Now that it has been two weeks since the Mets have been *gulp* eliminated from playoff contention and the playoffs are well underway, I feel able to blog with confidence again. As a NY resident for the better part of 30 years, I know that about this time the cold is slowly creeping from bitter to 10 below zero. People have forgone “Black Friday” and the malls are filled with the sound of Christmas music. Sadly, one of my favorite holidays of the year is overlooked …Thanksgiving. Even after such a horrible end to things this year we as Mets fans have so much to be thankful for.
1. Jose Reyes finished the season healthy. Remember when it seemed like all we heard was the Mets had this hotshot shortstop but he ran funny and would be on the DL for several stints a season? Well, he finally has become everything the Mets said he was and is the envy of many organizations as “The Most Exciting Player in Baseball”. I am very thankful that Jose is our leadoff guy and the days of Roger Cedeno are long gone.
2. We finally know what we have in John Maine. Originally a throw-in from the Anna er… I mean, KRIS Benson trade, 15 wins is more than I thought we would get from him this year.
3. Even though I didn’t make it to Shea this year, I think that we should be thankful to the Mets security and NYPD for making ballgames a safe experience… even if we have to let Yankee fans in.
So yes, I realize that we are more than a month from Thanksgiving, but that will never stop that ever rising optimism that makes me a Mets fan from being thankful and appreciating how good we really had it this year. So when you carve your turkey, scarf the mashed potatoes and eat the last crescent roll please remember… Pitchers and catchers report in just a few short months!
"People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring". Rogers Hornsby
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