The Backstop Back At Ya: An optimist to a fault. I admit it. Can we look at some facts for a moment though?
A) With all the games we have given away, Friday night against the Yankees most recent and perhaps most painful,we are still only 3 games out of first place.
B) Second place with Beltran, Wright, A Bullpen, 2 legitimate starters and a bunch of perennial players to be named later.
C) I have said for a long time that the Mets go the way Reyes goes. All due respect to Mr.Beltran (Still my prediction for N.L. Most Valuable Player) David Wright, and the rest of the offense, I have never seen an offensive player that can impact a game the way Jose Jose Jose Jose does.
He has a way. He does not only produce runs for himself, he carries in his pocket an intangible gift. Reyes can get inside the other team's head. He can drive a pitcher so crazy when he is on base. He leaves such a mental scar that the pitcher does not seem to get over it for 2-3 innings. By then Reyes is usually due up again and they do it all over. Give a shot of truth serum to whom ever has batted second third or spongetech, and I think you would get an open admission that they have been thrown more than a few hanging curve-balls, poorly spotted fastballs or just plain meat ball pitches because the opposition is forced to pay way too much attention to Reyes.
Psychology is the most relevant weapon in baseball. Those of us who knew why Roger Cedeno could not track down a fly ball to save his family know what I mean. Or dare I bring up the great Mackey Sasser and his famous triple pump throws back to the pitcher like he was trying to draw a foul. (wrong sport Mackey) Or more recently with players who just had to leave this city.
We all knew that Kaz Matzui was likely to be a productive player one day. We knew equally that it was not going to happen here. The billing that preceded him was too high, and wen he did not produce time after time after time, he had passed the point of redemption. He would have had to bat 1.000 to avoid scrutiny. It was in his head and his career's only hope was a fresh start. I notice that when Kaz plays against the Mets as a visiting player these days he does not get ridiculed the way he did when he played here. No hard feelings. There was just too much water under the bridge to drive over it anymore. His bridge was both under water and burned beyond repair.
The psychology that Reyes' brings to the table is missing. I sure hope that he can return in the second half and re-establish the nickname I gave him in 2004. "Jose the X-Factor." As it stands today, we are without our X-Factor, and I repeat we are only 3 games out of first.
D) Reyes is not alone on the back of the Mets' milk carton. Also M.I.A. with no search party yet formed: Delgado (The #4, or as I like to call it now our "Spongetech" hitter) Oliver Perez; It never occurred to me when he was walking guys that were not even on the roster yet that he may have been hurt. I have recently seen some video footage from one of last season's games where he pitched lights out against the Phillies. I compared it to one of his combustions earlier this season. I apologize for not picking up on this earlier. In the first few weeks of the 2009 season he is clearly favoring his left knee on his delivery. This affected his follow through causing him to miss on his sliders and make the radar gun look broken. In the quest for the ring I am hereby casting him as Gollum. He may yet serve a purpose. It is worth noting with regards to Mr. Perez, that he may have hidden his physical problems to protect the World Baseball Classic from responsibility for his injury.
F) Anybody remember Billy Wagner? Yeah I know this is a pipe dream and perhaps a little bit too much on the optimistic side even for me but the last I heard, he was on a throwing program. He is still under contract. With J.J. Putz being prepped for surgery as we speak, I am amused by the slim possibility that Wagner may return for the final 1/3 of the season.
G) K-Rod has lived up to his billing. A 3 year $37 million bill to be precise, he has been a Sasquatch of sorts for Mets fans. We have heard they exist but we have never seen one. Until now. Imagine: a closer who, but for a pop up gone horribly wrong, has been straight up Lock Down. Even better, every ninth inning does not have to require keeping a nitro glycerin pill in our breast pockets. Lets take that in. We have waited a long time for K-Rod.
H) There are several other players that are on the DL. Many of them are our starters. At least 4 of the regular players you see out there now are bench players. The up-side to that is that the bench is getting their at-bats and producing. This should make us that much stronger when the regulars return.
I) I am waiting just a little bit longer to discuss trade possibilities. I need to know a little bit more about when Reyes, Delgado etc are coming back (if at all). But I do not agree with EVERYBODY in sports media's claim that the Mets farm system is baron. Kyle's page "MetsProspects.com" another page I write for has several articles about players on there way up. I will just say that just because you don't have a very good triple A team does not mean that you have a bad farm system. I don't know that Daniel Murphy has ever even been to Buffalo.
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