Mets Merized Online

In the wake of “Black Monday”, the Mets are faced with a decision. The Mets need to evaluate if they can realistically compete with the Phillies for the NL East crown next season. Many of us fans want to believe that somehow our beloved Metropolitans will be able to competitive next season, but in order to have any semblance of a chance next season the Mets need to act. This off-season has been marked with ineptitude and feet dragging, which needs to end now.

The Mets have many glaring needs. The first was of course a lack of starting pitching. But, yesterday’s events scratched the two quick fixes off the Mets list, effectively making their other issues more paramount at the present moment.

I believe that the Mets now need to focus on securing Jason Bay for their LF situation.  Yes he is a risk, but at this point the Mets have no choice. The Mariners and Red Sox seemingly are out of the sweepstakes, making Bay ripe for the taking. If they don’t get someone with HR power for the middle of their lineup, a 4^th place finish is not out of the question. Bay will be a productive hitter, and yes we may regret the 5^th year later on, but we would also regret the 8^th year in Matt Holliday’s contract.

After Bay is secured for LF, we need to focus on pitching. First we need a reliable starter who will give us a quality start every time they take the mound. That guy in my mind is easily Jason Marquis. Marquis is a solid starter, not exactly a flashy edition, but a reliable one nonetheless. He reportedly wants to play on the Mets, which could be a nice breath of fresh air, and he apparently is a good luck charm for teams getting to the playoffs (I’ll take any good luck charm I can get at this point).  If he can somehow be had for a three year deal, I don’t see a reason not to jump on this chance.

The Mets also need to shore up the catching position, and fast. Personally, at first I was ok with the idea of Molina for two years, but now that he is dragging his feet and demanding a third year, I would drop negotiations with him and sign Rod Barajas. If he can be had for one year that would be fantastic, but even two would be ok in my mind. Yes, he hit .226 last year, but he hit 19 home runs, and a career high 71 RBI last year, which would be a fine line for a #8 hitter.  Let’s face it, whoever we sign is basically just a stopgap for Thole in 2011, so 15 or so dingers and 60 or so RBI’s is fine by me.

Finally, I believe the Mets need to take a gamble. The Mets need to make a bold move, and hope for the best. The Mets need to sign Ben Sheets. Sheets has the ability to be one of the best starters in the game, and could be had for relatively cheap.  By signing Sheets, the Mets will be taking a large risk, but at this point, a bold daring move is the only choice they have.  Teams like the Red Sox make bold moves and reap the benefits, why can’t the Mets do the same? If he is healthy, he is just as good of an addition as anyone on the market, if not better.  A rotation (if healthy) of Santana, Sheets, Marquis, Pelfrey, and Maine has the ability to be very solid and if EVERYTHING goes well borderline great. Yes health is a question, but what do we have to lose? What justification do we have for NOT taking a risk?

The Mets, whether we like it or not, are in a state of desperation, they will not rebuild the team, so the only chance they have are making deals and hoping for the best.  These deals, if they pan out, will make us a competitive team. We may not be able to usurp Philly from their NL East crown, but we may be able to fight for a Wild Card, which would be an upgrade over last year wouldn’t you say?

It’s finally here: The end of the infamous 2009 Mets campaign, one that will certainly go down as one of the bleakest and disappointing seasons in Mets history. One that was projected to be glory filled (SI predicted we would be World Champs this year…) Whether you blame it on injuries, ineptitude, or the lack of depth we have, one thing was clear across the board- the Mets lacked fundamental baseball skills throughout the entire season.

Where does one hone in these fundamental skills? One might ask, the answer is quite simply- your coaches.  According to Dictionary.com a coach is defined as: “a person who trains an athlete or a team of athletes.” Wait…? That’s what a coach does? As a Mets fan I thought they just waved runners home over and over again and taught hitters how to hit less homeruns. You learn something new every day.

A coach is hired by an organization to make the players on the field even better by teaching their craft to the roster. The 2009 Mets had no coaches as far as I’m concerned. Whether it was Angel Pagan making another mishap, or Ryan Church missing third base, or David Wright making a base running error, or Daniel Murphy playing left field every day, or Luis Castillo missing a routine pop-up, or David Wright not hitting homeruns anymore, or Mike Pelfrey seemingly forgetting how to pitch, the Mets made error after error throughout the season, and no visible correction was made.

