New York Mets owner Steve Cohen has made it clear that he will do whatever it takes to keep his promise to Mets fans, no matter the price.

In a wide-ranging and eye-opening interview with Jon Heyman of The New York Post, Cohen spoke about missing out on star free agent shortstop Carlos Correa, spending a boatload of cash this offseason and being in play for other big name free agents further down the road.

Perhaps the biggest nugget to emerge from the interview was the fact that blowing through the luxury tax threshold and having to deal with the so-called “Steve Cohen Tax” doesn’t faze him one bit. Rather, Cohen made clear he will continue to spend whatever he has to in order to keep improving this team and keep his promise to Mets fans, which is to win and win big.

“I made a commitment to the fans,” Cohen told The Post. “If it means I have to spend money to fulfil that commitment, so be it. My team is good. But it isn’t that much better than last year. If you want a team that’s good, this is what it costs. What are you going to do?”

The Mets made a huge splash this offseason by signing three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to a two-year, $86 million deal, and they followed that up by signing José Quintana to a two-year, $26 million deal, Kodai Senga to a five-year, $75 million contract, David Robertson to a one-year $10 million deal, and veteran catcher Omar Narváez to a one-year, $8 million contract. The front office also re-signed star closer Edwin Diaz to a five-year, $102 million contract, and outfielder Brandon Nimmo to an eight-year, $162 million deal.

As a result, the payroll for the 2023 season is at around $350 million and the total tax is past $70 million. But, with Cohen himself wanting to add more offense, the spending may not be done yet for the Mets who have been the biggest and most aggressive spenders this winter. And Cohen continued to double down on not being worried about making a personal loss.

“It’s OK, it’s not the end of the world,” Cohen said about losses. “The tax was 70 cents. Now 90 cents. It’s only another 20 cents. It wasn’t like all or nothing. You have to decide. You either pay it or you don’t. I’ve been dealing with big numbers for so long these numbers don’t scare me at all. It’s not like I’m not respectful about what these other teams have to deal with. I’m making money. I have this other job that generates a good living. It’s not like it’s a zero-sum game.”

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps the biggest indicator that Cohen isn’t worried about the steep personal cost that comes with blowing through the luxury tax thresholds is the fact that he was all in on Correa. Our very own Michael Mayer reported on Tuesday that the Mets had made contact with agent Scott Boras about the potential of signing Correa. Ultimately, the free agent shortstop signed a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants.

Heyman notes in his article that Cohen was willing to go to the $300 million mark for Correa, but it didn’t help the Mets joined the party late with Correa already way down the line in negotiations with the Giants by the time Cohen made contact. Cohen’s love of Correa as a player shone through in the comments he made to Heyman.

“We thought maybe he might fall to us,” Cohen said.” “We got there late. He’s a great leader and a good guy. He could play third-base. And he’s a great defender. We would have gotten a good ballplayer, and it would have given us a great ball team.”

While Cohen ultimately missed out on Correa, he told Heyman that “we’re definitely trying” when it comes to the Mets becoming a perennial winner. Plus, Cohen also stated in the interview that there will “always be another free agent.” With that in mind, don’t be surprised if the Mets and Cohen are all in on two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani next year. Because, as the interview makes clear, Cohen will spend whatever he has to in order to bring unprecedented success to Queens. Just as he promised Mets fans when he gained ownership of the franchise.

Check out the full New York Post interview by clicking HERE.

The post Steve Cohen To Keep Promise To Mets Fans No Matter The Cost appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

When Steve Cohen purchased the New York Mets, there was a ton of excitement from the fanbase. We were finally getting an owner who knew what it was like to be a Mets fan. We were getting an owner with the resources to do what was needed to win.

Well, the first year did not go nearly as planned. We saw the type of influence Cohen could have dining with Francisco Lindor and then giving him the largest contract in team history. In a bit of panache, he gave him one million more than the San Diego Padres had given Fernando Tatis Jr.

Still, much of 2021 was “same old Mets.” Jared Porter was fired for harassment. A Cohen-directed investigation uncovered more leading to more firings. The replacement GM, Zack Scott was fired after being arrested for a DUI. They would trade a top prospect for Javier Báez. With apologies to Trevor Williams, the trade was a disaster.

This was a Mets team who set the record for most days in first place only to finish the season with an under .500 record. The hated Atlanta Braves overtook them en route to winning the World Series. The Mets players were booing fans from the field. This was all reminiscent of the Wilpon Era.

In the offseason, the Mets once again struck out in their president of baseball operations search leading them to settle on Billy Eppler as the GM. The collective bargaining agreement would implement a Cohen Tax designed to stop him from flexing his financial muscle.

Cohen would be undaunted, and in fact, he would prove to Mets fans and all of baseball that this is definitively not the same old Mets.

Cohen opened up the wallet. In the offseason, he paid for the Mets to sign star players Starling Marte and Max Scherzer. They were not just great, but they changed the culture of a team that fell apart the previous season. That was part of an offseason that also saw the Mets overhaul their lineup and approach at the plate.

