Tom Brennan: Mets' Too-Low Turnouts? RONNY MO!! Pac Man''s Favorite Player. And L'il Stro

There's no place like the road, Auntie Em

…and Dawg, where dat big roof at?

The big question for Steve Cohen is why, in such a successful year, did the Yanks draw almost 600,000 more home fans than the Mets, while they drew almost the same as the Yanks on the road?  

See website attendance list:

  https://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance 

If my crosstown competitor (in this case the Yanks) drew 22% more fans than the 2,564,737 that my Metsie team drew locally, I as the owner would want to figure out why.

Well, the Mets did not have the Aaron Judge HR Record Chase (All Rise!), which was at least one factor increasing Yankee attendance at the end, no doubt.

But the Mets won 101 games, had quite a few big games at home, led most of the way, and partied hearty until almost the end.  That should draw tons of fans. More than they did.

So, what is it?  Why did the Yanks draw 22% more?  May I speculate? No? Well, I will, anyway, pardon me.

I think it is largely because Mets fans are not convinced in their guts, in their kishkes, that this Mets franchise won’t pull the rug out from under them somewhere during the season, as they have done in so many years.  The Who's song, "Won't Get Fooled Again" comes to mind.  

This franchise's teams, for what ever reason, sputter and stall in the clutch, eliminating their swagger.  I, as a Mets fan, always have waited for the other shoe to drop.  I expect it to happen. And some shoes have dropped really, really hard since 1969's miracle World Series glow had dimmed.

I think when you truly think your team is really looking dominant and headed for real seasonal victory, the team is COMPELLING and fans respond accordingly.  I think a lot of folks doubted them and stayed home.  Many might think, "SNY TV does a fine job – why schlep to the park of we’ll just be disappointed in the end?"

I remember the Ewing Knicks in the Garden - they had that "we will crush you" mystique, and fans responded with roaring sellout crowds.   

Mets' fans try to convince themselves that this season will be different - but since the nail-biting championship win of 1986, it hasn't been different - there has been lots of falling short, lots of Avis to the best team's Hertz.

Then there is the weather.  Sometimes sunny, many times sprinkles and chilly.(I do, however, love sprinkles on my ice cream cone, and a mild, hearty chili).

The Mets only had 77 dates, it appears, with 4 single pay doubleheaders.

If the Mets had a retractable roof, there would have been 4 more paying events.  With a roof, and temperature control, many fans who dislike the uncertainty of chilly, damp weather would not worry about that, and buy tickets unecumbered by the roofless possibility that they'd drive 90 minutes to the park only to find out the game was postponed.

My guess, with a roof, is 2022 attendance would have been 500,000 higher.  Maybe even a few hundred thousand more than that.

Would that added revenue warrant the huge cost of adding a roof?  

I dunno.  Something for Steve Cohen and his number-crunchers crew to ponder.

The Dodgers are great, dominant, always expected to be dominant, and always have flawless baseball weather.  They drew 50% more than the Mets. Why?

I dunno. But it is $$$omething for Steve Cohen and crew to ponder. 

RONNY MO, DONTCHA KNOW...

Sometimes, young guys can just click, and then WATCH OUT! 

Ronny Mauricio is playing Dominican offseason ball; his first 8 games, BOOM!!

.435/.487/.735, 11 RBIs.  And 5 of 5 in steals.  

Now, in 131 minors and Dominican games in 2022, 30 doubles, 28 HRs, and 100 RBIs.  Yep, he's real.  And he turns only 22 in the first week of the 2023 season.

WACHA, WACHA, WACHA...

Michael Wacha was L-ow-zee as a Met in 2020...a sucky 1-4, 6.62.  

Not great as a Ray in 2021, either, allowing 23 HRs in 124 innings. 

Chiropractors' businesses experienced a brisk uptick every time he pitched.  Whiplash from watching soaring blasts can be painful.

But ex-Mets always experience revivials, don't they?

Well, poor old Wacha's last 2 starts of 2022 were brutal:7.1 IP, 14 hits, 11 earned runs.  So, he must have had another sucky season, right?

Wrong!!!!  Before those last 2 outings, he was 11-1 2.70!!  

(Jake just asked me, "how can Wacha go 11-1?  I was never 11-1."  What could I say to poor ol' Jake?)

Anyway, Wacha's only 32 next year.  Might the Mets consider a reunion?

Pac-Man hopes so: 

WACHA WACHA WACHA!

Finally:

Little Marcus Stroman had a 2022 revival. Well, a mid-2022 revival.

A slow start with his new Cubs team and a June injury, but when he returned in July, in and threw 92 more innings, he was GOOD!  

4-2, 2.57 ERA.  

And, he is younger by far than our starter fossils, Jake and Max, an indicator that Little Stro's revival could continue on in 2023.  

That's all for now, folks.  This fossil is signing out.