During the course of the 2018 season, my hope is to feature a new Mets fan each and every week by having them answer five quick questions about their particular fandom.  For me, this is part of a natural outgrowth of the site because part of my intention was to discuss my experiences as a father raising my sons to be Mets fans.

As we know being a fan is a unique experience for everyone, and I’m sure my sons will have a much more unique experience than I have had as a fan.  The hope is to have a fun mix of fans – celebrity, media, and average fans like you and me.

So to that end, I will start off the new feature answering the same five questions butchers, bakers, and the people on the streets will be answering.

The Mets Fan:

For my readers, I am the self dubbed Mets Daddy.  To my sons, I am just daddy.  To my detractors, I am someone that just needs to go away.

Alongside my work here, you can also find my work on Metsmerized Online, Mets Minors, and Gotham Baseball.  With a newborn in the house and a four year old, there’s not much opportunity for me to sleep, so it’s more entertaining to write about the Mets than to watch the same terrible late night TV night in and night out.

How You Became a Mets Fan:

My father grew up in a household where my grandfather was a New York Giants fan, his younger brother was a New York Yankees fan, and he was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan.  Given that environment, you could understand why he would look to ensure his children grew up Mets fans.

As a little kid, my dad saw an opportunity with my love of strawberries.  He told me about how the Mets had this great player coming to the team named Darryl Strawberry.  When Strawberry was called up to the Mets, he took me to my first ever Mets game to see him play.  Seeing my first ever baseball game at Shea Stadium helped make me the diehard fan I am today.

Favorite Mets Player:

When I think of my favorite Mets player, there are a few names I consider.  As noted above, Strawberry is on the list.  Gary Carter was always a favorite of mine, and growing up, I wanted to become a catcher because of him.  In more recent vintage, Daniel Murphy was a person favorite, and how could he not with the 2015 postseason he had.  Like any other Mets fan, I love David Wright.

However, my guy will always be Mike Piazza.  When he came to the Mets, this went from a nice little team to a World Series contender.  I still remember all of the homers including the one after 9/11, which for my money is the biggest home run ever hit.  More than that, Piazza is a guy who wanted to big stage, and when Cooperstown came calling, he chose to be a Met partially due to us fans.

Favorite Moment In Mets History:

I’ve been exceedingly lucky as a fan.  I was there for the Todd Pratt homer clinching the 1999 NLDS.  I was in the park the night of Robin Ventura‘s Grand Slam Single.  There was also the Bobby Jones one-hitter.  My first real memory as a fan was watching Mookie Wilson‘s little roller up the first base line go through Bill Buckner‘s legs.

However, despite all those classic moments, the one I will always treasure most was going to Game 3 of the 2015 World Series with my dad and brother.  It also helped that Noah Syndergaardstood 60’6″ away, Wright hit the first World Series homer in Citi Field history, and Curtis Granderson hit a homer to give the Mets the lead for good that game.  The fans even got a chance to sing along to Piano Man with Billy Joel.

Going to a Mets World Series game with my dad and brother had long been a dream of mine.  Seeing them win a World Series game and feeling that euphoria leaving Citi Field that night will be next to impossible to top.

Message to Mets Fans:

Some of the best Mets seasons are never the ones you expect.  The 1969 team was never supposed to win.  The 1999 Mets were put together on a wing and a prayer.  Back in 2006, it was hard to believe anyone would ever unseat the Braves as the NL East Champions in the Wild Card Era.  Heading into the 2015 season, Bryce Harper was asking where his World Series ring was after the Nationals signed Max Scherzer.  As Mets fans, we had Michael Cuddyer.

Point is, even if you are extremely frustrated by the Wilpons and how they choose to operate this team, just remember, when you least expect it, that old Mets Magic is right around the corner.  After all, Ya Gotta Believe!