The 2013 Inaugural Address: Mets Edition

On this day, the inauguration of President Barack Obama to a second term in the White House, I offer an alternate take on the President’s address – a Mets version.  President Obama spoke today of a “never-ending journey.”  He repeatedly cited “we, the people,” and stated that “our journey is not complete” until we see through the mission that our pioneers began. 

June 1, 2012; Flushing, NY, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher

(57) is mobbed by teammates after throwing the first no-hitter in Mets history against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. Mets won 8-0. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

For full disclosure, I’m a Democrat.  The following is meant to be an entertaining diversion on a bitter cold January day.  It’s nothing more than a play on the inaugural address (in large part drawn from today’s speech) from the perspective of a loyal and hopeful Mets fan:

Today we continue a never-ending journey, to honor our fandom while bridging our memories of the Mets of the past with the reality of the present.  For history tells us that while our journey may often be filled with heartbreak, our allegiance is a gift from our ancestors.  It must be strengthened by those of us here on Earth.  Bill Shea did not fight to replace the tyranny of O’Malley and Moses with a team that would be anything less than cherished by its loyal followers.  He gave to us a ballclub, restoring National League baseball to New York, entrusting each generation to keep safe our ancestors’ allegiance and pride.

For more than 50 years, we have.

Through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of ownership, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that our ills can be cured by sweeping free agent acquisitions.  Our celebration of down and dirty play, unforgettable characters; our insistence that our players give it their all, are constants of our fandom.

But we have always understood that when times get tough, so must we.  For the Mets fans can not make our ancestors proud by dividing against one another.  Preserving our fandom means uniting, coming together for the common good.

This generation of Mets fans has been tested by losses that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience.  Our seasons of misery are now ending.  A host of cornerstone players have emerged.  The Mets’ possibilities are limitless, and we as fans must embrace that fact.  My fellow Mets fans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together.

For we, the Mets fans, understand that our team cannot succeed if we refuse to support it.  We cannot let the few whose sole purpose is to infest the stands with hatred and divisiveness, succeed.  We know that the Mets thrive when every fan shouts their support toward the field, inspiring and emboldening the players.

We will defend our team and uphold our values through sensible debate.  We will show the ability to try and resolve our differences with dissenting fans reasonably – not because we are naive about the challenges our team faces, but because lucid discussion is what will keep us on the proper path.

It is now our generation’s task to carry on what our ancestors began.  For our journey is not complete until each player on the roster harnesses their ability.  Our journey is not complete until Ike Davis clubs 40 home runs, sending majestic shot after majestic shot soaring through piercing blue skies before eventually landing in our outstretched arms.  Our journey is not complete until Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler fully realize their immense talent.  Our journey is not complete until Mike Piazza receives his plaque in Cooperstown, before his number is rightfully placed above the left field fence at Citi Field.

Our journey is not complete until the Mets again reach the postseason, taking us through weeks of topsy turvy days and nights in October.  Our journey is not complete until those days and nights result in us standing in unison on a night when Citi will shake like Shea, screaming to the sky for all to hear as our team moves toward its first World Championship since 1986.

That night, however, will merely be the end of one journey and the beginning of another.  You and I, as Mets fans, have the obligation to stay true to our ideals while shaping the coming generation of fans.

Let each of us now embrace, with awesome joy, our love of the Mets and the passion and dedication that comes with it.  Let us answer the call of our ancestors, and carry into an uncertain future our unbreakable and remarkable fandom.

Thank you, and Let’s Go Mets.