Cohen wanted and made sure to land Buck Showalter. The organization wanted to change its offensive mindset and approach, and they were able to hire Eric Chavez away from the New York Yankees to do it. They also continued to grow their analytics department, and late in the season, they purchased one of the famed hitting machines which can replicate pitcher deliveries.

Cohen understood the best thing an owner can do for the fans is to put a winner on the field. He gave the organization all the resources they needed, and they built a 101-win team. However, Cohen was not done there.

Being a Mets fan himself, he loved and appreciated the Mets history. He brought back Old Timers’ Day and would retire Willie Mays‘ number because he believed it to be the right thing to do (making this a complete departure from the Wilpons). He would also retire beloved player and broadcaster Keith Hernandez‘s number.

In essence, Cohen has given Mets fans everything they’ve ever wanted. Fans wanted this team to matter and be a contender. They were. They wanted the team’s history to be recognized and celebrated. It was.

The best news yet is Cohen is far from done. Eppler has already talked about getting the resources needed to improve upon this season. The organization has talked about spending to bridge the gap to sustained winning much in the vein of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

No, the 2022 season did not end the way Mets fans had hoped. More important than that failure is the future. With Cohen, the future is bright, and we see how the focus is winning and making the Mets as fan-friendly as possible. Seeing the totality of the season, Cohen did all he promised and more. That should leave all of us Mets fans excited to see what comes next.

The post Steve Cohen Revitalized Mets Organization In 2022 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

By Michelle Ioannou

Our favorite squirrel is going to be okay!

Not that we had expected otherwise, but it is good to hear confirmation from the man himself. On Wednesday, October 2nd, Jeff McNeil took to Instagram to share the good news:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3IFHvjAA_9/

It is exactly one week after McNeil was hit in the wrist by a pitch which resulted in a right distal ulnar fracture. He was placed on the 60- Day IL the next day (not that it mattered since the season was ending, anyway).

We had known he was expected to have surgery and it is good to see that the surgery was a success.

The recovery time is expected to be six weeks. Now that we have seen everything went well, it is safe to say McNeil will be in Port St. Lucie, on time, and ready for Spring Training.

The post Jeff McNeil’s Surgery “Went Great” appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

An MMO Fan Shot by Christina Jones.

I am an international baseball fan.

Baseball is a beloved sport in many countries, it’s watched worldwide and adored by millions.

But my experience of being a baseball fan in England has been a pretty lonely one.

“How did you get into baseball?” “How did you become a Mets fan?” – Two questions I’m asked frequently and unfortunately the answer I have is pretty typical.

The truth is, they were the losing team in the first baseball game I ever watched. I saw a game years ago, it was the Mets and the Phillies. I’m not sure what the finishing score was, but Jayson Werth homered early on in the game and I just took a disliking to him and decided to root for the other team. There is nothing springing to mind as to why I disliked Werth, he wasn’t as caveman-ish back then as he is now, I just didn’t like him.

Maybe, I had a premonition about him and realized eventually he was going to play for the Nats and have some weird aversion to hairbrushes and showers and… just generally looking like he washed? But I do wonder if it was anyone else that homered and not Werth in that moment. Would I be sitting here writing this as a Phillies fan? God, I hope not.

I can’t sit here and say I remember every moment, every play and every hit – because I don’t.

Neither can I say that I was aware at the time, that the unassisted triple play that ended the game was extremely rare. And it was only the second unassisted triple play to end a game, and the 15th unassisted triple play in baseball history.

I can say I do remember watching the game and thoroughly enjoying it though. I also remember my eldest nephew only being weeks old at the time and my very exhausted sister interrupting me halfway through so I could give him a bottle, which I did.

The game was on TV, I was in the living room with my dad and his father and we watched it in silence, they didn’t particularly love it, but they didn’t hate it.

I absolutely loved it.

I’m pretty certain the only reason my Dad left it on the television was because we had exhausted every other channel looking for something to watch and nothing else seemed worthwhile. So we gave up looking and settled on the game, which looking back is a little bit shocking as the only sport my dad was willing to give a second of his time to was Rugby and if it wasn’t the New Zealand All Blacks playing, he wasn’t interested. This wasn’t the only time I watched baseball with Dad, but it was the only time I watched it with my Granddad.

What I take away most from that game was hearing that crack of the bat when it smashed into the ball. That sound is my favorite sound in the world and it has been since that day.

I do remember that for a while afterwards it was extremely hard to watch games here, and even harder to watch a specific team.

Eventually, (after months of begging my mum), I got a subscription to MLB.tv and was able to stream online on our crappy family computer.

But back to what I was saying about it being a lonely experience. For years and years every time I listed baseball as something i loved and when i answered baseball as my favorite sport, it was received with a look from the other person/people like i’d just made up my own language and attempted to communicate with them in it.

I recall one day, I was wearing a Mets jersey whilst out shopping with a friend and hearing these three guys making a comment about how they bet I didn’t even enjoy “basketball” and how i’d probably never seen it. And I wish that I can tell you that I corrected them and put them in their place, but in reality I just sunk into myself and walked away.

