“Bring your kiddies, bring your wife/ Guaranteed to have the time of your life/ Because the Mets are really sockin’ the ball/ Knockin’ those home runs over the wall.”
These lyrics come from the original New York Mets fight song, “Meet the Mets,” written by Ruth Roberts and Bill Katz. The song debuted in 1961, one year prior to the Mets’ Major League season debut. The team finished with a historically bad 40-120 record in 1962.
For the most part, families are not having the times of their lives, as the fight song suggests. So far this season, the Mets lost 39 out of their 69 home games, with only 20 games to go. And the lineup is seldom “knockin’ those home runs over the wall” compared to the rest of the National League. Their 118 home runs are 13th out of the NL 16 teams — below the Houston Astros, who are 44-97 in the season.
The Mets have 16 less homeruns than the average NL team and fall 26 short of the MLB average. On the other side of town, the New York Yankees are living up to their Bronx Bombers reputation with an MLB-leading 210 homers. The Mets are 26th out of 30 Major League teams in home runs.
The Mets do not rank in the top five of the NL in any major offensive category, but they lead the MLB in pinch hits with 60.
Mike Mandlekern is a contributing writer.
Email him at [email protected].
A version of this article appeared in the Sept. 12 print edition. Mike Mandlekern is a contributing writer. Email him at [email protected].
