Fans of NY presents: Stevie Gonzalez’s Mets Fandom
As a kid, I used to get a lot of weird looks for being a Mets fan. First for being a New York sports gal living in San Diego, California, and second for not being a Yankees fan — but I never cared; this was and still is my team.
I grew up watching David Wright dominate third base, Carlos Beltran in the outfield, and Jose Reyes constantly trying to up his stolen base record. I have so many memories of my family gathered around the television watching this team play their asses off, and seeing my dad get so worked up that he would almost pass out. Watching my Dad become so invested in this team is where I learned what really having a passion and love for something was.
At Oracle Park in San Francisco, always proudly representing the Mets.
I never got to see a lot of in-person games, except when they played the San Diego Padres. Every year we would go see them play at least once. We all wore our jerseys and my brothers and I would bring our mitts, thinking we would catch a ball in the nose-bleeds, and we strapped up to watch our team play. Every year they would lose. I can’t tell you how many games I went to where they lost, I honestly thought I was bad luck. I don’t think I saw them win in-person until I was in college. Nevertheless, I was excited to go to every single game as if they were on their way to the World Series, and eventually they got there.
A season every Mets fan had longed for and will be a constant reminder of why we love this team. This was the first time that, for people around my age, had seen and remembered this team going all the way. We had veterans of the team, like my beloved David Wright, playing with new members like Yoenis Cespedes and giving us all hope again. While the high of making it to the World Series didn’t last long, my love never subsided. I still woke up a Mets fan, and went to sleep a Mets fan.
Even after all that, the memory that hurt the most came in 2018. The retirement of David Wright. While his retirement came to no surprise, it still stung.
I was grateful enough to watch him take the field for the last time; this was my first time in Mets territory. I had only heard stories of what it was like to watch your team play in a home stadium and the feeling lived up to the hype. I couldn’t believe it took me 21 years to experience this high. As I watched him walk off the field for the last time, it really hit me that the chapter of my life with my favorite childhood players no longer existed and it was time to make room for new players. With players like Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso, Noah Syndergaard, and so many more there’s no telling what my boys will do next.
Stevie and her brother, Jacob, at Citi Field for David Wright’s final home game.
Ask any Mets fan how they feel about this team and they’ll most likely tell you that they’re truly a pain in the ass, but it's their team. If there is one thing the Mets have taught me it’s that there’s no better test of loyalty like loving a losing sports team and come opening day 2021, I’ll still be rooting for this team like they’re going to the World Series.