This isn’t to share an overly rosy prediction for the 2011 season. This isn’t to ignore the clouds that have been swirling around the Mets for quite awhile now. This is about remembering that the Mets play the sport of baseball.

Ah yes, baseball.

In 2009, the story was injuries. 2010? The disconnect between the powers that be, and the players that play for them. Neither year were the Mets very close to heading towards, as Steve Somers would describe it, serious October baseball, so the narrative shifted. And so this year, before pitchers and catchers have even thrown a baseball to each other, the main focus of the media isn’t about how Ike Davis can avoid the sophomore slump. It isn’t about how RA Dickey can continue to be the folk hero that Mets fans love. And it isn’t about how the lineup as a whole still looks pretty darn good on paper, and can have the ability to score runs as well as anybody else.

Hell, you want to talk about the patchwork rotation with a frown on your face? A Met fan, who’s dying for baseball to return after surviving a good chunk of the winter which featured harsh, record storms, and Future Black Eyed Peas in what felt like the longest Super Bowl halftime show ever, would take even that.

But that’s not the story you think of when you hear “Mets.” Now, when you hear “Mets,” you think of a man who’s not even free. You think of Bernie Madoff. Somehow, Ponzi schemes don’t usually remind me of the spring.

We’re what, about a week away from spring training? Yet it’s all about the Wilpons, their lawsuit and yes, Mark Cuban playing footsie with a fan base that wants very little more than to watch exciting baseball as late in the season as possible.

Listen, I understand; it’s not as simple as just forgetting that the team could be in a state of flux for a while until this entire Madoff disaster goes away, and probably even after that. The Wilpons lost no insignificant amount of credibility, no matter what ends up happening in the courts. But this is what I’m saying: we’re not jurors. We’re not mediators. We’re not lawyers that are working this case. I’m not suggesting everybody just hide their heads in the sand; the Mets most definitely have their share of issues at the top. What I’m saying is, so close to spring training, all I want is for the narrative to shift back to what’s going to happen between the lines.

This, the latest Met controversy that has nothing to do with the players on the field, has to get reported on, I understand that. As we get closer to spring training and the regular season, though, Mets fans can choose not to let it remain the prevailing narrative.

Yes, the payroll, according to GM Sandy Alderson, will shrink after this year. Yes, it will have been related to shady business dealings. However, that hasn’t happened yet.

We just want a reason to buy tickets and head out to Flushing, to watch the Mets play some baseball. You know… baseball.

The good news is that there are instantly 8 reasons to watch your favorite team play every day, right there on the field. I say 8 because, honestly, nobody can say with any certainty who will actually start at 2nd base just yet. I’ll tell you what, though: I’d love to have that discussion instead.

If nothing else, this is a good start.

After I prepared this post last night, a story was posted to the great MetsBlog about David Wright and the comments he made concerning the Madoff situation. Click the link to head over to MetsBlog and read the whole quote, but know this: the LAST thing he said was

Hopefully everything gets resolved and resolved pretty quickly so we can get focused on baseball.

I’m not blaming Wright at all for what he said, as he was just being honest, but the problem with this story being as dominant as it is, is that it meant that David didn’t open with that line. The second problem? That he was asked that question at all. Again, check out the Metsblog post to read Matthew Cerrone’s reaction, which I couldn’t agree with more.

Is it spring training yet?