In an article by Robert Passikoff on Forbes.com, the Mets fan base ranked almost at the bottom when it comes to team loyalty.

According to their Sports Fan Loyalty Index, Mets fans ranked 26 out among all 30 MLB teams when it comes to supporting the team.

The top five loyal fan bases are:

1. New York Yankees
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. San Francisco Giants
4. St. Louis Cardinals
5. Atlanta Braves

The Mets ranked at the bottom with the Astros, Pirates, Royals and Mariners. That’s embarrassing.

The factors that are used to determine the Loyalty Index are not based on attendance alone or won/loss record:

Everybody loves a winner, but it’s important to note that win/loss ratios do not entirely govern fan loyalty. Losing may have little to recommend it, but it turns out there are more important things than the final score. – three other emotionally based things, in fact, that really must be taken into account when calculating the loyalty score for a team:

• Pure Entertainment: How well a team does, sure. But even more importantly than a win-loss ratio, how exciting is their play? Think St. Louis Cardinals.
• Authenticity: How well they play as a team.
• Fan Bonding: Are players particularly respected and admired?
• History and Tradition: Is the game and the team part of fans’ and community rituals, institutions and beliefs?

Look at those factors and then calculate where the Mets fit in with each one. You can easily account for why the loyalty isn’t as high as it should be, and the fault lies with the team not the fans.

Many of the players who connected with fans are long gone. It took the team a few years just to add some Mets history to Cit Field – and only after much prodding from fans. And where is the pure entertainment value?

What bugs me most is seeing the Yankees, Braves and Phillies ranked so high. I hate those teams!

Pedro Feliciano spent his entire career in a Mets uniform until the day he left via Free Agency following the 2010 season. At the time our well documented financial situation got in the way, and the Yankees came in and offered the lefty specialist a nice contract to join our crosstown rivals.

Well, two years and $8 million dollars later, Pedro is once again on the verge of Free Agency. He never made his Yankees debut during his two year deal, and will leave the team without ever throwing a single pitch in the Bronx.

Early in the 2011 season, Feliciano was placed on the disabled list due to soreness in his left shoulder. In late April he made a trip to see the dreaded orthopedist Dr. James Andrews who recommended a six-week strengthening program for the pitcher.

The cause of Feliciano’s trip to the disabled list was a torn capsule and rotator cuff in his left arm, requiring arthroscopic surgery to repair. After the diagnosis was confirmed the Yankees front office claimed the reason behind Feliciano’s injury was that the Mets had overused him.

Feliciano, now 36 years old, owns a career 3.31 ERA. He was never known for his velocity, routinely sitting in the mid-high 80′s. Lefty relievers can pitch well into their early 40′s, so if he could regain his health he could be a potential steal this off-season. He had 96 holds over his last five seasons with the Mets, and has a career .214 opposing batting average versus left handed hitters.

Coming off surgery and missing the last two years I’m sure Pedro will be looking to prove himself, both health and talent wise. That will most likely require no more than a league minimum or minor league commitment from a Major League Club. With Byrdak set to hit Free Agency and Edgin the only real lefty on the roster that has any experience, Pedro might be a nice low cost, high reward investment.

Pedro Feliciano was one of the best, if not the best reliever we had from 2006-2010. We have seen plenty of players return from injury to regain their form, or come close to it. I think it’s worth taking a shot on Feliciano who we know can get the job done when he’s right. If he inks a minor league deal, it doesn’t cost us anything to find out if he still has the goods.

I’m in, are you?

Ok, I admit, I did my best Quagmire impersonation the other night, in spite of my better angels trying desperately to keep me in check. Not even Charlie’s Angels could keep me from succumbing to the dark side when I saw the best team money could buy get brutally swept by the best thing to come out of Detroit that wasn’t bailed out by the government. It’s one thing to get to the American League Championship Series and lose but for the New York Yankees to lose 4 in a row and lose them by barely showing up was hard to watch, even for a Mets fan.

To think that the Yankees actually made President Obama look thoroughly engaged in his first debate in comparison to their performance against the Tigers. But I digress, who are we kidding; it wasn’t that hard for me to watch. I may have revelled in the poetic justice of it all yet I ironically realized in the end that I don’t despise the New York Yankees as some people do, and I’m very ok with that. Now, as to some of their fans – well that’s a whole different ballgame altogether.

Look I get it. Who am I to criticize the Yankees for being swept in the Playoffs? My team hasn’t even had a whiff of a whiff of playoff baseball since Carlos Beltran stood like a deer in headlights taking Adam Wainwright’s curveball for strike three in 2006.

You can make a good argument that stemming from that moment the Mets began their spiral into the mediocre mess that they have become today. And make no mistake about it; it’s rare to find a Yankee fan that doesn’t like to remind us of that among other things. Because you know, it’s always endearing to be an obnoxious bully.

What other things you ask? How about their 27 World Championships? Sure I’d be proud of my team if they racked up that many Championships, who wouldn’t? But I’m pretty sure, no I’m very sure I wouldn’t rub it into everyone’s faces or use it as my main retaliatory weapon anytime someone criticizes my team. It reeks of elitism – and that is why no one is shedding a tear that Detroit handed the Yankees a beatdown of the ages.

I particularly enjoy the brand of Yankee fan who just about takes personal credit for those 27 championships. As if it weren’t for their bloviating ad nauseum about their greatness, those teams never would have existed. Over-compensating much pre tell? We get it, your team is great.

