10
2013
The Year of The Marlins Fan
An article by 
Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year. As over one billion members of the Chinese community prepare to usher in the year of the snake, baseball enthusiast in Miami is pumped about 2013 – the year of the Marlin. Before you assume there was a typo in that last sentence with me not pluralizing the word “enthusiast”, take a look at this tweet by Marlins beat writer Joe Capozzi.
Of course, I can imagine most of you probably have sore link-clicking fingers from all the snow shoveling you’ve done over the past 24 hours. So for those of you, I made it easier by posting Capozzi’s photo below:
Photo by Joe Capozzi (Palm Beach Post)
According to Capozzi, that was the line for single game tickets about half an hour before they were to go on sale at Marlins Park on Saturday. I understand there are four people on line, making them Marlins fans (plural). But since the Honey Boo Boo show wasn’t on at the time, they decided to drive their RV out of the trailer park to be the first in line for Marlins tickets. Therefore, I consider them to be one fan (singular).
In addition, Capozzi tweeted this photo of something the Marlins fan base and the Mets fan base can relate to:
Photo by Joe Capozzi (Palm Beach Post)
Finally, to celebrate the Year of the Marlins Fan, I have one more photo to share with you. It’s a photo by Clark Spencer, who is the Marlins beat writer for the Miami Herald. His photo was taken at the Marlins Winter Warm-Up, which is their way of saying “Fan-Fest”. (Because we all know the Marlins have to be different than every other team in every respect.)
This pretty much sums up what it’s like to be a supporter of Miami’s baseball team.
Photo by Clark Spencer (Miami Herald)
It might be called a Winter Warm-Up, but it appears to me that none of those Marlins fan (singular) are warming up at the concessions stand. It also appears as if the concession stand has more employees than the team has fans (plural). Guess everyone is saving their appetites for one of the many Hooters “restaurants” in the greater Miami metropolitan area.
So in conclusion, we’ve learned the following about the Year of the Marlins Fan:
- a) There is still one family in Miami who cares about the Marlins. Of course, they also still refer to Jeff Conine as “The Franchise” and probably got on the ticket line because they thought it would allow them to use a working toilet as well.
- 2) It’s nice to see that Marlins fans (plural) and Mets fans can get along, especially when it comes to their respective ownership situation. As Mets fans, we can’t stand the Marlins for their contributions to our team’s 2007 and 2008 late-season failures. But at least we didn’t have to deal with Marlins fan (singular) sticking it to us in the Shea Stadium stands during each regular season finale.
- iii) If the Marlins can have a fan fest/winter caravan, why can’t the Mets? I guarantee you at least one Mets fan will show up. That’s more than the Marlins can claim at their Winter Warm-Up.
Mets pitchers and catchers will report to the newly-renamed Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie on Monday. Their Marlins counterparts will do the same in Jupiter.
Look on the bright side, Marlins fan (singular). At least you have Mike Piazza Baseball Card Night to look forward to, commemorating his five days in a Marlins uniform. (Just kidding. But it could draw an extra fan into the ballpark.)
The moral of this story:
Sure it could be a long year for the Mets and their fans. But it looks like it’s going to be a long century for the Marlins and their fan.
With the young, talented prospects Sandy Alderson has been acquiring, the Mets will be competitive again soon. The young, talented prospects the Marlins have been acquiring as part of their semi-annual fire sales will become some other team’s All-Stars when the Marlins trade them away.
It’s still good to be a Mets fan. Marlins fans wish they could say the same.
About the Author: Ed Leyro
Ed Leyro was hatched in the Bronx, but spent most of his youth in Queens at Shea Stadium. Apparently, all that time spent at Mets games paid off as Ed met his wife (The Coop) for the first time at Citi Field during its inaugural season. Guess the 2009 season was good for something after all. In addition to his work at Mets Merized Online, Ed also owns, operates and is head janitor at Studious Metsimus, where he shares blogging duties with Joey Beartran. For those not in the know, Joey is a teddy bear dressed in a Mets hoodie. Clearly, Studious Metsimus is not your typical Mets blog.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 30 | .583 | - |
| Phillies | 35 | 37 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Nationals | 34 | 36 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Mets | 27 | 40 | .403 | 12.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 48 | .314 | 19.0 |
Last updated: 06/19/2013
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I feel sorry for those fans. I know we do a lot of griping about our own owners, but they don’t even rise to the same level of deceitfulness and disdain for the fans as Loria does. I still wouldn’t mind seeing Wilpon sell the team, but whenever they piss me off all I have to do is think of the Marlins and bite my tongue.
The sight of Piazza in that Marlins uniform hurts my eyes.
Loria is a joke as an MLB team owner. I’d like to know what he’s got on Selig.
The latest with his gag order, not allowing his FO to speak to the media? LOL….
Im sorry Ed. I usually enjoy your posts, but this is one dumb article. Who cares how bad the Marlins are. Lets focus on our team ok? Telling us how bad they are doesnt make us feel any better about how bad our team is right now.
