Our 78th Average Mets fan is Mike.
1. When did you start following the Mets?
I’ve been a Mets fan “my whole life†(Born in 1978), but I really started following them (meaning, following/caring about players other than the superstars, really caring about wins and losses) around 1995, when I got my drivers license, and was able to go to games whenever I wanted. I’ve consistently been to around 15-20 per season since, and catch at least a portion of every game on TV or the Radio.
2. What is your favorite Mets memory?
My Grandmother passed away on October 1st, 1999. She had been sick for a while, and we all knew it was coming, but it still hit me like a ton of bricks. The Mets run to the Wild Card that season was the only thing that gave me and my family some sort of escape from what was going on with her. She always told me how she didn’t follow baseball much but rooted for the Mets because “When they win, it makes you (meaning me) happy.†If I had to single out one moment, it would definitely be being at Shea for Todd Pratt’s walk-off homer in the NLDS. He was my favorite player at the time, and I still remember the 3 seconds of silence between the ball (barely) eluding Steve Finley’s glove, and everyone realizing the that ball went out.
3. What is your worst Mets memory or experience?
Being at Shea when Beltran watched that wicked Adam Wainright curveball pass him by to end the 2006 NLCS.
4. If you could change one off-field thing about the franchise what would it be?
Just the fan’s overall perception of the Mets as a franchise. If they miss the playoffs, most react like they’re the Pirates, and have been losing for the past 15 years. They were in the World Series less than a decade ago, and were an inning or two away from the World Series (which I think they would’ve won) in 2006. Some teams don’t even sniff the playoffs for decades at a time. Combined with the fact that (in fans and media’s mind) they constantly have to be compared to the Yankees. You can’t compare ANY team to the Yankees.
5. If you owned the team starting tomorrow, what is the first thing you would change?
Build the team around the strengths of Citi Field. Fly Ball pitchers in the rotation. Young, speedy, gap hitters in the lineup. And I’d retire Keith Hernandez’ and Ed Kranepool’s numbers. Sorry Jose, #7 should’ve been hanging on the wall long before you put it on.
Main Mets Police page
Follow us on twitter @metspolice
Facebook page
send ideas/guest columns to shannon at metspolice.com
