4 moves that Steve Cohen has made to improve the Mets fan experience

2) Commissioning a Tom Seaver statue to be displayed in front of Citi Field

Nicknamed "The Franchise," Tom Seaver is a Hall-of-Famer and the best player the Mets have ever had. The statistics speak for themselves: 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.86, not to mention being the ace of the 1969 World Series champs.

Knowing the history of mismanagement the Mets have exhibited, it's a shame that Seaver didn't get to spend his entire career with the team, but Steve Cohen helped cement Tom Terrific's legacy by commissioning a beautiful statue of him.

Unveiled less than two years after Seaver's death, the statue depicts his patented "drop and drive" pitching technique to perfection. I was admiring the statue before attending a game earlier this year when I overheard a father and his son doing the same. The boy, probably about ten years old, asked his dad, "Why is his back leg so low?" I couldn't help interjecting, "That's the right question to ask." To me, that question got to the heart of why you build a statue in the first place. Now Mets fans young and old can connect with and learn about a player that modeled what Mets greatness can look like.

Mets fans are in a negative frame of mind far too often. By celebrating the best players that have come through the organization, it's a way to appreciate the good times, and inspire hope that we can have them again. Look at this beauty.

3) A scoreboard that puts the "jumbo" in jumbotron

Citi Field's scoreboard got a huge upgrade this year. Measuring in at 17,400 square feet, the video board is the largest in Major League Baseball, and four times the size of the one it replaced.

It doesn't matter if you're behind the dugout or in the nosebleeds, every fan that attends a game at Citi Field will have information overload at all times (in a good way). Just like the Dallas Cowboys wowed NFL fans when they unveiled their enormous jumbotron, Steve Cohen has set a new standard for Major League Baseball.

The scoreboard not only enhances the gameday experience for fans at the ballpark, it serves as a sign that Cohen is willing to spend to make the Mets a first-class organization. As the New York Post put it, "The New York Mets' Scoreboard Is So Laughably Gigantic (and Beautiful!)"

As a lifelong Mets and Nintendo fan, let's just say that I loved the team unveiling their new toy with a round of Mario Kart.

The scoreboard is the most prominent of the improvements to Citi Field's gameday experience, but far from the only one. Since Cohen has taken over the team, he has partnered with Samsung to modernize Citi Field and set a new standard. Some fruits of this alliance include tripling the number of cameras at the stadium, doubling the number of slo-mo replay systems, and adding a digital display to the Jackie Robinson rotunda.

4) Inducting a new class into the Mets Hall of Fame

Less than three months ago, the Mets inducted a special class into the team's Hall of Fame. Comprised of Al Leiter, Howard Johnson, Gary Cohen, and Howie Rose, the group represented almost 40 years of Mets history.

Leiter was one of the mainstays of the late '90s/early 2000s Mets teams that also featured Mike Piazza and Robin Ventura, among others. His two-hit shutout in a one-game playoff against the Reds in 1999 is one of the most impressive performances in Mets history.

HoJo, like Goodwen and Strawberry, was an important part of the '86 team, and he was one of the most versatile players of his era, a switch-hitter with speed that still ranks fourth on the Mets' all-time home run list and third on the team's all-time stolen base list.

Cohen and Rose have been two of the most instrumental pieces in making Mets broadcasts on both TV and radio arguably the best in the business. Seriously, SNY broadcasts of Nationals games are blacked out where I live, and I have to watch on mute to avoid losing my mind.

Inducting this foursome into the Mets Hall of Fame was a no-brainer, but for years the Mets failed at doing the easy things. Steve Cohen has put an emphasis on appreciating those that have given so much to the organization, both past and present, and for Mets fans, it's exciting to see.

I'd be remiss not to mention Jay Horwitz, who was also honored with the Mets Hall of Fame Achievement Award for his decades of service as the Mets' Media Relations Director.

Events such as these strengthen the connection fans have with the team, while also rewarding those that have made us proud to root for the blue and orange. Here's hoping that there are many more in the future. With Steve Cohen at the helm, I think there will be.