I know I’m not breaking any new ground here saying this. We all know where the Mets are financially as an organization or at least we think we do and it’s no secret that times have been better. There’s that certain percentage of Yankee fans that love to say how the Mets are cheap and don’t care about their fans. Hell at times even I’ve felt the same malaise from this organization but when you look at the facts you realize that to say the Mets have always been cheap is more like a cheap shot than fact.

It doesn’t take much to Google the numbers and see where the Mets have ranked in payroll over the years. We all know they spend (spent). They’re just very good at doing it very bad. Athlon Sports ranks the Mets the worst of all MLB teams from 2001 to 2010 when it comes to spending in relation to wins. But don’t try and get intellectual when arguing with these particular Yankee fans.

To them it’s all about the bling and boy do they have the bling in the Bronx enough so that even their mistakes (Carl Pavano, Jose Contreras, Brien Taylor, A-Roid) can be easily swept under the rug. However even the mighty have their limits as Hank and Hal Steinbrenner have made it clear that they want to get their payroll under the luxury tax threshold.

Of course there’s that “aura” that playing for the Yankees brings. Even I fell for it when Raul Ibanez seemed to channel every Yankee great in this postseason with his homerun fest. Not bad for a 39 year old. Yet if you ask anyone impartial, which team regardless their finances, has a better crop of young talent making its way up, one would be hard pressed to say it’s the Yankees.

It’s not like I’m drinking the Kool-Aid here. I know the Mets aren’t exactly overflowing with minor league talent – as a Mets fan I know that’s hardly the case – but tell me what version of Zach Wheeler or Matt Harvey or even Wilmer Flores do the Yankees have? If they did, don’t you think one or two would have been promoted this year and don’t try to pull Ivan Nova out of your pinstriped posterior.

If he’s really one of their top prospects Brian Cashman has a lot more to worry about than how he’s going to try to convince a team to take Alex Rodriguez off his hands. It seems Cashman could care less that his team has become the professional sports poster children for AARP as they have the oldest team on average in MLB. This is what Cashman said about his geriatric lineup:

“I don’t care if it’s old. I care about if it’s good.”

Well Socrates has spoken I suppose. Talk about short sighted and the epitome of elitist. The only reason Brian Cashman can say that is solely because of his owner’s pockets.

The Mets and we as fans can learn a great deal from the debacle that is unraveling in the Bronx. Sure if you’re one of those superficial, seasonal Yankee fans that only come out of the woodwork in October then you probably should ignore the warning signs. Yes having almost unlimited funds can buy great players – eventual Hall-of-Famer players even. But if history has shown, it doesn’t buy championships.

It’s signing the right players to augment your team, when you’ve developed it enough from within. Sure the Yankees can sign whoever they want and I’m pretty sure they’ll make a push for Texas’ Josh Hamilton this winter. Talk about lighting a fuse on a Molotov cocktail. The moment he steps out of his taxi cab onto 42nd street, expect an epic implosion worthy of wall-to-wall TMZ coverage.

Some of those Yankee fans might think I sound like just another jaded Met fan. Sure it’s been rough the last few years but what they call being jaded I call appreciation. Mets fans appreciate their team. Darren Meenan over at the 7Line rounded up hundreds of his troops on the final game of the year at Citifield with his mantra: loyal to the last out. They came in droves fully knowing there was nothing at stake. Loyalty personified.

Now compare that to the empty seats in Yankee stadium during the playoffs. It was shameful that Yankee officials asked fans to move to the lower decks to keep the empty seats out of the TBS camera view. Elitist, entitled, arrogant and now you can add indifferent. There is no other way to define it.

If the Wilpons can ever get their financial house in order, hopefully with the proper gameplan which includes taking advantage of the amateur draft, including signing and developing the players they draft, and spending wisely in the free agent market, perhaps the Mets can right this ship. If the finances continue to tighten just enough to keep the Wilpon’s treading water and whatever funds made available are spent poorly, then nothing changes.

The greatest success the Yankees had happened when their core players were supplemented with talent around them. The opposite of that is what never seems to truly work at least not long term. All that’s going to do is make you laugh under your breath at your TV when that house of cards comes falling down.

Giggity. Giggity

Wild Card winner getting first two games at home in Divison Series

When the Marlins won the World Series in 1997 they had the same first two games at home, which gave them an added advantage. Going up against the San Francisco Giants in the Divison Series, they won the first two games at home, and then the first game back in San Fran to complete the sweep. They later went on to win the World Series. If that series started in San Fran, who knows how it would have turned out. Expect similar upsets this year.

Not having Mariano Rivera will hurt the Yankees chances

This is a given. Mariano is the greatest closer in the history of the game, and post-season play. Aside from a hiccup in the 2001 World Series, Rivera has been flawless. When the Yankees made it to the 8^th inning with a lead in previous years, it was a lock they would walk away with a win. Don’t expect similar results this year.

The Rangers will go as far as Josh Hamilton takes them

If Josh Hamilton catches fire, the Rangers will be playing in the World Series. If he continues to slump, the Rangers will make an early playoff exit. During a contract year, if Hamilton wants to really cash in, now is the time to really step up. I think he will.

Oakland’s weaknesses will be exposed

Like Billy Beane’s great moneyball teams of the early 2000s, the Athletics will ultimately be exposed in the playoffs against the Tigers, and eliminated in the ALDS. Maybe if they continue to shock everyone, and go on to win the World Series, Brad Pitt will play Beane in the Moneyball sequel. In other news, the comedic spoof of Moneyball, The Moneyball Mets, is slated for release in 2013.

