A Very Angry Mets Fan

So I have been a Mets fan since I was in middle school. It all began when I found out that the boy I had a crush on (Chris Koteas) was a Mets fan. I had to like what he liked to get his attention. It didn't work, but I became a huge fan of baseball or really the Mets in the process.

So I've been watching Mets baseball now for 20 years. Most of that time the Mets were not a great team. Not a championship team by any means. I still stood firm that my Mets were the best team in baseball. And in recent years they have really formed into that championship baseball team. Just two years ago they were the National League East champions. As a matter of fact they won the National League East with a few weeks still to play of baseball that year. They however burnt out quickly I suppose as they didn't go on to become the National League Champions and lost to of all teams the St. Louis Cardinals. Okay, I was disappointed when that happened, but they made it to the post season with a young team they'd do it again.

So then last year they started out great. They were leading the National League East by 7 games. That's right SEVEN games. It was going to be another run away with the National League East championship. I had dreams of being in the hospital giving birth to my son while watching my Mets win the World Series. I mean there were only 2 weeks to go and they had a SEVEN game lead in the National League East. They blew it though with a historic collapse. No team has ever lost with that little amount of time left and that large of a lead. What a thing to have on your record, right?

Well, there's nothing we can do there's next year. I watched the Mets over the winter trade players and top prospects of theres for other position players when all along knowing their biggest down fall has been their starting pitching. And since Tom Glavine, who put the final nail in the coffin of the Mets historic collapse last year decided to get the heck out of dodge and go back to his beloved Atlanta Braves we were down a pitcher. And there's only one really great pitcher out there which the Mets were showing no interest in. Mr. Johan Santana was playing cat and mouse with the Yankees and the Red Sox. So there goes starting pitching right? But then this glimmer of hope. Just weeks before spring training begins out of no where the Mets make a deal and get Johan Santana. Okay, now we're in business right.

One would think we've got a starting rotation featuring Johan Santana and Pedro Martinez. But Pedro gets injured his first day pitching and just now has come off the disabled list. Plagued with injury after injury the Mets are not playing like a championship baseball team by any means. They are 2 games under 500 and 7 1/2 games out of first place. Yes, there's still a lot more games to be played, but you know what I'm really angry now.

I'm not angry at the Mets manager Willie Randolph. I mean the man can only do so much without actually going out there and pitching the ball and playing in the field and hitting himself. I don't believe in blaming the manager for these sorts of things. These players who are being paid millions of dollars need to step up. We've got Johan Santana who is the highest paid pitcher in baseball on our team, right. He should have the most wins by far as a pitcher, but he doesn't. Seven wins is nothing at this point in time from a pitcher who is making the kind of money he's making. Oh and lets not forget about Oliver Perez. A pitcher who went into arbitration in the off season because he didn't think the Mets were giving him enough money for him to sign a contract with. Before this last outing of his he only went 1/3 of an inning and gave up 6 runs. Now what's that all about? Does he deserve his salary? Not when he plays like that he doesn't.

Okay, so what about their defense this year? There's Jose Reyes. I love the guy. He's a spark plug for the team. But what's with all the errors Jose? Ten errors already? What's up with that? He had 12 errors I believe all of last year. He better clean up his act.

Then there is the hitting. Or the lack there of rather. It's coming in dribs and drabs. Nothing is consistent. Perhaps what they need is much more practice. Get out there and run drills and batting practice an hour more than usual. Or better yet how about paying for actual performance? Maybe instead of these huge contracts for players in baseball or any sport for that matter they all get a certain salary like any other company would do for their employees based on experience and time with the company. And then if they perform well they get a bonus. Because you know no player ever plays as well as when it's time to sign a new contract. This lets fire the manager stuff though is just crazy. It's the players who need to step up to the plate and do what they are being paid these large sums of money to do.

I have been patient with my team. I still love my Mets. I loved them pre-championship caliber team and I love them now. I am just becoming very angry with everything that has been happening. I know they can play like the team who ran away with the National League East title in 2006. They are still that team. They should be better than that team with all of their new additions. I am tired of watching this lousy play. This is a team that can be 11 games over 500 and in first place if they would just start playing like they love the game again. So LETS GO METS!