On Monday I write a weekly column for Flushing University. This is this week’s:
Well, I finally got what I wanted. After all these years of signing guys from the Braves, or the Dodgers, or a bunch of 40 year old free agents, the Mets have finally gone out and fielded a team of “Mets.”
You might not like it, you may have hated how it looked over the weekend, but I love it.
What is a “Met” you ask? I know one when I see one. Usually it’s someone who has come up from Tidewater (or whatever you kids call AAA these days). Sometimes it can be someone who choses to become one (Keith Hernandez being the prime example.) You don’t have to be scouted and drafted by the team, or come all the way through the minors. Ryne Sandberg is not a Phillie, Sid Fernandez was not a Dodger, and Omir Santos is not permanently stained as an Oriole.
Lately the team has been seemingly 95% Met. We have what will likely be our all time greatest home grown superstar at third, a promising rookie at first in Murphy, Nick Evans battling him for time, Mike Pelfrey in the rotation for years to come, hopefully Jon Niese to soon join him, and Fernando Martinez struggling but at least he’s one ours and not 40. When the walking wounded return, Jose Reyes is a Met and so is John Maine. I’ve always said I’d rather lose with a home grown bunch than win with Tom Glavine. What’s the point of beating the Braves if the only when you can do it is to beat them with a Brave pitching? That’s like the Washington Generals signing Curly Neal. What’s the point?
Look at the 1986 team. Backman, Santana, Mookie, Dykstra, Strawberry, Gooden, Darling, Sid, McDowell, Orosco – heck even Doug Sisk. They were ours, with a couple of captain-types from out of town to show them how. I have an affinity for that team. The 2000 team? I never feel nostalgic about them. I know everyone loves him but I see a Dodger behind the plate, a Mariner at first, an Oriole at short, a White Sock at third. Never felt like any of them were “my guys.” I was more likely to root for Bobby Jones of Jason Tyner. So back to 2009, and lots of pieces are missing but I don’t mind. Beltran is nice, but he’s not from around here. Delgado? Y’all tried to boo him out of town last April so don’t act like he’s Ed Kranepool. Sheffield? He was a jerk with ties to steroids until the Mets ran out of warm bodies, so let’s not get all warm and fuzzy there. Me, I’m fine rolling our Murph, Santos and friends forever. I know I will get called names, and I know lots of you want Omar Minaya to roll the dice on the future. I’ll stick with what we have. Maybe in 2009 it won’t work out, but maybe in 2019 I will have one hell of a team that I’ve spent a decade rooting for. Wouldn’t that be nice for a change in Flushing?
www.metspolice.com
@metspolice
