By Amy McGinnis
I think I speak for all of you when I say ... thank God baseball is back. Spring Training is officially underway, now that pitchers and catchers have reported in Clearwater, and as a Phils fan, I couldn't be happier. It makes me wonder, though, how fans throughout the NL East feel about the upcoming season. After all, I don't typically hear their points of view. I started asking around, looking to pick the brains of fans. Thanks to Facebook (and a few of my friends who were happy to throw friends of theirs under the bus and volunteer them for me), I was able to get my hands on some. Well, sort of. I couldn't find a Marlins fan. Anywhere. Seriously. I searched. I went so far as to lurk on their fan pages, and no one would talk to me, even after I promised that my intention was not to make them look bad. So, there you have it, kids ... the Marlins' fanbase is not represented in this post because no one would admit to being a part of it. That being said, I'd like to genuinely thank the following people for their time and input: Chris Leming (Mets fan), Chris Innella (Phillies fan), Bob Klossner (Nationals fan), and Steven Holloway (Braves fan).
Obviously, these four men have different views; however, what I find interesting is the similarity among their feelings toward their own teams. They're all die-hards. Steven Holloway says that Atlanta is his team "no matter what." Bob Klossner, who grew up in the D.C. area, says that he's probably the only person in San Francisco wearing a Nats hat. Chris Leming finds being a Mets fan to be frustrating at times, but will "root for them anyway, savor the good times, and hope they overachieve." Chris Innella sums up being a Phillies fan in a few short words: "It's a way of life." For each of us Phils fans, there's a fan in another city who feels the same way about his baseball team. Apparently, Mets fans don't appreciate that the world views them as obnoxious loudmouths (sound familiar?). Chris Leming tells me that Mets fans are well-informed, intelligent, and passionate; he adds, "We know our baseball." Funny that Chris Innella used essentially the same words about Phillies fans.
Let's look at each of the four teams (sorry, any Marlins fans out there ... show yourselves next time).
Leming says that for the upcoming season, the Mets' budget reduction isn't helping any (he adds, "Thanks, Bernie Madoff."). Since money is an issue, he'd like to see improvement in the farm system. His suggestions for ways the Mets can win the NL East in 2012? Easy: minimal injuries. For the Mets, that is. It would also take "season-ending injuries for Roy Halladay, Shane Victorino, Cliff Lee, Tommy Hanson, Craig Kimbrell, and Brian McCann." Leming, like many of us, is interested to see how Miami's new ballpark will impact the season.
Braves fan Steven Holloway also has his eyes on the Marlins and their offseason acquisitions. It remains to be seen if new Marlins talent will draw more ticket sales, though. How would Atlanta do a better job filling seats? "Better offense," says Holloway. "And winning." He also mentions that he and fellow Braves fans would hate to ever see McCann, their "hometown hero," leave Atlanta.
In light of the Nationals' campaign to take back their ballpark from Phillies fans, I have to wonder what their plan is to draw local sports fans. Bob Klossner says that it's possible if Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth play to their potential. The addition of Brad Lidge (you're welcome, Washington) and Gio Gonzalez to the bullpen is "vital," he notes. If Werth could just bump his batting average by a good 60 points, he'd be able to provide some run support. Additionally, Ryan Zimmerman's health is a concern for Nats fans, considering there isn't really a viable replacement for third base.
I wasn't going to include a Phillies fan in this post, because I assume that most of us have the same perspective. While that may be true, I asked my friend Chris Innella anyway, because he's more articulate than I am and I knew he would represent our fanbase well. Innella notes that there have been several changes throughout the division, and is excited for the additions the Phils have made to their bench and bullpen. Wigginton, Nix, Thome and Pierce offer our bench an "offensive edge over last season" and Papelbon, Willis and Horst should add "quality depth to our young 'pen." Although he'd like to see the pursuit of some younger talent, Chris thinks that the NL East is winnable if the Phils continue to do what they've been doing the past five years. After all, we have the best pitching rotation, one of the better lineups, a new bench, an improved bullpen, and of course, Chooch. No one calls a game like Carlos Ruiz.
I asked each of the guys which team is the biggest threat in the NL East. It's no surprise that the unanimous answer was Philadelphia; however, everyone seems to agree that we should start to see things change within the next few years. Holloway says that the Phillies simply "have the strongest pitching rotation." Klossner adds that even without Howard in the lineup, the Phils are "very, very dangerous." Personally, I'm happy to see the rest of the division start to stack their teams as if they're ready to compete. I enjoy the race. On another personal note, I think it's a sad state of affairs when Miami is paying a ton of money to bring quality baseball to a town that doesn't seem to care.
I'm excited for the season to start, and it seems that fans from all over the East look forward to it, as well. I'm grateful to have gotten insight into the minds of fans from other cities.
I'd also like to thank Courtney Bennett and Joe Wombough for pointing me in the direction of Bob Klossner and Chris Leming.
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