO) with his negativity and Mets hating crap. And to hear him tell it, HE was the victim because people in that forum didn't want that stuff. But he kept on until he killed it.

I honestly think these jerks who call themselves Mets fans live for the losing. They don't want to win; they just want to complain. And I think they do more damage to the team than the Wilpons (or M. Donald Grant, for that matter) could ever hope to do. Here's a tip: if you have more negative things than positive things to say about your team, you probably aren't really a fan. If the foremost things on your mind about your team are the negatives, you probably aren't really a fan. If you LOOK for negative things to say about your team, you probably aren't really a fan. If you simply must look for the cloud behind every silver lining, you probably aren't really a fan. If you can't celebrate a win without a "yeah, but", you probably aren't really a fan. If you HATE ANY of the players on your team, who didn't hate you first (e.g. Richie Hebner), you probably aren't really a fan. Somehow, for over 60 years, Topps baseball has found something positive to say about every player they ever put to cardboard; if you can't do that about all the players on your team, you probably aren't really a fan. And if you aren't really a fan, then why you gotta go and rain on everybody else's day? Because I don't think any real fan would do that.

John Looby said...

Nice comments, Stubby,.