Back in August I posted here that the NY Mets should look to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as their blueprint for future success in building a franchise. (Shameless Plug: http://metsmerizedonline.com/2009/08/angels-should-be-the-mets-blueprint.html)
While I am still largely on my Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim bandwagon, especially with their comeback victory against Boston in Game 3 and now the Angels and Demons matchup of Yankees/Angels on the horizon, I have to come to terms with the fact it’s possible they won’t beat the Yankees.
With four teams left, an ideal World Series for a sulking Mets fan would be the Freeway Series between the Angels and Dodgers. The west coasters would get their fix of east coast bias, and we would see minimal players/front office employees that we despise on the field.
However, I read somewhere I forget where that as a Mets fan if the Phillies and Yankees were to meet in the World Series, that Mets fan would root for the Phillies. For SHAME sir! I’ll break down where my rooting interests would be in the potential series, and why you as a Mets fan should feel the same way.
Disclaimer: If any of these players snuffed you at a club, or refused to sign an autograph for you and you now hate whatever team they are on … well I can’t do anything about that. I’m talking as an average New Yorker and Mets fan here.
Angels v. Yankees (Angels and Demons)
I think it goes without saying that a true Mets fan wants nothing more than to see the Angels bunt and steal their way to a series victory here.
We also have some scouting to do. John Lackey is a free agent and often a the topic of conversation as to whether he will be a good fit here in New York, and is he worth the money? Well, we’re about to find out. Is there a bigger stage and a better lineup that Lackey could face in New York in Game 1? I don’t think so. He had an excellent game against Boston, but all due respect to the Red Sox Nation; your lineup doesn’t compare to what the Yankees bring. You wanna see if John Lackey should be sought after by the Mets brass? Watch him take on ARod, Tex and Jeter while going toe to toe with Sabathia. You’ll figure it out one way or the other on Friday night.
Remember when the Mets were about to get Vlad Guerrero and then his back injuries stopped them from doing so, and all he did was win the league MVP after? How can you not root for the guy? He’s one of the most fun hitters to watch swing the bat, he should have been here in NY but we were too scared to gamble and look what it cost us. He deserves a World Series trip in my opinion.
The Angels scare the crap out of Yankees fans. It’s actually a lot of fun to listen to.
Phillies v. Dodgers
Okay if there is one thing we as Mets fans love, it’s showing appreciation for Yankee greats when their franchise kicks them out the door. Joe Torre lead that team for 10+ years, never missing the playoffs and they ran him out of town like he was Jeff Torberg. Furthermore, in their new stadium museum, there is not one mention or photo of the great manager from the championship era.
I am not a Manny Ramirez fan, I’m glad he’s not wearing a Mets uniform right now (or a Mets hoody as he’d likely be sitting on the couch somewhere.) However, this week, I’m a Manny fan.
Did anybody read that story about Ryan Howard’s 200th Homerun ball? To sum it up, it was hit in Florida, and a 12 year old girl caught it, a Phillies representative convinced her to take the ball to the clubhouse to give to Howard in exchange he’d come out and meet her, sign a ball and take a photo. She’s outside the clubhouse, and a team rep walks out, hands her a signed ball and sends her on her way. The guy couldn’t take 5 minutes out of his lead pipe swinging day to meet a 12 year old girl who was giving him his memorable Homerun ball back. So she sued, and she won. Good for her.
I expect Pedro Martinez will get a sunny start in Los Angeles at some point, which will mean a Pedro v. Manny situation that the media will probably highlight for a day and a half leading up to it. I love Martinez, but he was insane to demand the contract he wanted from the Mets and I hope he gets lit up in Los Angeles.
I hate everything about that team. From their fans, to their manager, their pitching coach’s stupid name, Jayson Werth & Brad Lidge, and of course the core of Utley, Howard, and Hamels. I want to see Brad Lidge implode in Los Angeles so bad it keeps me up at night because I need to make sure my DVR is set to go 30 minutes over the scheduled time!
If the Angels or Dodgers play the Phillies or Yankees, it should be an easy decision for Mets fans. However, if the sun sets and the darkness fills the skies over Citi Field and we are forced to watch a World Series between the Yankees and the Phillies, I’m taking the Yankees.
Yankees v. Phillies
What do residents of Philadelphia despise more than Santa Claus? New Yorkers. Whether we wear pin stripes or blue and orange, they do not like us. Here’s why we should team up and root for the Yankees over the Phillies should this happen.
If the Phillies win the World Series again, though you may know fewer annoying Phillies fans personally than Yankees fans, the Phillies fan will have two years of not only defeating the Mets in the standings, but now conquering New York as a whole by defeating the best team on paper in baseball.
Yankees fans know they overpay for talent. Isn’t that our biggest argument? There isn’t a Yankees fan alive who thinks it’s a good idea to have a $200 million dollar payroll. If any team could do it, they would.