Before the season started, I backed Jerry Manuel 100%. I truly believed he had the right intangibles and coaching style for this team. I liked how he seemed to have a presence around the clubhouse, and the savvy way he handled the media. But, as this season has shown us, the end of the 2008 season was an illusion. The Mets did not play well because of Manuel’s coaching style, but rather simply because Willie Randolph was no longer at the helm.

That being said, it’s time for an overhaul.

Fire Jerry, fire Warthen, fire Sandy Alomar, and most of all fire Razor Shines.  The Mets need a change at the helm; they need someone who will energize a team that seems to have slipped into a relaxed apathy that has stretched for the better part of two seasons.

My personal choice (and most likely the best choice) to manage the Mets in 2010 is also a pipe dream. I fully support brining back Bobby Valentine to coach the Mets. He knows the town, knows the media, the fans love him, and is an energetic guy who loves to win and gets the most out his players. But unfortunately I do not find it likely that the Mets will re-hire someone they fired in the past. (For the record, I find it unlikely they will fire Manuel or his staff after this season anyway…)

A second more interesting choice to manage our beloved Mets next season is the former Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge. Wedge has worked with both veterans and young players (which is much like how our team is currently made up) and has developed many players who have had great careers. Wedge is a smart baseball guy and could easily slide in and make an immediate impact.

As for a bench coach, I think Texas Rangers current hitting coach, Rudy Jaramillo, would be an excellent choice. Jaramillo was reportedly one of the finalists for the Mets managing position many moons ago when Randolph was hired and it’s no secret that Jaramillo is a hitting guru, and could make the Mets a better hitting team within a matter of minutes.

Our pitching coach situation is tricky. Warthen has done a decent job since being hired last year, and for the second half of last year seemed to have fixed Ollie Perez. However this year it seems that pitchers are getting tired and hurt more easily since switching off of Rick Peterson’s regime and workout routines (John Maine anyone?) and he may not be the best pitching coach available. That award would go to Dave Duncan. Duncan is universally known as one of the premier pitching coaches, and has literally fixed pitchers and turned them into all-stars. He might be costly, but he would certainly bring a sense of hope to a pitching staff that is currently mired in despair.

Hojo can stay on as our hitting coach, he seems to have connected well with many players (Wright and Francoeur to name a few) and it might not be totally fair to blame all of the Mets current offensive problems on him. However, he should be kept on a tight leash; if the team continues to struggle offensively he should be axed.

As for other coaches, I would prefer to hire people with fire. How about Larry Bowa roaming the third base box at Citi Field? How nice would it be to have his fiery style supporting players and sending them home? As a matter of fact, Larry Bowa was one of my first thoughts when I wanted to write this article, I really believe he would send a huge spark through the team.  As for the other side of the pond, how about Gary Carter? Carter was a great hitter back in the day and is the current manager of the Long Island Ducks. He has previous managing experience and he would be a neat presence on the field. Bringing back some more of the ’86 spark might not be such a bad thing, not to mention hiring him would enable him to work with our young catchers Thole and Santos. Plus, he’s been lobbying for a job for years. (haha) Another name to keep in mind might be Manny Acta.

So to conclude, the Mets 2010 staff would look something like this:

Manager: Eric Wedge

Bench Coach: Rudy Jaramillo

Pitching Coach: Dave Duncan

Hitting Coach: Howard Johnson

1^st Base Coach: Gary Carter

3^rd Base Coach: Larry Bowa

It’s a bit of a dreamers staff, but that’s what the offseason is about isn’t it?

This was a fan post submitted by one of our readers.

Each day the calendar comes closer and closer to the end of the season, the day many Mets fans are anxiously awaiting.  As the season continues to wear on, I cannot help but be drawn to potential trade ideas for our beloved Mets to explore this offseason.  Because- let’s face it, dreaming of “what could be” is a thousand times more interesting than the lineup of scrubs we place out there every night.

While watching tonight’s latest mishap I conjured up a potential trade that I thought would be a good start for a discussion amongst Mets fans. How about this?

