This lack of Mets baseball has got us reflecting here at MMO. So, we wanted to share that reflection with all of you and tell our little stories as to how we became Mets fans.

We all have our own stories. We’ve shared fan stories, such as how these international baseball fans have become Mets fans. And now, here’s a glimpse at ours.

Laney 

Since my father is a Yankee fan and my mother is a Mets fan, my loyalty was up in the air until I came out of the womb. Born a girl on April 8th, I was instantly a Mets fan. My dad likes to say that I was simply keeping the girl Mets fan train going, but I like to think that I was destined to be a Mets fan. Hours before my mother gave birth to me she was laying in her hospital bed watching the Mets take on the Braves in a Sunday matinee. For the rest of my family, me being a Mets fan was just me evening the score between my mom’s Mets and my dad and my oldest brother’s Yankees, but I like to think that being a Mets fan was simply my destiny.

Matt

My Mets fandom originated from my grandpa, who lived in Flushing for the majority of his life. He passed along that fandom to his daughter (my mom), who then brought me up as a Mets fan. She faced no opposition from my dad, who, to this day, claims he cheers for both the Red Sox and Yankees, although the only player he can name on either team is Derek Jeter. Throughout my childhood, my mom would take me to Shea Stadium, and later Citi Field, several times a year.

There, I watched the Amazin’s lose early and often. My first memory at any Mets game: Felix Hernandez going yard against Johan Santana. I was mesmerized by the Mets the second I went to go. Throughout the years, my fandom has expanded while my family’s has seemingly plateaued. To this day, I do not know how I have become so infatuated with Queen’s team over the last decade to the point where I write about them on the daily, but I guess everything happens for a reason.

Lindsay

I’ve been a Mets fan for as long as I can remember, thanks to my dad. He spent a lot of his childhood in Brooklyn, and he always tells me stories about listening to games on the radio with his aunt as a child and how those memories shaped his lifelong fandom. Despite living in central New York my whole life, we always found ways to make the trip to Shea Stadium with gloves in hand, and often took bus trips with his friends from work. He bought me my first jersey at around 9 years old, and I wore it until the second-to-last game at Shea Stadium in 2008 when Johan Santana threw a complete game shutout. My dad and I still talk about the way the stadium rumbled that day and the deafening cheers that you had to be there to believe. Even though I was always a fan, it was that day that I knew I’d be a lifelong Mets fan.

Mojo

I’m a Mets fan because my dad is a lifelong Mets fan who was raised in New York. Even though I was born and raised in L.A., my dad never shied away from his Mets fandom, and even when I was young and didn’t have a ton of interest in baseball, he would still constantly have the Mets on TV and talk about them all the time. Being an L.A. kid, at first I was conflicted and tried to just be a Dodgers fan, but I was simply surrounded by the Mets so much that in some ways, I almost didn’t really have a choice but to just accept my fate as a Mets fan.

I think the main turning point though was when I started to attend Las Vegas 51’s games with my dad, which opened me up to the beauty of minor league baseball and got me to really start following the team and the system closely. So now I’m a weird mix of a Dodgers and Mets fan, but now that I’m through a few years of closely following the Mets and contributing to Metsmerized, I’m way more knowledgeable about the Mets than I am the Dodgers.

Sal

Probably like many Mets fans, I was born into this crazy life. Although I didn’t really have a choice in which baseball team to route for, I’m grateful that I was born into a family of die-hard Mets fans. My first real Mets memory, though, came when I was at Shea to see Mike Piazza’s first game as a Met. The atmosphere, the packed stadium, and even as a 7-year-old kid not knowing much of what was going on, I fell in love with it all. There were MANY lean years to follow come the new millennium (to put it nicely) but I was already hooked by then. Now I’m pushing 30, and I still feel those same butterflies and excitement anytime I watch them play… here’s hoping we can do that again soon.

Ryan

My Dad always says the greatest year in his life was 1986 because that was the year he met my Mom. It also happened to be the year the Mets won the World Series and his New York Giants won the Super Bowl. Fast forward 15 years later and you would find his six-year-old son crying his eyes out after learning that Robin Ventura had been traded to the Yankees. Needless to say I was a die-hard Mets fan before I could know any better.