For years and years it was something I enjoyed alone, something I never had anyone to talk to about and something that made me feel extremely happy but at the same time extremely alone.

I would sit up alone at night after sneaking back downstairs, switch on my computer and pray our WiFi wouldn’t be completely crap and would allow me to watch the Mets in peace and then I’d sneak back upstairs either extremely happy or extremely pissed off depending on how the game went and sleep for a few hours before reluctantly getting myself up a few hours later.

In school, we didn’t have baseball as part of our PE curriculum, we had something called rounders which in reality is a piss-poor watered down version that isn’t even half as much of the fun. A rounders PE lesson was basically the whole class in a line waiting to bat, with the exception of four people “fielding” about 200 feet away, and the teacher pitching/throwing the ball at the person batting. No strike system, you either hit it or you didn’t. If you did hit the ball, you’d run the bases which consisted of three poles that were unassisted, and you’d have to keep your bat on you the whole time you ran. And if you had to stop at a pole/base, the bat needed to keep contact with it the whole time. You can google the rest, I’m not really sure of the rest of the “rules.” It was crap though. And if you didn’t hit the ball you’d just join the end of the line again.

So I would watch the games and for a long while, not really understand terms as it wasn’t taught to me and I’d spend a lot of the time trying to piece things together and search on Wikipedia what things meant and re-read the rules. It was one of the reasons I was reluctant to reach out and find other baseball fans as I felt kind of stupid when I’d have to Google a term, even after just watching a player do it.

And it’s actually only in the last few seasons that I’ve actually communicated with fellow baseball fans, most are in the USA, but a handful of them are here in England as well. I have followed the Mets on Twitter since I made my account, but it’s actually only the last three seasons that I’ve reached out to Mets fans and made a few friends in the process.

But even after watching baseball for almost 10 years and now actually having people to speak to and discuss games with, I still feel like I need to remain silent and despite the fact I know what i’m saying is correct, I second guess myself and tend to remain silent and keep my opinions to myself.

And it stems from a fear that maybe i’ll mispronounce something or make a small mistake because this isn’t second nature for me, and I see how articulate so many of you are and how all of this comes to you so easily because this game has been a part of your lives since day one, that I fear that I’ll be made fun of or my love for the Mets will be doubted because of this.

But one thing I have been able to share is my love for the players, the team and my happiness/sadness when we’ve welcomed and said goodbye to new players. And the joy I’ve felt when my favorite players have had success and the sadness when they haven’t.

Now I’m going take a few moments to just write about some of those players that helped me fall in love with the game.

The first Met who I classed as a favourite was Ángel Pagán. As I said previously, it wasn’t easy to manage to watch games here especially before my subscription to MLB.tv but I really enjoyed watching him play. He probably doesn’t deserve to be listed as No. 1, and the only reason he’s here is because he was the first player who’s name I remembered. Probably because of his homer in the first game I saw. But still I enjoyed watching him, even years later as a Giant.

The second and probably the most important player was the one I grew to love and appreciate the most, and this name will come to no surprise to any of you. David Wright. I don’t think I could possibly write about his talent, the joy, and love for the game he exuded with enough justice. The sheer joy and excitement I would experience when it was his time to step up to bat was electric and throughout the years that feeling grew stronger and stronger. And through the latter part of his career, I felt the agony and crushing devastation that came with his health problems along with every other Mets fan on this planet. One of the things I love the most about being a Mets fan is feeling that sense of pride when someone speaks about Our Captain and feeling so proud to have watched him play and supporting him.

Thirdly, Jacob deGrom. Honestly I don’t have the capacity to tell you how badly I want to see him pitch live, and nothing makes me feel luckier knowing we have his talent on our team. Y’all don’t need me to tell you all that he is a phenomenal pitcher, but I will say that there is no better feeling than watching deGrom pitch. Every pitch he throws is a piece of beauty. I adore this man, and appreciate everything he does for this team.

I’m just going to throw in a few more names of players I loved/love and have made me very happy whilst/while currently in blue and orange:

Lucas Duda, Ike Davis, R.A. Dickey, Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Carlos Beltrán, Luis Castillo, Daniel Murphy, Addison Reed, Dillon Gee, Rubèn Tejada, Justin Turner, Travis d’Arnaud, Juan Lagares, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, Michael Conforto and many many more.

In the UK, I have noticed particularly over the past two seasons that this is a steadily growing number of new fans of the sport, and next year we will have our first ever MLB games played here in the England in the London Stadium – a series between the Yankees and the Red Sox.

A MLB series being played here has been something rumored for a long while, and every time the rumors have crept back out, I have very loudly wished it would be the Mets playing on English soil, so i’m sure you could imagine the disappointment I felt reading it was their crosstown rivals.

But it brings me hope nonetheless, it brings me hope that this game will continue to grow in this country, more people who experience the thrill of the game and my fingers are firmly crossed that the series next year will be a success and just as the NFL has a yearly series here that MLB will have the same.

