As the days get shorter and colder, I find myself more and more intrigued by the closing games of the major league baseball season. I'm not particularly interested in Barry Bonds, a.k.a. the Grinch, and his quest for 71 homers.
Nor am I interested in the Seattle Mariners as they attempt to break the 1906 Chicago Cubs record for most wins in a regular season (116) only to be beaten by the Yankees in the playoffs, lets not kid ourselves here folks. Never mind of course that the '06 Cubbies did it in a shorter season than the currnet low-budget M's.
For the past few weeks I have in fact sat awestruck watching the New York Mets slowly claw their way back into playoff contention. Of course as all of you Red Sox fans probably know counting the Mets out of anything would be like dollar beer night at Fenway Park " a bad idea.
The Amazins, 8-2 in their last 10 games, have truly lived up to their moniker recently, which must bring nightmares to those hapless Bostononians who dream of eternal revenge upon the beloved Bill Buckner. This sensational play, exemplified in a stretch of 16 Met victories in 20 games, is all the more unbelievable when one considers how their season began.
The Mets' April was like something out of a Bergman film (for those of you who don't know film, that's not good), featuring sweeps by Milwaukee, Montreal, and Cincinnati. The last time Cincinnati swept someone, Marge Schott and Pete Rose received a congratulatory phone call from President Carter as they sorted through their illicit dealings in a hidden room under old Riverfront Stadium.
Steve Trachsel, traded to the Mets at the start of the season, was getting hit like Peter McNeely against Mike Tyson, losing 10 of his first 13 decisions, and, at one point (I missed some of this because I was crying too hard), allowed four homeruns in one inning. Can it get any worse folks?
Trachsel has found his groove recently, or sold his soul to the devil following the lead of the Texas Con Man, Roger Clemens, winning his last seven decisions. Journeymen such as Glendon Rusch and Rick White, as well as the staff's left-handed ace, Al Leiter, have kept opponent's bats at bay recently, resulting in sweeps of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, putting the Mets back into playoff contention.
Much worse than the Mets' pitching early in the season was their anemic, and at some times comical, offense. Looking over the season box scores, the Mets offense in April and May put up more zeros than a Star Trek convention.
For most of the season the only player actually swinging at bat was Mike Piazza. The world-beating catcher was batting just below .300, while the rest of the team put up a monstrous .238 average. Recently, unsung heroes such as Joe McEwing (every Mets fan's favorite player last season) as well as late-season staples Robin Ventura and Todd Zeile have come on strong with the bats giving the Mets' pitchers some breathing room.
The Mets' recent tear, specifically taking 2 of 3 from Atlanta at Shea Stadium has put them 4.5 games out of first place with 12 games left in the regular season. Putting the Mets in a very difficult, but not impossible, position.
More interesting still is the fact that the Mets' final three games come against the Braves in Atlanta, and will most likely determine the Mets' season. With Atlanta playing a three game set against the second place Phillies, the Mets could very well be in striking distance by the time they arrive in Atlanta, giving them the opportunity to come full circle, from World Series contender, to one of the worst teams in baseball, and then back again.
With the events that have recently unfolded in New York City (and Washington D.C.), the performance of the Mets, however insignificant in the grand scheme of things, may perhaps give the surrounding communities some sense of normalcy.
In a community that has been shaken to its very core, the Mets have continued to go forth and do their jobs, playing solid baseball and providing a glimmer of hope for their fans. If the Amazins do somehow find a way to get into the playoffs, it will be the result of sheer force of will, and the strength which comes from knowing that not only do they need their fans, but that now, more than ever, their fans need them.