Michelle 

I did not have a choice in the matter and would not have it any other way. Both my parents grew up in Queens, just about ten minutes away from Shea Stadium. Before I was born, they then moved ten minutes away from Shea Stadium the other way! My Mets fandom was set in stone from the beginning. When your entire family (your Greek immigrant grandfather included!) were at the 1986 World Series, your aunt worked in promotions for WFAN in the ’80s, and your parents used to cut high school classes to go see games at Shea, how could it be any other way?

The post MMO Roundtable: How Did I Become a Mets Fan? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

In Pre-K, all of my classmates wore Yankees hats.

As a kid, I wanted to fit in and asked my parents if they could buy me one.

They both looked at each other and said, “Sure, we’ll buy you a Yankee hat, but that means we won’t take you to any games because we are Mets fans.”

“No, no. I’m a Mets fan!” I said back, not wanting to be left out.

Summer of 2001. My dad tells me to put a Mets shirt on. I asked him why and tried to coax him into telling me we were going to the Mets game.

“We are going to Queens,” he said.

I smiled and said, “So we are going to the Mets game!”

“No,” he smiled. “The Mets play in Flushing.”

I remember the butterflies as we drove to Shea Stadium in his cherry-red Jeep Cherokee, seeing the neon light silhouettes on the facing of the stadium, then parking and going up to our seats behind home plate in the Loge level.

In the middle of the game, Edgardo Alfonzo, my second-favorite player behind Mike Piazza, fouled a ball right into the aisle next to us.

“Get it, Robbie! Get it!” my dad shouted. I couldn’t move. I just stared at the ball while other fans fought for it. The guys behind us ended up with it.

My dad started talking to them and congratulated them. He told them somewhere during the conversation that it was my first game ever, and the guy handed me the ball. It’s still on my mantle to this day and is my first memento from a game, as well as the inciting incident of an inseparable bond between me and the Mets.

From that day forward, I had Mets everything: a Mets lunchbox, countless shirseys and jerseys, hats, backpacks, folders and notebooks and a plethora of cards.

Going to Shea became a regular routine. As the Mets struggled mightily from 2002 – 2004 and just barely finished over .500 in 2005, tickets came on the cheap and friends and family couldn’t get rid of them quickly enough. We were always happy to take them.

Being born in 1995 and not following baseball until 2001, I missed the Subway Series. The first year I really remember the Mets being good was 2006, and those guys were like superheroes to me.

I remember being in baseball camp that summer, and all the buzz was about the Mets. Even from other campers who were Yankees fans, I remember them talking about how even they thought the Mets were destined for a World Series title.

I didn’t quite understand what heartbreak was until Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS when Aaron Heilman served up that home run to Yadier Molina. Until that moment, I was used to mediocrity and was just so happy that they were good in ’06 for the first time in my fandom. Even still, I was shattered but had faith that they could rebound in 2007 and finally win a championship.

Boy, was I in for a rude awakening. We all know the historic collapse of ’07 and the equally sad disappointing end to the ’08 season and Shea Stadium.

Then it was the Ponzi schemes, the injury decimated team of 2009 highlighted by the Luis Castillo dropped ball against the Yankees.

The dark days of 2010-2014 with very little to be excited about, other than a budding farm system. Being a Mets fan was hard, but “Ya Gotta Believe,” right?

Then 2015 was magical. That team was like no other I’ve ever witnessed, and seeing them go to the World Series is one of the fondest memories of my life. The heartbreak was also like no other when they lost.

I remember sitting in my dorm building’s lounge with the Royals celebrating on the television as I cried with my face buried in my palms.

After they lost in the 2016 Wild Card game the next year, I think I finally came to terms that I was in for a life of suffering.

Sure, maybe as a Mets fan, we don’t have it as bad as the Cubs, White Sox or Red Sox droughts, but hey, I’m 24. I’ve never seen the Mets win anything, so it might as well be the same to me.

Never in a million years did I think we would see meaningful baseball played in September of 2019. And I gotta tell you, Sunday night’s loss at the hands of the Dodgers was as big of a gut punch as I’ve endured as a Mets fan.

I’m not really sure why. Obviously, it put us four games out of a playoff spot with just 13 games left to play. There has also been very frustrating and debilitating losses already this year. But Sunday just really hurt.

I was at work and felt like there was a frog in my throat. I just wanted to see the Mets win so bad and pull off a magical season as the team did 50 years ago.

Obviously, it’s not over yet numerically, but barring a miracle, it all but is.