METS GET:

1B Prince Fielder

INF Taylor Green

BREWERS GET:

1B Daniel Murphy

SP Jenrry Mejia

SP John Maine

SP Bobby Parnell

To me, the Mets and Brewers are a perfect match to make a deal. The Brewers are looking to trade Fielder and his upcoming salary increase, and in return are looking for young starting pitching. The Mets, are in desperate need of a legitimate power source to plug in between Carlos Beltran and David Wright next year.  And with Delgado, Schneider etc. coming off the books, the Mets can afford to take on Fielder’s contract.

No doubt this deal would cause a controversy throughout the Mets fan base (honestly, what deal doesn’t?) But in my humble opinion, the pros greatly outweigh the cons in this particular situation. Let’s first look at possible negative outcomes of this trade:  We are giving up young pitching talent which we so obviously need. Yes, trading Mejia, Maine and Parnell take a big chunk out of our pitching prospects, but barring additions or substitutions to the above package, we would still have (a healthy) Jon Niese, Brad Holt, Dillon Gee, Scott Moviel, Micheal Antonini, and Dylan Owen down in the farm continuing to grow and develop. The solution (albeit not an easy one) is for the Mets to draft wisely, and continue to re-stock the farm system over the next few years to make up for those lost in this trade.

While the deal above would more than likely require the Mets to give up a little more, this has a possibility of happening. Mejia is a stud prospect who could eventually team up with Gallardo in the Brewers rotation and be a good #2 or #3 starter. While he may be many years away, there is no denying the talent this kid has. Maine is coming off a injury riddled season, but before his injury Maine has been a decent starter, and at times shown flashes of being more than that. He could easily slide into the Brewers #3 or #4 slot next season, giving them immediate production from the trade. Murphy could either fill in for Fielder in Milwaukee, or be used as trade fodder, while Parnell would be the only way this deal even gets considered. He is major league ready, and could fill in their rotation or bullpen next season, which is exactly what the Brewers are looking for.

The pros to this deal are more than just the jolt Fielder would give the Mets offense, but the jolt he would send through the entire organization and fan base. Omar making a bold move such as this would show the team (not to mention all of us clamoring for his head on a silver platter) that he is not going to tip toe quietly into the night, but is going to give us a legitimate chance of winning in 2010. Fielder is a pure slugger, and someone who would be able to, night in and night out, be able to rocket the ball out of our cavernous home ballpark. The middle of the Mets lineup would once again strike a bit of fear into opposing pitchers (Beltran, Fielder, and Wright) and would give an anemic offensive team a bit of life.

Let’s face it- the Mets are built as a “win now” team. Unless we trade Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes and Johan Santana and completely re-tool and re-build, we will be a “win now” team. Omar needs to make bold, creative moves that create the team into a contender again. Adding Fielder would make the Mets relevant again, and sweep away all of the negative comments that seem to cloud the team every day. The tabloids and media would no longer be talking about the ineptitude of the franchise, but the possibility that the Mets might actually be relevant.

I believe that getting Fielder would be a step in the right direction this offseason. The deal would prove to potential free agent targets (Rich Harden? Erik Bedard? Bobby Abreu? Xavier Nady?) that the Mets mean business and are not the laughing stock of the league.  A lineup of Reyes, Castillo, Beltran, Fielder, Wright, Abreu, Francoeur, and some catcher (Ramon Hernandez? Gregg Zaun?) would provide a much better lineup than we have trotting out this season..

New York, August 21 — The date was October 14, 1969, when Mets right fielder Ron Swoboda made one of the greatest catches in World Series history, robbing Brooks Robinson of the Orioles in Game 4 at Shea Stadium, a defining moment in the Amazins’ improbable world championship.  Now, 40 years later, Mets fans and collectors alike can preserve that historic moment as the New York Daily News and Cirillo World present “The Catch of a Lifetime: Swoboda Saves the Day,” a limited edition memorabilia piece available for purchase, with part of the proceeds benefiting the Mets Foundation.

“After 40 years, I’m still thanking Brooksie for not hitting the ball right at me,” jokes Swoboda about the play.

