On my Last SF Legs

I'm sittin' in SFO airport right now, kinda wishing I was staying but happy that I get to watch tonight's Mets game for an hour and a half or so. I highly recommend this town to everyone. I probably won't be moving here any time soon, but I wouldn't bark at anyone who said they wanted to do so.

San Francisco, a nice place to live and visit.

No matter whether the Mets gave up several leads all weekend and perfectly contrasted the Giants franchise does not take away from the awesome time I had viewing baseball at that ballpark. Funny though...Apparently, I was never destined to see Curtis Granderson make contact with the baseball for a home run. I arrived to the center field entrance and saw only the upper deck as Grandy's ball headed for the left center stands, and I was watching the crowd reaction on a 2-strike count when he made contact later for his splash hit. It's a shame, 'cause I like watching Grandy perform well, but funny that I got a second chance later on in the game but was looking away.

So, now, I sit in this airport for a 5:40 flight, which will get me into Newark at 2:00 in the morning. I watched one 70's film I've never seen on the way here (One Flew Over the Coocoo's Nest) and now will, when I predictably can't sleep, watch another 70's film I've never seen on the way back (Mean Streets.) Probably won't have internet, so I'll have to check the score when the game has been over for hours, unless it's one of those.

See you all back on the east coast.

And-

FIRE. TERRY.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. For more from myself and others on the Mets, head over to Rising Apple. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

No Method to Their Madness

It is evident while watching the New York Mets vs. the Former New York Giants, especially live, that these are clubs way on the opposite end of the secure franchise spectrum.

The Giants are very secure in their franchisehood. It is evident in the way everything they present at AT&T Park celebrates the Giants, whether that's in New York or San Francisco.

The Mets are very insecure in their franchisehood.

Let me reiterate.

The franchises are on the opposite side of the secure spectrum.

NOT the fans.

We know who we are. We're the New York Mets. We're the birth child of the Giants and Dodgers leaving town. We're Orange, and We're Blue. We were endearingly awful, before surprising the world. We let the pressure of the city get to us in the 70's before letting it build us back up in the 80's, before collapsing around it in the 90's, before...well, yada yada yada. We know who we are. But this team, from the top down, doesn't seem to know, or really, knows and is too much of an insecure sack to own it and have fun with it, so it can finally stop letting it haunt it every step of the way.

The New York Mets, starting with Fred Wilpon and Jeff Wilpon, don't seem to get what this team is all about. And in that little detail of knowing your franchise and being proud, bruises and all, of the damn thing completely throws off their ability to operate the team. And in the time that they have been sole owners of this team, they have failed to show us they can properly operate a ballclub, let alone the New York Mets.

They could use some serious pointers from the Giants franchise right about now. Just by walking around the freakin' joint.

And the thing is, The Dodgers and the Giants had to develop as franchises as well. And the Dodgers, moreso than the Giants, had a similar first 50-so-odd years, actually with less success than the Mets.

But they eventually settled into their identity. And they didn't have to compete with being the offspring of long-time New York institutions.

And the Wilpons do have to compete with the Yankees, but they don't really NEED to. There is NO EVER competing with the Yankees unless you went on some CRAZY World Series spree over the next 50 years. Probably not going to happen. So, screw them and stop worrying about it because if you play good baseball, you're going to get a lot of people watching a lot of baseball in New York.

You just need to worry about being the Mets. 

And forget the fact most of us don't think you can continue to financially fund your ownership. And the fact most of us just don't think you really know what you are doing, even if you were able to fund your ownership. So, forget anything you are or aren't able to do with this ballclub on the field.

You want to show us you actually GET who the Mets are?

Erect 3 statues or monuments in or around Citi Field.

Tom Seaver, Joan Payson, and Marvelous Marv Throneberry.

Ideas and moves and thoughts along these lines would AUTOMATICALLY make me have more faith that you are capable of running a ballclub like the New York Mets, and understand what this team means to the folks who call themselves Mets fans.

But then again, it's probably too late.

Because when your fans give it all they've got in enemy territory like The 7 Line Army did last night, you best be prepared to give it your all as well.

I'm sure you guys are really nice. That's all I hear. That you're not tyrants like James Dolan.

But sell the team. Come on. Honestly. The shenanigans are up. Do the right thing. Because this? What you're doing and what you've been doing? This ain't it.

But this is it, what the fans are doing, I'll tell ya that.

I'll see you at the ballpark today.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. For more from myself and others on the Mets, head over to Rising Apple. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.

Meet Me in Saint Francis

I just arrived within the last hour to the city of San Francisco. My mother lives out here now, and just so happens to live a block, LITERALLY a block away from AT&T Park. So, when I came out here in February and saw the proximity, the pocket schedule came flying out and the index finger arrived on this weekend.

Let us forget the sweep at the hands of the Cubbies after having leads in almost every game. And let us forget last night's debacle which caused more vile to fly Terry Collins's way, with a majority of people on Twitter perplexed as to why Jon Niese was taken out before the 8th inning....anyway, I said we should forget it. I, at least, am going to try. Whether or not I agree with how the roster has shaped up or how the manager handles his job, I am a huge Mets fan about to watch two games live at a ballpark I have never been to that many people say is the best ballpark in the Majors (uh, not to mention how thrilled I am to visit my mom :D )

So, no matter where this ball team currently stands, excitement still towers over every other emotion.

If you missed the last Rising Apple Report, Mike Lecolant, Gary Mack and I got on the internet airwaves Thursday night at 10 with the Mets still playing the Cubbies, talking about the current team, 1977, and Don Zimmer. Before the game that doesn't start till 10pm (with the Rangers hopefully having already beaten the Kings to even the Stanley Cup Finals at a game apiece) take a listen to the 77th episode of the Rising Apple Report!

Have a great weekend, folks.

LET'S. GO. METS.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @convertedmetfan. For more from myself and others on the Mets, head over to Rising Apple. And for the latest on a Brooklyn Baseball TV Series I am developing, Like the Bedford & Sullivan Facebook page, follow on Twitter here, and listen to the research process here.