It’s not like I had high expectations for this season going into it. In an article later today, I’ll talk about how the Mets were doomed from the onset with an incomplete offseason. After coming back from the dead, then being at the game last month where the Mets toppled the Nationals in Marcus Stroman‘s first start at home, I tasted that playoff vibe again. I wanted a dream, not another nightmare.

What happens for the rest of the year? I don’t know. Maybe the Mets will miss the playoffs, or maybe they’ll pull off an improbable run. Crazier things have happened.

Maybe they’ll go to the World Series in 2020, or maybe I’ll be an old man on AARP when they win or, heck, maybe they never will again. But, ya gotta believe.

I’m a Mets fan, and for all their flaws and the fundamental differences I have with them, it’s in my blood for better or for worse. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

The post A Retrospective of Being a Mets Fan appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

College is supposed to be about finding an identity. That’s what they tell you when you first walk in past the gates into a crowded dorm full of strangers. Personally, I was fortunate to come in with one. The identity of being a Mets fan is a badge of honor that I’ve worn ever since I was able to follow a baseball game. It’s one of the first things that people associate with me. But for the first time in my life, I had my identity challenged by people and by circumstances.

Between responsibilities to professors, friends, student media organizations, and more, it’s been tough to follow the team. The perpetual stress, sleep deprivation and two pretty serious illnesses have given this past academic year its twists and turns, but underneath it all, one thing has remained constant. I’m still a Mets fan to the core, and I cling to that identity with all the strength I’ve got.

Still, being a Mets fan in college isn’t easy. Between the sometimes overwhelming time demands of academics, extracurriculars, and a social life, I don’t have time to watch every game anymore. Responsibilities at the university TV station and both radio stations have taken precedent over meticulously following the Mets. With my time spread so thin, I’ve had to get creative to follow the team.

Much to the displeasure of anybody around me during game time, Adam Rubin’s live tweets created a soundtrack wherever I went. (I coordinated Twitter alerts so that each ping on my phone signified that something happened in the game.) Breaking the mold of the thrifty college student, I even splurged for an MLB TV subscription, so I could watch games while cutting together a TV news report or engineering a talk radio show.

My own best friends have also made being a Mets fan difficult. Coming from the Midwest, they could care less about the trials and tribulations of my favorite team. In addition to the constant razzing they throw my way, they set the climate for the floor lounge. Because of them, It’s deteriorated into a free for all, with sports fans hailing from all corners of the country fighting to watch their game. Currently, with playoff basketball and hockey in full swing, I’m rarely permitted to put on the Mets.

Despite its challenges, being a Mets fan in college has been rewarding on so many levels. The magical playoff run in 2015 connected me with seemingly all the Mets fans in my building. For each playoff game, 20 of us banded together to cheer on our favorite team. We all shared the highs together, from the blasts of Babe Murphy to sweeping the Cubs. And during the World Series, we consoled each other after Christian Colon’s fateful base hit that put the nail in the coffin on the Mets’ season.

I’ve met some great people over the course of this past year, but perhaps none more helpful than Syracuse Crunch hockey broadcaster Dan D’Uva. While working on a video project for a class about the Crunch, I noticed a poster advertising “Darryl Strawberry Night” in their arena. I immediately followed up with Dan, who is also an avid Mets fan, to see if it would be possible to set up an interview. It was a shot in the dark, but he didn’t hesitate to say yes, and I was rewarded with one of the coolest experiences of my life. I don’t often get starstruck, but as I sat rink-side interviewing Darryl Strawberry in person, I was in awe. Not only at the fact that I was casually talking to one of the greatest Mets in history, but at how the whole situation came to be. Needless to say, the interview would not have happened without the connection I made with the team’s broadcaster and public relations liaison.

As I sit here in my dorm, packing and recovering from illness and finals, I think back over everything that’s happened to me this year. College has provided me with a plethora of unforgettable experiences in just my first year. Following the Mets from Syracuse -even in a limited capacity- has kept me not only sane but happy. Watching them gives me a chance to temporarily escape my worries and focus on the sport I love.

I’ve been rewarded immensely for being a Mets fan, from gaining great friends to having unforgettable experiences. At the end of the day, I thank my lucky stars that I root for the Mets because that’s my identity, and no person or thing can take it from me. I look forward to another awesome summer contributing to MMO.