Signed by both Swoboda, who has forever become a part of New York sports folklore, and Hall of Famer Robinson, this classic Frank Hurley photo from the Daily News archives is now available for purchase as a framed, limited edition memorabilia piece for $209.99 (plus tax, postage and handling).

Only 1,000 of this signed collector’s item are being made available to the public, by calling 212.972.5337, emailing NiceCatchRon@gmail.com, or logging onto the Daily News website at www.nydailynews.com/catch to get your collectible while supplies last.

A portion of the proceeds of each sale of “The Catch”; will benefit the New York Mets Foundation, which funds and promotes a variety of educational, social and athletic programs and other charitable causes. Founded in 1963, it continues its mission to invest in the future of the community, and to provide assistance to myriad organizations that benefit children and others in need.

Veteran New York sports public relations executive John Cirillo was 13-years-old when his boyhood idol made the eye-popping grab, and is now teaming with Swoboda on the project.

“I remember racing down the stairs at St. Mark’s School in Brooklyn, and sprinting the three blocks home to watch the end of the game,” says Cirillo, the former Knicks and Madison Square Garden exec who now runs Manhattan-based Cirillo World. “Like millions of Mets fans from that generation, the Catch has been indelibly etched in my mind’s eye for four decades.,” says Cirillo.

Adds Swoboda, “People are always asking me about it. I still have the glove. Did the play change my life? You bet it did.”

Submitted by Jerry Milani. Photo credit to the New York Daily News.

* * * Mets Merized Online Fan Submitted Post * * *

Slowly but surely that sinking feeling is beginning to settle in the hearts of Mets fans. The dark feeling fans of the Metropolitans know all too well, the feeling of hopelessness.  The 2009 season, marked early with thoughts of glory and grandeur is effectively over for the Mets. Ineffectiveness and injuries scarred the season from the start, and as the recent series in San Diego has shown us, it is getting to a ridiculous point.

But, within this cloud of despair, there is a silver lining fans can look for: the possibility of a productive offseason.  The team now has 50 games left of a lost season to begin planning for the next one. Before I begin with what I believe would lead to a more productive and gritty team , I want to wipe the dreams of Matt Holliday, John Lackey, and Jason Bay out of anyone’s minds. With the current financial climate the team is in, ideas of big time free agents being showered in money are dreams only Yankee fans can have.  Whether the Wilpon’s want to admit it or not, it is obvious with the front office’s behavior that the Madoff scandal affected the team’s financial situation greatly.  I will attempt to devise a few productive moves the Mets could make, not fantastical ones, but ones which will hopefully lead to a better team in 2010.

To fix the Mets in a timely fashion we first have to address the glaring problems the Mets have. Firstly, there is a dramatic drop off in talent throughout the entire system. From the major league club all the way down to
their minor league teams, there is a lack of depth.

The major league club has arguably five of the top major leaguers (Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Santana, K-Rod) which provides us with a core of players that we can build a winner around.  From there, the talent drops off significantly into players with potential to be decent (Pelfrey, Maine, Francoeur) and young unproven guys who have flashes of greatness, but need time to grow (Murphy, Parnell etc.) That does not even take into account the plethora of over the hill veterans who take up a chunk of the roster such as Delgado, Castillo, L.
Hernandez, Tatis etc.

This is also evident throughout the minor leagues. Every level has a group of decent prospects at the top, while the rest of the club is made up of less than stellar players. The standings reflect this: Buffalo, headed by Nick Evans, Dillon Gee and Eddie Kunz (also Fernando Martinez who is on the DL) is dead last in the International League, and is 19 games out of first place. The Buffalo team is relying heavily on players who are past their prime, or are unable to cut it at a major league level. While some would argue this is normal for a AAA squad, a AA squad is supposed to be made up of some of a ballclub’s most promising prospects and not washed up has-been’s.  Binghamton is headed by top prospects Ike Davis, Brad Holt, Jenrry Mejia, Josh Thole and Ruben Tejada, who all have considerable promise and for the most part are producing nicely.
However, the Binghamton squad, much like its AAA sister, is in last place and is a dismal 21.5 games out of first place.

The key to the 2009-2010 offseason should be gaining depth and power. Like I said before, the likes of Matt Holliday or Jason Bay roaming the cavernous gaps of Citi Field are slim to none. But there is one option that is both practical and affordable. His name is Xavier Nady.

