October Baseball?

This has been a tough week. I know you are as tired as I am with all the negative issues in the news. So I won't bore you anymore this week what I think of the world and national problems.

Why? You may ask. Well, I will tell you why.

The New York Mets won seven of the  eleven games on their road trip that ended in Colorado yesterday. The reason in Colorado for only one game? They had to make up the "Snowball Game" from April, when two of the four games were snowed out. Ironically, the temperature today at game time was in the 90s!

My Mets have been struggling all year, to the point where they were actually happy to get out of Citifield after their disastrous homestand, when they were swept two weekends in a row. I know we have had some bright spots: Wright, Harvey, Murphy, Byrd and the new kid, Wheeler. But this not enough to stay the course, to feel excited because we had a chance.

No, instead, I think that after the All Star Game, which is when our season has been ending these last couple of years, it would be good to bring some more of the kids up and see what they can do. After all, Mets first baseman, Ike Davis, has been tearing up the AAA since he was sent down almost two weeks ago, so let the kids play here, right?

Seriously. David Wright will go to the All Star Game in July as the starting third baseman. If he doesn't, then the fix was in against New York. Matt Harvey will be there, too, a possible 10-1 record, up there with the leaders in ERA and strikeouts. Maybe even Daniel Murphy, if not as the starting second baseman, certainly as an alternate. Because the Game is being played in Citifield, Mets Manager Terry Collins has been invited as a coach. And balloting ends on Sunday, so if you haven't gotten around to it, you have this weekend to vote up to 25 times!

When play resumes after the break, the Mets, if they continue to play at the pace they have played all year, will be probably 15 games under .500, which in this new age of a second place playoff game, will not get them there unless they play 25 or 30 games over the rest of the way. And let's face it Met fans, Santana won't be back, either. Enjoy the memories he gave you.

I know it's hard to read or hear this news, but as Met fans, we know that we are real fans. We compete in a town where the other guys have been in the playoffs almost every year since 1995 and have won five World Series in that time, including one against our heroes. The other guys have won 27 Series against our two, but have only won ONE since they beat us in 2000.

A Met Fan is a Loyal Fan, whereas any fair-weather fan only follows a winner. He doesn't know the pain a real fan feels. Met fans, on the other hand, have truly known the thrill of victory and the absolute agony of defeat.

So, fans, keep going to the ball park to cheer on our boys of summer. Root the kids on to inspire them for all the years to come and maybe, just maybe, a surprise or two might make it all worth it, even this year. You never know, because if they win enough games the rest of the way, they could make the one game playoff game.

And then it's a whole new season. You know, NOTHING beats October Baseball.

Let's Go Mets!