Can you feel the shift? Your intrepid columnist can, despite what some of his colleagues think. Citi Field is looking noticeably fuller and those there noticeably louder than in recent weeks. At least that’s how it played on SNY during last night’s ultimately frustrating loss to Atlanta. Maybe the crowd size was a bit of All-Star Game hangover. Maybe the loudness had to do with the fact that Dillon Gee took a no-hitter into the 7th inning. Maybe everybody got excited watching Marlon Byrd continue his wondrous season, legging out his third triple of the year in the 6th. Maybe the Braves are still a big draw — even sans “meaningful” rivalry – as the current division leader. Maybe people came to reflexively chant “LAAA-REEEE,” even though Chipper Jones has his feet up on a porch somewhere.
Or maybe the city is catching on that the Mets are on the verge of something.
Going into last night’s game, the Mets had won 19 of their previous 30 games, dating back to Kirk Nieuwenhuis’s miraculous walkoff homer on June 16. Something that tends to get noticed in a city like New York. Good play is joining up with a group of likeable guys, always a winning combination in a city like New York. The Mets also have a couple of true stars: David Wright, of course and semi-reluctant “Page Six” subject Matt Harvey. These are two players towards whom the casual fan can gravitate. Add an influx of young players either already making a contribution at the major league level (Zack Wheeler, Juan Lagares) or bubbling close to the surface (Wilmer Flores, Travis d’Arnaud, Jacob deGrom, Rafael Montero) and the non-casual fan can think long thoughts about the Mets’ future. Really, the one fly in this healing ointment is the elephant in the room: the Wilpons’ finances. All plans come down to whether or not they’re on the brink. But that’s a thought for another day.
If all goes as planned, the near-future holds the following: packed parking lots at Citi Field; overcrowded 7 trains and LIRR compartments; less room at the bar at McFadden’s Citi Field; longer lines for the Shake Shack and Blue Smoke; more frequent appearances on the FOX Game Of The Week – where the fan will be held captive by Joe Buck and/or Thom Brennaman – and ESPN Sunday Night Baseball; more sensationalistic press about the young Mets let loose on the city, complete with out-of-proportion tweaking of rabbit-eared Yankee fans; a less intimate atmosphere in Queens than anybody’s used to.
Somehow, I think most fans will take that trade-off.
Follow me on Twitter @CharlieHangley
I remember going to games at shea back in the early 80’s and getting good seats( loge or field box) the day of the game. As 1984,85, and 86 came, it seems that the fans came back. Unfortunately, this is the case with most teams. Win and the fan wants to see the Mets win and say they were there. I hate front runners. I see it all the time. Look at the tshirt jerseys and it will tell you everything you need to know. Show me a Mazzilli or Wilson(Mookie) and that tells me you saw the lean years. Even a 17 shows you supported the Mets before 84. Unless it has WC patch on it. Don’t get me wrong, I see it in Philly, Washington and even to some extent in Atlanta. I saw Phillie games before 07 and after 93 and the attendance was 25 thou or so with half being Met fans. It was amusing how their fans tried to drown us out with boos. Don’t boo us, boo your fellow fans who allowed us to purchase that many tickets. In fact , Management now cuts off group sales packages for Met games. Once the Phils started winning again, the front runners came back. We have the same problem in NY. It is not going to change. The only difference is, they switch from Mets to Yankees whenever one is doing well. When it is both, they stay with the longest streak at the time. I have seen one Yankee fan show up the next year in a Met uni, only to switch back the next. And don’t defend them by saying people like to see a good team. Explain to me the loyal Cub and up until 04 the Red Sox fan.
Michael, I know what you mean. Call them front-runners or dilettante fans, I don’t care for them. Those who post on the blogs may not always agree, but that’s where you find the true fans.
For me the turning point was Darryl being called up on May 6, 1983. And the guy I wanted to see succeed more than anything was Hubie Brooks so it was sweet when his breakthrough season occurred with the Mets resurgence in 1984. As bad as the season was in 1983, there was Darryl and Keith, the emergence of Jesse Orosco, and some of the moments like the doubleheader sweep against the Pirates on July 31 and Walt Terrell’s two homer game at Wrigley.
Lets hope so. We all know Mets fans, like most, can be fickle about wins and losses. Im all about the feel good stretches, and the more we get like the recent one, the more difficult its going to be to get one of those killer LaFrieda steak sandwiches (I happened to be at Citi the night they debuted last year!). But, I think this is gonna be a longish transition. Charlie, you are dead on that the internal feel is palpable amongst us die hards, and I think this is being accompanied by a Yankee team in free fall, as well as an NL East that doesnt look at mean as it did last season. Lets hope SA figures out how to pounce on this opportunity to paint NY orange and blue for a long long time! Is it just me, or does the Empire State Bldg just look fantastic in Mets colors?
Let’s Go Mets!
Charlie, you somehow found a way to get me even more excited about the future of this team. Let’s Go Mets!
There’s no doubt that this team is on the right path. How much longer it takes depends on the moves made in the next 6-8 months.
And I don’t *not* think that there is a visible change around this Mets team. I just think there’s plenty more work to do yet. 🙂
OT: Mets release Marcum. Yikes. So much for those preseason predictions….
Lets see how the years turns out.
Though I can’t wait to compare Citi on a crisp October night to the nights when Shea rocked and swayed. That was a great postseason atmosphere stadium. Can Citi with its field and TV viewable concources and distractions capture that magic that was Shea in October?
[…] post-game comments to the press in something louder than his usual whisper. When people started to notice that the Mets were playing some half-decent ball around the middle of July, David Wright was in the […]