The post On Being a Mets Fan in College appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

I don’t know all the specifics and I don’t know who the actual parties involved are, but a reader emailed me an image of a letter Terry Collins wrote to a Mets Fan who recently lost their husband who was also a huge fan

That was a pretty thoughtful thing for Terry Collins to do. It’s nice to see a manager or a ballplayer take some time out of their busy day especially during the season to reach out and make a fan’s day a little better.

Last night after the game, it was about the most emotional I’ve seen Collins all year – in a good way. Talking about how he worries about all the innings Syndergaard, Harvey and deGrom are racking up, he said:

“We’ve got to be able to run these guys out there in September, and if for some tremendous opportunity in October, we’ve got to be able to run these guys out then.”

“We cannot eat up these innings. We have a responsibility to our guys, the organization and fan base to let these guys go out and pitch late in the season.”

“If we can really play well in the next two months, I don’t know too many people who’d want to face this staff in a playoff situation.”

I like where Terry’s head is at…

The post Terry Collins Sends Letter To Fan appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

This is Terry Time. This is Terry’s Team. As long as it keeps winning.

In a column for the New York Post, writer Kevin Kernan credits Terry Collins for the Mets’ hot start and that now armed with a team with horses to win, the real Terry Collins has emerged.

“This year, you are seeing more of the real Collins, when he’s managing to win games and holding his team to higher expectations. He has received an amazing start from Lucas Duda, whose two-out single to left in the seventh snapped a 5-5 tie.”

“This year there is less evaluating and more managing,’’ David Wright told The Post. “Terry can worry about tactics instead of having to evaluate, who is going to be the guy there long-term at whatever position.’’

Noted Collins: “I would say a year ago, we don’t win this game.’’

It’s only mid-April, but the 7-3 Mets are in first place in the NL East. Does that mean anything?

“October 1 it will mean a hell of a lot,’’ Collins said.

Thoughts from Joe D.

After an offseason of big talk and bigger expectations, especially from Wright and Collins, the team is truly responding. The team is winning. The team has displayed a lot of fight and resiliency.

Not only are the Mets backing up their big offseason talk, they have even showed us several instances of swagger, most notably when Matt Harvey drilled Chase Utley in the back and gave him the death stare as he sheepishly trotted to first base. Come on, what Mets Fan didn’t get fu**ing goosebumps after that…

Perhaps nobody in the Mets blogosphere has raked Collins over the coals more than I have. Nobody. But I’d be a fu**ing idiot not to admit I was wrong and Collins was right about some of the things I – and many of you – killed him for in the last few months.

This is by no means a full pardon, and I’m in no way planning any billboards to advocate Terry Collins for manager of the year.

I’m just saying that perhaps we overreacted to Bartolo Colon being the Opening Day starter. Perhaps this new lineup deserves more credit than many of us were willing to give it. Perhaps there was a method hidden in the madness of an 8-man bullpen.

You hear what I’m saying?

Collins said yesterday that it’s the little things that mean a lot. I think he’s right. It’s all part of the grand mosaic.

“We have expectations this year, so now some of the little things, they have to be addressed a little bit harder,’’ Collins said.

“The players have to be a little more accountable. It’s easier now to set them down now and say, ‘Hey look, you have had your say, I’ve had my say, we have to make sure this is done right.’ It’s a lot easier to manage that way. We’ve got to play the game the way it is supposed to be played.

“There is a sense they can win. You see a lot of guys on the bench talking baseball and pulling for each other.”

We’ve been crying for six years for this team to show some smarts and play the game the right way. Maybe it’s the blend of youth and veteran leadership from guys like Cuddyer, Mayberry, Granderson, Colon and Wright. But no matter what, you have to give the majority of the credit to the man who calls the shots and fills out the lineup card.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited to tune in for a Mets game in April. I’m loving every ebb and flow of this season so far, and the fight this team has? Man oh man, I never thought I’d see a Mets team this tough and full of personality again.

This really is, “Baseball Like It Oughta Be.”

The post Collins Has Mets Playing Baseball Like It Oughta Be appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On behalf of everyone at Metsmerized Online, we would like to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. Have a wonderful day and make some great memories with your friends, families and loved ones.

It’s always such an enormous pleasure to share our opinions and interact with the greatest and most passionate baseball fans in the world – Mets Fans. Our passion for the Mets binds all of us together, and though we may not always agree on how to get there, we still all share one common goal and that is to see the Mets win another World Series… Or two… Or three…  It’s an honor to serve you these last ten years and we look forward to ten more.

