The Mets Fan

My name is Bryan Kalbrosky, I’m a writer for HoopsHype and an editor for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. I’ve previously written about the Mets for various sites, including Bleacher Report and Amazin’ Avenue.  Here is an article about Robert Gsellman.

How I Became a Mets Fan

My grandpa was born in Brooklyn and was a Dodgers fan before they moved to Los Angeles. My father was born just a couple years before the inaugural Mets season and the entire family has been a fan of the team since then. My dad moved to LA in 1986 and I was born a few years later. I moved to Brooklyn last summer and have loved living closer to Citi Field.

Favorite Mets Player

My favorite Mets player of all-time is Robert Gsellman. He is my childhood best friend and next door neighbor at my family’s house in Los Angeles. We are the same age and grew up playing on the same little league teams and practiced on his front lawn every day. He was always way better than I was but did not get to be taller until high school. When he was drafted by the Mets, it was one of the coolest things that has ever happened in my life. Following his career (I flew out for a Cyclones game back in 2013) as a member of my favorite team in any sport has been unreal. It’s always special to watch him throw at Citi.

Favorite Moment in Mets History

t’s not a nostalgic memory of my childhood, which is what I initially thought it would be when I first read this question. It’s when Wilmer Flores hit a walk-off home run in the twelth inning against the Washington Nationals. It shows how much this team means to so many people — both fans and those who actually are on the club. The emotion he showed on the field was beautiful and I was so moved by the way he reacted to the news of his trade. To him, the Mets were truly his American experience. And for his redemption to come in the form of a walk-off that sparked such an amazing stretch of baseball…

Message to Mets Fans

Ya gotta believe! The Mets have created such a special bond that I share with my family. They’ve helped keep us close for so many years and if there was one thing I could talk to my grandpa about since he has passed, it’s this baseball team. I’m grateful for their existence and even when they don’t look great, keeping that belief alive has helped me stay a fan.