Not surprising given the won/loss radio, but interesting…
the Journal poll asked voters which team—the Yankees, the Mets, the Giants, the Jets, the Knicks, the Nets, the Rangers—best embodies the qualities and spirit of New York City. The poll found that 59% chose the Bronx Bombers. The Mets came in a distant second place, at 11%.
Part of the problem is losing, obviously. However, I’ll give the Yankees credit for weathering some tough yearrs of social change in the South Bronx and staying in the city proper.
The Mets were located in a no-man’s zone of white flight, where the commuters of Long Island would have as easy a time of it as New Yorkers, getting to the stadium. Let’s take it a step further. The Mets are supposed to represent the Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers in some special way, but does anyone here know how long it takes to get to Flushing from Brooklyn? The old Dodgers lived many of them in Bay Ridge Brooklyn. That’s a looooong subway ride. By Google Maps estimation, the same as the trip to Yankee Stadium.
The Mets have situated themselves on the periphery of the city. What’s more, having spent all those years at Shea, it seems they made no effort to locate closer to the heart of Brooklyn-Queens, so fans of both boroughs can use mass transit in a reasonable way to see night games.
If not for the 7 train, this would be the Long Island Mets. So yeah, not representing the city as much as the Yankees, I would agree. Using the old Ebbets edifice is a gesture, but a gesture only.