We also send our thanks to all of the brave men and women who continue to serve our country and defend our American way of life. Our thoughts are always with them and we honor their incredible courage and commitment to protecting our freedom and values.

Happy Thanksgiving Day, everyone!

The post Happy Thanksgiving Day From Metsmerized appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Manish Menta, who covers the Jets for the New York Post wrote an interesting column this week that for this reader drew parallels between management of the Mets and that of the Jets. “Woe is me” for all Met/Jet fans.

The Jet beat reporter builds an argument that Jets General Manager John Idzik has boxed head coach Rex Ryan in a corner through his inability to provide the Jet roster with key personnel at cornerback, a critical area of the field in Ryan’s always inventive defensive schemes.

It was Idzik’s claim “We have no regrets whatsoever” and his and his loyal company man Ryan’s comments that drew eerie parallels with comments Met fans have come to expect from Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins.

Don’t believe me? Take a look.

Idzik also added: : “I don’t think immediate spending translates into winning. I think responsible spending translates into sustainable winning.” Idzik’s, who according to Menta this year fields a roster more than $20 million dollars below the salary cap, could have taken that play directly from Sandy Alderson’s playbook.

Now listen to Ryan, every bit as good a company man as Terry Collins. “If you had an uncapped (league) where you could spend like the Yankees…. hey trust me, we’d have an all-star team. Because our owner would say, ‘All right, let’s go for it….’ but there’s fiscal responsibilities.”

“When you’re looking at the big picture it’s not a one-year, one-shot deal. Let’s throw everything into this one year and let’s take every guy we have and mortgage the future. That’s not what this team is about. We want to have sustainable success. It’s about building it the right way, and that’s what we’re trying to do here.”

Wow! Terry and Rex might not look the same. They might not act the same. But, the words coming from their mouths could be interchangeable.

For the Met fan facing their sixth consecutive losing season, the company line, even with a minor league system now flourishing with winning successes, is tired and wearing thin. For the Mets/Jets sports fan the double-talk, is a double whammy almost too painful to take.

The post The Double Whammy Of Being a Jets and Mets Fan appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Legend has it that after Jesse Orosco fanned Marty Barrett and tossed his glove to the heavens it never came down. But on the evening of October 27, 1986, something else went even higher: My dad and me jumping up and down in the living room.

At that frozen moment in time my dad was not my dad. He wasn’t the one who taught me to ride a bike and drive a car. He wasn’t the one who showed me how to use a razor and knot a tie. He wasn’t the one who made me cover my ears when George Carlin launched into ‘The 7 Words You Can’t Say on TV.’ He wasn’t the one who snuck into my bedroom on Saturday nights and, unbeknownst to my mom, woke me up to watch wrestling. He wasn’t the one who explained to me that Baseball “is a business” after the Mets traded Tug McGraw. He wasn’t the one who once advised me, “Don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like Baseball.” He wasn’t the one who told me, “The Mets never lose. Sometimes we just run out of innings.” On that unforgettable Monday evening there was not 23 years between us.

We were two little kids. We were celebrating the fact that OUR TEAM was World Champions. We were Mets fans.

My mom eventually went to sleep but not my dad and me. We stayed up until dawn–drinking coffee, sharing some munchies, reminiscing. My dad smoked and although I, too, had picked up that habit and despite the fact I’d be turning 21 in 2 weeks, I still felt awkward smoking in front of him. We didn’t want to close the door on the ‘86 season. We discussed what the Mets would do with the logjam of Strawberry, Wilson, Dykstra and Mitchell in the outfield. We agreed that Cashen damn well better sign Series MVP Ray Knight. We fretted about Gary and Keith getting older but Gregg Jefferies would surely fill their shoes.

As the tentacles of sunrise began slithering through the curtains and the first day in eight months without baseball was upon us, my dad and I hugged again. With a smile displaying pride, dad casually mentioned, “That’s three.” The three he referred to was the number of championships he’d won in his life: one with Brooklyn in 1955. And now two with the Mets.

My dad passed away three years ago, just 2 weeks before Opening Day 2011. He never got to see a fourth.

