“When the best thing about a team is the hamburger available at its stadium, it’s bad.”
The upsides of the internet are huge. With instant connections and the ability to get essentially an infinite amount of information, people can become educated on a wide range of topics very quickly. At the same time, when people don't look fully into a situation (and I am guilty of this as well, you are probably too) the same information gets repeated and repeated. A small slice of the story gets re-articulated so much that it becomes the whole story. This is not exclusive to sports as it happens in every field. For example, why do people believe that the Health Care Policy that was passed a year ago has “Death Panels”? Well one news network started saying it, it was then repeated by all of the people that watch that news network, it was then blogged about by people who used that news network to get their information, assuming they were getting the whole picture then people read those blogs and watched that news network. Suddenly, people's second sources are just rehashing the material of the first source, and that diverse view an individual thinks they are getting on a topic is really just a microscopic narrow issue made to mask the rest of the story.
What does this have to do with the New York Mets?
Since the end of last season, when the Mets are talked about on a national level, there were two stories. They either A) talked about ownership issues and borrowing money (which is important to talk about) or B) Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez.
The problem then arises when people want to talk about the Mets, that are only getting their information from those two stories. If those two stories were the limit of our team, then yes, I would agree with the quote and the article from Jeff Passan, that the best thing going for the Mets is the food at our ballpark. There is a lot in his article I agree with. I just don't agree with the scope of it.
If you talk to a Mets fan, they can tell you tons of things that are positive about the team. We have a young first basemen who is posed to have a big sophomore year and show the league his skills with the glove. His rookie year was shadowed by the rookie year of Heyward, Posey and others, so he isn't a national name yet. He's an asset to this team. Ike Davis could vary will be a future cornerstone to this team. That's exciting. In addition to Ike Davis, the Mets have the blooming career to Angel Pagan who is also poised for a break out year. Pagan has that exciting mix of speed, glove ability, hitting and occasional power that brings hope to the season.
Finally, the Mets have Sandy Alderson, who has worked with a tight budget before, and so far in spring, has seemed to bring the right people aboard the Mets.
I'm not entirely angry with Jeff's article. I'm upset with the proposed scope of the article, and it what it represents to the outside-Mets-baseball-world. What Jeff says about the Mets ownership troubles are true and worrisome. However, the paint the picture this bleak for the entire Mets organization really does a disservice for anyone wanting to get a full picture of what the Mets have in their immediate future.
Very often we hear the negative as in Passan's article. However, few seem to focus on the positives that we've seen from this team. The Chris' (Young and Capuano) are looking strong and have the potential to be a heavy anchor for the back end of this rotation; Ike is primed for another strong season, Thole is progressing better than expected with a very competant backup in Paulino and Nickeas (for 8 games); a healthy Wright, Reyes and Bay can do wonders for a team riddled with injuries for years; the bullpen actually looks competant (although I agree this is always a toss up).
I'm sick of all the negativity surrounding this team. Minaya and his incompetance are gone. The Mets are starting fresh but the media and often many fans harp on the past. I, for one refuse to do so. This team is an underdog and this franchise has always thrived in that role. We are not the Yankees, destined to be on top looking down. Accept the underdog role and revel in it! There is a small chance for this to be a special season but why give up hope before it has even begun? Be FANS and support your team!
I will now get off my soap box…
Since anonymous just got off his soapbox, I will get on mine. This subject has been such a source of consternation for me as a long time Mets fan that I have reduced the amount of time I spend listening to WFAN and watching the Teaparty-esque sports TV talk show that is Daily News Live. And if that wasn't enough, I read a column today by Joel Sherman in the Post about how everyone should quit piling on poor, poor A-Roid. Yet every time a member of the Mets players, front office, or anyone associated with the team so much as sneezes, he starts piling on himself, saying in effect, “the Mets can't win, they stink, they're dishonest, they're rotten”, etc, etc, ad nauseum. By no means am I absolving the previous front office for it's mistakes, or from any of the players for actions they have done, but Jesus H man, enough is enough!
Anyone want to get on the soapbox now that I've spoke my peace?
I'll give the amen. While it's unrealistic to have world series aspects for this team, when we DID have World Series aspects in 2007 and 2008, we saw what happen. There is a reason we play the game for 162 games and don't just start the playoffs on the medias preseason perdictions.
This pitching staff did well last year. And all that's been said about some of our young guys are correct. With better baseball minds helming the bench and GM spot, I'm hopeful the Mets will surprise some (well… a lot) of people.