Maybe the Mets Don't Go As Reyes Goes?

The mantra for the past 3 seasons has been that when Reyes plays well, the Mets win. That's hard to argue with, but lately Reyes hasn't been playing well and the Mets are still winning.

Reyes is batting under .200 since the beginning of September and before the Nationals series he was batting .042 in his last 7 games. That's beyond atrocious, but in that same stretch the Mets had only lost 2 games.

Jose Reyes was supposed to be taking a new approach to his gameday rituals that was going to help him avoid the September slump that occurred a year ago. Maybe he should try something else.

I think the key to getting Reyes back on track is the forgotten art of the first inning bunt. When's the last time Reyes bunted in the first inning? It doesn't happen anymore. He fakes the bunt every once in a while, but why shouldn't Reyes get up there and lay one down every once in a while?

His swing has become much more of an uppercut and every ball he makes contact with ends up in the air. Even the most negligent Mets fan knows that Reyes needs to keep the ball on the ground to exploit his speed on the basepaths.

He's not taking as many pitches either. Reyes was stellar in July because he was walking a ton. A little more patience at the plate could help him turn things around.

Either way the Mets are winning in spite of Reyes' skid. That's a great sign, but don't be fooled into thinking the Mets don't need Reyes to be on fire. Winning games become a whole lot simpler when your leadoff man is getting on base and causing havoc.

Imagine this: Reyes, Wright, Delgado & Beltran all on the top of their game at the same time. Oooh baby.

Remembering 9/11

I was going to write a post on how still 8 years later I remember the impact that baseball, and specifically the New York Mets, had after the attacks of September 11th, but Brad over at Bugs & Cranks has done the work for me.

I remember reading this write up last year at about this time and even as I read it again today I think it's one of the best commentaries on that emotional game the Mets played on September 21, 2001.

Brad's closing statement sums it up the best when he writes, "September 11 was all too real. I finally realized this. But for the first time in two weeks, I also realized that it was okay to smile. It was okay to cheer. It was perfectly okay to start living again."

It's definitely worth a read, and even if you've read it before, you should read it again and never forget those feelings we all experienced just 7 years ago.


Click here to read the full article on Bugs & Cranks.

Don't Look Now, But Here Comes David Wright

It's only a two game series, and yes I know it's against the Nationals, but David Wright is starting to turn around.

In the series against Washington, Wright went 6 for 8 with 4 RBI and 4 runs scored. The key stat is that he's starting to come through with runners in scoring position and late in games.

On Monday night, Wright sparked the late inning comeback by leading off the 8th inning with a single. On Tuesday, Wright was in the mix again in pretty much every inning the Mets scored. And his home run in the 8th was huge.

With a 1-run lead, Wright came up with a runner on base and gave Luis Ayala the extra cushion he (and the team) needed to put the game in the books.

I posted two weeks about the fact that David Wright has historically been a big performer in September. We all remember how he carried this team last year in September and was the only guy producing. So he's a little late this year, but he does look more comfortable at the plate and is starting to take the ball up the middle which is always a good sign for a hitter.

Add that to a white hot Delgado and a surging Carlos Beltran, and you have arguably the most potent middle of the lineup in the NL.

Not to mention the fact that David Wright can take the Gold Glove home right now. We missed you David Wright. It's good to have the real you back in time for the home stretch.

Big Mike Pelf: No I Won't Back Down

Big Mike Pelfrey has been stellar this season. In his performance against the Nationals on Wednesday, Pelfrey added to his aura by not backing down from Elijah Dukes.

In the 4th inning, Pelfrey lost control of fastball that tailed inside to Dukes. The pitch was no where near hitting him in the head and was purely a pitch that took off inside. Because Dukes hit a home run his last time up, and the fact that he's a certifiably psychotic loose cannon, he thought Pelfrey was going after him.