Nady, who is coming off surgery on his right elbow, would be a perfect fit for the Mets. He is a gamer, who has proven he can produce in New York. He would provide the team with pop, as well as a very good #5 or #6 hitter to place behind David Wright. In 2008 he had 25 home runs, and 97 RBIs – half of those coming from his time on the lowly Pirates. Most intriguing off all would be his presumed cost. Coming off an injury, Nady could come at an extremely discounted price. Although he is represented by the infamous Scott Boras, not even Boras can get Nady a big time contract in the current cost cutting climate of the MLB. Look what happened to Bobby Abreu…

Signing Nady to a one year deal at or around $6 million with a hefty option for a second year would solve at least one of the Mets biggest problems. Who wouldn’t rather see Nady in LF than Gary Sheffield?

After securing Nady, Omar Minaya would be wise to pick up players who can back up and fill in nicely.  In other words, provide the team with much needed depth. Picking up the likes of Eric Hinske, David Eckstein and trading for Eric Byrnes would give the Mets players who can play and most importantly contribute when
called upon. Hinske would be a more than adequate back up to Murphy at 1B, as well as spell the corner OFs and David Wright at 3B. Eckstein would serve as a spark plug the Mets desperately need, as well as being a superb backup for Louis Castillo and Jose Reyes when needed.  Byrnes is another player who could come cheaply from Arizona and be a “run-through-the-wall” kind of player the Mets lack. Hinske, Eckstein, and Byrnes would cost little to nothing to add, but their presence would be invaluable. Could you imagine having Eckstein fill in at SS rather than Anderson Hernandez? I would also advocate trading for a catcher.
AJ Pierzynski on the White Sox strikes me as someone the Mets could really use. Some argue AJ is a clubhouse cancer, while others say he is a teammate that you either love or hate. There is no arguing however, that he plays the game in a gritty and hard fashion, something the current Mets could learn a few things about. Also, Pierzynski’s contract expires at the end of the 2010 season, hopefully allowing Josh Thole to slide into the role in 2011. A package including Eddie Kunz, Dylan Owen and Shawn Bowman could be a place to start when talking to the White Sox.

Finally, the Mets are in desperate need of a solid #2 starter. The Free Agent market offers some interesting possibilities, while the trade market offers others. My personal choice would be for the Mets to acquire Erik Bedard. Like Nady, Bedard is coming off an injury riddled season, and should come at a discounted price.  Bedard would certainly provide the Mets with a devastating 1-2 combo at the top of the rotation, and would allow Pelfrey and Maine to slide down into more comfortable #3 and #4 slots in the rotation. Other Free Agent possibilities include Brad Penny, and Rich Harden.  I would also sign lefty Joe Beimel .

Overall, the real money would be used on Nady and Bedard, the two per year could cost roughly $13 million. Eckstein and Hinske would not cost more than $2 million.  Beimel would cost around $2-3 million. That still presumably gives the Mets $1 million out of their supposed $20 million able to spend on various other
parts via trade or something else.  A lineup of Reyes, Castillo, Beltran, Wright, Nady, Francoeur, Murphy, and Pierzynski would be a lineup built for the cavernous Citi Field, providing a great deal of doubles.  The Mets cannot build a team built on blasting the ball out of the park anymore. They cannot be the Phillies, who play in the bandbox known as Citizens Bank Park. The Mets lineup would stress extra base hits and moving the runners over. The bench would be something like: Pagan, Hinske, Eckstein, Byrnes and Santos.  All fully capable of filling in when needed.

Finally a rotation of Santana, Bedard, Pelfrey, Maine and Perez has a lot of potential to be great.  A great 1-2 punch of Santana and Bedard could go head to head with anyone in the game (most notably our friends Mr. Hamels and Mr.Lee). Pelfrey would be a fantastic #3 starter, and Maine could continue to tap into his potential in a stress free #4 slot.  And of course the bullpen would be solid: K-Rod, Putz, Feliciano, Green, Parnell, Stokes, and Beimel.

While acquiring Nady and a few bench players not be the splashy offseason many fans want, I believe it would plug a great deal of holes the Mets have at a cost that is not very extravagant.