Bryce Harper

Rookie Mike Trout has been all the talk of 2012, but Harper has been lurking in the shadows waiting to get his chance to steal back the rookie spotlight. This is his opportunity to show the world that he is still the best young talent in the game. Bryce Harper doesn’t sink back into the crowd, and is going to lift his play to another level with all the national attention. He will prove why Sports Illustrated dubbed him as “the chosen one.” I wonder if he will give us a few more memorable quotes along the way – That’s a clown question ‘bro.

These were just a few things that will make for a very interesting playoff season. There are a slew of other story lines that will impact this year’s playoff picture, and I’m looking forward to seeing them all unfold.

Everyone has a clean slate starting today. Team records are reset to 0-0. Everything that happened over the course of the season is in the past. Everything is on the line, and the glory is there for the taking. Who wants it more? God I love this game…

Scott Hairston: 334 AB, .266 AVG, 24 2B, 19 HR, 52 RBI, .834 OPS

It has been widely speculated that Nick Swisher will be seeking out a deal similar to Jayson Werth’s seven-year, $126M contract, when he hits free-agency at the end of the 2012 season. I’m no mathematician, but that means Swisher would be making about $18M per year if he gets what he wants. Jason Bay made $18M in 2012, so it strengthens Swisher’s case, but I just don’t see him as a $15M+ per year player. And if Swisher is looking for this kind of money, it makes me wonder what Scott Hairston is really worth?

Scott Hairston? Why Scott Hairston? Because his numbers are surprisingly comparable to Swisher’s, and he had about 150 less at bats under his belt. Some would actually argue that Hairston has had a better year statiscally than Swisher because of that.

Nick Swisher: 497 AB, .260 AVG, 33 2B, 21 HR, 83 RBI, .802 OPS

He’s Swisher the sailor man…sorry couldn’t resist after seeing that picture of Swisher making his Popeye face.

Back to the evidence at hand – Swisher really only trumps Hairston in the RBI category, which is expected since he was on a team that scored a heck of a lot more runs, and he had more at bats to accumulate them with. Swisher also strikes out more than Hairston – 26.9% of the time for Swisher, versus 22.8% of the time for Hairston. So why is Swisher worth close to $20M per year, and Hairston closer to $4M per year? Better yet, why would the Mets even consider looking for a free-agent to play right field in 2013, when they already have a guy on their roster putting up similar numbers to one of the biggest free-agents that will be available at season’s end?

Re-sign Scott Hairston at a discount (compared to what Swisher will be getting), and make him the starting right fielder for 2013. Hairston isn’t perfect, but he has earned the opportunity to be an everyday major league player. If Hairston ended the season with about 500 at bats, he probably would’ve ended with a .250 avg, 30 HR, and 75-90 RBI. I’ll take that coming from a guy that will cost us less than $5M per year to sign. Leave it to the Yankees to pay Swisher triple the amount, for the same sort of production.

Good job everyone.  The Mets would need an absolute miracle to become relevant in 2012 again. Sitting 8 games behind the Wild Card leader, and 11.5 games behind the National League East leader, the season is all but over.

Who can tell me why the Mets are in the position they are in, right now, in the standings?

Yes, you in the red dress.

The reason the Mets are in the position they are in is because they lack talent.  The first half of the season they played way above their potential.  It was a fluke.  This team was supposed to finish in last place, and now it seems like the only thing that will prevent that is the collapse of the Philadelphia Phillies.  Terry Collins did a great job keeping this team relevant the first half of the year, but I just think the Mets will continue to decline the rest of the season.  The future isn’t much brighter either.  I mean, who is going to play the outfield next year?

That’s a very good question.  So class, who do you think will be patrolling the green pastures of Citi Field next year?

Yes, you in in the grey shirt.

Um…well…my daddy hates Jason Bay, but he says due to his contract we’re stuck with him through 2013, so I guess he will be one outfielder.  Then I hope Lucas Duda is another outfielder because I just got his jersey for my birthday, and I don’t want my friends to make fun of me when I wear the jersey because he’s not on the team and in the minor leagues.  Then I guess the third outfielder will probably be Jordany Valdespin.

OK, but why do you think Valdespin will be the third outfielder?

I really just picked him because he has a cool name.

Very cool indeed, but I think the Mets will probably address some of their issues in free-agency. Outfield will probably be one of those positions that are addressed.  But I do like your answers.

OK class, one last question.  Who wishes their parents raised them as Yankees fans instead of Mets fans?

Detention for everyone!

You can follow Mitch Petanick for more Mets insights on Twitter @firstpitchmitch, and on his personal blog The Petanick Chronicles.

August 31, 1997: In front of a crowd of 55,707, Don Mattingly’s uniform number 23 is added to the list of retired numbers on the wall at Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park.

Don Mattingly will probably be one of the greatest baseball players ever not to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Who is the first person to say that he won’t ever be inducted? The man, himself. I worked a charity dinner in January at Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant that was hosted by Mattingly charities and during a Q&A session, someone asked him that very question. His answer was pretty simple: he didn’t put up Hall of Fame numbers for a long enough period of time. After being drafted in the 19th round of the 1979 amateur draft, Mattingly made his debut with the Bronx Bombers in 1982, and manned first base until 1995, when he had to retire due to recurring back problems.

