I thought I'd take a short break from Mets news and just discuss what it's like being a Met fan. I realize most readers of this blog are already Mets fans, so you can relate to this. While I feel like I've been a fan forever, I'm only 22. My father's generation of Mets fans have suffered much longer than I have. Today I share with you the top 5 unique characteristics of being a die-hard Mets fan:
5. We always have starting pitching- We'll start off our countdown with a positive aspect of being an Amazin's fan. From the arrival of Tom Seaver and Jerry Koozman, to the Doc Goodon and Ron Darling's of the world, and presently Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler, the Mets have always had starting pitching. Consider the two ballparks the franchise has spent most of its time playing in — Shea Stadium and Citi Field—both pitcher friendly.
4. We never have enough hitting- In contrast to the previous entry, the Mets' history has lacked powerful bats. Sure, Mike Piazza, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, an Darryl Strawberry have all hit 30 home runs and driven in 100 runs in Mets uniforms, but overall, the franchise from Queens has not had the same luck on the offensive side of the ball as they have on the pitching side.
3. Playoff appearances are sparse-The Mets have been in existence for 52 year, yet they have only seven playoff appearances. On the upside, every appearance in the playoffs has seen the Mets go to the NLCS, and four times the World Series. Playoff appearances, division titles, national league pennants, and World Series rings are few and far between. When we get there, though, the city is fully behind us.
2. Tom Seaver- Call him whatever you like: the franchise, Tom-terrific, or simply the best you've ever seen. To every Mets fan in the world, Tom Seaver is our God we worship in baseball land. Tom-terrific is not only arguably the greatest Mets pitcher of all time, but he is arguably the greatest right handed pitcher of all time. The trade of 1977 that sent Seaver to the Reds broke the hearts of every
Mets fan around the country. How would Seaver possibly look good in a Reds' uniform? The fact is that by 1977 Seaver already chiseled his face in the Mets' Mount Rushmore. There was nothing, other than winning his inevitable 300th game, for Seaver to do in a Mets uniform. He was already the best ever.
1. The Phrase "You Gotta Believe"- From Tug McGraw's lips to God's ears in 1973. Signs of this historic phrase have been showcased in the stands at Shea Stadium and Citi Field for over 40 years. Plenty of times this simple phrase has kept heart aching Mets fans from giving up on the teams' seasons. No better example is in the wild-card playoff game of 1998. The Mets were the away team against the 1990's generation of the Red's "big red machine." Facing a playoff drought of ten years, fans screamed this iconic phrase back home in New York as they watched Al Leiter shutout the Reds and help the Mets advance to the playoffs. I don't know of any other unique phrase in baseball as powerful as the one us Mets fans scream year after year. And sometimes, it works.
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