And as the popularity continues to grow, I have hope that the loneliness that has come with being a fan in a small English town will lessen and that one day i’ll be able to share my love of this sport with someone who understands my passion and appreciates the beauty that is the game of baseball.

* * * * * * * *

This Fan Shot was written and contributed by MMO community member and die-hard Mets fan Christina Jones. Have something you want to say about the Mets? Send your article to GetMetsmerized@aol.com or use this Contact Form. Or ask us about becoming a regular contributor.

The post MMO Fan Shot: An International Mets Love Affair appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It’s now or never for Mets outfield prospect Cesar Puello. The 23 year old Puello needs to break camp on the Mets 25 man roster this spring, or they will risk losing him to waivers.

Puello is coming off a very disappointing season last year with Triple-A Las Vegas. He batted .252 with just seven home runs in 105 games despite hitting in the favorable conditions of the Pacific Coast League. These numbers were a far cry from his breakout 2013 performance where he demolished Double-A pitching with a .326 average and .950 OPS.

The most common explanation for this drop-off in production is that his numbers in Double-A were fueled by PED’s. Puello was suspended for 50 games late in the 2013 season for his connection to the biogenesis scandal.

While this certainly casts doubt on his numbers that season, a lot of people seem overlooking another possible explanation. Puello advanced to a higher level of competition in 2014, and it is not uncommon for prospects to struggle while adjusting to the challenge.

Mets fans who follow the minors closely know this is a frequent occurrence. Prospects such as Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Matt den Dekker experienced similar growing pains after being called-up to AAA. Even Brandon Nimmo saw his numbers plummet substantially after making the jump to Double-A.

These players eventually made the necessary adjustments and showed improved results over time. The encouraging part of Puello’s season was that he was able to make similar progress.

During his last 51 games, Puello batted .279 with a .393 OBP and a.880 OPS. He also carried this momentum into winter ball where he batted .353 with four home runs in 51 at bats.

Puello’s primary competition this spring will likely be Eric Campbell. Campbell is an interesting option because of his ability to play multiple positions, but Puello possesses a far superior upside. Puello still has an exciting combination of raw skills that made him a Baseball America Top 100 prospect several years ago. He can provide good power, speed and defense in right field.

Puello may not be a perfect player, and he made a serious mistake using PED’s in the past. However, he still has the potential to succeed, and there is no harm in giving him a fair shot to make the team out of spring training. The final spot on the roster should be an open competition, and if Puello impresses, he should win the job.

The post Cesar Puello Deserves One Last Chance appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Ian Desmond is probably available for the right package, but the Mets won’t be signing him. If the Nationals were willing to discount him given he is a one year rental there might be a possibility, however, they’re not, in fact they appear more likely to stick with him through 2015 rather than offer him at a discount.

They will at the very least recoup a first round compensatory draft pick in the event of his departure, so whoever wishes to start discussions on Ian Desmond better be willing to offer not only what Desmond would represent in WAR for his 2015 season, but at least one top prospect given he will at least be bringing back a top pick for the Nats. That’s a steep price right off the bat … now if you add an extension contingency, then you are talking possibly a major leaguer and multiple prospects. Ideally this would work out best for both the Nats and the receiving team, but this hinges to some extent on whether Desmond is willing to talk.

So lets consider the first contingency. Desmond isn’t willing to negotiate an extension and / or the Mets are incapable (or unwilling) to offer a multi-year contract. Under this scenario his value is greatly diminished and you are looking at trading for a year’s worth of Desmond in addition to the prospect he’d bring back by means of qualifying offer.

Desmond (per steamer) is projected to hit 18 HR, 73 RBI with a .258 AVG and 2.9 WAR. His defense has dipped of late, with a drop from a 6.0 UZR/150 in 2012 to a 0.1 in 2014. He is notoriously inconsistent in the field and appears to already be in some decline defensively. If you are looking for replacement value, Daniel Murphy put up 2.8 WAR in 2014 and would be a good start, you’d also probably need to throw in a top prospect and maybe a lesser prospect as well. So you’re looking at maybe Murphy or Gee, a top 15 guy like Matz or Conforto, and a top 30ish guy, someone like Robert Whalen. I doubt the Nationals would go for that but given you are essentially renting Desmond for 6 months it just isn’t worth giving up more.

Now if Desmond agrees to an extension, then you are conceivably looking at a major leaguer and a couple of top prospects and maybe a throw in. So something like Murphy, Montero, Herrera (or Plawecki), and maybe someone like Jack Leathersich or Wilfredo Tovar. You might be able to avoid sending Herrera or Plawecki with Murphy in the deal depending (on how they value Murphy) but either way the price in prospects would be considerable. I just don’t see this happening … not only would a deal like this take a significant chunk out of the Mets’ prospect stockpile, the likelihood of the Mets signing a $150 million dollar extension with Desmond is virtually nil given current financial parameters.