Remember last year’s All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium? New Yorkers boo’d Chase Utley and in a moment of hilarity he responded with “Boo? F%^& You.” He was saying that to New York! You’re a Mets fan, were you at the game? I’m sure you boo’d didn’t you? Stand up for New York and so, “No Chase. F^$# You!”
Finally, there’s Alex Rodriguez. You know, I think on average Mets fans don’t mind Rodriguez, mostly because we enjoy the fact his own fans can’t stand him even though he’s so talented. Wouldn’t it be so great to see Rodriguez win the World Series over Philadelphia? Your chances of getting through to WFAN shows will increase by 50% alone, because now there will be nothing to complain about in the Bronx!
If these two should meet in the Sandbox Series (you know, because they both play in little league parks.) You as a Mets fan can NOT root for Philadelphia. Swallow your pride and stand up for New York. We only play the Yankees 6 times a year, so for a little over a week we’d have to hear about how they are the defending champs. Imagine how annoying that would be, and then multiply it by 17 times. You realize on their own website their banner says nothing that they are World Series champions? It says “NL East Champions – 2007, 2008, 2009”
The Yankees despite what some of us think are not in any way shape or form our rivals. Sure, its fun to go at it with Yankees fans, but it’s only because they are so close in proximity to us. The Philadelphia Phillies are our rivals, they are who we build a roster to try and defeat next year, and to root for them in any series is not only a crime against the Mets, but it’s a crime against New York!
But seriously, I hope it’s a Freeway Series in Los Angeles! I’d obviously root for the Angels, but I’d be okay with seeing a teary eyed Torre talk about how he is so grateful to have been given the chance to manage another great team after he was run out of town in New York.
*Mets Merized Online Needs Your Help*
I can’t do it. I can’t root for the Yankees. (Or the Phillies really) Over the last two years I’ve frequently said that at least Yankees fans are New Yorkers, and Phillies fans are scum. (Even though I do know some ‘reasonable’ fans from Philadelphia..)
I just can’t root for the Yankees. That ‘in your face’ style of their fans, and them literally being in our faces at Thanksgiving and in the next cubicle etc etc, makes it hard. Then they have the whole 26/27 to 2 (even though it’s only 7-2 right now in championships in direct comparison, but don’t try to tell them that.) From a 2010 standpoint, Philadelphia winning gives the Mets season more juice. The rivalry (best in sports if they’re both good next year) only intensifies between the two teams. If the Phillies were to win, they’d be up a more manageable 3-2 in championships. The Mets, despite being the better team on paper every year, would legitimately go back to being true underdogs, which seems to make most Mets fans happy.
I don’t think the Phillies are good enough to make it, and they would’ve have without Cliff Lee and some sloppy Rockies play, but Cliff Lee can’t carry the team as much in a seven game series against a better team.
On a side note, which is worse, glossing over the importance of including history in your ballpark, or purposely ‘altering’ it and omitting parts of it ala Torre? While the Wilpons are clueless and disconnected with the fans, the Steinbrenners and the Yankees are cruel and classless, and have been for 90+ years.
Also, I’m pretty sure I just won’t watch the World Series if it’s those two. I’ll just get the text message results when it’s over and curse.
Amen, I wouldnt watch it at all and just hear it from the en-laws…I would much rather see the freeway series. I have been rooting for the Dodgers since the playoffs (trying hard to forget about ‘88) began and would love to rub it in those Stankees fan faces the fact that Torre could do it ( w/Manny )before they could. I would gloat with my “B”rooklyn Dodger hat…
The Phillies are even better than last years Champions. They added Cliff Lee whose proven to be a big factor, and Ibanez replaced Burrell. Thy may just win it all again, especially if the bullpen can hang on for another two weeks.
on paper they’re better. Hamels isn’t very good this year, neither is Lidge. Their bullpen is a mess. Happ is a rookie and Pedro is, well, Pedro. We’ll see how they do in a longer series where I suspect their pitching will get exposed.
I hope you’re right. If they get past the Dodgers, Happ could be a big weapon against the AL who havent seen him yet. I think their bullpen is definitely their Achilles heel. When their starters go seven or more innings, the Phillies have a .750 winning percentage. Ultimately, I hope the Halos go all the way. I’d hate to see Torre lauded for an entire year if he wins another one, even if it means not throwing it in the Yankees face.
I’m curious About the Ryan Howard story. I understand that after the girl won her case, the Phils supposedly returned the actual 200th homer ball to her. The question is how does anyone know the ball she was given is the actual ball? Cheaters are cheaters and how does anyone know they wouldn’t stoop to another cheap trick?
All historic and milestone baseballs, are immediately examined and marked for identification purposes after the game.
