Good morning. I’m going to slow up the “5 Questions” posting to one a day since it’s starting to take over the blog. Here’s Jason, wearing Tug/Franco/Pedro’s #45.
1. When did you start following the Mets?
I’d like to say from birth (1984), but realistically, the furthest back I remember would be around 1989. I still have all the old posters and pennants from 86 and 88 hanging in my room. I also remember having those old “Starting Lineup” baseball card/figurine sets, and actually knowing who the players were. So I guess I’d have to say since then.
2. What is your favorite Mets memory?
I have two favorite memories. The first is the 2000 World Series Game 3. My dad got tickets down near third base and I remember after winning that game, the crowd didn’t just leave. No one wanted to leave. Shea was filled with Mets fans savoring the moment.
The second memory would have to be the division clincher in 2006. I was in my senior year of college and my friends and I kept trying to get together and see it, and the Mets kept losing and pushing it back. Well, I ended up home for the clinch and I got to watch the unreal SNY coverage with my mom and dad, which was actually a better way to celebrate the moment.
3. What is your worst Mets memory or experience?
The current funk our team and fan base is in started brewing when Beltran looked at strike 3 in Game 7.
4. If you could change one off-field thing about the franchise what would it be?
Easiest question yet. No more Wilpons. No more Minaya. No more Manuel.
5. If you owned the team starting tomorrow, what is the first thing you would change?
I’d call a press conference and address the media about changing the culture of the franchise. We would honor Mets tradition and not give more than a passing glance at Dodgers/Giants tradition. There might be a “History of National League baseball in New York” section in the brand new Mets Hall of Fame and Museum (Scheduled to open April 2010), but no Dodgers anything for sale in our stadium stores. I’d put a lot more money and time into player development. It would obviously take a few years, but we could begin building a strong farm system, as opposed to what we have now. We would begin to commit more money to scouting and signing top draft picks. We would make ourselves the most fan friendly franchise in the bigs. Ticket prices would be much lower with no Gold, Silver, Platinum, but rather, a single rate. The only games I’d charge slightly more for would be weekend divisional games. We would have fan promotions every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, in addition to a rotating weekday. We would honor our past players and invite them back EVERY year on an Old Timers day and a Banner Day. Twice a month, we’d have half price food day. All food and soft drinks 1/2 price. Id’ make the entire Pepsi Porch a $30 all you can eat seat. We would encourage the fans to come decked out in blue on Blue Bleachers Day, orange on Rusty Staub day, and white on White Out day. We would provide the appropriate color t-shirt to every fan on their way into the stadium.
Finally, since no current prospect is untouchable, I’d push my GM to trade for Halladay and create the best 1-2 pitching tandem in the bigs.
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