With all of the coverage of the Giants in the National media right now, like how they are a group of misfits, and just an overall lovable team, has made me question something about the Mets I have never questioned before.
Are the Mets lovable?
My initial thought was, “when did that go up for grabs?”
Before I explain, or attempt to explain, this topic, I really should set some context to my Mets fandom. I am 21 years old, product of the last year in the 80's. I grew up in Baltimore during the apex of the Cal Ripken years, starting grade school during the last two seasons the Orioles actually made the playoffs. I remember the Orioles games on in my house, really more because it was a baseball house, but I was told to like the Mets, which was easy, I mean I was like 6 or 7. You could probably tell me back then to like a piece of grass and I would do it without question.
As I became conscious of my surroundings and older, the Mets became better. Cue the 1999 and 2000 Mets, especially the 2000 Mets who appeared during the my middle school years when I shared a locker with a Yankee fan (great World Series for that). Of course we all know the Mets sorta fell apart after that, but I was still attatched them (Piazza has that effect). Then came High School, which brought at the end the 2005 and 2006 teams. College has been a great time in my life, but baseball wise not so much as my Fall's in college have had the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 teams.
But I have never seen the Mets as not lovable. Maybe its because when I became aware of these players as people, it was during the days when Wright and Reyes were just coming up. Reyes was full of hope, and it was still a possibility that he could take Ricky Henderson's stolen base record (remeber I was still in middle school, so to have those high “never going to happen” hopes was completely natural). Wright had to carry Cliff Floyd (my favorite player from middle school to high school) luggage everywhere with hillarious outcomes. These are the Mets I know, and these are the Mets I see when I look at the team today. I do not see the Perez issue, the negatives with the budget, and the other problems. I would argue that most fans do not see this either when they think about their personal relationship with the team, which can influence how we percieve about how others percieve the New York Mets.
I would argue when most Mets fans look at the team, they see the team that they remember from their formidable years. The team that first taught them about hope and disapointment. This relationship in some ways is the definition of lovable.
But with the last four years, the Mets have taken on the role of league laughing stock. It doesn't matter that other teams have nearly historic collapses (2009 Tigers) or teams that have led their division for an entire season. but didn't make the playoffs (2010 Padres), the punchline is always on the Mets. There used to be a time where this would be “lovable”. But If the Mets made the World Series this past season, would they be described as lovable? I doubt it. The team has become some clouded with controversies from fighting minor league coaches to fights in the family waiting room, that the average person or the average baseball fan wouldn't dare call us lovable.
I'm not entirely sure what my point is here. I think it is just that kid in me that still wishes that everyone could see the Mets as I see them; as this ambigous microcosm for life. Haters gonna hate I guess.
