What’s missing from the New York Mets that they had back in the 1980s? Other than illegal substances measured by the ounce, it’s the nastiness and edge from an overall excellent decade of Mets baseball.
The 1980s were a wilder time. In each of the four major sports, soft-core violence was prevalent. The Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bears, and everyone in the NHL developed a reputation of beating up on their opponents with force. The modern Mets and many baseball teams for that matter lack this element.
As fun as the animal in me would love to see Mets pitchers summon their inner Bob Gibson and throw at guys more frequently to knock them off the plate, it’s not the way the game is played these days.