I’m not a cocky, pompous or obnoxious baseball fan. I was brought up with the game, played it the right way, and have tremendous amounts of respect for the rules of the game. I don’t brag about my team, even when they’re doing good, and I am as fair as possible, giving credit where credit is due as well as trying to be as unbiased as possible.
For a majority of my life, the Mets have been horrible. I’ve seen them make the playoffs once, collapse twice, and have seen them miss the playoffs every other year in between. I’ve gone to the games in the middle of September when they’ve been out of it for months for the simple fact that I love the game.
I’m 20 now, and the last time I’ve seen a team have a real shot at doing something special, I had braces, a bowl cut and wasn’t even a teenager. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I’ve embraced the Mets lifestyle and wouldn’t have it any other way. I always just told myself – when the Mets were at their lowest point – that one day all this losing, suffering and heartbreak will make winning that much sweeter. When we do win it all, it will all have been worth it.
My entire life, I’ve grown up with Yankees fans. I was always the minority, and for the most part had to fend for myself to fight for the Mets. “It must be so easy,” I would think to myself “to have your team be guaranteed a playoff spot pretty much right off the bat.” And for my entire life, the Yankees have ruled New York. Guys like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada were the jerseys that would smack you in the face as you walked through the doors at Modell’s. The Mets were always second fiddle to the Bronx Bombers, and were often never taken seriously and just written off as the Lovable Losers.
This year, hope peeked its head. Our young core of pitchers were good from day one this year, and are probably the reason we are even where we are now, as they kept us afloat when he had John Mayberry and Eric Campbell as the heart of our lineup.
One by one, these young arms came up and lived up to their expectations. “If we could just get some bats, this team is going to be a real force to be reckoned with.” Then in July, everything changed. The non-trade of Wilmer Flores, the promotion of Michael Conforto, the acquisitions of Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe, and most importantly, the addition of Yoenis Cespedes. With David Wright and Travis d’Arnaud coming back from injury, to go along with all these fresh new faces, the Mets finally had a lineup.
And what have they done? They’ve gone from second place at the deadline to picking up nine games on the pre season World Series favorite Washington Nationals. The Mets have always done the improbable, and demonstrated magic, overcoming odds and surprising their fans. This year is just another example of that. We went from a fan base wallowing in our sadness to a “why not us?” Attitude.
So why NOT us? This isn’t 2007. We ain’t collapsing anytime soon. We’re going to do great things this October and November. Mark my words. I don’t care about the stupid Yankees. Keep your 27 rings, that’s in the past. Now it’s our time to reclaim New York. What does it mean to me to be a Mets fan? Fighting until the end, even when everyone’s given up on you. It’s our time. Let’s Go Mets.