Over the past several years I’d guestimate that more than half the blogs I’ve written for MMO have been extremely critical of Sandy Alderson, his “plan” and his request to be patient. Part of me–deep down inside–agrees with him. To a certain point, with the financial handcuffs ownership has placed on him, he has little flexibility. We’re not the Yankees who are battling for a pennant year in and year out. In all fairness to the GM, perhaps it’s me. I came of age in the 80’s, the decade of instant gratification and quick edits in music videos.

To quote Tom Petty, the waiting is the hardest part. On the other hand, if small market clubs with small payrolls such as Atlanta or Oakland can compete year after year, why can’t we? I take umbrage with Alderson’s call for patience. I have 41 years under my belt as a Mets fan and over that time, I’ve got just one championship. In 41 years my team has only made the post-season 6 times. 6 for 41: A 146 average. And I’m tired of waiting.

To anyone reading this, STOP! Take a moment and think back to where you were, what your life was like in 1986. How much has changed? How much have you changed? Where you were then? Where are you now?

Me? I’ve lived an entire adult life since 1986 as have many of you. I watched girls I had crushes on marry other guys. Then have kids. In some cases, now having grandkids. I fell in love, got married. I fell out of love, got divorced. I’ve had good paying jobs. I’ve had bad paying jobs. I once was hired on the spot during an interview. I once was fired on the spot when my employer reduced staff by 35%. I’ve gone from standing outside a stadium all night to get Springsteen tickets to still seeing Springsteen, but now, with the exception of the first few songs and last few songs, I sit for most of the 3 hour concerts. I’ve gone from a plethora of speeding tickets to…hell, I can’t even remember the last time I got pulled over. I’ve gone from a really bad-ass silver and black Chevy to a nice, conservative four door sedan. I’ve gone from spending hours on a Saturday waxing and washing my car by hand to expelling less energy and going to a drive-thru. I’ve gone from being able to eat an abundance of fast food to avoiding spicy foods so I don’t aggravate my ulcer. I’ve gone from watching MTV and The Cosby Show to watching my cholesterol and my blood pressure. I’ve visited my parents in the hospital several occasions since 1986. And I’ve seen my parents standing at my bedside in a hospital. I once volunteered on a presidential campaign and four years later found myself on the opposite end of the political spectrum, voting against the man I’d fought so hard for. I’ve lost grandmothers, uncles, aunts, cousins. I’ve had one of my best friends die in a car accident, another succumb to cancer at 31.

Not too different from things you’ve also probably encountered. Just…well, just life. And through all of this, I’m still waiting.

Some of you reading this may be too young to remember 1986. Me, and those around my age, can still see in our mind Gary Carter’s fist-pumping curtain calls after going deep, the majestic swing of Darryl Strawberry, Ray Knight clobbering Eric Davis in the head and the cat-like quickness and elegance of Keith Hernandez at 1B. But for those who are too young you only know these images from YouTube. They don’t pull at your heartstrings unless you witnessed it first-hand. Unless you lived it. Same for me who is too young to personally recall 1969 with Agee’s catches, Swoboda’s dive, Seaver’s imperfect game or Cleon Jones dropping to one knee for the final out, something my dad recreated for me dozens of times in our living room in Queens.

And some of you reading this were not even born the last time the Mets won. Hearing about or reading about ground balls to Buckner or the euphoria and feeling of invincibility that filled Shea whenever Doc Gooden took the mound carries little significance. Same goes for me when my dad told me stories about Jackie Robinson stealing home, Sandy Amoros’ catch or Johnny Podres shutting down the mighty Yankees in Game 7 of the ’55 World Series.

There are several excellent bloggers on this site who are hopeful, positive and have no qualms about waiting. They’re young. They’re in college. And I’m actually a touch envious of their optimism when they look into the future. Sadly, they’ve never experienced the jubilation, the exhilaration, the sheer joy of being able to say my Mets are Champions.

It seems like just yesterday I, too, was in college. In October 1986, I was a senior, seven months away from entering the real world. I had my whole life ahead of me, my dreams and hopes still intact. I was certain ’86 would only be the beginning of Mets dominance. Now, nearly thirty years later, I’m still waiting for that encore.

The last time the Mets were presented a World Series trophy I wasn’t even of legal age. And suddenly, somehow, someway, without even realizing, next year I’ll be…gasp…50. I went through my 20’s, my 30’s, and my 40’s waiting. And, per Sandy Alderson, I should wait just a wee bit longer.

