Dear Mr. Niese,
I am not writing this letter to chastise you. To the contrary, I'd like to set your mind at ease. I am a Mets fan. I've been one for as long as I can remember. I'm just old enough to recall the final out of the 1986 World Series, on the day of your birth, joyfully jumping up and down with my parents in our Long Island home. I stuck it out during 1992's "worst team money could buy" and through all 103 losses in 1993. I continued to support the Mets when I left New York in 2000, eventually relocating to Washington, DC. Even after DC acquired a team of its own, I stayed true to the orange and blue.
As you suggested, I was there in in '06 when the team was "really good" (a team that you curiously refer to as "we" although you didn't make your MLB debut until two years later). I was also a fan in '07, despite a late-season collapse that saw the team lose 12 out of their final 17 match-ups, missing out on the post-season after having been in first place by seven games as late as September 12th. I've been a fan the past five seasons, in which the Mets have failed to finish .500, and I remain a fan to this day, even as I just now turn off the TV having watched the team discover yet another brand new way to lose a baseball game. Not only have I been a Mets fan through all of this and much much more, Mr. Niese, but since you threw your first 14 big league innings in 2008, I have been a fan of you.
As you suggested, I was there in in '06 when the team was "really good" (a team that you curiously refer to as "we" although you didn't make your MLB debut until two years later). I was also a fan in '07, despite a late-season collapse that saw the team lose 12 out of their final 17 match-ups, missing out on the post-season after having been in first place by seven games as late as September 12th. I've been a fan the past five seasons, in which the Mets have failed to finish .500, and I remain a fan to this day, even as I just now turn off the TV having watched the team discover yet another brand new way to lose a baseball game. Not only have I been a Mets fan through all of this and much much more, Mr. Niese, but since you threw your first 14 big league innings in 2008, I have been a fan of you.
So imagine my surprise when I read that you question fan loyalty. I wasn't angry. You have the right to your opinion, just like everybody else. But it seems to me that your opinion is based on a misunderstanding, which is why I'm writing this letter. I wanted you to hear directly from a lifelong fan that we are still on your side. I don't know what sports fans are like in your hometown of Defiance, Ohio, but in New York they are tough. They feel they've earned the right to bitch and moan when their team makes poor decisions or is unable to produce on the field, because through it all they are fiercely loyal. Whether or not that's fair is something we could debate for a long time. But it's a moot point. After all, you didn't use "toughness" as a measure of a fans loyalty. No, you chose to go with attendance.
I assure you, Mr. Niese, I would go to all 162 Mets games - home and away - if I could. Alas, I have other obligations, not to mention financial limitations (perhaps you haven't heard, but attending a baseball game these days has become quite an expensive endeavor). I try to make it to Citi Field at least once a year, in addition to attending multiple games per season when the Mets visit DC or Baltimore. You may have noticed I'm not the only Mets fans at these away games. There are a substantial number of transplant New Yorkers who come to cheer the team on.
It's true, the Mets fill more seats in good years than they do in the bad ones. Some people are funny that way. They are drawn to whatever exciting thing is taking place at the moment. In '06 and '07, the Mets were that exciting thing. When the excitement stopped, they moved on to something else. Let's not be too quick to call these people "fans". True fans are willing to suffer with their team. I promise you, Mr. Niese, we are suffering with you now. Sometimes, it feels like we can't suffer anymore and we tell ourselves it's time to walk away -- but we know we never will. We will continue to come back year after year, with hope that this season will be better than the last. Where are the fans when you are down and out? We are right here, celebrating the bright moments in otherwise dark seasons, wearing the caps and jerseys even on the days after a tough loss, and decorating our office cubicles with team pennants and posters. We might not always be proud of the Mets, but we are always proud to be Mets fans. And we always believe.
I'd hate for you to think that the fans have deserted the team, just because there are less people attending the games. Hopefully, this letter has made you feel a little bit better.
It's true, the Mets fill more seats in good years than they do in the bad ones. Some people are funny that way. They are drawn to whatever exciting thing is taking place at the moment. In '06 and '07, the Mets were that exciting thing. When the excitement stopped, they moved on to something else. Let's not be too quick to call these people "fans". True fans are willing to suffer with their team. I promise you, Mr. Niese, we are suffering with you now. Sometimes, it feels like we can't suffer anymore and we tell ourselves it's time to walk away -- but we know we never will. We will continue to come back year after year, with hope that this season will be better than the last. Where are the fans when you are down and out? We are right here, celebrating the bright moments in otherwise dark seasons, wearing the caps and jerseys even on the days after a tough loss, and decorating our office cubicles with team pennants and posters. We might not always be proud of the Mets, but we are always proud to be Mets fans. And we always believe.I'd hate for you to think that the fans have deserted the team, just because there are less people attending the games. Hopefully, this letter has made you feel a little bit better.
Sincerely,
Your fan,
Always,
Danial Orange
Your fan,
Always,
Danial Orange
