New York Mets owner Steve Cohen made it known before Friday’s home opener against the Miami Marlins he wasn’t thrilled with reactions to his club’s 3-4 start to the season.
“That’s just the way it is. They’re entitled,” Cohen said of takes he noticed this week about the 2023 edition of the Mets, as shared by Ryan Chichester of Audacy. “I tend to be an optimistic person.”
The Mets began the campaign with three wins in four games in Miami but were then pummeled during a three-game sweep at the Milwaukee Brewers. New York suffered losses of 10-0 and 9-0 at American Family Field before Milwaukee earned a walk-off 7-6 victory on Wednesday afternoon. Following a third straight defeat, Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor said he still believed the club has “what it takes” and “the ‘it’ factor.”
Overreactions to anything the Mets do this spring and summer are to be expected considering Cohen’s club is carrying a historically massive payroll that’s only getting bigger following the All-Star break unless disaster strikes the Amazins before the trade deadline. It’s also worth noting that fans and critics alike won’t soon let Cohen forget about his vow from November 2020 when he declared that he’d consider it “slightly disappointing” if the Mets don’t “win a World Series in the next three to five years.”
Cohen preached patience before the first pitch of Friday’s contest.
“It’s the same way in my business, in the hedge fund business, I’ll have a bad week, and that doesn’t define my year,” he added during his comments. “That doesn’t define my month. It’s kind of the same thing. It’s a really small sample. It’s foolish to make conclusions in such a short period of time.”
Worrisome injury setbacks and issues related to the pitch clock caused some Mets fans to press a figurative “panic” button before Easter. It sounds like Cohen wants to borrow from to-be New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and tell such individuals to “r-e-l-a-x” at this point of the grueling season.
