Say what you want about The 7 Line Army (I will – “He struck him out” is very lame) – they have filled their section for a decade now….in good times and lean times. Which brings me to this.
This is from Tuesday night. Its first pitch or thereabouts – note the clock says 7:10. Note the clock also says 75 degrees. So we can’t blame the weather. It was also a giveaway night (Diaz bobblehead)
We could joke that the – what – 200 missing soldiers – are at Shake Shack, but it seems like they just ate their tickets.
If I’m the Mets I’d look at this and PANIC.
But here’s the thing. It’s too late. All the cards have been played….and the fanbase will NEVER be what it was.
New stadium? Check. If you build another new stadium, it will just be stupid like Atlanta and Texas that we even had Citi Field.
Wilpons gone? Check.
Cool Billionaire buys the team? Check.
Cool Billionaire spends three hundred million on players you’ve heard of? Check.
Meanwhile, baseball fans age. The younger millennials and most of Gen Z don’t care. I stopped attending, then I stopped watching, and even in my mid-50’s I am below the median age. My son doesn’t care, and it’s not like he and I didn’t go to a ton of games. That means his son won’t care someday.
Baseball expanded the playoffs. A team could win 101 games…and then play a quick three game series and season over. So why watch for 6 months when you can just jump in like it’s hockey?
Why would you BUY tickets? What happens if Steve decides in July to sell all the players and play garbage lineups for TWO months. Someone spent real money on this…
Even in 1977, and I lived through it and you’ve heard about it – as bad as it was, at least there was a theory (albeit failed) that playing Henderson and Stearns and Mazzilli and Flynn and pitching Swan and Zachry were arguably a road to a brighter future. I don’t know how you feel about Almonte, Stewart and Arauz.
Sure….Steve can and will spend even more money and market Somebody in 2024. Yay. That guy can join Lindor who openly disrespected the customers, and a seemingly mental fragile Pete Alonso who will either have one of those magical contract years or totally wilt under that pressure. (Which do you think the more likely?)
At some point before the Sun burns out, the Mets will make the playoffs and there will be buzz….there always is….or someone will hit 73 HRs and there will be buzz, or someone will start striking out 22 guys and there will be buzz…..but I am telling you, it is now NEVER going to be the same.
Hey we have a homegrown 3B and SS! Been there done that.
Hey we have 5 Aces! Yawn. Fool me twice…shame on you, fool me a third time shame on me.
Yeah but THIS pitcher is the Next Seaver/Gooden/deGrom. Yawn. Throw a complete game and I will be impressed.
The numbers have been retired. Everyone and their brother Al Leiter is in the Mets Hall of Fane now. 1986 has been analyzed and talked about and paraded out so much there’s nothing left to pick at. There’s some 2000s era nostalgia to be mined but not much. The big ceremonies draw fewer and fewer people.
People talk about the broadcasters….. Gary (65), Keith (69), Ron (62) and Howie (69) are all at the age where we wonder how many seasons they have left in the booth….and they might have 15….or they might have another smaller number. Both Gary and Howie have started doing the Old Man Broadcaster thing where they take in-season breaks. I don’t begrudge them, but it’s a reminder that we’re closer to the end than the beginning. And you’ll wind up with someone calling the game….and it won’t be the same.
So Mets – there’s the (supposed) diehards….but half of them have checked out. If I were you, I’d be very very worried. What is there for anyone to be excited about – ANOTHER rebuild? ANOTHER new culture? Steve spends $300M AGAIN? Hey maybe he does…and maybe its an early exit in the expanded playoffs.
It’s over. We had a good run as Mets fans. But it’s over and it will NEVER be the same. We’ve seen this movie a hundred times…but this time, all the cards have been played. Even if some Mercenary Mets win one….will it mean the same to you as 1986 or say 2000 or even 2006 did? Is anyone really pining for 2015, or even 2022?
Like many things I write I will get shouted down for this….and like many things I write I will dust this off in 4-5 years and once again you guys will admit I was right.
