Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Are Mets Fans Willing to Be Patient?

The Sandy Alderson era is here. It's a stark change from the player centric, buddy-buddy feel of the Omar Minaya regime that was able to bring one NL East pennant but nothing else.

There's lots of talk about the Mets being a respectable organization now and how they have someone running the show this is experienced and will run a tight ship. But the big question is how long are Mets fans willing to wait and allow Alderson to make his chess moves toward another World Series?

The banter online and on talk radio is that it will be at least a two year process if not more. With Mets fans having endured 4 of the most painstaking baseball seasons in a row that a team can ever produce, are we ready for another two year wait?

Citi Field was empty in 2009 and this past season as meaningless August and September baseball made its way to Queens. A ton of money is lost when you can't put people in the seats so is a two year bridge to relevancy going to manageable on the balance sheet?

I don't have the answer. All I know is that Mets fans desperately want, and need, a winning product on the field. A competitive team is all we ask. Give us a playoff berth and we'll be ecstatic. Keep us close into September and we'll be pleased.

We are jaded as Mets fans. The promise of things to come is lost on us at this point. Two years to be competitive? Sure. I'll believe it when I see it.

Mr. Alderson may have the baseball community, ownership and baseball experts sold on his abilities. But it's the Mets fans that will ultimately decide his fate. Another empty Citi Field in September and Sandy will quickly learn what Omar had to deal with.

This isn't Oakland.

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