The Late Greats

Games 33 & 34 - Mets

Braves 8, Mets 7 (12)
Mets 7, Giants 4
Record: 19-15

Day games, late night games, we've got it all lately, and I've been able to watch a whole lot of Metball. For once, when I am on a tear of tuning in, the Mets aren't thoroughly rewarding me with fork-in-the-eye play. They still make enough aggravating mistakes every game to keep me cursing and mocking, but they're getting involved in exciting games and playing well enough to keep it interesting until the end. All in all, Whitney likee.

Case in point last night. I'd just hunkered down for a late, long haul of west coast ball. Unlike Rob, I care enough about my team to actually stay up and watch. (There may be some other mitigating factors, too, but never you mind.) But by the time Johnny Maine took the hill at AT&T Park around 10:30 ET . . . well, it was already 3AM ugly. Hideous opening frame, shaky second, kicked into overdrive by the 3rd and 4th. Nice battling by Maine.

It was stolen base city for the Mets last night. I commented on the irony of the Mets stealing 7 bases with Jose Reyes out of the lineup. (Before I bitch about Reyes's sloppy D again, show me the videotape of Alex Cora's range. Before I bitch about his baserunning again, show me Luis Castillo not getting on.) Then Gary Cohen made the same comment on TV. I'm just saying. Once again there was a close call at 3B on Beltran that looked to go the other way. I say keep sending Beltran to third until he actually gets called out.

Dee-Dub has been a bit maligned this season thus far by some of the fair-weather residents of Mets Township. And me. In truth, his swing has been all-pull, hips and shoulder flying out, slugger style, K-friendly. And yet he's hitting .331. Don't ask me. It's when he settles down and returns to his opposite field swing that he's the superstar we've come to demand. We'll stop slagging and pay respects, Dave, but please keep reining it in.

Quick and sloppy today, I'm tired and it's 5:15 on a Friday. And I gotta rest up for tonight's late show. Earning my stripes all over again . . . Let's Go Mets.