NEW YORK METS: Terry' Kids Come Through Again. But Are They Changing Any Minds?
I can't tell you how many times I intended to post something real snarky and riddled with sarcasm because of old gripes and continuing beliefs I have; ...and didn't for love of team. There are two dueling fan bases that reside inside my cranium as well as the streets of METropolis. That's the schizophrenia that sets in when following this team in 2011. It's an exhilarating high one day, then crushing, manic depression other days. As of last night, the ratio works out between 51% to 49% on the side of exhilaration and glee. But 49% percent of the time is far too long to go around talking to yourself especially when the ratio is constantly fluctuating above and below the .500 mark.
Last night, the Mets mounted another one of those comebacks that warrant big crowds at Citi Field, and loud cheers in appreciation of their fighting spirit. And if not last night, then tonight for sure if just to thank Terry's Kids for a good time.
But for me personally, last night's game reinforces why letting go of the past and inaugurating the future is in our best interest; and has been for some time. The Mets have given us many refreshing nights this summer and have remained mildly relevant deeper into the season than we've gone in the last three when at the present time, in our condition, we have no business doing so. So, schizophrenia is fine for now as long as Sandy Alderson keeps things moving along.
It's the insanity I abhor. Insanity; some really smart old guy with white hair once postulated; is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.... Or something like that. That's the part that always rubbed me the wrong way about this team; upper management; ownership; and yes, us fans too.
Think about all the players involved in last night's win and how they've managed to get this team to fifty-eight wins on August 10th considering the lack of contributions from KRod and Beltran due to trades; Wright; Reyes; Ike; and Santana; due to injury; and Bay's lack of productivity. Several of these same players (unmalicious) conspired for some bad starts in 2007 and 2008 in which they had to play like crazed dogs to recover from....and did, only to fail in the end.
Now think about all the players that were in the line-up when the team started out this season 5-13, and earning the ire of greater METropolis. Some of the names are eerily similar. And the complaints; rants and raves were venomous but far too repetitive. Bad starts followed by debilitating injuries have been this teams downfall for years now.
Once again, Mets fans have been given a hard lesson in the following; You Can't Win Pennants in April..., but You Sure as Hell Can Lose Them in April. Does a slightly better start to this season put the Mets four or five games behind the Braves for the Wild Card instead of nine? Absolutely. Would the Mets have avoided a one game Gambit in 2007 and 2008 with better starts in April? Absolutely. Everyone chooses to ignore April and focus more on labelling those two seasons as September Chokes. I'm not here to argue that aspect of our ruin. I merely point to the yearly monsoon over Flushing they call April Showers and how we usually take a soaking in the opening month of the season.
Just remember who the ones still standing and wearing a Met uniform today on August 10th are. They're a spunky group called Terry's Kids. And now, recall the ones who have continually put us in this position.
The truth is, because the Mets were teasingly close, we fell for it (again) and didn't trade Reyes. And the fact David Wright was injured rendered him untradeable. In no well kept secret of this blog, I would have traded both. It's almost fitting that David Wright has had numerous clutch at-bats this past week, yet they come in an increasingly inconsequential time of the season. I believe the future success of the Mets no longer rests in their hands. It's the clearest way to say I have not come to dislike them; that's farthest from the truth. But my visions of the future of this team lie elsewhere now. And yes, throw Johan Santana's name into this matter also. However I realize they aren't going anywhere any time soon.
Last night's win was great. But alas, it only put us one game over .500 and no closer to the Braves in the standings. But there's a measure of mental health with a game like yesterday's come-from-behind win against the Braves because the faces on the field are measurable different. And that's why the Mets have prevented apathy from setting in this season...to go along with all the other mental maladies one must endure being a Met Fan.
The kids proved something in 2010 when they rose to eleven games over .500 before a return of the regulars took hold again. Young players have proved something again this year by keeping the Mets going without a pronounced collapse (so far) and without any discernible star player in sight.
So here's to hoping last night looks more like things to come and that change is kind. But change we must.
In the mean time, Let's Go Mets.
Mike.BTB
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