Your point about a million+ attendance season in 1980 being sandwiched between two 700K seasons is misleading. The reason attendance spiked upward in 1980 is obvious: Doubleday and Wilpon bought the team, so fans actually had some hope that things might improve. But attendance dropped again in 1981 because it was a strike-shortened season! It was trending upward in ’82; the more significant figure was ’83, when attendance dropped again to just over a million – LAST in the league – DESPITE Strawberry being Rookie of the Year, DESPITE the return of Seaver, DESPITE the trade for Keith Hernandez. Strawberry did not make his Mets debut until May 6; Hernandez did not appear until June 17. Meanwhile, George Bamberger quit as manager after just 46 games, the initial excitement of new ownership was gone, and the team finished in last place. So fans were not convinced that anything was really changing.

Right now, fans have lost faith in the Wilpons. Despite the new management in place, fans will not be convinced anything is really changing unless they step up and sign Reyes.

Why are you saying that Cashen “caught lightning in a bottle?” You make it seem like he and the organization were lucky tjhey won a WS. Cashen was the best GM this team ever had. He already had championships under his belt with the Orioles. He was an ideal guy at the time. He did not catch lighting in a bottle, he smartly built a WS champion.

As far as Shea being a ghost town after Seaver, their attendance was dropping well before Seaver left town, which had more to do with the team not winning to go along with an incompetent front office + ownership and the Yanks winning across town. In fact, the year after Seaver was traded, they only drew 66K less the following year. It was in 1979 and 1981 that they drew only 700+ due to the fact that they were playing like a AAA team. But those years ironically sandwiched a season where they drew over a million. The question becomes, if they kept Seaver, would the attendance have been significantly higher those year? Based on the trend leading up to 1977, probably not. I remember those days. They sucked, with or without Seaver. Good thing about this year’s team is that even without Reyes, they are far better than the Mets were in 1977 post-Seaver. Let’s hope all if this is a moot point and Reyes is here to stay.

Jose really is an iconic player synonomous with the NY Mets. We should be doing everything possible to get more Jose Reyes’ and keep the one we have.

I’m with you as long as history really DOES repeat itself, and unloading Reyes results in such a drop in attendance that the Wilpons sell the team!

I concur with what Annie writes. If the front office lets Reyes slip away, rest assurred, paying money to go to see a game at Citi Field will be very low on my priority list, if at all. If you’re fine with spending money to go see Mike Pelfrey lick his hands and lips while giving up 8 runs in two innnings just because his jersey says “METS”, that’s fine, but I would hope you’re in the minority. In any event, Ownership LOVES you.

“The future just may be NOW buddy.” Why? Are you telling me the future of this franchise is Paulino(30), Turner (26), Tejada (21)?

Justin Turner is a bench guy… that’s great, you need bench guys. But “the future”?

Lucas Duda still hasn’t shown an ability to hit big league pitching daily…

“Half of Buffalo is already on the team and a major contributor to it’s success”

Half of Buffalo meaning: Acosta, Gee, Parnell, Duda, Tejada, Turner, Pridie? That’s 7 guys… and frankly, any player can have a flash of success no?

I agree that Gee and Tejada are keepers, and I concede Turner’s hot May was a big help, but Turner’s .200 June average has quietly gone uncriticized… and Duda and Pridie “major” contributors? Really?

Manny Acosta a “major” contributor? Don’t think so.

So really you’re talking mostly about Dillon Gee, Ruben Tejada and May Justin Turner.

That’s the future?

JesseP is the only met fan who hates reyes and will dispute all that, he’s voting in tulowitzki like 1000 times already to be the ASG starting SS…

This is a wonderful ride Jose is on and I hope it lasts. Francesa did a 15 minute opening this afternoon – he will be broadcasting from Citi Field on Friday and Saturday!!!