So now that the Winter Meetings have come and gone, the early good feeling that Mets fans had when the team hired Sandy Alderson as the GM has all but faded away as winter sets in. Terry Collins was hired as manager, and most fans saw through the two-year contract, they saw that as a “temporary hire” but they were willing to put up with that if the team was going to improve. You can improve without spending money but when the fans saw the Mets acquiring leftovers like Boof Bonser they had a meltdown and now even with a $2 a seat reduction in ticket prices the fans are mad because they know that 2011 will be a long season.

“I have been a Mets season ticket holder in one form or another since the late 1970's. My grandparents and uncle had 4 tickets in the mezzanine level at Shea behind 3rd base and, in 1997, I bought the season subscription from my uncle. I held those seats until Citi Field opened and now I'm still right behind 3rd base but in the promenade level because the equivalent of the Shea's mezzanine level is now a club level. Don't even get me started on that. I'm now paying close to double what I was paying for my mezzanine tickets at Shea,” said Janice Greenberg, a Long Island resident.

“Mets fans are a lot of things...we are passionate, we are loyal, we are patient and we live and die with our team no matter how bad or good they are. But most of all, we are very smart because we've been around the block enough to know a load of BS when we see it. We sat there through the "worst team money could buy" era in the 1990's when the Mets gave boatloads of money to old has-beens because ownership thought Mets fans were dumb enough to be seduced by names like Bobby Bonilla, Vince Coleman, Eddie Murray and Bret Saberhagen. We sat there through the early 2000's that saw horrible contracts go to Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar, watched them finish each season with close to the worst records in MLB all the while listening to ownership crowing in April about how we'd be in the running this September. Now, after epic collapses and downright disastrous seasons, we're getting the same pie in the sky promises and we're tired of it, especially when they're doing close to nothing to change the substandard product that has been littering our beautiful new field for the past few years.”

Mets fans want the truth and Alderson should have told the fans not only would we not spend money but we’re in a rebuilding mode which means that we won’t be making any real trades either.

“If the Mets do not want to continue to see their attendance steadily decline, they need to do one simple thing, which is understanding their fan base. They need to understand that Mets fans will stand by their team, through thick and thin, with a true grit and passion that is unmatched -- they will not head across the river to support the Yankees when times are tough and they will most certainly not shy away from the ball field because the tickets are $25.00 as opposed to $23.00. What Mets fans will do, however, is call BS when they see it and last season was an example of calling the Wilpon’s to the carpet by staying away from the ball field. Stop the long-standing practice of telling Mets fans you're selling them a Van Gogh when you and we both know that some high school art student painted the picture. Just man up, swallow your pride and tell the fans this:

"Look, we screwed up. We get it now. We have these horrible contracts and we don't want to break the bank on any significant signings until we get rid of this expensive dead weight so, until then, we're going to be focusing on our kids in the farm system and we'll try to win as many games for you as we can with the guys we currently have. It’s not gonna be pretty and we most likely won't even get close to the playoffs but its only temporary. We learned from our mistakes and we are going to focus on growing great players like we did with Gooden and Strawberry, Wright and Reyes. We're going to stop throwing huge contracts at big names just to make our roster look important. We're going to stop signing unproven players to lengthy and ridiculous contracts that we can't get out of relatively painlessly if the guy doesn't pan out. We are changing course and its going to take a little while to see the results but, in the interim, we assure you things are in motion and you will have a World Series contender on the field as soon as possible. So until then, come down to our beautiful ballpark, have fun with your friends and family, and show all the haters and idiots who love to make fun of the Mets that the fans will always support the Mets and believe in the direction they're going in. Show everyone that you have faith in the Mets and that you're loyal to the team who has demonstrated so many times over the years that they can beat the odds and give you a miracle like no other team can. Show everyone why Mets baseball is the best baseball in the world -- its always a nail biter, its always a crazy exciting roller coaster and they show you ways to win and lose in ways you never dreamed possible. Show everyone that you're not interested in being a bandwagon fan of team that touts their 2 dozen World Series championships and now resembles more of a brand name fantasy team than a true MLB club where you have to sell your first born to pay for season seats in the bleachers. In short, show everyone that, through this period of rebuilding and refocusing, Mets fans are still strong, passionate and loyal, they still "believe in Amazin" and that they're proud to be fans of the team that was, is and always will be the Miracle Mets."

The Mets let Shawn Marcum get traded to the Brewers today and he’s only making just over $800k a season and he had 13 wins a year ago. They let Jon Garland get signed by the Dodgers for just $5 million. They didn’t trade for 2B Dan Uggla. These are the non moves that have enraged the fan base.

“If professional sports has taught us anything, its that fans are very forgiving when you come out and admit you made a mistake and that you're completely focused on fixing that mistake so it doesn't happen again. I'm sure some fans will not like to hear the Mets admit that they're not getting anywhere near the playoffs anytime soon but, in reality, the fans know it even if the Mets refuse to say it. Mets fans will continue to be patient and loyal if they know they'll have something great to look forward to in a few years and it will make the next few seasons much more enjoyable for everyone involved if the fans show up at the ballpark knowing what they'll probably see for a little while and enjoying the few occasions when the Mets actually raise that apple in centerfield during a few good consecutive wins.”

Word from New York says the Mets will lose lefty specialist Pedro Feliciano. The news just gets worse and worse.