Sunday, July 15, 2012

The Best Part Of This Team

This post was originally going to be The Best Part Of This Season.  It was originally going to highlight all the different times a random unknown player contributed.  I would mention names like Mike Nickeas, Jeremy Hefner, and Jordany Valdespin and remember the times they helped the Mets win games or series they weren't supposed to win.  Then I realized the best part of this season is not one moment or a series of moments.

The best part of this season is the team that is playing.  From the beginning this team has had faith in themselves and every other player.  It started during Spring Training when Ike Davis wondered why everybody had already decided the Mets would stink.  And it continued once the season began.  Ike had an abysmal start to the season yet every player still wanted him out there, they wanted him to work out of his slump in the big leagues, not with the Bisons as some fans were calling for.  Even without his bat, the Mets still knew they needed Ike Davis to be out on the field fighting with them.

But it is way more than just the support of Ike Davis.  It's the way David Wright talks about this team.  David has been around for longer than any other Met and he talks about this team like it's his family.  I remember listening to an interview that was seemingly about anything but how the Mets were playing.  David ended up talking about what the team does off the field and he wasn't just saying things about himself and Ike Davis and other big name players.  He talked about Mike Nickeas and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, guys that he wouldn't care to hang out with if the clubhouse wasn't so close.

It is also the way this team doesn't want to change.  The trade deadline is coming up and if the Mets seriously want to contend they may need to make a few moves.  The bullpen could change.  They could have a new backup catcher.  But on this team the pitchers want to keep throwing to Mike Nickeas.

This team has a special bond.  They are just as happy when someone else gets a big hit as they are when they get one.  They want to see each other succeed sometimes even more than they want to succeed on their own.  It is the way every team should function yet some teams are so far away from it.

The Mets love each other this year and that is why I love these Mets.

Let's Go Mets!

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