Local Mets fans thrilled about what new owner Steve Cohen had to say in his press

New York Mets fans are still talking about Tuesday’s press conference introducing new team owner Steve Cohen, the Long Island billionaire hedge fund manager.

Cohen, who is the richest owner in Major League Baseball with $14.2 billion in the bank, said he “wasn’t in the game to be mediocre.” He says he wants to win and bring home a world championship in three to five years.

Of course, that was all was music to the ears of Amazin’ fans who have connections to the Island.

“I saw a measured approach. I didn’t see giddiness,” said former Eltingville resident Bob Competiello, a lifelong New York Mets diehard who now resides in Summit, N.J. “This is an owner who has had tremendous success. He’s not going to go out and just sign big tickets to ‘make a splash.’ He will surround himself with competent people and do a top to bottom review. His whole career has been managing risk vs reward.

“Let’s be honest. He’s a home grown guy who has never really left the tri-state area. His wallet is a bottom less pit and he’s a self made wealthy man. I like those odds.”

“Anybody but Wilpon,” said Huguenot resident Phil Bracco, referring to former owner Fred Wilpon, who sold the team to Cohen. “We needed a change from the failures of the past.”

Lifelong Mets fan Eddie Mayrose of Castleton Corners says he likes what he heard from Cohen during the press conference.

“I thought he was everything Mets fans could have possibly hoped for,” said Mayrose. “He realizes that hiring smart people makes everyone smarter. It was a great day for the Flushing Faithful. Of course, until he locks up Michael Conforto with a longterm deal, he won’t have my heart.”

Competiello says Cohen’s first order of business should “be to get the Bobby Bo (Bonilla) contract off the books. Just pay him out and let’s stop getting abused by New York Yankee fans every July 1.”

Competiello was referring to the Mets buyout deal with the former Met outfielder that pays him $1.2 million bucks every year until 2035. The payouts began in 2011.

Bracco hopes Cohen and the Mets sign free-agent hurlers Trevor Bauer, Brad Hand and Taijuan Walker and pursue catcher James McCann.

But not all Island fans are happy about Cohen taking over as Mets boss and they are mostly Yankee fans.

“It’s great for the Mets, but bad for the Yankees,” said Bronx Bomber fan Derek Sully of West Brighton. “I’m sure Cohen will want to outbid us on some of the same players we want. The Yankees now have competition in this city.”

John Venosa, another Island Yankee fan, has a different take.

“The Mets fans who have griped through the years about Yankees spending, in particular, probably will come to find that a championship is a championship no matter how you get there,” he said. “You are competing against other big market teams as well…but obviously you can’t ignore quality organization development as well, it starts there. The Yankees had a core during the late 90s dynasty, no matter what anyone believes.”