Is Desmond even worth an outlay like this? The Nationals offered him $100 million last April and he turned it down. Do they see him as a $150 million dollar player? Probably not. Is he a $150 million dollar player? Well, if he’s the 5 WAR player he was in 2012 and 2013 than you could argue yes, but he’ll be turning 30 this year and his defense has already declined with 44 errors over the last two seasons. More likely he’ll be a good 2 to 3 WAR player for the majority of his contract.

For the record, steamer projects Wilmer Flores to hit 15 HR with 56 RBI and a .248 AVG … no one is saying Flores will outperform Desmond, but when you realize the upgrade per steamer amounts to 3 HR, 16 RBI and 10 BA points you have to ask yourself, is that worth giving up Montero, Plawecki, Murphy (or Gee) and a throw in? Probably not. Sure, Flores is a big question mark at shortstop, but it’s no secret that the Nationals weren’t pleased with the performance of their infield defense in last year’s NLDS. It’s not like Desmond is going to win a Gold Glove, and Flores may very well be passable at short with a bat could evolve into something special.

Given all of the above I think it extremely unlikely that the Mets somehow work out a deal for Ian Desmond, I actually think it’s next to impossible.

The post The Low-Down On Ian Desmond 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.

The Mets made several moves last week to clear space on their 40 man roster. One of these decisions was to place catching prospect, Juan Centeno, on waivers. Centeno was quickly picked up by the Milwaukee Brewers, and he will likely compete for a spot on their opening day roster. While Centeno is certainly not a devastating loss for the Mets, he might have been the best internal option to backup starter Travis d’Arnaud

As a 32^nd round draft pick, Centeno was always under the radar. He was never ranked highly on any prospect lists, and he was often overlooked due to his lack of power. Centeno only hit three home runs in his minor league career, and he has an extremely low .336 slugging percentage during eight minor league seasons.

Despite his low power numbers, Centeno made some improvements at the plate during the last few years. He batted over .300 in three out of the past five seasons, and the contact-hitting backstop never hit below .285 during this span. This progress does not completely make up for his disappointing power output, but it does show that he has more promise on offense than most give him credit for.

However, Centeno’s greatest strength is his exceptional ability on defense. Centeno is regarded as an excellent defensive catcher, and he also has an outstanding throwing arm. Baseball America rated him as the best catcher defensively in the entire Pacific Coast League this season. Mets fans also caught a glimpse of Centeno’s elite skills when he threw out Billy Hamilton stealing in September of last year. This type of defense from the catching position is valuable, and it would also give the Mets a nice complement to  d’Arnaud’s production on offense.

Additionally, letting Cetneno go likely means that Anthony Recker returns as the Mets backup. While Recker launched a few impressive home runs this year, he struggled mightily overall. Recker batted just .201 with a dreadful.246 OBP during 174 at bats. This poor performance is also not the result of a small sample size or the consequence of a young player struggling to adjust in the majors. Recker is a career .197 hitter, and he is already 31 years old.

Even though this decision will not drastically effect the season, it is a mistake by the Mets. Centeno can easily exceed Recker’s average and on base percentage while also playing superior defense. Centeno is also several years younger, and he still has room to improve.

This just in…

As I finished writing this last night, the Mets signed catcher Johnny Monell to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. He’s a local kid and was a 30th round pick of the San Francisco Giants in 2007.

Monell, who turns 29 in March, spent this season at Triple-A, splitting time between the Dodgers and Orioles organizations and hit a combined .238 with four home runs and 24 RBI in 226 plate appearances. He had a cup of coffee in 2013, batting 1-for-8 for the Giants.

The post Mets Sign Catcher Johnny Monell, Final Thoughts On Juan Centeno appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

In one of the opening scenes of the film Goodfellas we hear a voice-over from Henry Hill played brilliantly by Ray Liotta who describes the downside of going into business with a mob boss named Paulie. If he has trouble with the cops, deliveries, etc. he can always call Paulie. But now he’s gotta come up with Paulie’s money every week, no matter what, without fail… or else.

“Business is bad? ***k you, pay me. Oh, you had a fire? ***k you, pay me. Place got hit by lightning? ***k you, pay me.”

In many ways, this is similar to how Mets ownership currently operates. In May, Mets fans were affronted with an insulting letter, sent by a marketing department with a high school mentality on behalf of an ownership, that asked for a “Declaration of Loyalty.”

From 2009 through 2013, the Mets posted five consecutive losing seasons and a meager .462 winning percentage. Despite this, almost 12.5 million fans paid their way into Citi Field to watch this unsuccessful product. Apparently, in the minds of ownership, that does not constitute loyalty. They still want more.

Haven’t played .500 baseball? ***k you, pay me.

Six straight losing seasons? ***k you, pay me.

Even more offensive was Sandy Alderson’s comment last Spring, when he claimed that if more people showed up at the games, he’d have more money to spend and could improve the product.

I’m no entrepreneur. I’ve never owned a business, nor have I been a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. I have a little ol’ Liberal Arts degree from a mediocre university, not an MBA from Stanford. But even I have the common sense to know that business does NOT operate that way.

