I am not a Mets’ fan, but I am a baseball fan, so it is with great interest that I’ve been observing the burgeoning optimism of Mets’ fans with the new ownership.

If you don’t follow the team, they were purchased for $2.475 billion by hedge-fund billionaire Steve Cohen, and Mets’ fans are pumped. After years of the Wilpon family’s stewardship, fans are hopeful that now that they have the richest owner in Major League Baseball (his net worth is estimated to be north of $14 billion), money will be spent to upgrade the team and make them more competitive, especially compared to the mighty Yankees.

At Cohen’s introductory news conference this week, he seemed to indicate that he was willing to do whatever is necessary to become a contender, saying, “I’m not in this to be mediocre.” Apparently he wants the improvement to come quickly, too, adding “If I don’t win a World Series in the next three to five years, and I’d like to make it sooner, that will be slightly disappointing.”

Some people might not realize that in the mid to late ‘80s, it was the Mets that were the toast of the baseball world (but their last World Series win was in 1986); the Yankees ascent in the ‘90s and 2000s eclipsed the Mets, but having two good teams in the country’s largest market is good for baseball and for local baseball fans. Cohen also doesn’t seem willing to take a back seat, either, saying, “I can promise you we’re going to act like a major market team.” That line has to have Mets’ fans salivating; their team might actually be a player in the free agent market and with clubs operating under COVID revenue restrictions, a team willing to spend this off season could get good very quickly.

I, for one, will be rooting for the Mets to be good again.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.

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