It was a long time coming. Finally the 2011 New York Mets have started to gain momentum. Even though they hit a small snag last night, this team was on a six game winning streak.
Yet what caused this surge? What made the team that some felt would not go anywhere, to finding their power? Some say it would be the presence of Jason Bay. After all, this streak started when he came back from the disabled list on April 21st. However, I would not call Bay the hero here.
I will say that with his return, David Wright has less pressure and seems to be seeing the ball better. However, other players have also been contributing to the wins. The most recent hero was Daniel Murphy. Not many people felt he could contribute to this team and felt he could have been traded or was nothing more than a minor league player. Not so! He is getting it done. Now if he can only improve his defense.
There are more than two big bats in this line-up with Bay and Wright. There is also Carlos Beltran who was holding this team together his big hits until Bay came back. Ike Davis has also had his share of clutch hits to get this team to the point where they could win. The only true single player to have benefited from the presence of Bay is Wright.
Terry Collins said in an interview during spring training that he told the players they have to do what the back of their baseball cards say they are capable of doing. Well, that is what was needed. That is what we have been seeing over the past few games. Each player has been playing up to their potential. This is the only thing Mets fans could truly ask for. Play up to the potential, up to the hype and up to their paychecks.
While I do not really feel the importance of April, it is nice to see this team finishing the month on a high note rather than laying down and playing dead. Even though some fans had given up on them during the losing streak, the players never gave up on themselves and neither has management.
This is how I see the month of April. It is just an extension to spring training. It is a chance for the players to come together and play as the team they are meant to be. April is the month where adjustments are made. This is the month where a General Manager is still tweaking the team to see what works and what does not. Sandy Alderson has left nothing to chance. Unlike Omar Minaya, the new regime has shown there is little room on a rope that fans have let go of. This is the only way to hold people accountable.
It appears that everything is starting to come together: from management down to the players. It was only a matter of time.
Unfortunately, Tanya, with the hidsight of the just-completed Philly series, the streak also owes a lot to the fact that it came against the Astros, Diamondbacks & Nationals…
But in the end, a win against a weak team counts just as much as a win against a tough team.
Looking at the Philly series, I think we can compete with them, so long as we cast off the dead weight and don’t expect sick pitchers to throw complete games (especially with a starter filling a reliever’s role).
Charlie, the Mets have always had a devil of a time against bad teams. For whatever reason, they make lowly teams look like contenders. So for them to actually do something against those teams, as sad as it is, it can be considered an accomplishment. Remember the years when the Expos were ahead of the Mets in the standings?