(Author’s note: This is just one man’s unbiased, impartial view of Citi Field. In no way am I implying that I am speaking for all Mets fans. Just my thoughts)

After surviving a brutally cold winter in the northeast, last Sunday was one of those beautiful spring days that made it all worth it.

Upon waking up, I decided that rather than doing the original productive things I had planned, namely sitting around and watching re-runs of King of the Hill until the NBA playoffs started, I wanted to d something productive, and something outdoors.

Maybe go for a hike? Nope, after a winter of sitting on the couch, my lung capacity wasn’t nearly there. Play some hoops? Not really interested in breaking a sweat. How about go to the Mets game? I can sit around, and eat and be outside all at the same time. It’s official, I’m a genius.

After phoning a few friends, me and my buddy Rosa were on our way, without directions, and no tickets in hand, just a few hours before the first pitch.

We did get there right in time, and with it came all the excitement of going to a new stadium for the first time. There were the shiny new signs, and bright new lights, as well as the highs and lows of an afternoon at the park.

Overall it was a great day, but it would have been nice to have a game-plan going in. So with it, I decided to do a little write-up for all you Mets fans out there who may not have made your first excursion to the new park yet.

Here it is folks: Your Idiots Guide to Citi Field

Do: Take Public Transportation If Possible- According to a friend, to get to Citi Field you simply need to take the 7 train from Grand Central. I confirmed this fact via my old pal the internet, and I promise you this is absolutely the best way to go.

Of course despite the advice, we chose to drive in anyways, eschewing the expert opinion of others, for the novelty of the unknown. For a Sunday afternoon the traffic on the Grand Central Parkway was minimal (a plus), but also where the confusion began.

With two exits (22a and 22b) claiming they can get you to Citi Field, it seemed like getting to the stadium would be a breeze. That is, until you actually got off the exits.

Once in Queens, all hell broke loose.

It wasn’t because of the friendly locals (who were more than helpful), but because the signage pointing toward the stadium was arguably the worst I’ve ever seen.

Every direction we went, there were signs pointing toward Citi Field straight ahead. Take a left, Citi Field straight ahead. Go two blocks down, Citi Field straight ahead. Go back in the direction you came, you guessed it, Citi Field straight ahead

I’m sorry but when you take two exits, four turns off each exit, and every sign points to Citi Field straight ahead, someone made an error. It shouldn’t be particularly difficult to find a 42,000 seat stadium, no matter what neighborhood you’re in.

After seeing the same sign for the umpteenth time, we joked that whoever put up the signs had to be on some kind of narcotics. I later rescinded that statement, because even someone on drugs would take more pride in their work. I have zero understanding who approved this work, but my guess is that the whole staff involved knew they were getting fired at the end of the shift and wanted to have some fun. That’s all I’ve got.

Regardless, Flushing is also blessed with some of the nicest locals you’ll find anywhere. It took two or three stops to ask questions, but we did finally get to the stadium, and it was because of the citizens in the surrounding community.

The point I’m trying to make is two-fold:

1) When building a stadium, don’t fire anyone until after the work is complete

2) Take the train to Citi Field if at all possible.

Do: Purchase Your Tickets in Advance- Granted, we decided to go to the game at the last minute, on one of the nicest days of the year. But if and when I plan another excursion to Queens, I will make sure to do so in advance.

Upon arriving at the gates, there were about 8-10 windows just for tickets. Being a new stadium, the staff was more than friendly in pointing us to the correct spot.

However, once there, we found out that the only tickets that were left in pairs were $100 each. Now again, this was our own fault for getting to the game at the last minute, I want to make it clear that we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Luckily being the savvy sports fans that we are, we decided to buy two single tickets, at less than half the price of $48 a piece. No we wouldn’t be seated together, but we’d worry about it once we got in the stadium.

A quick scare happened when I got to the window and they momentarily ran out of tickets in the $48 price range. Luckily my friendly attendant and I stayed calm, he punched a few things in his computer, and bam, another reappeared.

Before leaving, we asked the attendant whether getting to the stadium an hour earlier would have gotten us cheaper tickets, to which he replied, not really, most of the cheap ones were sold in advance or right when the windows opened.