In his 13 years with the Yankees, he earned six All-Star appearances, nine gold glove awards, three silver slugger awards, one batting title, was in the top-20 for the MVP voting seven times, and won the AL MVP in 1985. He was the epitome of consistency both at the plate and in the field, taking every aspect of his game seriously. His lifetime batting average was .307, with 222 home runs, 1099 RBI, and over 2,100 career hits. He also had a career fielding percentage of .996. Donnie Baseball was able to amass these types of statistics while the Yankees weren’t that great of a team. Yes the late 1980s were one of the few times in Yankees history where they were not very successful. In fact, throughout Mattingly’s career, he only reached the post-season once, which was in 1995, his last season (he hit .417 with 6 RBI in a 5-game series loss to the Mariners).

Could a case be made for Mattingly to get into Cooperstown? Absolutely. However, he made the right assesment about himself; he didn’t have enough longevity as a player to be able to show the Baseball Writers of America that he would have been able to keep up his statistics for 16 or 17 years, but his health just wouldn’t allow that to happen. The best part about Donnie Baseball? He’s a helluva nice guy. I’ve met him on a few occasions and had the opportunity to work for his baseball bat company in Shelton, CT and every time we cross paths (which isn’t often, mind you) he remembers who I am and asks how I’m doing. So, even though I’m a diehard Met fan, there are a handful of Yankee players I have a soft spot for, and Don Mattingly is definitely one of them.

Well, as we all know, our beloved New York Mets have missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

I’m not sure about many of you, but even with the Mets done for the year, I still watch a ton of postseason baseball.

There have been some great games so far, and it’s looking like the postseason will be even more exciting in the championship round.

So basically, all this fluff leads me to the elephant in the room: How many of you are rooting for the Yankees to reach the World Series?

After a tough loss last night, the Yankees find themselves one game away from elimination with the erratic A.J. Burnett taking the hill tonight in Game 4.

Obviously, the Bronx Bombers are a New York team, so it’s likely that many Mets fans will cheer on the Yanks—not overly passionate of course—to advance as far as possible.

Another World Series title would be good for the city, even though it would be coming from the other side of town.

However, it’s also inevitable that many Mets fans are Yankee-haters.

For years, our team has played in the shadow of the “Evil Empire,” watching as the Yankees reap all the benefits.

They lure the best free agents, have the most fans, make the playoffs every season and seem to get all the breaks.

When A-Rod goes down with injury, not only does Eduardo Nunez fill in adequately, but Curtis Granderson also picks up the offensive slack in a huge a way.

On the flip side, if David Wright and Ike Davis get hurt, the Mets are scrounging for offense, and even when they get some, the pitching falters.

I’m on the fence as to whom I’m rooting for this postseason. As a Met fan, I thoroughly appreciate National League baseball so wouldn’t mind seeing the NL prevail, except the Phillies of course.

The Mets and Cardinals don’t have the rivalry that once existed in the 1980s, so seeing St. Louis win wouldn’t bother me either.

But still, New York is New York, even if the only other team is the Yankees. While some Yankee fans rub it in our faces concerning how much better the Yanks are than the Mets, most Yankee fans simply treat the Mets as an irrelevant entity.

Sadly, there’s not much argument against that point over the last few years, except if you include media coverage for off-the-field problems.

So I’m curious to see which way Met fans are leaning this postseason. Rather than pick a specific team, I’m rooting for exciting baseball with both clutch hitting and clutch pitching late in games.

Hopefully 2012 brings the Mets better fortune: They’ll likely need it.

After these individuals won a special place in our hearts forever, they all wound up playing for that other team, wearing those stupid pin stripes. Doc pitched a no-hitter in 96, a decade after he won a World Series ring with us. In 1999, David Cone pitched only the 14^th Perfecto in history–and yes, while pitching for the Yankees.

Through our five decades, the role of our arch rival has changed. Over the last several years, it’s been the Phillies. We spent the 1990’s hating the Braves and Chipper Jones. In the 80’s it was the Cardinals. In the 70’s, it was the Pirates.

The longest standing rivalry, however, is the one we have with the Yankees. It’s not just due to the somewhat recent advent of inter-league play or the endless competition for the back page of the newspaper. It goes back to 1961, when the New York Mets were only a concept. And the Yankees sought legal action to prevent NY baseball retuning to the NL.

All in all, there’ve been 111 players who’ve played for both teams. And yes, it sometimes hurts. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who nearly threw up the first time I saw Darryl in that stupid Yankee uniform.

The Yankees have always been adept at replacing one legend with another. Bill Dickey retired in 1946 and was replaced behind the plate by Yogi Berra. One year after Babe Ruth was gone, his cleats were filled by the great Joe DiMaggio. And as DiMaggio’s career wound down, he gave way to some kid named Mantle. Even recently, as the Yankees saw an aging Reggie Jackson produce less, they brought in another future Hall of Famer in Dave Winfield to lessen the blow of losing Reggie.

The Yankees, once again, are facing the end of another legend. In just over one month, Derek Jeter will be 37. That’s tough for any ballplayer, but especially for the every day rigors of playing shortstop. It’s safe to say that Jeter’s best days are behind him. Yes, he’ll flash some brilliance now and then and he does show signs of life. But #2 has quickly become a very old 36.

Enter the Mets. We’re a team that is struggling, a team that is on the brink of rebuilding. A team that, somehow, has no money. We all know that Reyes and Beltran are on borrowed time, as well as possibly David Wright. Or even Santana, if he was healthy.

The prospect of Jose ultimately playing SS in The Bronx is downright disgusting. No, the Mets wont trade him directly to the Yankees. But if, in fact, Reyes is sent packing at the deadline and then can not come to terms with his new team, he would enter the Free Agent market. And you know the Yankees would be waiting with open arms…and an open check book.