This post-season we’ve all been bombarded with commercials by Ford and Chevy. Ford touts the towing capacity of their F-150 and Chevy brags about the many bells and whistles on their vehicles. But if the Wilpons ran General Motors, they’d want us— no, expect us—to purchase a 2015 model while telling us how much better the 2018 model will be.

Successful businesses thrive on loyalty and repeat business. But in Flushing loyalty is a one way street. With one hand ownership slaps us in the face while their other hand slips into our pocket to grab our wallet.

Haven’t made the postseason since 2006? ***k you, pay me.

Haven’t been in a pennant race since 2008? ***k you, pay me.

When Citi Field opened in 2009, it was immediately criticized for completely ignoring Mets tradition and history. US Cellular Field displays images of past White Sox heroes on their outfield wall. Busch Stadium has two massive Cardinals high atop the scoreboard. The right field wall at PNC is 21 feet high, a tribute to Roberto Clemente. The perimeter around AT&T Park has statues of Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Juan Marichal. By contrast, when you walk into Citi Field, you can be walking into any team’s stadium. You have to look hard to see ‘Let’s Go Mets’ in the outfield. It’s smaller in size than logos for Goya and Fox News.

Only after much public outcry and pressure from fans and the media did management finally react and established a Mets Hall of Fame, changed the color of the outfield wall from black to blue, and added player banners and art around the stadium and parking lot. Paying tribute to our own storied past was never even initially considered. Honoring the ’69 and ’86 teams, and paying homage to iconic Mets like Tom Seaver, Keith Hernandez and Dwight Gooden simply never occurred to the Wilpons. That in and of itself says a lot.

The facade of the stadium, while impressive, carries no significance to most fans. The Brooklyn Dodgers played their last game in New York five years before the Mets came into existence. How many of us have any memories or sentimental attachment to Ebbets Field other than some stories from your grandparents who once supported the Dodgers? When the Expos relocated to our nation’s capital, they didn’t design their park to resemble Griffith Stadium where the Senators played for 71 years.

Think of the contrast in mindsets. Original Mets owner Joan Payson was a die-hard New York Giants fan who even sat on their board. She was one of only two dissenting votes prohibiting her team from moving west. However, when her new team moved into Shea Stadium seven years later, there were no signs, no links and no references to the Giants. The Giants were dead to her and it was now all about the Mets. By comparison, Fred Wilpon elected to design a stadium honoring the team he rooted for as a boy, rather than the team he’s owned since 1980 and that us fans have supported all our lives. Citi Field is Fred’s temple and a monument to his childhood.

Not enough Mets history for you? ***k you, pay me.

Want to see your Mets heroes honored?  ***k you, pay me.

Despite the fact Davey Johnson was our most successful manager and the only skipper at that time to lead the Mets to two post-seasons, he was fired in 1990. GM Frank Cashen knew there would be backlash. However, he also knew he still needed fans to come out to Flushing. Cashen lessened the blow by hiring Bud Harrelson. One of the most beloved Mets and connected to the franchise for over three decades, Biddy connected with fans both as a gritty hard-nosed player and then as a well-respected and successful coach. He was a 1969 Miracle Mets icon, and Cashen knew it would please the fans. Cashen connected with the fans and respected their bond to the team.

Today, the attitude is different. Wally Backman, like Harrelson, has been a fan favorite and has served the Mets with distinction for a long time. He was, like Buddy, another blue-collar guy and hard-nosed player. And like Buddy, he is one of a handful of Mets who can call himself a champion. However, despite guiding his Triple-A team to two consecutive postseasons, he was passed over once again as Mets manager. The front office and ownership chose to retain Terry Collins, the only manager in our history to post four straight losing seasons.

I don’t know if Wally would be a good manager or not. But based on his winning ways, both as player and manager, and his long standing affiliation with this organization, he at least deserves his shot. And we deserve to see him in the dugout. When hearing of the decision to bring back Collins, did any of you jump online and instantly buy season tickets for 2015, or did your stomach sour as mine did?

Don’t care for our choice as manager? ***k you, pay me.

Want someone with a winning pedigree to lead the team? ***k you, pay me.

Current ownership takes Mets fans for granted. They ignore the past, have yet to deliver on the present, and only offer blanket promises about the future.

In 2009, the Mets drew nearly 3.2 million fans, 7th most in Major League Baseball. This past season, the Mets drew 2.1 million, a drop off of 33% in six years, ranking 21st. To put that into context, the Twins, Padres, Phillies, Reds, Cubs, Rangers and Rockies — all teams that play in smaller markets and all teams that won fewer games — drew more fans. As ownership continues to demand our loyalty, attendance continues to plummet.

Most Met fans are believers and are positive by nature. We want to believe… We love our rich history and our iconic players… We love to wear our Mets gear and display our team colors… . We also want a team we can be proud of… But what management needs to realize is this:

While the vast majority of Mets fans will always be forever loyal, passionate and patient, financially supporting this team is not a given. Loyalty goes both ways and so far you haven’t been holding up your end of the bargain. And yes, we do have our limits.