I followed up by asking him, if we were looking for cheaper tickets, how we could get them day of game (author’s note: in the history of follow-up questions, this maybe the dumbest one ever)?

His answer? He looked at me like I had just asked him to borrow a clean urine sample and responded, “Buy them in advance.”

Well there you have it.

To read the remainder of the article, please visit the direct link here, or visit Aaron at www.aarontorres-sports.com

Growing up in central Connecticut, the start of baseball season was as exciting as any time of year.

Every April all our thoughts centered on the American League East, with Yankees fans repeatedly teasing us Red Sox fans, adorning us with fun pokes like “1918,” “Got Rings?” and any other stupid T-shirt slogan they could steal to make us feel bad about ourselves.

As we got older, the fights went from the playground to the diamond itself, as my high school team pretty much was divided right down the middle with Red Sox and Yankees fans, the jabs a little cheaper and dirtier than a few years earlier.

Of course there is a third team that was within driving distance, but nobody ever talked about the New York Mets. I can count the number of Mets fans I knew growing up on one hand, and rarely did we ever pay to attention to anything they had to say. They were like that kid in elementary school who ate too much paste. It was probably best just to ignore them, and pretend like they didn’t exist. 

(The Mets fanbase is second to none)

 While the Yankees were winning championships, and the Red Sox had arguably the most dominant pitcher of his generation, the few Mets fans I knew were constantly trying to jump in the conversation, telling us about their newest washed up free agent signing. Mo Vaughn is going to hit 50 home runs we were told and Robbie Alomar will bat .350. John Franco has to be the best closer in baseball.

According to their fans, every year was the “Mets year.” Even though last year was supposed to be the “Mets year.” And the year before that one too. It was like going to the strip club with your friend, and him insisting the morning after that he was “this close,” to taking one of the girls home. After the third or fourth time you get sick of hearing the same story.

When I went to college, I assumed any Mets fans I would meet would be exactly the same. Where I came from it was almost like they stole the slogan from the United States Marines: “The Few, The Proud, The Mets Fanbase.” I didn’t think real die-hard Mets fans actually existed, just the few jokers I knew growing up, and a small minority of New Yorkers that simply chose not to like the Yankees.

But a funny thing happened when I went to UConn. With a huge portion of the student population hailing from northern New Jersey, Long Island and Westchester county, I met Mets fans, real ones. Die-hards that lived and breathed with every pitch, like the Red Sox and Yankees fans I had grown up with.

I found them to be just as knowledgeable, if not more-so, than any fan-base I had ever encountered. Watching a Mets game with my buddies John and Mark Billz, as well as their friends from home, went beyond an evening in-front of the TV, and turned into a tutorial on all things Major League Baseball.

It wasn’t just who and when the Mets were playing; it went beyond that. Where was Atlanta manager Bobby Cox going to shade his defense with runners in scoring position? What pitch was A.J. Burnett (at the time with the Marlins) going to throw on a 2-2 count to a left-handed hitter?

Remember that old Dane Cook line, when he discussed his interactions with women by saying, “I don’t just listen, I listen.” That’s what it was like watching baseball with Mets fans: they don’t just live for baseball, they live for it.

And that’s how things went for the next three years, watching more National League baseball than I ever had before, and riding the wave of Mets baseball from a distance.

Whenever anything Red Sox related happened, the first people I would call were always Mets fans to get their take on a trade or signing. They were the most in-tune fans I knew, not just with their team, but all of baseball. When asking about a transaction, I wouldn’t just get a blanket statement about a player, but what his value was beyond the statistics. Did he run out ground balls, would he hit in the clutch. How many ex-wives were on his payroll. I got the entire scouting report on anyone I wanted from Mets fans.

When the Red Sox first acquired Josh Beckett for Hanley Ramirez, my friend John was the first person I called. I was tentative about giving up a franchise shortstop for an injury plagued, if not immensely talented pitcher.

“I would be crying right now if the Mets traded for Beckett,” John responded. “They never make moves like that, getting a young pitcher just entering his prime. I’d be on my knees right now thanking God if that happened with the Mets”

So there you have it, a little dramatic yes, but one phone call had me sold. Beckett may have had a tough start, but the predictions proved true: he was the real deal.