Assuming Jeter would agree to move to another position (and knowing his team loyalty, he most likely would), replacing a Yankee legend such as he with a Jose Reyes would again lessen the blow to Yankee fans. Unlike Chuck Knoblauch, Reyes is fully capable of handling the NY media.

And, in all honesty, wouldn’t the Yankees brass just love shoving that in our face? As of now, Jose is leading the team in BA, hits, doubles and triples. He is the Mets all-time leader in Runs, triples, SB’s, 4^th in hits and 5^th in doubles.

We are 37-54 against them in inter-league play. In the last 15 years, we have won one wildcard, one division and one pennant. Over that same time frame, the Yankees have won 3 wildcards, 11 divisions, 7 pennants and 5 World Championships. Hell, they even like their new stadium while we complain and blame Citi Field for our woes.

The Yankees have taken this city. And relegated us to second class citizens. They seemingly dominate the media, dominate October. While they battle the Red Sox and Rays, we struggle with the Nats to stay out of last.

Could the Yankees manage without Reyes? Absolutely. But knowing them, wouldn’t they secretly just like to throw that in our face, just twisting the knife into our gut a little deeper?

It was the early 1970’s and I knew nothing about Baseball. But still, I was going to root for the Yankees. Why? As my dad watched the local news one night the sports came on. I was close by, doing whatever a typical 6 year old does. The Yankees catcher, Thurman Munson, did something or other. My ears perked up. I was only 6 and I didn’t hear ‘Thurman Munson’ but instead heard ‘Herman Munster,’ the father on the old TV show, The Munsters. That settled it. Herman Munster plays for the Yankees!!! How cool is that?

My Yankee loyalty lasted all of maybe 5 minutes. At 6 years old, I was not ready to live on the streets in The Bronx. My father made it clear he would not live under the same roof as a Yankee fan. And so it began. My somewhat-initially-blackmailed allegiance to the Mets.

At 7, my father taught me not just the game but the ‘game within the game.’ I fell in love immediately with the beauty, magic and wonderment of this thing called Baseball, a love that has lasted for over 35 years now. I soon learned that you can actually SEE these games live, not just on TV. It was Helmet Day when I first came upon this huge stadium in Flushing. I’d never seen anything so big, so massive. It was like the Roman Coliseum–but in Queens. “They play in there???” Walking in, I’d never seen grass so green. I’d never seen so many people gathered in one place for the same reason; To root the Mets to victory over the Expos. But it was unseasonably cold, very windy and overcast. This was my very first ballgame and if I was to catch a cold my mom would never let my dad take me to Shea ever again! So, I followed as my dad talked to this guy, talked to that guy, talked to some other guy. Next thing I knew we were sitting in the Press Box, just 2 booths down from the broadcast booth. I was maybe 25 feet away from Lindsey Nelson, Ralph Kiner and Bob Murphy. We went to another game later that year. Imagine the horror I felt having to sit with ‘regular’ fans. Doesn’t every kid get to sit in the Press Box?

The year was 1973, a good first year. I wore my little Mets hat and my little Mets jacket every day. But as the season wore down and the Mets appeared to be going nowhere, floundering in last place, my classmates, who were mostly Yankee fans, teased me. I cant even remember how many times I came home from school after being picked on all day, only to get reassurance from my seemingly all-knowing father. ‘We’re gonna win, right Dad?’ “Sure, Don’t worry about it,” he confidently told me. “Okay, good.” And I walked away. My mom turned to my dad and asked, “What will you tell him if they don’t?” “I’ll worry about it then.” As the Mets made a miraculous September run and won the Pennant, I wondered to myself if somehow, someway, my dad maybe…did something.

My dad always has been an optimist when it comes to the Mets. As he taught me the game, he advised me, ‘The Mets NEVER lose. Sometimes we just run out of innings.’ He went to the 2^nd game the Mets ever played, a 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh at the Polo Grounds. He was also in attendance on Father’s Day 1964. The game moved to the 9^th inning and Jim Bunning was one out away from throwing only the 5^th Perfect Game in history. Mets fans cheered the Phillies pitcher, hoping to witness one of Baseball’s rarest feats. But not my father. He was still cheering for his Mets. When someone next to him asked, ‘Don’t you want to tell people you were at a Perfect Game?’, my dad responded, “No, I’d rather tell them I was at the Perfect Game that got broken up with 2 outs in the 9^th.” As recent as 2006, when the Mets moved into 1^st place, I’d wake up every day to an e-mail from my dad that was counting down the Magic Number. 94, 93, 92 (yes, he started that early.)

Like most kids, my relationship with my dad has not been great. Better then some, worse then others. He’s disagreed with many decisions I’ve made in my life; jobs, career, girls, even to this day how I drive. But the one thing we could always come back to was Baseball. And the Mets. But even that has caused some disagreements. My dad insists the 69 team was better then the 86 club. My dad loves David Wright, but he will never be as good a 3b-man as Ed Charles in 69. While Endy’s catch was great, it was ‘No Agee.’ No matter how great Johan is, Koosman will always be the best LHP in our history.