One more time, STOP! No matter what your current age is, think of yourself fifteen years from now. Try to picture yourself fifteen years older. Pretty hard to do. But that’s how old we’ll approximately be if David Wright is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

The thing is that we all have only X amount of seasons in us. There’s no clock in Baseball, but there is one in life.

So, I’ll continue to grumble about Alderson, the Wilpons, Terry Collins. As I enter my 42nd year rooting for this team I’ve seen a lot. Over these four plus decades, I’ve gone through 8 GM’s and 16 managers. And after Alderson is gone, after Collins is gone, after the Wilpons are gone (soon, I hope), I’ll still be here, cheering for the Mets into my 50’s just as I’ve been doing since I was 7. I’ll write plenty more blogs critical of the ‘plan.’ But what choice do I really have? I’m not going to switch my allegiance. I’ve got too much time invested in the Mets. I’ve spent my entire life rooting for this team.

I’ll wait. I’ll keep waiting. I’ll keep waiting and hoping. Just like my dad kept waiting to see a fourth championship in his life, I’ll keep waiting for my second.

The post 41 Years a Mets Fan appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

An MMO Fan Shot by Elias Conde

In 1962, I was 13 years old, my current wife Carmen was barely two, President John F. Kennedy was in his first term and the New York Mets were born. I sometimes wonder why I remember the Mets back then, because I really wasn’t a baseball fan that cared too much about the teams, but for whatever reason I was made aware of their existence.

I was raised in Spanish Harlem, later moved to the Bronx, and I was only interested in hanging out with my friends, playing basketball and some baseball, but stickball was my favorite. There started to be a lot of publicity surrounding the Mets, and I started to become interested in what was going on in Queens.

Casey Stengel was the one name I remembered the most as he was constantly being quoted in the papers. I learned about Marv Thronberry and for some reason I thought he was a great player, but later on I realized he wasn’t a very good first baseman at all, even though he did hit a little. Roger Craig was on the downside of his career, but he did pitch very well even though he lost a lot of games that year.

As 1962 wore on, I began to become a true Mets fan and emotionally invested in the team. Even though they lost over 120 games, I was happy whenever they won despite it happening only 40 times that first season. This team brought some life to our city, and even though the Yankees were the team most people followed and talked about, the Mets were endearing and captured my attention. I began to learn everything I know about baseball by following the Mets, even though they didn’t play winning baseball. Most of the players were on the downside of their careers and the young ones didn’t have enough talent, but I grew to love this team.

Casey Stengel was a riot who when he spoke said things that didn’t make a whole lot of sense, but were nonetheless funny. Many bad things happened during the early 60’s, from Kennedy being assassinated, the demonstrations because of the Vietnam War and the Mets losing a ton of games, but when they actually won a game, it made me feel proud to be a fan.

Ed Kranepool came up with the Mets during that first season and he immediately became my favorite player. I can remember his first hit being a double and thought, “wow he is going to be a superstar”. As we later realized, he turned out to be a very good player, but not the star everyone expected. The reason he was my favorite was because when I entered high school, I started playing first base and was also pitching. I am a lefty just like Kranepool and I can remember playing at Monroe High School where Kranepool graduated from and thinking wow he actually played on that field, where he hit home runs and drew so much attention to himself from scouts and teams.

The one time I played at the Monroe High School field, I pitched and lost 1-0 in extra innings. Just being on the same field as Kranepool gave me goose bumps. I felt that if he played there and went on to the major leagues, that I might have a chance. But, even though I never lived out my dream of playing professional baseball, I was given an opportunity to live out a dream of walking on the same field that he once starred.

Kranepool went on to have a nice career with the Mets and even though the younger fans do not know much about him, he is still well known by the die-hards that followed the Mets during my generation.

As I reflect on those times, I can say the Mets were very instrumental in making me a baseball fan who now enjoys the game so much and looks forward to each upcoming Mets season. Perhaps a story for another day….

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This Fan Shot was contributed by Elias Conde. Have something you want to say about the Mets? Share your opinions with over 25,000 Mets fans who read this site daily. Send your Fan Shot to GetMetsmerized@aol.com. Or ask us about becoming a regular contributor.

The post MMO Fan Shot: How Ed Kranepool Turned Me Into A Mets Fan appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets avoided arbitration with shortstop Ruben Tejada and signed him to a reported one-year deal for $1.1 million according to Jorge Castillo of the Star Ledger.

