I'm from New York City. And I'm a sports fan. Truly a match made in heaven. Jets, Giants, Yankees, Mets, and Knicks. And oh yeah, the Buffalo Bills. They're kinda not really New York, and they know it. Hell, we can even take Jersey too, the Nets are cool. Sure there are the Islanders and Rangers, but I don't really watch hockey and if anyone tells you I played in high school they're LYING!! Anyway, there's a longstanding notion that New Yorkers can't be fans of 2 teams within the same league. For example, according to some, it is humanly impossible to be both a Mets and Yankees fan. Jets/Giants are included. Ya gotta choose one. And yes, you have to write it in stone. I refuse to believe it. I didn't grow up in a sports household, so I am free to pick whatever teams I want to support. And in baseball, I want to support both New York teams, and I don't see a problem with that. If you cut me (please don't) I don't bleed blue and white, or blue and orange. I choose to maximize my happiness potential; I enjoy the Mets when they win, I enjoy the Yankees when they win. The only pitfall of being such an avid fan is the heart trouble that comes along with watching your team(s) lose.The Yankeess had a rocky season, one of their worst in recent years. At one point during the season, the Yanks were 14.5 games behind the leading team, the Boston Red Sox. Not only were they not a contender for clinching the American League East division, but completely out of contention as the Wild Card as well. But, the storied franchised got back on track, and pulled it out in the end. They won games when it mattered and clinched a playoff berth as a wild card, coming within 2 games behind the BoSox. Yankee fans were always optimistic, and the Bronx Bombers pulled off a historic comeback. The famed franchise kept their team afloat and made it in the post season for the 13th straight year.
The Mets went from having a commanding lead of the entire National League to not making it to the playoffs at all! What the hell? The Mets had a great season, and when compared to the Yanks, they looked like gods. The Bronx Bombers have been getting all the credit, not only this season, but in all of New York baseball history, but this season it was different. The best NY baseball team was the Metropolitans, and they had the monster choke hold on the NL East to prove it. All those years of ignoring and downplaying the Amazins were over! No one in their right mind could deny their abilities, and die hard Mets fans ate it up! They were riding high, stomping on the heads of Yanks fans along the way. The Yankees sucked, losing games to opponents that on paper, looked like weaklings. The Mets big names were coming through in the clutch, and their hitting and pitching were on point. They were a shoe in for the playoffs as the NL leader, and it seemed nothing could go wrong for the Mets. Well, that was until September.
When you hear that the Mets not making the playoffs was a historic collapse, it is not an exaggeration. Listen to me carefully: No team in MLB history has ever had a lead of 7 games or more with 17 games left to play and failed to finish in first place. The Mets totally imploded, going on stretches of dropping more than 6 homes games at a time. I actually went to one of the few home games they won in September against the Braves, on the 12th, which, coincidentally, was the last time they had that 7 game lead. The Mets lost 12 of their last 17 games!! A team known for their great scoring and home run hitters made 21 errors down the stretch, and couldn't stop the bleeding.For me, the Mets not making it into the playoffs came down to one thing, cockiness. They played a great season of baseball, they had the best record in the NL, and they were on cloud nine. They were smooth sailing. In their minds, they were untouchable. September was a month they could cruise through. Hell, they were practically already in the playoffs. There was no need for a strong finish, and after working hard all season, they wanted to coast. You can list several reasons why the Mets didn't make it. Their September play was abysmal and catastrophic, everything from the unlucky starting lineup, to the hapless bullpen, to sucky defense and lack of clutch hitting. Believing they already had the title actually cost them the title. Their final series was against the Florida Marlins, a team definitely not making it to the playoffs, and supposedly with "nothing to play for." I hate that saying. The Marlins weren't going to make it to the post season but they could sure as hell keep the Mets out of there too. Teams don't always play to win. Sometimes, they play for the other team to lose. They knew they were the spoiler and they capitalized. 'If I'm goin down, damn it, you're comin with me!" And that's exactly what they did. And the Mets let it happen.
For years, Yankees fans couldn't understand why a New Yorker would subject themselves to being a Mets fan. They rarely make it to the post season, they don't win championships, and with the Yankees, a team with a league leading 26 World Series titles just a stone's throw away, that form of masochism was incomprehensible. And now I understand too. No matter how much you love the Mets, when your team fails in such disgusting fashion, you can't help but hate them. On the other side of the coin you have the juggernauts, the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees were out of the penant race but somehow, someway, summoned up the strength and courage to clinch. You gotta give em props. Mets fans everywhere are waving white flags and conceding victory. The title of the best NY baseball team goes to the Yankees. Ladies and gentlemen, this is how the New York Mets can actually turn you into a New York Yankees fan. Wow, stunning isn't it?
And yes, I am aware that on Monday, 10.8, the Yankees were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Indians, 3-1 in a best of five series. They tried to rally back, bit they couldn't and now folks are calling for Joe Torre's head. No matter what happens on the field, the wins always go to the players, and the losses always seem to fall on the shoulders of management. Mets manager Willie Randolph's head was also on the chopping block for some time before the Mets decided to keep him on their roster. How much blame can a manager take when it's the players that are the ones on the field, playing the game? That's an article for another time. Stay tuned for that one!
