Friday, April 28, 2006

Get Your Love Of David Before The Bandwagon Does!

Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that David Wright is a budding star...dare I say, a budding superstar. It's extremely hard not to be giddy over the fact that the Mets have a home grown position player to build their team around, especially at a position which has been scarce of true superstars in their history...a superstar who is popular with fans of all ages.

I just wish he wasn't so popular.

My whole obsession against Derek Jeter, for example, stems from the fact that he became this pop-culture crossover star so soon into his career (like year one), at the expense of the rest of his teammates. What made the Yankees champions during the latter half of the nineties was that it was a true team effort. But the way that the New York media saw it, and as an extension the national media as well, it was always Jeter leading the charge..."Jeter and the Yankees", "Derek Jeter's Yankees", and so on and so on. Now regardless of my hate for Derek Jeter the icon, Derek Jeter the player is one hell of a player. But the fact of the matter is, "Captain Derek Jeter" has never led the Yankees to a championship. "Captain Derek Jeter" never reached won a Series without the likes of Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius, David Cone and the like who have been widely credited with being the leaders of that team. Hence Derek Jeter, as good a player as he has been, is almost a creation of the media...lifted to mythical status in part because he's a matinee idol. And for sure, revisionist historians will credit Jeter with much much more than he has actually been responsible for. "The Manchurian Shortstop", if you will.

Which brings me to Wright. He has been referred to as "our Derek Jeter". He's ranked nineteen slots ahead of Jeter in Nate Silver's ranking of the most valuable properties in baseball. Adam Rubin said on "Mets Weekly" that, if you can believe it, more people are going to love Wright than Jeter because David is more accessible and never has a bad word to say about anybody, in addition to not having an ego (which makes me curious about what Adam Rubin knows about Jeter that nobody else does.)

Whoa, dude!

Now I'm not going to sit here and type to you that David Wright is not deserving of all that love. But when a list, no matter how based it is on youth and WARP and PECOTA and whatever other 90's baseball player you want to create an acronym out of, puts you in front of everybody except Albert Pujols, you're set up for a major fall...especially since Wright hasn't played in October yet. And not for nothing, I don't particularly want David Wright to be "our Derek Jeter". Why should every success the Mets have be automatically linked to the Bronx? Can't David Wright be our David Wright? And not for nothing, I'm not interested in sharing David Wright with the oncoming bandwagon.

Here's what worries me: remember that poll where Yankee fans outnumbered Mets fans solely on the strength of the female persuasion? Now I'm not going to say that a woman's place is in the kitchen, but...hey Keith, get off my computer! All right, seriously...I'm not going to generalize by saying that women...no matter who they root for...are automatically bandwagon fans. Far from it. But I use the poll merely as an example. Some of these women who took this poll, those particular women that checked the Yankee box because of the way Jeter and A-Rod fill out their uniforms...yet still ask when halftime is after going to Yankee stadium for ten years, are going to look to come to the other side when the Yankees decline begins and the Mets start playing in October. Make no mistake: the "David Wright is hot" contingent is starting to make it's way to Shea. That's fine, because if David Wright's goods lure you to Shea, and the experience of watching a Mets game at Shea hooks you into being a Met fan forever...a real honest to goodness Met fan, great. But God help you if you have ever worn or owned a Derek Jeter tee shirt and you try to gain admission to Shea Stadium for a Mets/Marlins game in August. Because someone will find out about you...and they will kill you. And I can't promise that it wouldn't be eventually classified as justifiable homicide.

(Note, if you're looking for goods, and goods only, there's a former Met who has recently retired to show all the goods. Yikes!)

If Kelly Calabrese happens to be reading this, trust me when I say that this is not a gender issue. Because they'll be plenty of guys that want to ride the Mets bandwagon as well come October, if the Mets are good enough to play in that month. And now we're talking about low life forms. Many of these guys would probably be able to name David Wright if a gun was to their head. But can you name anyone else? Can you tell me who played third base before David Wright? Because that's my question to those Yankee bandwagon jumpers who only know of Yankee baseball post-Jeter. Who played shortstop before Derek Jeter? Well at Shea Stadium in September and October, ticket takers should poll every fan over the age of thirteen as to who David Wright replaced at third base. Can't produce an answer? Get your pinstriped suit toting, new cap wearing ass to the refund line and get out!

In fact, screw you...no refund! You probably got your tickets from a corporate account and are writing them off as a business expense. So drink your mojitos and discuss your soy bean futures elsewhere.

It's an impossible dream, but I just want David Wright to be a star...our star. The ones that knew about David Wright when he played in the minors. The ones that went to see him in September of 2004 long after Art Howe's goose was cooked. Your star. My star. A star that will be recognized as one of many contributors on a World Series Champion. Our star. Not a star for the late arriving bandwagon...not for you. Not the ones who spend 3 innings looking for their seat, 5 innings on their blackberry, then leave and read about the final score in the Times the next morning. You cannot lay claim to David Wright. He's not yours.

I just don't want some disgruntled fan like me to start complaining that David Wright is overrated.

17 comments:

Metstradamus said...