Before I was even born it had been predetermined that I would root for this team. My father had been a Brooklyn Dodger fan, just like his father. This love for NY NL Baseball went back to the 1920’s. While New York was in awe of Ruth and Gehrig, my grandfather was a Dodgers fan rooting for guys like Zack Wheat and Dazzy Vance. When my dad was old enough, he too kept up the family tradition and became a Brooklyn fan. Although it’s been close to 60 years since ‘The Shot Heard Round The World,’ my dad still refers to the Giants OF-er not as Bobby Thomson but as ‘Bobby *^%$@# Thomson.’ To this day, my dad insists the final called strike in Don Larsen’s Perfect Game in the 56 series against Brooklyn was ‘outside.’

The year was 1957 when the Dodgers and Giants vacated New York for the barren wasteland of California 3000 miles away. The heart of every little boy in NY was broken, including my dad’s. It was not until 1962 when NL baseball returned to NY with our Mets. But in those 5 years, my dad’s life had changed. He graduated high school, started college, met my mom and got married. He went from a teenage boy to adulthood. But when it was announced that a new team would be created named The Metropolitans, shortened to Mets, my dad immediately became a fan, as did many old Dodgers and Giants fans.

My dad looked at the 1962 Opening Day roster and, as always, felt confident that we could finish at .500. His dad, my grandfather, followed the Mets, but never really became a fan. He had rooted for Brooklyn for 40+ years. But by 1962, he was becoming older and his health was failing. After rooting for Duke, Gil, Jackie, Roy and Pee Wee, it was hard to get enthused about Choo Choo Coleman, Felix Mantilla and Marvelous Marv.

My dad tried to convince his dad that this new team, the Mets, may be pretty good in a few years. He even joked, “Give it some time. Within a few years, we’ll be in the World Series.” My grandfather shook his head and nonchalantly commented, “I wont live to see it.” My grandfather’s innocent remark was correct. He passed away in May 1969.

To this day, my dad wonders if somehow, someway, maybe….

So I was thrilled in 1997 when interleague play was officially introduced, with 15 or so games on the schedule.  It hasn’t varied much since then, though some natural rivalries like Mets/Yankees or Cubs/White Sox or Giants/A’s play a home and home series and otherwise the teams rotate each year.  And I’m not sure why, but I look forward to interleague play each year like a kid looking forward to Christmas.  No joke.  I love seeing teams that don’t normally play each other, play each other.

But here’s the thing.  I think at this point, they should add more interleague games to the schedule.  Do we really have to play the teams in our division 18 times each?  That’s almost half the schedule, and there’s something about watching the Mets play in Miami three times a year to 5,000 people that makes me want to poke my eyes out.

I say, cut those in-division games to 12 each, and you’re saving 24 games to play other opponents, which means you can just about play every American League team at least once a year.  Would any of you really rather see all those divisional games instead of that?  You’d have the chance to see, either at Citi Field or on TV (or of course, a road trip), almost every player in the majors at one point or another.

Of course, we all know too well that the suits in baseball move at the speed of a turtle that stepped in molasses.  If they won’t add instant replay on ground balls, they surely won’t add more interleague games.  But many of us thought we’d never see interleague play, so there you have it.  Who knows?

Meanwhile, it sure is nice watching the Mets these days against any team.  First place is now within reach.  Let’s go Mets!

A rumored three team deal between the Tigers, Yankees and D’backs is now official according to several sources.

Here is what it looks like:

The Yankees get Curtis Granderson, the D’Backs get Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy, and the Tigers get Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth, Austin Jackson, and Phil Coke.

Jon Heyman tweeted the follwing,

Teams in agreement on trade. Assuming medicals check out, it’s a go.

And John Morosi adds more finalization,

They have a deal: Granderson to NYY, E. Jackson and Kennedy to ARI, A. Jackson, Coke, Scherzer, Schlereth to DET.

Congratulations to the World Champs and the kings of New York. Well done. That is exactly how a team is supposed to inspire and excite their fanbase. Once again the Yankees steal the show at the Winter Meetings and send their fans into a celebratory hysteria. Your unending willingness to improve your team is unmatched by your crosstown rivals who are content to wallow in mediocrity.

Last off season the Yankees signed the two biggest available stars in C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, and their decision paid off handsomely in the form of their 27th World Series title.

Instead of resting on their laurels like many teams would have, the defending World Champs go out and make a huge 3-team blockbuster trade that most fans can only dream about for their teams, but to be fair don’t forget that the Mets also had a 3-team trade in the works

However, it was hardly a blockbuster and more like a toy cap gun with a silencer attachment. In fact, it was more about dumping a player than it was about improving the team on a massive scale like the Yankees did.

Is Curtis Granderson a superstar in the mold of a Teixeira or Crawford? Of course not, but it’s a significant move for the Yankees who add a solid player with tremendous upside, and upgrade an already championship caliber team. The mets can only watch with their mouths agape st the left fielder they could have had will patrol Yankee Stadium instead of Citi Field.

However, fret not Mets fans… Options like Pat Burrell, Juan Pierre, Jose Guillen and Cory Hart are still there for the taking.

In a year when the Mets probably don’t have to engage the Yankees in a bidding war for John Lackey or Matt Holliday, the Mets may actually sit this one out under the pretense that next years free agent crop will be better. That will buy them another year, and of course by then the Yankees will be “all-in” on Carl Crawford and Joe Mauer.

In a year when the Mets were the team that absolutely needed to make the biggest splash, they were once again outdone by their big league brother.

Sometimes it’s tough being a Mets fan in this city.

The grizzly matchup between the Yankees and Phillies has even spawned hundreds of Mets blogs advocating who we should root for as if rotting for either of those teams was going to derive even a tiny bit of pleasure. There is no pleasure to be garnered from this series. None, zero, zilch. I’ve grown fatigued with all of the “who you should root for” blogs, and I’m sure you have too.