That leaves six more players, and odds are the Mets will reach an agreement with all of them. Ike Davis, Lucas Duda, Dillon Gee, Daniel Murphy,Bobby Parnell and Eric Young Jr.. all filed for salary arbitration.

Tejada, 24, batted .202 last season with a .519 OPS in 57 games played. He missed time to a right quad injury and then was demoted to the Minor Leagues once he was activated from the DL.

I asked some of the writers on our staff what their thoughts were on Ruben Tejada as the starting shortstop a couple of weeks ago, and here is what they said:

Jim M. – I know there may not be a lot of Ruben fans, but unless the Mets are willing to pay big money for Stephen Drew I would be fine with him getting a second chance. He had a career low BABIP and also had his lowest K% in his career so I believe he will bounce back like he did after his poor 2010 season that had similar numbers.

Peter K. – I would rather give Ruben Tejada one more chance to shine at shortstop than sign Stephen Drew to a three year deal that he will NEVER live up to. I was happy to see the front office call him out for what seemed to be a player who was resting on his laurels from the previous year. Will it motivate him? Time will tell. But he is young enough, has not reached his prime, and could yet become a serviceable piece to the team.

Big Mets Fan – I’d be OK with having Ruben be the opening day shortstop. He was good two years ago before regressing last year. This is a make or break year for him, so he’ll be plenty motivated. If he’s not, he shouldn’t be here. And there’s nothing to say that if the Mets are in contention, they won’t upgrade mid season like pretty much every other contender out there.

Gerry – I believe that Reuben Tejada is young enough and has enough potential to take another chance on as a shortstop. I think some players simply need to mature in order to appreciate the opportunities they are given, and given his tools the Mets could do worse than to give him another flyer.

Andrew – Tejada has not done enough to warrant a starting role, but he might be our best option at SS nonetheless. Mets fans had to be excited when they heard the recent Stephen Drew whispers, but I’m still not buying it. Tejada has the skillset to be better than he played last year, so even if we don’t envision him as a long term answer I think it’s better to build up his value than it is to sell low. Best case scenario, Tejada hits .290 with decent defense and either cements himself as a starter or builds up his trade value. Worst case scenario, he’s still a decent backup middle-infielder.

Matthew B. – Yes, but he needs to be on a short leash. Here’s the thing about Rubin, last year, he didn’t hit much but the big issue was his fielding, which was awful. I can live with him not hitting a ton if he fields his position well, which I believe he’s capable of as long as he stops trying to “bulk up.”

Joe S. – I believe in second chances but you have to wonder why almost all of last season even after he was cleared to play after his injury, why the team chose to start a 30-something journeyman over Tejada? That speaks volumes about his work ethic I would assume and like Alderson has said recently not all decisions are financially based. But again, if Alderson wants to move Tejada and get the most for him, do you announce to the league that he’s lazy? I would prefer Asdrubal Cabrerabut he may be too rich for the Mets’ blood.

John G. – Well the Mets haven’t done anything to really address this position so it looks like it will be Tejada’s. I haven’t really been sold on him entirely so I still say there is time to make a move to upgrade. I would suggest an early arrival at Spring Training so he can prove to the team that he is ready to be the guy.

Barry – The Mets need at least someone to compete with/push Tejada for the shortstop job. I wouldn’t give up on him, but the Mets can’t go into spring training with no alternative if Tejada doesn’t show enough to merit the full-time job.

Tom W. – Well, absent the budget or the will or the creativity to bring in a major league shortstop, Tejada on a second chance is probably the best move.

Jessep – With Tejada to me, it’s all about the glove and who is playing next to him. I don’t mind the guy if his glove keeps him in the lineup and his 2B counterpart is providing enough of a balance to make the middle formidable. My issue with him is his bat is nowhere near as good as Daniel Murphy and he hasn’t shown enough with his glove. I think he deserves a chance in Spring Training – but to pen him in as a starter in 2014 to me is a mistake.

Zack – For me, the question is not whether Ruben Tejada has done enough to be the starting shortstop, but rather who else if not him? If the Mets don’t add a shortstop (I hope they do), there isn’t much standing in Tejada’s way. Wilfredo Tovar has an outside chance but probably needs to start the season in Triple-A.

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