Gary Palumbo hears the critics, but doesn’t care.
“But, you’re just a fan,’’ they say. “Fans can’t do anything against the owners that would matter.’’
Maybe not, but their voices can be heard.
“That’s one of the most infuriating comments,’’ said the long-time Mets’ fan, now a 39-year-old software implementation specialist, who grew up in Fairfield, Ct., and now lives in New Hampshire.
“I can’t see myself sitting on my hands and doing nothing. I would choose anytime to do something and fail rather than do nothing.’’
Palumbo is the driving force behind the billboard Mets’ fans, frustrated at the club’s ownership, will see beginning April 6 for a month outside Citi Field on Roosevelt Avenue. There will be two billboards, including one greeting those riders coming off the Seven Line subway.
The billboard will come off as a help-wanted ad, seeking: “Ownership committed to winning. Apply at Citi Field.’’
Speaking in a phone interview this afternoon, Palumbo said his intent isn’t to get the Wilpons to sell the team – although he indicated that would be ideal – but for them to realize Mets’ fans aren’t happy with the job they’ve done and are angry for promises not kept.
“Right now, the time is right,’’ said Palumbo. “They asked us to wait for five years so they could get their house in order and once the kids were ready to go. They didn’t fulfill their end of the bargain. They just want to build their shopping mall and condos.’’
That’s long been a popular rap against Mets’ ownership; that they are more interested in building up the area now populated by chop shops than putting together a winning team.
Ironically, the driving force for Palumbo to get the funding to come up with the $4,500 needed to pay for the billboard were the words of former Met Pedro Martinez, who was voted into the Hall the Fame this week.
Speaking in a conference call Tuesday, Martinez said Yankees’ fans are more demanding and Mets’ fans are “willing to settle.’’
That morning Palumbo was $1,362 shy, but easily passed that by midnight. Palumbo has more than $6,000 in pledges and donations and is contemplating increasing how long the billboard will be posted and even paying for a billboard in Port St. Lucie.
None of this might have happened had he not seen a game in 1985 with his cousin. The next, on Old Timers Day at Shea Stadium, he saw Gary Carter and Darryl Strawberry hit back-to-back homers, “and was sucked in.’’
But, he won’t be suckered.
“I know A couple of pissed off fans aren’t going to make a couple of billionaires sell the team,’’ Palumbo said. “I’m tired of them pretending they are the Kansas City Royals. My main goal is to elevate the conversation that we are not satisfied with direction of how ownership is operating this team.’’