Dukes started yapping and made a move towards the pitchers mound. So what's a guy by the name of Big Mike Pelfrey do? He starts walking toward the psycho and jawwing right back.

That's right. No, I won't back down.

I liked Pelfrey before, but I love him even more. It was great to see this young guy not take the yapping and attitude he was getting from the ex-con Dukes, and Pelfrey wasn't afraid of what might happen next.

And of course the New York Mets faithful were backing Pelfrey all the way while giving it to Dukes in his following at bats. In the past two seasons I've always said that I'd go into a fight with the Mets because they had Paul Lo Duca who has that crazy fight potential. Now, I'm sticking with Big Mike Pelf as my strong man, not to mention the refrigerator, Robinson Cancel, might be able to scrap a bit too.

Death, Taxes and No Easy Wins

These are the three things Mets Lifers can count on. I have officially added my cardiologist to my speed dial at least through the end of September.

While these games are nerve racking and painful, they are exciting at the same time. This is pennant race baseball, and you have to step back sometimes and enjoy the ride. This last game against the Nationals had everything. There were hits, home runs, potential fights, argued calls, more home runs. comebacks, bad pitching, more comebacks, fantastic fielding, and horrendous fielding.

This game had everything, but the most important thing is that it ended with a Mets win. Couple that with a Phillies loss and you get a 3.5 game lead in the NL East.

The great thing about the way this team is playing right now is that it doesn't matter which facet of the team is underperforming because another facet picks up the slack. When the starting pitching falters, the bullpen holds. When the bullpen crumbles, the offense scores more runs.

It's a vicious cycle, but I'll ride it to a pennant if I have to.

Farewell Billy Wagner

Billy Wagner gave a heart breaking press conference last night to talk about his injury and the fact that he'd not only miss all of this year, but probably next year as well. Wagner was brought to tears when he talked about his 10 year old son, Will, telling him that he wasn't ready for his season to be over. That just kills me too.

I think what also got to Wagner's emotions is the fact that he realizes his time in a New York Mets uniform is probably over too. Wagner is 38 and will be almost 40 by the time he's ready to pitch again. His contract is up at the end of next year and the feeling is the Mets will be shopping for a closer in the offseason (bring me K-Rod!).

Billy Wagner has always been a stand-up guy who will answer whatever question you throw at him with a sometimes painfully honest response. While Wagner has blown his share of games, for the most part he has been the most reliable closer the Mets have seen in the past decade.

The thing that makes me feel for Wagner even more is the fact that I know he agonizes over every pitch the Mets throw. He desperately wants to be on this team and help it win a World Series. It's going to kill him to be on the sidelines and that's the type of guy you want on your team.

I hope Wagner can recover from this and be able to pitch again if that's what he desires. We wish you a speedy recovery Billy. Mets Lifers everywhere wish you were in that bullpen in some capacity for this final stretch.

The Surge

Round up the troops. It's time for a September surge, and boy did the Mets ever get one on Tuesday.

There were home runs galore in Tuesday night's game. Ryan Church, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado (twice) all went yard. David Wright even came up with a timely hit. And Damion Easley even had 2 RBI.

The key to the game was the fact that the surge of base hits kept coming. The usual plan for the Mets is to score runs early and not do anything late in the game. But against the Nats the Mets were able to keep the runs coming and overcome a tough outing for Oliver Perez.

The bullpen, amazingly, only gave up on earned run and Luis Ayala asserted himself as the official closer polishing off the Nats in the ninth.

Just when you thought there was nothing else to say about the performance of Carlos Delgado, he gives you more reason to praise him. Delgado now has 35 home runs and 103 RBI. He also has 4 home runs in the last two games and has changed his initials to MVP. The day after I post that the odds are against him to win MVP, he shows me exactly what he thinks of my predictions.

Sometimes I love it when I can be proven wrong. The Mets now have a 2.5 game lead over the Phillies and don't look now, but both Beltran and Delgado are on fire.