As readers and others know, I blogged last October at season’s end that I’d stop wearing Mets gear (I wore the baseball cap everyday — or at least part of every day at that point.) until Mets resigned their all-time home run hitter, Pete Alonso, or Opening Day — whichever came first; we know what happened.  After last Monday night ’s game thatI attended  with my wife, I decided to retire my gear until Opening Day 2027 (I wore a NY Jets cap for last Wednesday morning ’s “Gotham POWER Breakfast” Zoom that I did not wear at all in 2025 — a colleague noted that cap dated back to when Jets and Giants last both won on their opening day.).

I generally abhor firing people but Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns seems overly reliant on data to the detriment of “feel” and one’s eyes.  Our eyes certainly observe a player in Alonso likely to perform well enough to justify five (or more) years.  Indeed, when I consider long(er)-term contracts, I weigh the entire value over a shorter term and also apportion more of the value in first three years and that value, in my humble opinion, aligns fine.

Not campaigning for the Mets GM gig here, though for years friends who follow the game as I do, too often said I should and they were not trying to muse me — but I prefer to stay in my lane.

I was not at Citi Field the following eve when the Polar Bear hit his 300th career shot and Mets fans  present (and those watching on TV like me and others listening to icon Howie Rose on the radio) further expressed their adulation for Alonso.  Some criticized the applause for an opponent’s home run that tied a game the Mets were leading and went on to lose in extra innings; they considered in disrespectful of current Mets players, their coaches and interim manager.  Wrong!

Bottom line, the cheers that night knocked no player or coach or the current manager (who just might make a great GM when the dust settles— I believe he has no interest in dropping “interim” title.), it knocked the owner and PBO who merit all the ire for a gross failure (to resign Alonso) that may prove worse than M. Donald Grant’s trading away The Franchise (aka Tom Seaver).

And I have an awful feeling Alonso will enjoy a longer career with, retire as, and enter the Baseball Hall of Fame as an Oriole.

I still cheer for Mets players and coaches and whoever manages today and next season.  I heartily rooted for dynamic rookie Carson Benge to pass Alonso — he did with three hits last night! — for the most hits by a Mets rookie in any one season (I wanted Benge to achieve that milestone at home and today’s weather - at least at the time of drafting raises the possibility of no further games at home this season.).   I look forward to cheering on Opening Day; indeed, yesterday at Gotham’s Picnic at Alley Pond Park’s Alley Springfield section, I discussed with my extraordinary commercial realtor Scott Bloom our plans to attend and how many tickets I should request.  I also plan Gotham and Pythian groups for next season’s Sunday, May 30 game against Friday’s blogger’s Yankees Citi Field.  Of course these plans remain dependent on a season actually occurring (and not certain any blog here will cover that concern).