A guest post from Sparks:
There seems to be a little bit of backlash generating against Mets fans who complain about the sorry state of various things related to the franchise. As time passes, more and more comments both here and in media commentary include some form of disparagement against expectations of winning, voicing of displeasure, wishing for better, and otherwise taking the Mets “too seriously.” The theme of “oh, just relax, be quiet, and enjoy the team for what it is” is becoming a recurring one.
To that I say this: I’m all for just enjoying a game of baseball, and if and when the Mets decide to go, “Hey, we’ve just got too much against us to be able to compete on a regular basis, so let’s just concentrate on building some home-grown talent and giving the fans some fun,” I won’t have a problem with that.
However, until then, this is still a major-market franchise with the 2nd highest payroll in the game and a brain trust who insists they’re *trying* to win a World Series in any given season. To produce–among myriad other things–the biggest collapse in the history of MLB, a barren minor league system, and Luis Castillo at second base for 4 years at $25M under those circumstances is nothing short of ridiculous.
If the Mets don’t want all the grief, there’s a simple solution: quit trying to sell people on that which you are incapable of delivering. Just come out and say you *want* to be less like the Yankees and more like the Royals and quit trying to do otherwise only to fall staggeringly short in every way.