I respect your opinion as I do everyone else’s, but the moral of the story at the end of the piece explained what my focus was. There are too many Mets fans who whine about everything the team does or doesn’t do. Instead of being such worry warts, Mets fans should continue to support their team. At least they’re trying their best to put together a team that will someday compete for a division title with the resources they have, unlike the Marlins, who don’t seem to care about anything baseball-related.
NO they are not trying their best. They haven’t tried their “best” to compete since Alderson took over.
Sandy has rid the team of Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo and Jason Bay – three players that he inherited. He has also traded away players coveted by other teams instead of letting them walk away as free agents (Beltran, Dickey) and replaced them with top prospects that will be the cornerstones of the team’s future.
When I attended the Q & A session at Citi Field a few weeks ago, Alderson stated that he doesn’t want the team to be good one year and then gone the next. Building the team without rushing for short-term fixes is the way to go and will make the team strong for an extended stretch, not like the one-year aberration of the 2006 Mets that Omar Minaya put together.
Just imagine if the internet and Mets blogs had existed in the Frank Cashen era. He would have been run out of town by the fans on various forums because he was taking too long to get the team in shape to contend.
Just be patient. The team might have another 70-something win season this year, but they’re closer to competing than they are to Marlins territory (last place).
another guy that’s just mad cuz they lost some big games in 2006, 2007, & 2008 and was there rooting them on with all of his Mets gear. But a few years later when the hurt has subsided a bit they get themselves together and …….second guess.
Of course it’s not the player’s fault. Of course the other team had nothing to do with it.
Incredible.
Ahh just keep quiet you old windbag. The guy is nice enough to respond to you and on top of that he makes a great point which is completely beyond the limits of your understanding. Sometimes it’s better to listen (or read) than just blabber.
i get it, you’re mad too about 2006-2008 and want to blame everything that happened on the front office as if they were the ones wearing the uniforms. It’s easier and less painful than reality.
What???
Maybe you’re right. Maybe Harvey will NEVER give up a game winning HR late in the season. Or Lyon or Parnell will never give up a pinch hit HR in relief, losing the game and wasting an incredible start by Zach Wheeler.
Wilmer Flores will never strike out with the bases loaded in a crucial make or break game for the Mets. And neither will d’Arnaud – he will never strike out with a runner on 3B and nobody out.
The game will now be different because and Mets will be immune from tremendous heartbreaking losses because…..um…
Nice job Ed. As for some of the reactions to your article, I wonder if PMS crossing gender.
What gives with Bayonne’s endless griping? Boo hoo hoo!!! Alderson will bring us to glory! Omar had his fifteen minutes of fame. He came close.
I like your angle and how you wrote about their fan(s). I agree that we have less to complain than the one that pulled the rug out from under the team and its fan(s).
I wouldn’t worry too much about some of the responses as there are some on this site who thrive in a negative rut and despise everything Alderson is/does.
I do question our GM’s intentions but it’s not worth being caustic to fellow fans over someone who has little impact on my reality.
Look forward to the start of spring training. LGM!
Nice line Bayonne. These new breed of Metsies don’t g et it. They only understand payroll. Talent, irrelevant, wins/losses irrelevant, being in playoff contention irrelevant. There are no baseball fans in this new and hapless group of people that see Liarson as a cult leader. He didn’t even clean up the birth certificate problem south f the border, but hey, it was beneath his dignity to get dirty down there.
I saw this on an old Padres thread and thought it was funny:
“Every year the Padres have a season ticket holder event at Petco where Sandy Alderson comes out of his hole and tells us if he sees his shadow. If he does its 6 more years of no World Series ”
LOL
Better us than them, I guess.
I can’t see where we are any different.
I think the lack of interest in the Marlins has a couple factors.
For one is of course Loria, who doesn’t care much about the team whatsoever, and only cares about making a profit.
However the bigger problem in my opinion, is that there is just not big enough a market for professional baseball in Florida. Look no further than the Rays, an organization that has done as good a job as any the past 5 years and still can’t draw. Florida just doesn’t have the market, regardless of how talented a ball club you put down there.
The biggest screw up regarding that franchise was the local politicians who agreed to finance the ball park with tax payer dollars. When Loria threatened to leave they should have just waived and said “good luck to you”.
The city of Miami, and south florida in general, never cared much at all for professional baseball. Loria cutting the clubs payroll is just a convenient excuse for fans not showing up.
BINGO!
Florida is and always has been a football state!
add to it that in the summer no one goes out into that repressive heat unless it is to the beach and the rest of the time they stay in a nice cool air conditioned space like Bars and Clubs.
Oh and totally off topic but, how nice is it that Seattle locked up Felix Hernandez. There is nothing more annoying than Yankee fans who assume that MLB is their farm system. I’ve heard dozens of Yankee fans talk about how excited they are to eventually get guys like Felix, Bryce Harper, and Strasberg. Some even saying it was certain.
