Then I Saw His Face...Now I'm A Believer!

By Tom "Mr Star" Starita
Posted Thursday, November 1, 2007

There is no emptier feeling than watching another team win the World Series. Especially when you are convinced that not only would your team have steamrolled through the National League, but would have at least pushed the Series back to Boston. But here we all sit, another year older, with Jesse Orosco’s glove fading further from our memories.

Perhaps that’s why I’m writing this column tonight; the bitterness of another fruitless year stuck in my craw. I’m fully cognizant of how I’m pulling a Hilary Clinton with this flip-flop. I don’t care. The only thing I care about is celebrating on Hylan Blvd sometime in late October 2008. To do this, I’m willing to sell my soul to Scott Boras.

Omar, bring Alex Rodriguez to Queens!

Like I said, I know I am doing a complete "180" right now. I’ve stated over and over to friends, family and on the message board here at Flushing University how I don’t want Alex Rodriguez in blue and orange. On Sunday morning I read an article by Bill Price in the Daily News about how the Mets should sign A-Rod. Upon finishing, I still felt we were better off without him. But when Ken Rosenthal broke into the broadcast Sunday night and announced A-Rod was opting out, my mind started buzzing. Watching the Red Sox celebrate yet again pushed me over the edge.

First off I don’t want to hear anything about money concerns. Fred Wilpon is partial owner of his own network. A network whose value depends on the success of the team in Queens. A team which is a year away from a gorgeous new state-of-the-art guaranteed to be sold out for years to come -- Citi Field. A ballpark which is also netting Fred twenty million dollars a year on naming rights alone. Money is not an issue for Fred Wilpon.

On top of all that, the fans are coming out. In 2005 the Mets attendance was 2,782,212. 2006 saw that total rise to 3,379,551 and 2007 ended with 3,853,955 people coming through the turnstiles at Shea -- a team record. What did we get for setting a new club record?

The biggest regular season collapse in baseball history.

We deserve better!

Obviously the number one priority for this club is pitching, both starting and relief. Due to the lack of quality free agents, Omar will have to be creative in his deal-making. Decisions will have to be made on Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, Mike Pelfrey and Fernando Martinez.

With A-Rod, there is no decision on whether or not to give up a key prospect. A-Rod is simply a money issue. The Mets would be making the team ten times better simply by dipping into the Scrooge McDuck-esque money vault.

Looking at this team, the only guys I’m confident in offensively are Reyes (it was a SLUMP, nothing more and if you don’t believe me remember what everyone said about David last off-season), Wright, Castillo (if/when we resign him) and Beltran. Delgado and Alou are old and who knows about right field or catcher. The lineup can potentially fall apart after Beltran in the cleanup spot.

Now plug A-Rod into the cleanup spot and we have a lineup that would put almost all American League teams to shame. Taking out an aging and rapidly declining Delgado and substituting him with Rodriguez would equal at least an extra run a game. While the name of the game in the National League is pitching, defense and timely hitting, the key to winning the World Series is having a lineup which puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the other team’s pitching staff. The key to the American League dominance is having a lineup that bludgeons teams to death game after game. National League teams simply don’t have the kind of depth and quality hitters needed. Having Carlos Beltran hitting fifth would provide that kind of pressure.

The bonus would be the upgrade in team defense. Instead of having a stationary, declining Delgado manning first, you would have David Wright there. David is on record saying he would change positions if Alex came, and David is the kind of guy who would be practicing playing first base on Thanksgiving! I’m not saying he would be a Hernandez, but I could see him being an Olerud defensively. Besides that, we’ll never have to worry about his throwing yips popping up at crucial spots. The left side of the infield would be a human vacuum; nothing would get through.

Of course we as Mets fans would have to agree to never boo the guy EVER! He is obviously a mentally fragile individual who took four years before finally settling down in the Bronx. To prevent any mental meltdowns and wasted seasons we would have to give him permanent grace. We would have to treat him as if he was our own son, with constant encouragement and support.

“Good swing Alex!”

“You’ll get him next time champ!”

Omar Minaya has proven he can reel in the big fish. He knows how to wine and dine Scott Boras. On the other side, Boras would LOVE to keep Alex in New York with everything that goes along with playing in the media capital of the world. Look at the other options:

Boston would eat Alex alive, especially with him replacing Mike Lowell. San Francisco’s ballpark isn’t conducive to a guy who wants to break the all time home run record. The Cubs have ownership issues. The Angels don’t want to pay anyone more than they’re paying Vlad Guerrero. The only real threat would be the Los Angeles Dodgers. But are their pockets deep enough to afford him?

On the very unlikely chance Fred or Jeff Wilpon visits Flushing University I’m going to end this column by speaking directly to them.

Dear Fred and Jeff Wilpon:

My name is Tom Starita and I have been in your ticket system since the 1996 season, the first in which I could drive to Shea by myself. Over the past eleven years I went from buying tons of individual tickets to owning a six-, then seven-pack, until finally becoming a weekend ticket holder. Over the next year or two my friends and I will be deciding whether or not to invest in full season tickets.

Clearly you have my money.

In return for the money I spend on tickets, parking, merchandise and memorabilia, all I ask in return is to put the best team possible on the field. I’m not demanding a championship every year like the nut jobs over in the Bronx. All I ask is to have the opportunity for a championship. There are millions of Mets fans in the tri-state area who ask for the same thing.

Next year will be the twenty-second year since Jesse Orosco threw his glove into the air. Twenty-two years since Billy Crystal wore a Mets hat before remembering he was a Yankees fan. Twenty-two years since Ed Koch jumped on the bandwagon.

Twenty-two years.

In 2008 I turn thirty years old and I’m starting to get nervous. My fear is the years will continue to pass and the only things I have to get me through the night are my memories as an eight-year-old and the 1986 DVD box set. I’m afraid of getting older and older while continuing to wait. I’m afraid of “1986” becoming what “1940” was for Rangers fans or what “1969” is for Jets fans.

While you cannot guarantee me a championship in 2008 no matter who you sign or trade for, you can prove to this fan base that winning is as important to you as it is to me. You can prove this by signing the best available player on the market regardless of price.

The 2007 season has left us all with a foul taste in our mouths. We are disgusted with this team, yet despite our anger and hurt we will always support them. Please reward us for our loyalty.

Sign Alex Rodriguez!

Sincerely,

Tom “Mr. Star” Starita

Saturday Owner – Mezz 16, Row B seat 13

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Tom can’t take another year of watching someone else hoist the trophy. It is slowly killing him. The cure is staring us all in the face. If you agree that Arod is the cure email him at MrStarita@yahoo.com. If you think he’s unbelievably wrong, call him names in the forum below!