But with that said, maybe the best thing we can hope for right now is for the Yankees to end this World Series tonight with a win in Philly, and finally put an end this God forsaken torture.

All of you know how much I hate the effin Yankees. Just the thought of seeing them get another World Series ring is such a repulsive and reprehensible moment.

However, there is may be a microscopic particle of joy to be gleaned from a potential Yankees win tonight against the Phillies’ Cliff Lee. I’ll warn you that it’s not much, but it might just be the only solace we can take from this demoralizing no-win situation.

Here are my three reasons why I hope the World Series ends tonight…

1. The Yankees will be deprived of a hometown celebration in their brand new museum stadium. Imagine not having to see 50,000 raucous Yankee fans celebrating with their triumphant music blaring through the $2.5 million dollar high definition sound system. It would be a tiny victory for Mets fans, and a comforting feeling as well, to deprive them of Frank Sinatra singing their victory song while A-Rod and Teixeira run around the field giving high-fives to their arrogant and obnoxious fans. Just the thought of that scene makes me want to puke. We don’t need to have those moments captured on video and preserved forever. (Remember Wade Boggs on horseback?) It’s better for us that this nightmare ends in Philly. Also knowing how classless Philly fans are, we can count on them to litter the field with half-eaten hot dogs and cheese steaks, and maybe one of them plops Derek Jeter in the face. It would be a classic youtube moment that will live forever on Mets blogs everywhere.

2. With a Yankees win tonight, it would clearly put the dagger through the hearts of all the Phillies players and their fans too. To see the Phillies lose three straight games at home would be a devastating blow to their psyche, and knock them clear off their high horse. It will take the wind out of their National League bragging rights. Watching the enemy celebrate in their park would give us some satisfaction (just pretend it’s not the Yankees celebrating). Watching Jimmy Rollins whimper through his excuse as to why the Phillies didn’t win in five games as he predicted, would be a heartfelt moment for Mets fans too. We may even get to see Shane Victorino tear up and bawl, which would definitely bring a smile to many a Mets fan’s face.

3. The best part of a Yankee win tonight is simple. It will finally end this season once and for all and we can all move on toward a better tomorrow. Why let this torture drag on one moment longer than it has to?

So tonight, don’t root for anybody, just root against the Phillies. If everything goes right, tomorrow will be the official start of the Hot Stove season.

METS IN 2010 BABY!

October 17, 1999. Ten years ago last Saturday. Robin Ventura gave Mets fans one of the more unusual defining moments in team history. A “grand slam single” in the bottom of the 15^th inning to break a tied game and send the Mets to Game 6 to face the Atlanta Braves one more time.

As fate would have it, the Mets would fall short in Game 6, and the hated division rival Atlanta Braves would go on to play the hated geographical rival New York Yankees.

If things hold up the way they are looking, we could have a doomsday scenario for Mets fans. Both the hated division rival Philadelphia Phillies and the hated geographical rival Yankees are up 3-1 on Los Angeles, and seem headed for an inevitable World Series.

Forgive me if I go astray, back to 1999.

The Mets were playing for their lives to fight back from a 3-1 hole and took Game 5 deep into extras. The packed crowd at Shea saw a 2-2 game broken up in the top of the 15^th when rookie Met reliever Octavio Dotel gave up a run-scoring single to Keith Lockhart. The Mets headed into the bottom of the 15^th with the real possibility that the playoff bubble had burst. Shawon Dunston battled through a long 12-pitch at-bat to single to center off of Braves reliever Kevin McGlinchy. McGlinchy then walked pinch-hitter Matt Franco (remember him). Edgardo Alfonso successfully bunted Dunston and Franco to 3^rd and 2^nd respectively. An intentional walk was surrendered to John Olerud to load the bases. McGlinchy gave up the lead when he failed to find the strike zone against Todd Pratt, who entered the game in the 13^th when Mike Piazza injured his arm on a play at the plate. Ventura stepped to bat and drove the 482^nd pitch over the right field wall for an apparent grand slam. As Ventura rounded the bases, a joyous Pratt ambushed him between first and second where the rest of the team flooded out to form a circle around him and pat his helmet into his head.

This game and featured 5 hours and 46 minutes of gametime.  It was originally a day-game but finished into the night. When the game ended, the Red Sox-Yankees night game was well into the 4^th inning. The Mets used 9 pitchers, including Dennis Cook for only two pitches. Game 4 starter Rick Reed would have been the 10^th guy if necessary.

How old do I feel remembering that this was 10 years ago? Anyway…

Today, the joy is gone and instead there are only angry fans who want a refund on the season and message board GM’s posting their ideal dream lineups. In a few days, worst case scenario will be here.

Although if you want to reach for a good omen, the following season, the Mets made it to the World Series. So maybe…

Never mind, I was dreaming when I wrote that.

Authors Note: I had intended to post this on Saturday, the true 10 year anniversary, but I decided to wait until I had an idea of what the WS matchup was shaping out to be.

Here’s the clip: http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200806202968145&c_id=nym

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 200^th 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.

In what turned out to be the one and only opportunity for the Mets to breakthrough and rough up C.C. Sabathia, the Mets blew a golden opportunity. Actually, let me clarify that and say Jerry Manuel blew a golden opportunity. In the fifth inning, after Gary Sheffield broke up Sabathia’s perfect game with a lead-off solo homerun, Sabathia was rattled and after singles by Fernando Tatis (who is finally hot again) and Nick Evans (will Murphy ever play again?), the Mets had runners on first and second with just one out.

