Perhaps the difference this time is that we weren’t expecting it. 2022 has been a very fun year for New York baseball, regardless of which side of the Great Divide you plant your flag on. The Mets and Yankees combined for 200 wins. Aaron Judge cornered Roger Maris. Trumpets sounded every time the bullpen gate opened and Edwin Diaz jogged toward the ninth inning.
It may not have ended well, but everything changed from summer to fall, a season in which the Mets took over the lead and then the Yankees barely survived the Guardians before losing badly to the Astros. But baseball is a summer game, and in the summer of 2022, whether it was the Mets or the Yankees, the Bronx or Queens, every day and every game was an endless parade of bliss.
We thought there would be more of that in 2023.
We got none of that in 2023.
The Mets’ season started miserably with Diaz contusing his knee and continued to get worse, culminating in a midseason garage sale. The Yankees’ season was going well, but injuries began to pile up and the entire season was cut short to “Gerrit Cole/Then Four Days on Coal.”
It’s the first time since 2014 that both teams have used up their playoff money, and while the 2014 struggles were tough to swallow, Derek Jeter’s sublime farewell tour with the 84-78 Yankees. was still there, and we were still on the rise. 79-83 Mets Jacob deGrom electric arm.
Quick: Name your favorite moment of 2023.
Anyone?
Anyone?
“It was tough to get through,” Pete Alonso said.
“It’s a reminder that we never want to experience a season like that again,” Judge said.
And 2024 dawns with precious little carryover momentum. Part of that is due to the 23-year hangover that after a while fans of both teams couldn’t wait for the season to end.
(Although, after about three weeks of football season, those same people were already asking each other, “How many days left until the pitcher/catcher game?” It’s a reminder that football season is still better than football season) that we’ve gotten every year. )
And some of it is…well, look. Spring is the home office of hope. Anyone can win 105 games in the spring. Anyone can plan a parade in the spring. But for the locals…well, maybe that’s just a harsh standard for New York ballclubs. This time, with the soundtrack of The Who’s ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ in the background, caution seems to prevail.
The Yankees’ mantra this spring was simple. “Let’s keep everyone healthy and keep the team together. Let’s see how the full roster does against the Orioles, Blue Jays and Rays.” However, Cole is already out until June. The judge is battling abdominal problems. DJ LeMahieu injured his foot and will not play in the opening game. Jason Dominguez, who showed shocking performance in 31 at-bats last summer, will not return until the summer.
Mets? They make it clear that goal number one is to build sustainable success, so it feels like that reduces the chances of immediate success. I feel like they’re missing a bat or two. They feel an arm or two shorter. I often hear Mets fans say, “Well, if all goes well…” but this is never the most reliable method, as things often go wrong on Opening Day in baseball. If it’s not too early (reference: Kodai Senga).
So there you have it.
However, this also happens.
When the Mets host the Brewers at Citi Field on Thursday and the Yankees open in Houston three hours later, the truest of true believers will be there, doing what they’re supposed to do: believe. will do that. It may seem like a long time since the city has had to hit the update button on baseball, but it has been. That was in 2014. Perhaps it was time for us to take what he got a year ago. Perhaps this will feel more like his glorious summer of ’22 than the harsh summer of ’23.
perhaps.
It’s opening day. Really anything is possible.
Whether you’re a Mets fan, a Yankees fan, the Bronx or Queens, we need this. This is what you need.