Nice to see Seattle pay their franchise star. If only so we don’t have to see him in pinstripes.
Many Yankee fans – such as my niece – aren’t old enough to have been a fan of some of those awful Yankee years. She became a fan in the early 90′s, so only really knows about being competitive year after year.
Me thinks they’re about to find out how some of us non Yankee fans weather the ups and downs of our team.
The most realistic is Matt Harvey a Connecticut Yankee fan.
The worst part is that there are still going to be yankee fans who whine that they haven’t traded for King Felix yet. I swear, there was this one guy I know who said they should trade Gardner, Cervelli, and A-Rod for him. What a joke.
No deal yet. Reports are that Seattle is concerned about the health of his elbow and talks have bogged down.
>>But as of Sunday afternoon, sources say, the Mariners and Hernandez are not close to finishing an extension, because there are issues that the two sides are sorting through.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8933842/elbow-condition-eyed-seattle-mariners-felix-hernandez-deal-source-says
Well if the Marlins happen to finish above us in the standings there is going to be a rash of Egg Facials going around Metland, thats all I have to say….
Not going to happen. This team is stripped down to marginal rated players.
are u talking about the mets or the marlins ?
Ike Davis, David Wright and Matt Harvey are all marginal? Niese is marginal?
Let me ask you something… Why do you and the other guys want the Mets to suck? And since you do, why do you post here on a Mets site all the time?
That’s to metsie…
You should ask that question to all those who think Sandy is doing a great job by NOT TRYING because we are TOO FAR AWAY to TRY….
Not the folks who say Davis, Wright, Tejada, Murphy, Niese, Harvey, and Gee are enough core to start playing to WIN!
It’s all you spoofing names once a day SANDY LOVERS from the FIRM that seem to want the team to suck until such time as they have saved enough money to go back to doing what they complain about Omar doing and going on a spending spree….
So ask them why they WANT the team to SUCK for the next few years not the rest of us who say we already have enough to build around so why not BUILD AROUND IT instead of sitting on our hands waiting for something to happen to get Sandy off his duff and working to improve this team?
You mistake trying to imporve the team with making it suck apparently which would explain why you are too embarassed to use one name consistently!
Yeah, Sandy is not trying, ok
My God, not the hate crowd really is starting to sound like a bunch of 5 year olds.
He’s not doing what I, a poster on an internet site, is best so he’s not trying, he’ s purposely trying to lose, Sandy Lover, wah wah.
Every friggen day the same regurgitated garbage.
Yeah well if there wasn’t a bunch of Sandy Fans constantly trying to say that signing guys who hit less then .240 or off the garbnage pile was a GREAT MOVE then we wouldn’t have need to comment on what Sandy is doing we would all just let the RECORD speak for itself and which says this team is WORSE not better than when he took over!
Only one who thinks this team is better is a fan of the Wilpons not the Mets!
They are rooting for a bank account not a team built to win!
Metsie, you’re wallowing in infantile babble. .Don’ t blame other Mets fans for your shortcomings. You are responsible for what you write. As for the motivations of other folks’ posts, your time would be more profitably spent questioning your own reasons. Childish nonsense.
Hey hey hey, take it easy man. I’m just some random guy who keeps changing his name because the posting system allows me to, not Kay or Metro in disguise.
And you’re right, it is feminine. It’s this video game character:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW5AqZL0aWI
Have to disagree Metsie. If fish beat out the Mets the sandy lovers will revel on the impending top draft pick. We all know it!
Well the Marlins still have the luxury to say that the last time they won a title was 2003….The Mets on the other hand about 27 yrs ago…We suck yo
I love the whole “Marlins won more recently than the METS have” argument. The Marlins may have as many championships as the Mets have in their lifespan…but they almost won those championships by ACCIDENT. It’s kinda funny, if you think about it.
What good is a championship when there is no fan base to share it with?
If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?
Not kidding either. There is no continuity to their paper-thin fan base.
What has gotten into some of you? What’s with this interrogation every time somebody new comments here? Are you kidding me? And what’s the new slogan for you instead of you gotta believe, you gotta be negative 24/7?
So what if some people like the job Alderson is doing, what’s it to you?
A few of you are acting like we’re at war or something. If you want to fight email me and I’ll give you the name of a couple of Navy and Marine recruiters I know.
Being tough on a Mets blog doesn’t gain you any respect from me or anyone, it only serves to make you look pathetic and not grounded in reality.
What a big bunch of freaking babies!
With all this bickering, aren’t you glad that Spring Training and not long after, the regular season is approaching us quickly?
I cant wait another second.
http://youtu.be/4YZGViON7Y8
The fans that made that are no fans of ours… no Mets no-hitter.
Thanks for the article Ed.
I guess the moral of this story is that even though we have a real crappy owner and a team that has no chance of competing in the near future – with no outfield and a bunch of relievers from the two dollar shop – and we are in the number one baseball market in the world… it can always be worse.