The post Mets Brass Needs To Realize That Loyalty Goes Both Ways appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Every generation has its defining moment. People who grew up in the 1960s know exactly where they were when President Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were assassinated. In the 1980s, every American knows where they were when the Space Shuttle exploded. It’s no different for Mets fans.

People who grew up rooting for the Mets remember every detail of the 1969 Miracle Mets’ run to the World Series. Fans of my generation well up with happy tears when you mention two words to them: Game 6. How can anyone forget the night of October 25, 1986?

The Mets were facing elimination entering Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. They fought back to tie the Series at Fenway Park after dropping the first two games of the Series at Shea Stadium. Then Bruce Hurst shut them down in Game 5 to send the series back to New York with the Mets down three games to two.

It was up to Bob Ojeda to save the Mets’ season. He was opposed by Roger Clemens, who was later given the 1986 AL Cy Young Award. Ojeda was also called upon for Game 6 of that year’s NLCS against the Astros, a game in which the Mets defeated Houston in 16 innings to claim the National League pennant. In that game, Ojeda struggled early, giving up three runs in the first inning before settling down. Game 6 of the 1986 World Series was no different for Ojeda. He gave up single runs to the Red Sox in each of the first two innings, but then settled down.

When Ojeda was replaced by Roger McDowell to start the seventh inning, the Mets had come back against Roger Clemens to tie the score at 2. Although the drama that unfolded in the tenth inning is what Game 6 is most known for, a number of interesting events occurred in the seventh inning that are often forgotten.

With one out and Marty Barrett on first base for the Red Sox, Jim Rice hit a ground ball near the third base line that barely stayed fair. Ray Knight fielded it and threw wildly to first base, with the ball popping in and out of the glove of a leaping Keith Hernandez. That brought up Dwight Evans with runners on the corners. Evans hit a ground ball for the second out of the inning, but Barrett scored the go-ahead run and Rice was able to advance to second base. That was when Mookie Wilson became a hero for the first time that night.

Roger McDowell was able to get ahead of Red Sox catcher Rich Gedman by throwing strikes on the first two pitches, but Gedman then grounded the 0-2 pitch from McDowell between short and third for a base hit that appeared to give the Red Sox an insurance run. However, Mookie Wilson charged the ball and fired a strike to Gary Carter at home plate to cut down a sliding Jim Rice for the third out of the inning.

The defensive efforts of Wilson and Carter helped keep the Red Sox lead at one, a lead that would be erased when the Mets came up to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Roger Clemens had been pinch hit for in the top of the eighth inning, so the Red Sox brought in former Met Calvin Schiraldi to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning. Schiraldi had been brilliant in relief for the Red Sox during the regular season, compiling a 4-2 record and a sparking 1.41 ERA. However, all that changed once Lee Mazzilli led off the inning with a base hit. Lenny Dykstra followed with a sacrifice bunt, but he reached first base safely when Schiraldi threw wildly to second base in a failed attempt to nail Lee Mazzilli. Now the Mets had two men on with nobody out for Wally Backman, who laid down a bunt of his own. His successful sacrifice moved Mazzilli and Dykstra into scoring position for Keith Hernandez, who was intentionally walked to load the bases. That brought up Gary Carter. On a 3-0 pitch, Carter had the green light and lined a sacrifice fly to left field. The fly ball allowed Lee Mazzilli to score the tying run. When neither team scored in the ninth inning, the stage was set for the most dramatic inning in Mets history.

The inning started with a bang, but not the one wanted by Mets fans. Dave Henderson led off the inning with a laser beam down the left field line that just stayed fair as it cleared the wall. The home run off Rick Aguilera silenced the Shea Stadium crowd of 55,078 and gave the Red Sox a 4-3 lead. They weren’t done yet. Aguilera came back to strike out the next two batters but then proceeded to give up a double to Wade Boggs and a run-scoring single to Marty Barrett. The latter hit gave the Sox an insurance run as the lead was now 5-3. The next batter was hit by a pitch. Who was the victim of Aguilera’s wayward offering? None other than Bill Buckner (more on him later). Now there were two men on base for Jim Rice. Rice could have redeemed himself for being thrown out at home in the seventh inning with a hit in the tenth. However, Rice failed to add to the Red Sox lead when he flied out to Lee Mazzilli in right. His failure to come through in two crucial spots set up the events in the bottom of the tenth inning for the Mets.

Wally Backman and Keith Hernandez were due to lead off in the bottom of the tenth inning. However, two fly balls later and the Mets were down to their final out with no one on base. The dream was one out away from becoming a nightmare. 108 regular season wins and a thrilling NLCS against the Astros would mean nothing if the Mets couldn’t start a rally against Calvin Schiraldi and the Red Sox. The Shea Stadium scoreboard was flashing “Congratulations Red Sox: 1986 World Champions” and NBC had already awarded its player of the game to Marty Barrett. Then Gary Carter stepped up to the plate and something special began to happen.

