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Thank you, David Wright.
And thank you, Jose Reyes.
Thank you for being the only two homegrown, born-and-bred, plucked from the cradle superstars on the 2007 New York Mets. Thank you for not being a hired bat or a mercenary arm or a veteran hanging on by the last slivers of his fingernails for the chance to win a ring in orange and blue.
Thank you for giving a fan like me an entry point to a team that otherwise feels like a fantasy league draft come to life…only one from the 2002 season.
Thank you for last year, David. The one with the .311 batting average and the 116 RBI. The one that allowed you to become only the fourth player in the history of the franchise to have consecutive 100-RBI seasons. The guys that did it before you are named Carter, Strawberry and Piazza. Not too shabby.
And thank you for last season, Jose. Thank you for the boundless enthusiasm that reminded us that this used to be a franchise of misfits instead of millionaires. Thank you for the Major League-leading 17 triples and 64 stolen bases. Thank you for all of the double plays that were broken up by your blazing speed and unending hustle. And thank you for that lead-off homer against Chris Carpenter in Game 6 of the NLCS — a momentum-establishing shot that propelled the Mets back to St. Louis for Game 7. The last guy to lead off a postseason game with a dinger for the Mets was named Lenny Dykstra. Again, not too shabby.
Thank you, Mr. Wright, for giving the Mets the best third baseman they’ve ever had, and Lord knows they’ve had enough of them. Is it too early to make this claim? Does he have to put up better numbers than Howard Johnson at the plate for a while longer, having already surpassed him defensively? Does he need to be better defensively than Robin Ventura, having already surpassed him as a complete hitter at the plate? Could be. But I know he’s definitely better than Bob Aspromonte, Phil Mankowski, Tim Bogar, Bill Pecota and the 10,000 other stiffs who’ve manned the hot corner at Shea.
Thank you, Mr. Reyes, for giving the Mets the greatest interactive musical fan experience since the first time Freddie Mercury bellowed “We Will Rock You”: a bunch of New York baseball fanatics taking the greatest soccer song of all-time in “Ole!” and turning it into the spirited tribute “Jose!” Somewhere in North Jersey, Tab Ramos weeps…
Most of all, Wright and Reyes, thank you for giving Mets fans something to look forward to when this latest attempt to purchase a World Series with sluggers at wholesale prices fails. Yes, New York has the Murders’ Row of Flushing; fans are going to see more intimidating bats this season than Alfred the Butler. And, yes, had it not been for that little nugget Yadier Molina, the team would have been in the World Series in 2006.
But, no, I don’t have any confidence in a team that’s pinning its hopes on the health of Pedro Martinez, who won’t actually be “healthy” until July. Or a team that’s trotting out Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez as primetime starters; players who, at this point in their careers, should be signing Topps cards at a Ramada Inn collectables show instead of throwing pitches in a regular season game. Or a team in which the rest of the rotation is too green and the best bullpen in baseball may have a difficult time holding onto that title.
Could the Mets finish what they started last season? Could they run away with the East, break through the National League and take their next shot at winning the World Series for the first time in over 20 years? (“Boo-friggin-hoo”….Signed, Cubs Fans).
Sure. Or the pitching will fail, the hitters won’t be able to win every game 10-to-9, the Phillies and Braves will pass them in the standings, and Omar Minaya will have his checkbook out again in December.
So thank you, Wright and Reyes. Because win or lose, I know you’re always going to be worth the price of admission and worthy of my admiration.
-SFM-
Published on the web and SportsFan Magazine -- Celebrating the Life and Times of America's Sports Fans since 1997, "The Jester's Quart" is a weekly satirical look at sports, pop culture and why NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is a jackass. Columnist Greg Wyshynski is the Senior Editor for SportsFan Magazine in Washington DC, and the Senior Sports Editor for The Connection Newspapers of Northern Virginia. His book "Glow Pucks and 10-Cent Beer: The 101 Worst Ideas in Sports History" can be ordered now. Email Wyshynski at jestersquart@hotmail.com.
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