On Opening Day, we came into the season with optimism. Not only was I there, but I tailgated beforehand with Kid Clancy and company and promoted the Daily Stache a bit.
One feature I did was handing out prediction sheets, where fans had the chance to predict the team’s win total. I, for one, missed by four, predicting 86 wins, but one fan (no clue what his name is in the top left), correctly gueses 90 wins. Kudos to you, my friend.
We weren’t sure what to expect out of 2015. Thinking back, David Wright was “healthy,” the Mets failed in their quest to land what we thought was a MLB-capable shortstop, Lucas Duda was pressured into being the big bopper he proved to be last year, and free agent Michael Cuddyer was supposed to fix all of our offensive problems.
But none of us could have predicted this. If you would have told me before the season that the Mets would trade for Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson, Addison Reed, Tyler Clippard and Yoenis Cespedes, I would’ve asked you to get your head examined. The Wilpons don’t open their wallets, but winning brings on pressure, and the consequences of an inactive summer apparently would’ve been too much to bare.
The Mets could be considered the sweethearts of the MLB this season, as the DVD is already in the process of being made. From Wilmer Flores’ crying on the field to Yoenis’ Cespedes lifting the team on his shoulders to the Matt Harvey saga, there’s been plenty, even for the non-conventional baseball fan, to digest.
There’s also been adversity, as almost every regular has missed some time due to injury. David Wright coming back felt like a late-season trade, and his homer in Philadelphia surely gave the team a boost. His fist-pump when he scored against the Nationals could conceivably make it to the DVD cover, unless the Mets win the World Series.
For a team that’s conquered adversity this season, there’s more to come, starting with Kershaw and Greinke in Los Angeles. After that, it could be a Pirates or Cubs team the Mets have struggled against this year, or maybe even the vaunted Cardinals who crushed our World Series dreams in 2006.
It should be fun, but the next few days/weeks may take some time off of my life. I am damn proud of where we’ve gotten, but it’s time to get greedy. Let’s see if these kids can become men right in front of our eyes.