But in this case, the girl had it, so how did it get authenticated?
well, dont they change the balls, when there is a potential milestone??????? thats what they’ve always done. they are all numbered and marked correct?
Actually, I thought the case was dropped because they returned the ball once they got sued. It’s silly because it’s not actually worth that much.
Do you live in the same New York I do?There’s no way I’d want to hear Yanker fans scream ” 27 rings!”, and gloat over how they could beat Philly when we couldn’t.
You are mistaken about how long they would talk trash. It wouldn’t be just for a week, it would never end. Plus I’m sure they’d rather buy some crack instead of a new ugly shirt with 27 trophies on the back.
Sorry man, I hate the Phillies, but the only way I could ever root for the Yankers is if they play Al Qaeda.
Maybe they will be all tied up 3-3 after six games, and before game 7 it will be the dawn of a new ice age. A man can dream…..
I sincerely hope Torre gets to come back to NY to play the demons and whips their A**. I hate the Yanks but I have always felt they disrespected Joe Torre. However, if LAD losses to the Phils, and it comes down to Phils -vs- NYY, I’ll still watch and hope that some how thy both lose….
Lets hope its a NON issue and its an all California series with the Angels and Dodgers.
I went to the Philly/Met game in August when they did the tribute to the 69 team, the place, unfortunately, had far too many Filthy fans there. On the way in one asked me, if the WS was between the Phils/Yanks who would I root for, “I said, a quick winter and Spring Training” . I actually thought for a min, that I’d have to go with Philly because I never go for the AL team. I changed my mind quick when those scumbags were SO classless, they were chanting Lets Go Phillies DURING the ceremony. I yelled down to one and asked “Are you that classless that you can’t wait for the ceremony to be over?” you can imagine his illiterate response.
They are punks, both sets of fans and do not know how to win in style……….
As far as I’m concerned, its football season………April can’t get here soon enough………..I’m still waiting for next year!
If it is Phillies and Yankees, I am rooting for philly….i never want to see a-rod win a world series, and no matter how much i want the phillies to lose, the players on the team seem to be good guys and good baseball players…something the mets lack
I got the Angels first, Dodgers second, and Philly third.
I will NEVER, EVER root for the Yankees under ANY circumstances.
I hope the Angels take it all.
I hope the Dodgers beat the Yankees in the world series, just so torre can stick it to the steinbrenners…i generally root for the dodgers anyway when they aren’t playing the mets…and no I’m not Fred Wilpon…ive just always liked the dodgers and the brooklyn roots they have
Yeah good guys – Rollins bashes the Mets in their WS parade instead of thanking their own fans for their support, and Meyers is a convicted wife beater, oh and Hamels calls the Mets choke artists (egged on or not) and goes on to have a losing record – great guys……..
Sorry, but the yanks are the devil’s spawn. the power of christ compels me.
Question: Red Sox v. Mets in a World Series and you poll 100 Yankees fans who they would root for? I’d bet a majority would say they root for NYM.
Reason: You don’t root for a division rival.
True and not true. Im rooting for the yankees. I rathe rhave the yanks brag about the 27th ring than the phillies bragging about winning the WS twice in a row and the mets being a loser. I would never root for Philly and I hate the Yankees and would never ever root for a money team bought, but there just no way in hell I can root for Philadelphia..
But to be honest if it was Braves VS yankees, I would be rooting for the braves all the way.
do you really think phillies fans are giving the mets a second thought?lmao
If it was the NY mets vs. the Toronto Blue Jays, do you think Yankee fans would hesitate for a second in rooting for the division rival?
Personally, if the Yankees and Phillies were to meet this year for the World Series, I’d root for the Yankees. I say that cuz I’m probably one of the only fans in this city that like both NY teams. I wanna see the Phills come to the Boogie-down and get the NY beating that they and their stupid belligerent trashy fans deserve. I just wish the Mets were giving it to them. Yea, everyone says the Yankees are the devil’s spawn, andtheir fans are obnoxious, but you what, they got some serious talent, and that’s what I respect about them. They took their millions and got really talented players and now they’re on the heels of a possible World Series run for the first time in years. So yep, if its a Freeway series, great! But if the Yankees and the freakin Phills meet up this year for the World Series, I wanna see the Philles get destroyed. Deal with the trash talk….Mets fans are gonna hear it regardless.
While the Phillies have become our fiercest rival among N.L. teams, I can understand our fans not wanting to root for them in the post season. However, before I would root for the Yankees against the Phillies three things would have to occur….
losing my mind and HELL FREEZING OVER TWICE…
I am rooting for the Angels to ruin the Yankee fans post season dreams and the offseason. But should the Yankees beat the Angels it wouldn’t matter who whipped the team from the Bronx. Screw em and all their pompous, front running loud mouthed fans!