After last night’s heroics, Carlos Delgado testified to the feeling around the clubhouse this September as opposed to last.
“We think we’re as good as anybody,” Delgado said. “We think we’re the team to beat. We think what happened last year is not going to happen again. There’s a different feeling around here.”
Dan Graziano of the Star Ledger explains why he feels the mood is different around Shea this September.
This September is not last September, no matter how much familiar noise the Phillies may have made in the first two games of this series. Last September, the Mets had no pitching – no one, in the rotation or the bullpen – who was capable of getting a single big out. This year, they have Ollie Perez and Mike Pelfrey. They have a stunningly tough Luis Ayala and about 83 other relievers with whom their manager can play late-inning matchups. And they have Johan Santana.
Santana is the cure to any prolonged losing streak. He has continually performed in almost every single pressure situation he has been asked to pitch in. He has been our ace, our stopper, and a big reason why the Mets continually have bounced back from a loss or two this season.
As Jon Miller said during last night’s ESPN broadcast, “This is the game that the Mets went out and got Johan Santana for.”
Jerry Manuel also hits the nail on the head.
“Any time his turn comes about, we feel very confident that he can keep us going or get us headed back in the right direction.”
Santana has earned every penny of this years salary. The prospects everyone worried about giving up for him, are still just prospects. Santana, on the other hand is the reason we will prevail and win the division.
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When I was young I saw Sandy Koufax pitch. Since then I have always been partial to those pitchers who command the mound and take no prisoners.
I’ve seen a lot of them through the years – Seaver, Ryan, McGraw, Eckersly, Gibson, Pedro etc. I’ve read Tim McCarvers’ book – he caught those types of pitchers for four decades and his stories about them particularly Gibson and Carlson are telling.
The Mets have now got another pitcher of that quality and personality. And, we have seen this year – even with spotty work behind him, how Santana owns the mound. No matter how this season turns out, he’s done extraordinarily well and deserves our sincere thanks. Just think – he’ll be back next year , and………