Dear Uncle Steve,

The New York Metropolitans are losers. Historically, gigantic losers, and I mean that. It took a literal miracle in 1969 for us to come back and make the playoffs, and then win the World Series. Going from new franchise in 1962 to champs in seven years is quite the impressive feat (then outdone by the Florida Marlins, but whatever). We lost that second ring in 1973, but that’s fine, we were set for a great future. Then nothing for more than a decade.

Then, we had one of the most talented teams win in 1986, thanks to an improbable error from Bill Buckner. Thank you for that, but we should have won more with Doc and Daryl, but drugs got in the way of that. Yuck. Then another decade or so of losing. I was born in 1991, and have yet to experience the joy and thrill of winning it all. We came close, but never once have I ever thought we were going to win those World Series appearances in 2000 and 2015. I knew we would lose, it was only a matter of time.

The 2006 season and 2015 season were truly crushing. It seemed like fate to crash and burn. David Wright was my favorite Met, maybe still is, but it wasn’t the career he should have had, and those runs were tragic and cursed. I can stomach that, I root for the Islanders and Jets and Knicks.

But this was our year. This was the first time I saw the magic. It felt special. We got rid of Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman, and Javier Baez. Made sense I guess, could have used them but also had to pay them, I get it. We traded a lot for All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor, and have a home grown All-Star slugger with Pete Alonso. We traded for Edwin Diaz, who turned into the closer Seattle should have kept all along. We had the best pitcher in baseball, Jacob deGrom. Things were looking up! Bassitt, Carrasco, Walker, signing Mad Max Scherzer! Buck Showalter as the freaking manager!!

Wrong. All of it for naught. Every decision was just plain wrong, and we were all too blinded to see it. It was all for naught, and the game plan was flawed from the beginning. Max was an elderly, oft injured pitcher back when we signed him and his best days were behind him. Shouldn’t have done it. Jacob deGrom also fell apart before our eyes, and he’s not getting any younger or healthier. He’s one foot out of the door and packing his bags for a massive paycheck in Atlanta, I already can see it now. Sickening.

Showalter is wonderful, but has never been to a World Series. Should have guessed that we wouldn’t go with someone who has never gotten a team to go there himself. We backed the wrong horses, and only added losers. The GM, loser. Not getting the other hot free agents (Freeman, Springer, Soto, etc.) was inexcusable. How is it that Atlanta can win the World Series without Ronald Acuna Jr. and then suddenly get Spencer Strider out of nowhere? It’s because they know how to win, and are fearless, and young and hungry, and only employ winners.

We are incapable of doing just that.

George C. Scott in the film “Patton” once famously said that America loves a winner and will not tolerate a loser. He did not have the hindsight to foresee the Vietnam War, or the Iraq War, but that sentiment is what drives pro sports in this country. It’s not a process oriented system, it’s a results based one, unfortunately. And we are bound to lose. After getting swept in the most important three games of our entire season, the ones we NEEDED to win, we couldn’t get off the mat after the first punch. Pathetic. The entire year down the drain. I don’t care if it’s the best season in god knows how long, 100+ wins is meaningless if you don’t win the division and get hot late. Get hot early and cool off, you’re as good as dead.

Just ask the Seattle Mariners how breaking the record for wins was, when they didn’t make it that far in their “best year ever.”

We should have not sunk our money into aging vets, who are on the back 9 of their careers and can’t stay healthy. We should have gone all in on someone who can hit in clutch moments not named Escobar or Marte. We should have brought up our best prospects to play earlier, or given up the farm to go all-in and win this year. I kept hearing about this amazing, top three prospect all year, this catcher, in Soto trade talks. Ship him out or use him! Catcher is a weak position for us! This is a no brainer, either you are all in or you are all out, pick one!!!

Now. Instead, we did the most weak-willed, timid mix of none of those options, and we might get swept in the wildcard round by the San Diego Padres. Are you fucking kidding me? They got more talent than we do, without Tatis Jr., and they haven’t done anything and now all of a sudden are world beaters? GTFOH.

So to sum things up, I hate you Mets, this was maybe the most disappointing collapse I’ve ever seen from a team that should have been in a subway series with the Yankees later in October, but they screwed up and so did we, and now we have to watch Dodgers - Astros again. Vomit inducing stuff.

You blew your chance, you idiots, and now Atlanta is gonna own this division for years to come and we have nothing to show for it. Not a single banner, nothing. All that money wasted, and we’re going down the tubes. Either do EVERYTHING possible to win it all next year, which you won’t, hire Theo Epstein as the GM, which you can’t, or blow it all up and tank, which you are not capable of doing correctly. Sign Aaron Judge in the off season, get some real starting caliber pitching who can go deep into November, and try again. What a sight to behold, my goodness. Or trade for Ohtani! Just do that, sell some tickets, who cares. I'm done.

Steve, you have more money than god. Use it, for christ's sake!

Signed,

A very pissed off Jared Russo