Switch gears to last fall. I moved to the southern part of the state, about an hour and a half from where I had been living, and into a region which undoubtedly affiliates itself with the New York market.

I love sports talk radio, but even after my college experience assumed that most of it would center on the Yankees. Maybe 75-25 in their favor.

Boy was I wrong. Yes it was a huge deal last fall when the Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time since the spitball was outlawed, but it took a back-seat to the Mets stretch-run drive.

Their clutch-hitting was more scrutinized than Jennifer Aniston’s dating career. The bullpen had more drama than Thanksgiving dinner with the Kardashian’s

And when they did lose to the Marlins on the final day of the season, it was like an apocalypse hit.

My roommate didn’t come out of his room for days. When he did finally show his face, it had the feel of when a hostage gets released from a political prison: unshaven, bags under his eyes and several pounds lighter.

Other friends didn’t pick up their phones for weeks.

And at the beginning of October- the heart of football season- the phone lines lit up again on talk radio. Not for the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants mind you, or even Brett Favre and the Jets, but for the New York freaking Mets. A team that wasn’t in the Major League Baseball playoffs, and wouldn’t step on the field again for months.

And so the phone calls, blog postings and feature columns were written.

They needed to sign Francisco Rodriguez. Or trade for Joakim Soria from the Royals. Could they lure Brian Fuentes to the East Coast? Would Dennis Eckersley come out of retirement? They needed to do something, and do something big, or Omar had to go (one of my favorite aspects of the Mets fanbase is that everyone refers to General Manager Omar Minaya as Omar. Like they’re all either an old college roommate or a golf buddy).

When the Mets did sign K-Rod and trade for J.J. Putz this winter, there was rejoicing in Queens. With all this happening around the time the Yankees acquired free agent C.C. Sabathia, one of my Mets fan friends texted me “Forget C.C., we got J.J.!!!” All was well again.

But just weeks into this new season, things seem to have picked up right where 2008 finished.

Questions about the bullpen have been replaced by an unsteady back end of the rotation.

The problems while different, seem very much the same. Should Omar go? Can we get Roy Halladay? What about Jake Peavy? How could we enter the season with these guys as our starting rotation?

And as usual the team is under the same microscope it always is.

After a recent start, Johan Santana had some disparaging comments about rookie left fielder Daniel Murphy, who’s dropped fly ball cost the Mets a win according to the starting pitcher.

In L.A., Texas or Atlanta, the comment wouldn’t have made much news, and likely would have been forgotten by the morning.

But in New York, it was like the President had been shot. Amongst other things was a 45 minute discussion I heard on the radio that broke down every syllable of Santana’s comments.

Was he out of line? Did the kid deserve it? Was there a language barrier issue involved? How does this reflect on Santana as a leader? Should Murphy change positions? By the reaction of Mets fans you’d have thought we would need the National Guard to intervene.

When I decided to write this article, I decided to inquire with a few friends on what it is like to be a Mets fan. It’s one thing to observe from a distance like I do, yet another to live it day in and day out.

I asked my buddy D-Ro for a sentence or two. He followed up with a 500 word manifesto that went from the 1986 team to watching the Yankees celebrate a championship at the old Shea Stadium in 2000. Through it all he composed his thoughts and ended it with “This team chokes. They can never win a big game and no lead is safe. They have you on the edge of your seat always.” Don’t expect to see that printed up on T-shirts anytime soon.

And although he was upset, he apparently was not satisfied with his answer. After stewing for 9 more minutes, he sent me another two paragraphs.

A few others commented similarly disjointed thoughts.

I finally consulted my old friend John, the one who first turned me on to Mets mania.

He compared watching the team on a day-to-day basis to the reaction you have when you hear someone is getting a root-canal. In his words, your shoulders get tense, the thoughts of fear and pity running through your mind. He said the same reaction happens three times a game, every game when you watch the Mets.

Quite honestly I didn’t really get the analogy and still don’t.

But at this point who’s surprised if his brain is mush, and his thoughts incoherent.

That’s what seems to happen when you’re part of the most underrated fan base in all of sports, a large group of passionate individuals who live under one large dark cloud.

That’s what happens when you watch Mets baseball.

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