New York Mets Fans- Their Own Worst Enemies?

By Kevin Collazo
Posted Sunday, July 8, 2007

The point of the fan is to cheer for their team through out the game. So why is it that we can easily come up with names on the long list of players who have been booed to no end in New York by their own fans? Some may have reason, like not hustling numerous times. Others, however, try their best with each passing second, yet still fall prey to the cruel treatment of their own "fan base".

You've heard of them. Players ranging from Bobby Bonilla to Roberto Alomar have been given treatment that most would only expect from the opposing team's fans. Even players like Rey Ordoñez, Roger Cedeño, Kaz Matsui, all the way to Carlos Beltran have been booed. The difference with the second list is that they always hustled to give their all.

So what is it that sparks this kind of treatment? Is it the money being handed over to these players? Does that cause an even bigger misconception of expectations to flow freely through the minds of fans? Granted there have been players who have warranted some shouting, but over the last 7-10 years it has reached a point where the actions of the fans are the direct cause for failure for the team they supposedly want to win.

Now I'm not saying fans don't have a right to boo as they wish, but for the love of the game, try to make sense of it all. Countless times there have been players labeled with unbelievable talent who have come to the Mets who had become affected by the poor, and unwarranted treatment. Be it from a game losing strike out with men on base, or something as inexcusable as the player being introduced and him hearing nothing but a chorus of boos despite honest efforts. This type of treatment has to stop, and last year we started to see that mentality take hold.

On opening day in 2006, Carlos Beltran was booed vehemently. The reason? Well he was injured in his first year with the Mets since spring training. There was also the horrific collision with Mike Cameron, thus he had a sub-par year at best.You would figure that the fans would use some logic and reason to comprehend that injuries can take their toll, but I guess that was asking for too much.

So what happened was Beltran had a career year with the Mets, and we all should recall the game that can be marked as the turning point for the boo birds. It was the same game that Julio Franco displayed his worth to the team in spades. Carlos Beltran hit a blast over the wall when the Mets needed it most. The stadium erupted, and Beltran was being summoned for a curtain call. An emphatic "no" could be read off of the lips of Beltran, and he was right to stall on that answer to the fans. After all, these were some of the same fans that were willing to throw him under a bus, despite helping the Mets improve significantly from the previous year. The fans however saw Beltran on the big screen refusing to come out. They witnessed first hand how truly aggravating they can be to someone. More importantly, they began to see the error of their ways. So they cheered louder and louder, until Franco convinced Beltran to accept the curtain call, and since then there has not been a peep toward him or his play.

Unfortunately, they seemed to forget that there were other players who were trying just as hard. Superstar Japanese import, Kazuo Matsui was heralded by every single scout that had seen him, as "the A-Rod of Japan". He was the real deal to all who witnessed. He tried his best every single second, and for a long period, he was being accepted. It was only after the initial shock of Jose Reyes being moved to second to accommodate Kaz, that the fans actually looked at his play.

From the very first pitch of the season, Kazuo impressed. A home run to dead center field off of Russ Ortiz in Atlanta was his introduction to the baseball season, and it only steamrolled from there. All the way to the games against the Yankees, Kaz Matsui displayed all of the skills that he was scouted as having. Then came the dreadful, and cruel, experiment of Mike Piazza at first base with out his knowledge. Along came the "throwing errors" charged to Kaz, and in came the chorus of boos. The treatment eventually took it's toll on Kaz's offensive performance. It lead to him trying even harder to appease the fans. It also lead to back spasms, and leg strains. Eventually he was booed out of town, despite Willie supplying him with well warranted respect and belief in his abilities.

Kazuo Matsui was traded to the Colorado Rockies in a salary dump for the useless Eli Marrero. They were obviously willing to take on his contract because they had seen all of the tools displayed in New York, as well as in Japan. The fans, however, are far more eager to cheer their players on. Now they are seeing the benefit of that great trade (on their part). Matsui went 5-5 against the Mets last night. He's playing a great second base. He is batting .316. He's on pace to have less than 8 errors on the year. He is still hustling for doubles and triples. An example for all you Kaz haters is that is has played a little more than half as many games as Jose Reyes and he has 10 doubles to Reyes' 17, 5 triples to Reyes' 8, and 2 home runs to Reyes' 5. Also 15 stolen bases to Reyes' 41 is good. Add 38 more games to Kazuo's year and you may be looking at 30+ stolen bags. The point is that he is excelling, and not through power. So the fact that the ball carries out of the park holds no weight in this topic.

There have been so many players who have left the Mets organization and become superstars. Has it ever occurred to you fans as to why that is? The only difference is his fans are supporting him, as well all New York fans should always support their players. This isn't Phillie, where fans go to see who comes up with a more creative way to boo their own players. Fans should appreciate all of the players' efforts to win the game by playing hard. This is New York. It is one of the greatest baseball cities in the world. Fans should be sure to remember that, and hold themselves to a higher standard. They should show complete support and nothing less.