Omir Santos was next up and after a great at-bat that saw Omir foul off three straight fastballs, he went down swinging after chasing a slider. It’s now two outs and Pelfrey is due up. Manuel still has Daniel Murphy on the bench, as well as Jeremy Reed, but he opts to send Argenis Reyes to the plate who strikes out to end the inning.

Argenis Reyes in that big spot? He and his .167 average against lefties!!!

Daniel Murphy has hit well against lefthanders in his career, and this season he is actually hitting better against lefthanders (.276) than he is against right-handers (.247). Does Manuel even know these facts?

Jeremy Reed is 4-4 and batting 1.000 against lefthanders this year! Plus he has thrived as a pinch hitter for the Mets this season with a half dozen big hits already in his pocket!

How can you make a mistake like that and send Reyes up in what ends up being the most critical at-bat of the game?

What is it with this team that transforms them to a bunch of bush leaguers whenever they face the New York Yankees lately. Don’t they know how much we hate losing to them? They don’t seem to be caught up in the drama that is before them like former Mets Al Leiter and Mike Piazza did.

Fundamentally, it seems that the Mets are at their worst when they play the Yankees. I believe they have outscored us 24-1 according to my colleague Big Wes. That’s is as lopsided as you can get.

The one thing I noticed during this year’s Subway Series, is how well the Yankees are at doing the little things, like running hard on every ball, always throwing to the right base defensively, making the routine plays, making the not so routine plays, running the bases smart as in knowing when to steal…

It’s almost embarrassing how much more refined they are than the Mets. In that regard, it’s like a David versus Goliath matchup when it comes to heads-up baseball.

Nobody capitalizes on mistakes more than the Yankees. Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it’s my perception from what I’ve seen so far in the first four games they have played.

This Mets team which was supposed to be so much more fundamentally sound according to Jerry Manuel, is just as bad or maybe even worse than last year’s model.

Three errors in one inning… Really?

Last year, the Mets committed 83 errors which was second best in the league. This year, the Mets are on a pace to surpass 100 errors. Are you kidding me???

This team needs to get their act together and real fast too…

On a side note regarding this site…

I have received a few emails asking why we haven’t been posting as much this week. We have made the decision to focus more on our content and the quality of that content. Fear not, as we will still rant and rave like we always do, and our posts will still carry that raw passion and emotion after every win and loss. What we’ve decided to eliminate are those posts that are mostly blurbs. Instead we’ll gather them up and post them all together in one daily post (sort of like this one) which will be more entertaining. You probably won’t see 15-20 posts per day again, except for maybe the hot stove season when it is warranted, but the 8-10 posts you will get now, will be more content rich, opinionated, informative and sometimes even objective (yeah, right!). It’s not really a change in philosophy, just a more efficient way to deliver our opinions to you. Thanks for all your support.

The Yankees have knocked out 88 homeruns which is ranked number two in all of baseball second only to the Texas Rangers who have one more at 89. The Phillies are ranked third in the majors with 78 which leads the National League. The Mets… well they rank 28th with 34 dingers. Both the Phils and Yanks have more than twice as many homers as the Mets.

Currently, the Mets have just one batter who is on pace to eclipse 12 homeruns and that is Carlos Beltran who should hit close to or around 20.

The Yankees and Phillies are also ranked second and third in the majors in RBI’s with 305 for the Bronx Bombers and 290 for the Phils. The Mets come in at 18 with 240.

The following players have at least 20 or more RBI’s:

Obviously, the Mets no longer have Delgado, and even Sheffield will see less playing time with Ryan Church back and Fernando Martinez clawing for at-bats.

Since Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy replaced Carlos Delgado at first base, they are hitting a combined .139 as pointed out by Gary Cohen during yesterday’s broadcast.

Jerry Manuel has been sending subliminal messages to Omar Minaya because he understands that the Mets won’t go far unless they start banging out some homers.

“If the power comes, that’s going to be great for us,” Manuel said. “But if not, I still believe we’ll struggle in games such as Saturday. We’ll struggle in games like we had the last game in Pittsburgh where we felt — or at least I felt — that we had an opposing pitcher that was struggling and making mistakes, and we were getting singles instead of hitting them out of the park to get back in the game.”

There hasn’t been one legitimate trade rumor tying the Mets to a power hitter even though several of them are on the block. And while most fans believe the Mets need a starting pitcher more than anything else, what good would that do if we lose 3-0, 3-2, 3-1 or 2-1 like we did in Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Even the first 3-1 win we got against the Nats on Friday could have easily gone into the loss column if not for two costly errors by Adam Dunn…

I guess we’ll see what this team is really made of beginning tomorrow.

Maybe Wilson Valdez, Alex Cora, Ryan Church and Brian Schneider will suddenly have a power surge and help take the load off David Wright and Carlos Beltran.

Maybe Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis can elevate their performance and combine to hit .280 in the next six games and double their recent output.

Maybe Luis Castillo picks this week to hit his first homerun of the season. 

If all those thing happen, it might not be so bad…

On another note…

Johan Santana and J.A. Happ will get things started tomorrow night. The Phillies top pitching prospect is 2-0 since he recently joined the rotation, and seems like one of those young pitchers that always seem to stymie the Mets. He last threw seven shutout innings against the Padres last week. He has not allowed more than four hits in any of his starts.

Fasten your seat-belts, have plenty of Alka Seltzer on hand, and watch your mouths as there may be children in the area.