On a 2-1 pitch from Schiraldi, Carter singled to left. Then Kevin Mitchell, pinch-hitting for Rick Aguilera lined a hit to center on an 0-1 curveball. The tying runs were now on base for Ray Knight. If you recall, Knight had made an error in the seventh inning that led to a run for the Red Sox. Perhaps this game would never have gone into extra innings had Knight not committed his error. Knight didn’t care. All he cared about was getting a hit to continue the inning. Unfortunately for him, Schiraldi threw his first two pitches for strikes. The Mets were down to their final strike, but Ray Knight had something to say about that.

On a pitch that was headed for the inside corner of the strike zone, Knight fisted it over Marty Barrett’s head into short center for another base hit. Carter scored from second base and Mitchell went from first to third on the hit. The tying run was 90 feet away and the winning run was at first base. Red Sox manager John McNamara had made up his mind. He was going to Bob Stanley to try to win the World Series. Stanley would face one batter, Mookie Wilson, with everything on the line.

Stanley would throw six pitches to Mookie Wilson to get the count to 2-2. Hoping for strike three with his seventh pitch, Stanley let go of the pitch and at the same time, let go of the lead. The pitch was way inside, causing Mookie to throw himself up in the air to avoid getting hit. Fortunately, the ball didn’t hit Mookie or Rich Gedman’s glove (or home plate umpire Dale Ford for that matter). The ball went all the way to the backstop and Kevin Mitchell was able to scamper home with the tying run. The wild pitch also allowed Ray Knight to move into scoring position with the potential winning run. All Mookie needed to do now was get a base hit to drive him in, or perhaps he could so something else to bring him home.

During the regular season, John McNamara had always removed first baseman Bill Buckner for defensive replacement Dave Stapleton during the late innings. However, this time Buckner was left in the game despite the fact that he was hobbling around on two gimpy legs and had just been hit by a pitch in the previous inning. What was McNamara’s reasoning for the decision? He wanted Buckner to be on the field to celebrate their championship with his teammates. Instead, Buckner was on the field during a different kind of celebration.

Buckner was at first base as the count went to 3-2 on Mookie Wilson. A mountain of pressure had been lifted off his shoulders once he went airborne to elude Stanley’s pitch. A relaxed Mookie came back to the plate to finish what he came up there to do. After fouling off two more pitches, including a line drive that curved foul down the left field line, Wilson hit a little roller up along first, bringing Mets fans to their feet as Bill Buckner hobbled to the line in an attempt to field it. I’ll let NBC broadcaster Vin Scully describe what happened.

“Little roller up along first. Behind the bag! It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight and the Mets win it!”

A miracle had happened on the diamond. Perhaps Mookie’s grounder hit a pebble. Perhaps Buckner took his eyes off the ball as he watched Mookie sprint down the first base line. Perhaps God was a Mets fan. Regardless of what caused it to happen, Mookie’s grounder found its way under Buckner’s glove and the Mets lived to see another day.

As a dejected Bill Buckner walked off the field, Shea Stadium was rocking as it never had before. Mookie Wilson was still running towards second base because he had no idea that Ray Knight had scored the winning run. Ron Darling, who was scheduled to start the seventh and deciding game of the World Series the following night (even though it was rained out and played two nights later), admitted that he could see dust falling from the roof of the Mets dugout because of the vibrations caused by the fans jumping up and down over it. Keith Hernandez had left the dugout to go into Davey Johnson’s office after making the second out of the inning, but never moved from the chair he was sitting in, even after the historic rally had begun because as he admitted afterwards, the chair he was sitting in had hits in it.

As the unbelievable events were flashing on the TV screen for those of us who weren’t fortunate enough to have tickets to the game, Vin Scully came back on the air after a long pause to tell the viewers everything they needed to know about what they had just seen unfold at Shea Stadium on that Saturday night. The Hall-of-Fame broadcaster said:

“If one picture is worth a thousand words, you have seen about a million words. But more than that, you have seen an absolutely bizarre finish to Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. The Mets are not only alive, they are well and they will play the Red Sox in Game 7 tomorrow.”

Game 6 didn’t give the Mets the World Championship as many baseball fans mistakenly believe. There was still one game left to play. Although it was scheduled for the following night, rain put a hold on Game 7 until the night of Monday, October 27. Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, who had been scheduled to start the seventh game for the Red Sox, was scratched from his start to allow Met killer Bruce Hurst to pitch. But I’ll leave that blog for another night.

For now, think of the memories you have of that unbelievable Game 6. Imagine how different things would have been if Jim Rice had not been thrown out at home plate in the seventh inning, or if Bob Stanley had relieved Calvin Schiraldi before Gary Carter, Kevin Mitchell or Ray Knight produced base hits in the tenth inning. Mets fans who celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Miracle Mets this season might still be talking about that team as their only championship team.

A miracle happened at Shea Stadium 28 years ago today, on October 25, 1986. It is the single greatest Mets memory I have. I’m sure for many of you reading this, it’s your favorite Mets memory as well. Do Mets fans believe in miracles? If you watched Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, the answer is a definite yes.

The rest, as they say, is a matter of history…

The post October 25, 1986: Little Roller Up Along First… appeared first on Metsmerized Online.