Misery Loves Company: Two Guys Watch Baseball

Game 62 - Mets

Rangers 9, Mets 7
Record: 27-35

From Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary:

grasp at straws: to reach for or try anything in desperation

Amid a slide back into predominantly losing ways by the young upstarts, and amid a recently refueled rumor mill predicting Steve Phillips' imminent ousting, prospect Jose Reyes was called up yesterday. The talking heads in New York have beaten to death the issue of whether to bring him up, perhaps too early, or whether to let him fine-tune his game in Norfolk. And just when the organization had made it clear they didn't want to rush him and pressure him to patch up the sinking ship, they bring him up. And just when they had made it clear he should not be expected to be an instant hero, he goes 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored, looking sharp at short all the way. This reeks of a last-ditch effort to save the GM and get the fans excited (and distracted). Well, if you think we're going to fall for that . . . okay, we will.

Without trying to set a lazy precedent of letting other people do my writing for me, I am including an excerpt (I edited out some drivel about the Knicks) from my brother-in-law Patrick's e-mail that greeted me when it arrived at work this morning:

"The 2004 All-Star shortstop in NYC... No, not Derek Jeter... Jose Reyes! It was a pleasure to watch him play the game tonight. Yes, the Mets will probably lose, right now it's 9-7 Texas, but that is not the story. The Story is watching Reyes get two hits, score on a ball in the left field gap from 1st base with ease, and last but not least his ultra-smooth style at short. It is time for the Mets' management to get rid of the baggage. Enough is enough. Trade Alomar and Benitez for some young talent. It is not true that Met fans need to win NOW. They will have patience if there is a game plan. I can wait. I cannot deal with this garbage anymore."

Yes, there is tongue-in-cheek, hyperbolic optimism (the last two seasons have bred this), but maybe there's a light at the end of the tunnel for Mets fans that, unlike each glimmer of light we've had in rceent history, isn't a train coming to squash us.