Rootin' For the Laundry

[MFS62]

How would you feel if the Mets acquired a player who has killed the Mets over the years?
Could you root as hard for someone like a Burrell, a Chipper or even a Marcus Giles (or someone else like them) as you root for the others on the team? Or would they immediately become Metly in your mind?

I'm leaving Clemens out of this discussion because the attitude of Mets fans toward him isn't just based on wins and losses. Its more visceral than that.

Later

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Yup, no problem. I generally don't "hate" the opponents. They're just guys playing for the other team. Pat Burrell didn't hit all those homers against the Mets because he's evil, he did it because he wanted to help his team win.

[Guest Iubitul]

If someone comes over here, and gives the same effort for the Mets as he did against them, I have no problems - except Clemens of course...

[Elster88]

I was able to accept Hershiser. I'd be able to root for almost anyone.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

IubituI - "If someone comes over here, and gives the same effort for the Mets as he did against them, I have no problems - except Clemens of course... "

My sentiments exactly.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Beating the Mets doesn't make you a dick.

Being a dick about it makes you a dick.

Nonetheless, I'd rather we grew our own players.

Unless they're dicks.

[Guest KC]

I'll warm up to most players, 98% or so I guess, I even kinda like Tom Gla-
vine now but it took awhile. Herr and Coleman for some reason pop into my
head as players who I couldn't embrace. Clemens could lick my fart hole
if he ever became a Met.

[Centerfield]

What KC said. Clemens and Jeter come to mind as players I would have difficulty rooting for. Maybe whiny little Maddux too.

I have always liked Glavine...even when he was with the Braves. But I think that's mostly because he looks and acts just like my friend Eric.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

A lot depends on the player, and how he acts when becoming a Met.

It took us a while to warm up to Tom Glavine because it took him a while to act like he was a part of the team, and not just here for the money.

With respect to Mike Fucking Stanton, whom I never liked, he got here and refused to apologize for his comments about the Mets following 9/11. That did nothing to endear him to me.

I could never root for Clemens. I could probably never root for Captain Intangibles. I could see, under the right set of circumstances, warming up to A-Rod. I could definitely root for Burrell.

Pedro is an example of someone whom I've learned to like, despite not liking him at all before he came here. Why have I warmed up to him? Because he has embraced this team and this city and he seems genuinely happy to be a Met. That kind of attitude goes a long way towards winning fans over.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

ScarletKnight41 wrote: Because he has embraced this team and this city and he seems genuinely happy to be a Met. That kind of attitude goes a long way towards winning fans over.

Good point, and very true. Things would have been different for guys like Richie Hebner, Mike Hampton, and Vince Coleman if they had a similar attitude.

[Theoldmole]

I'd have more problems with Chipper and Jeter than Clemens.

This has come up before. If, as a Brooklyn Dodger fan, I could welcome Sal Maglie, that answers the question.

[dinosaur jesus]

With a lot of those guys, of course--Hebner, Coleman, Herr--it didn't help that as Mets they weren't any good. There are relatively few players I actually dislike apart from who they play for, so in most cases it's an easy question to answer.

A related question would be, which players do you like as Mets that you know you would hate if they left the team--in other words, are there players you're forcing yourself to like?

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I felt that way about Lenny Dykstra.

I can't think of anybody in recent years, though. But I may be overlooking someone.

[Guest Iubitul]

TheOldMole wrote: I'd have more problems with Chipper and Jeter than Clemens.

I agree with Jeter, but disagree with Chipper. There's just something about Chipper that tells me he "get's it", and that I would really like him as a Met.

[Guest GYC]

I could never, ever tolerate Clemens, as most Mets fans wouldn't.

Maybe, just maybe, I could root for Jeter as a Met, but it'd take a lot of convincing by his performance. But probably not.

Two more people I wouldn't be able to stand are Chipper and Andruw. Hate 'em both:

]�I don't care what their hopes are or what they think�It's 162 games. Every year it's somebody: the Mets, the Phillies, and the Nationals when they started off well last year. Somebody is always counting us out. But we prove them wrong every year. Why not prove them wrong again?��

That was Andruw on April 20th.

Same day, Chipper said this:

] �They're a different team now�They've got guys over there who are not intimidated. They believe they can win. Maybe we had a mental edge over some past Mets teams, but I think everyone knows this team is different� �They're good enough to contend for a World Series championship. They're a team that's built for the big picture.��

For some reason, seeing him make pro-Mets comments pisses me off, too...

Another person I wouldn't be able to root for would be A-Rod. But, I'd try really hard. Speaking of trying really hard, that's why I wouldn't be able to stand him. He tries to hard. He tries to kiss ass to the media, and take guilt and fault for his mistakes, and tries to play it off as a slump or rare happening, but continues to suck anyway. It gets to his head. I almost feel bad for him with the way things have gone for him lately.

[stevejrogers]

Now here is the 200 million dollar question. A fellow hit his 450th HR (youngest ever) and 2,000th hit last night (right up there in the youngest ever cateogry) and very much is still the best damn player in the game.


Would Met fans treat him the same as MFY fans if things had worked out in the offseason of 2000-2001?

Technically Piazza had the same history that ARod is having, never really got the ring he came here to do. Granted Piazza wasn't brought here amidst players from the 1986 team or anything (not that it really SHOULD matter to MYFs I mean it only was 4 remainders) but he still put up great numbers and was treated like royalty, a few fans aside that probably thought the Mets would reel off championship after championship

Or how about if a miracle happened and Cashman offered ARod straight up for anyone (take your pick, not sure if Mets would move him back to SS or keep at 3rd) Would Met fans treat him like Beltran last year?

Steve