It was around 10 a.m. when we had a class break while studying abroad in Vietnam. From April onwards, I lived in a time zone 11 hours ahead of my home on the East Coast. That meant prime time for New York Mets baseball was during Vietnamese class, and class breaks allowed me to check stats and scores for the Mets. The Mets performed beyond expectations in the beginning of the season, allowing them to hold the top spot for the NL East for some time. It was crazy to think of how well the Mets were doing half a world away but, at the time, I never thought the season would turn out as it did.
Admittedly, I have not always been a Mets fan. My dad is from a family of mostly Yankee fans in the forgotten borough of Staten Island. My family doesn’t have hardcore Yankee fans, but just like most of the city of New York, their alliance still lies with the Bronx Bombers. Thus, I was technically raised a Yankee fan. The back of my Little League baseball card from kindergarten even listed my favorite team as the New York Yankees, a mistake I still shudder at. Luckily, I found salvation soon after the turn of the new century.
I attribute my love of the Mets to my former uncle. He bought me my first Mets jersey: a black Roberto Alomar jersey that I wore all the time, even for a school portrait picture. It was a decent time to be a Mets fan. They just appeared in the infamous Subways Series, the World Series matchup between them and the Yankees. Memorable Mets were numerous from the era: Benny Agbayani, Rey Ordonez, Al Leiter, Edgardo Alfonso and, of course, Mike Piazza.
Being a Mets fan is not exactly a walk in the park. It’s not as bad as being a Cubs fan, but it’s pretty close. The Mets organization was created in 1962 as an expansion team. They’ve only been in the playoffs eight times since that time, winning the World Series two of those times. When your crosstown rival has won 27 World Series, it is hard to compete for attention.
Since making the World Series in 2000, the Mets have two faces: horrid, or failure to make the playoffs after a strong season. The closest the Mets got to making the World Series was in 2006 when they collapsed to the St. Louis Cardinals. I saw hope in Vietnam for the Mets, despite the fact that not a single expert from a major news source predicted the Mets would make the playoffs. At that time he Mets rotation was stellar, and Matt Harvey wasn’t even a part of it yet. The Mets were atop the NL East, but a below average bullpen combined with a mostly lackluster lineup of hitters dragged down the team and eventually caused them to lose leads and fall behind leading into the All Star Break.
Then came a roller coaster of events that would impact the rest of the Mets’ season. The Mets’ front office knew that, with an improved offense, the Mets could make a push for the playoffs. First came the rumor that Wilmer Flores was traded during the game to the Brewers. Flores first joined the Mets’ organization when he was 16, so he has spent the majority of his life playing for the organization. He was still in the game when the rumor was broken to him, and he cried on the field. After the deal fell through, the Mets acquired hard hitter Yoenis Cespedes, and veterans such as Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe to bring experience to the clubhouse.
After the All Star Break, everything came together for the Mets while the Nationals fell apart. Sweeping the Nationals in early September, Mets fans caught glimmers of hope to a playoff spot. With David Wright back in the clubhouse after dealing with injuries, there was no stopping the Mets’ playoff run.
Clinching the NL East was a major deal. The Nationals were picked early on to win the division and even win the World Series by numerous experts. The Mets faced the Dodgers in the NLCS, which resulted in one of the most exciting series of the series. Chase Utley’s undeniably dirty slide and Daniel Murphy’s homers off two potential Cy Young winners defined a tight series that used up all five game slots. With Murphy continuing his six-game homer streak, the Mets swept the Cubs in four. Nothing was going to stop the Mets.
Then, the Royals showed up. The Royals didn’t come off as a stellar team. They had stats near the top for batting average but were only slightly above average for most other major stat areas. Their pitching was slightly above average. There are no big names or superstars on the team. But that didn’t matter. They were a clutch machine in the playoffs. The Mets actually led a much larger majority of the innings in the World Series, but the Royals’ bullpen and late hitting were able to knock the Mets off in five games. Errors, poor hitting and a shitty bullpen lost the series. It was a massive disappointment after such a stellar end of season and postseason run by the Mets.
Hope is not lost. The Mets will have the deadliest rotation in April. Hitting will be an issue as free agents and injuries create uncertainty for the coming season. One thing is for sure: the Mets gave their fans a spectacular season, but just came up short in the postseason. Hopefully, the Mets will use their momentum to propel themselves into the playoffs next year. Ya gotta believe when you’re a Mets fan. •