Google her. There are pictures out there.

Jaap said...

David Wright is the Cal Ripken of the Mets. White, polite and boring. He's a great ballplayer but I just wish he had a personality.

Anonymous said...

Yet another Mets blog I end up stop reading because of gratutious, stupid, sexist behavior. What could you POSSIBLY care? How much difference can it POSSIBLY make? What on earth did this display except that you're cranky?

This post was stupid and pointless and did nothing except alienate any woman reading it. I know, you could care less. But you might want to think before you post next time.

Anonymous said...

David Wright's surging popularity explains why there was only one spot left on the Chesapeake Public Schools interview sign-up sheet today! Perhaps I should let Human Resources know I'm a Mets fan...

something said...

Oh come on now Anonymous . . .

You know he's only teasing. Mestradamus loves you gals out there - always have!

Metstradamus said...

Anonymous: I wrote about bandwagon jumpers...not about women. Did you even read the part where I railed against male bandwagon jumpers or did you stop when you read "women" and attack me in a rage?

Sorry to lose you, but if you don't want to discuss this like an adult, then bon voyage. I have no use for you.

I.M. Forme said...

hey anonymous,

come to my blog! sure its not as funny, but i loves the ladies!!

I will have naked pictures of Shinjo soon!

love,
itmetsforme, poacher

Metstradamus said...

You know, I just thought of something...the most sweeping generization of women on this post was when Ms. Anonymous said that my post only served to "alienate any woman reading it". Really? My post alienates ANY WOMAN WHO READS IT?

You know this for a fact? You've painted all women with a wide stroke without knowing for sure what women really feel about my post.

YOU, anonymous, are a sexist. And your response was stupid, pointless, and did nothing except display that I am, indeed, cranky.

Anonymous said...

Well I'm a woman and I thought Keith's comment was totally neanderthal. He was a jerk to say what he said. But I don't find what Metstradamus said sexist at all. There is a lot of truth to what he said about the bandwagaon Yankee fans being drawn to Jeter's looks. I bet the Mets will get a whole lot of new fans because, well, frankly Wright is hot. I've been a Mets fan for ages so I'll root for the Mets even if Gilbert Gottfried were the face of the team. But it sure is nicer to look at Mr. Wright than Gilbert Gottfried.

Anonymous said...

sheadenizen,

it was phil rizzuto and he was the cat's meow. perhaps that was why so many old ladies still follow the skankees.

pj

Anonymous said...

Metstra,

the funny thing is, I recently asked a couple of hardcore, longtime Yankee fans I know--one of whom actually worked for the Yanks briefly--to name the shortstop Jeter replaced: they couldn't. They could name a bunch of old ones, but couldn't nail down the Walley Pipp of the question. As for me, I was til recently a lapsed Met fan (lived elsewhere...), and I can't be sure who DWright replaced--Ventura? Ray Knight? Hubie Brooks?
michael

Anonymous said...

D-Wright replaced Wiggy who replaced Fonzie. Glad Wiggy is doing well. Always liked him.

Anonymous said...

jabair ...keith says he's looking for an intern to work for him and you'd be perfect for the job. if interested, write him at justformenkeith@sny.com

Anonymous said...

jabair,if you want to cross-dress, you'll have to buy your own bra.

Anonymous said...

yo jabair, i'm sure you look like brad pitt, haha. yeah right, maybe more like jafar!

Anonymous said...

Coming from a Mets fan (and a 20 year-old woman), I don't find Metstradamus' comments sexist at all...he certainly wasn't insinuating that all women are D-Wright fans for all the wrong reasons. I'm a born and raised Mets Fan (with a capital "F") and I think Wright as the future face of this team bodes very well for the Mets...he's got it all: the tools, the great work ethic, great rapport with the media, and sure -- the looks are a bonus, as well. As a true baseball fan, a woman, and a current resident of Boston, let me tell you -- it bothered me just as much to see girls in their pink Johnny Damon tee-shirts, girls who have since stopped "watching" the games (i.e., checking out Damon's ass) because he moved to the Yankees. Well said, Metstradamus.

Anonymous said...

Excellent blog entry.

I'm female and admittedly have had my crushes in the past (school binders featuring giant neon-colored hearts that professed my love for the Mets "hottie" du jour), but my passion for the game and the team never waivered.

It's not a new phenomenon that aestethically(Sp?)-pleasing players (regardless of sport) tend to draw in the typical "Marry me,_____!"chick. They've always been around - hell, are they any different from groupies in their mentality?

I'm not concerned with the bandwagoners as much as I am about Wright being corrupted by it all. He's got that "mom and apple pie" attitude down pat, but this city can very easily corrupt, and I'm just not looking forward to the Page Six stories of him, Supermodel____ at Club_____ getting into an altercation with the bouncer, whilst in a drunken stupor.

I hope he keeps level-headed because you never know with these guys. I don't expect him to be an alter boy (sans priest!), but I certainly hope he can maintain his genuine appreciation when it comes to the game and the fans.

For those wondering: In hot pink marker: "Roger McDowell 4-ever"...um, who was the closer BEFORE him? ;)