Last night while scrolling through my social media feeds, I stumbled upon this tweet:
PSA: New York is now ours.
cc: @Yankees pic.twitter.com/tSclaqpa8o
— (not) Buck Showalter (@MetsFakeSkipper) March 14, 2017
As I paused to enjoy the daunting billboard of Noah Syndergaard hovering over the New York Transit Authority in Manhattan, the voices in my head eventually took over imploring, “Stop thinking with your heart and use some common sense! What evidence is there to support that statement?”
You, we, bleed blue and orange. Always have, always will. It’s part of our DNA.
My heart kept saying yes, but my head shouted no. What would be my defense?
New York Mets fans have a strong case that, right now, on paper, the Mets are the dominant team in New York. What’s the logic? Over the last two seasons (2015 and 2016), the Mets (177) have won more games than the New York Yankees (171); the Mets have won a division title, the Yankees haven’t; the Mets have won a league championship, the Yankees lost a Wild Card game. But, in fact, these are bite-sized wins; just enough to stay relevant on the subject.
The simple fact is this: Since 1986, the New York Mets have four division titles, six post-season appearances, two World Series appearances and zero rings. I don’t need to be a sabermetrics expert to know those are some ugly numbers.
Here’s what’s happened in the Bronx since 1986:
- 18 post season appearances
- 14 AL East titles
- 5 World Series wins
- 7 American League titles
We love the 1986 New York Mets, but that story is getting old. The 2015 World Series is still an open wound. If the Mets want to “own New York” it starts April 3. Anything short of winning a World Series Championship would be a disappointment. The time is now to take care of some unfinished business.
So, as awe-inspiring as the billboard of Syndergaard appears, and no matter how many goosebumps it gives us, I must defer to the facts, the Yankees own New York — for now, anyway.
