It’s amazing how a couple of minor additions like Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson could change the entire complexion and dynamic of the lineup.
Having those two as options adds length as well strength to the lineup, something this team has desperately needed for the better part of the last three months.
For weeks I’ve been saying that we didn’t need that one huge bat like a Justin Upton or Troy Tulowitzki. Yes, adding a star like that would’ve been nice, but I’ve always maintained that all we needed was a couple of minor tweaks and Uribe and Johnson have given this team just that. Two quality major league bats for the rock bottom price of $2.5 million dollars.
Believe me, I know that many of you were content with the Mets doing nothing, I do read the comments left to me. But I just didn’t buy into that laissez faire attitude and wanted Sandy Alderson to do something, and do it fast, and I’m so glad he did.
Hope is not a strategy, and sitting on your laurels hoping Cuddyer, Duda and Murphy have huge second halfs, and Wright and d’Arnaud come back better than ever was an awful plan to fix this offense.
You’ve also gotta give credit to Terry Collins – whether you like him or not – for laying down the law as soon as the two new Mets entered the clubhouse before the game on Saturday. It was bold, it was significant, and it was very necessary. This team has long needed a swift kick in the ass and it was about time they finally got one. So kudos to Terry Collins.
Now I’m starting to see the kind of play and the kind of baseball that I’ve been craving all season long – even though the Mets have hovered around first place for most of the season. I mean hovering around first is great and all, but going out and grabbing the division is a thousand times better in my playbook.
It looks like we now have a balanced attack with elite level pitching and an offense that should be good enough to clinch the deal.
One thing I got to see a lot of during the last two games… dirty uniforms, aggressive thinking, heads-up baserunning, and takeout slides. It was great to see.
These guys look hungry again… There’s kind of a mean streak to them… They don’t look defeated…
It’s just two games, and I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself… But all I’m saying is that these last two games have impressed the hell out of me.
I feel more confident and excited now than I’ve been at any point since that 11 game winning streak in April. Gone is that trepidation I’d have while watching the last few weeks of Mets baseball, and in its place is the hope and confidence that the team is still in it until the very last out of the game. Now that’s what I call baseball like it ought to be.
Bottom line, the Mets just played 10 games against the National League’s best. Not one, not two, but three first place teams, and we haven’t lost any ground in the standings.
There’s talk that the Mets are not done, and that they could add another bat or possibly a late inning reliever. If we do get one or both, great, but if we don’t I wouldn’t be that concerned about it.
Now I know there are some that will disagree with me, even my fellow writers. That’s the beauty of MMO by the way… But I’m not going to pine day in and day out for that big bat. Maybe the comes in the offseason when we’ll have a better read on David Wright and figure out how Daniel Murphy gets replaced. But I’m okay with Johnson and Uribe.
All I’ve ever wanted was a couple of tweaks on offense and we’ve got that now, and so far they seem to have fit right in and made an impact. It’s like throwing a pebble into a lake and watching the ripple effect.
I can now sit back and enjoy the final 63 games of the season knowing we made a shrewd move to help our offense. It’s time to enjoy the ripple effect and watch it carry us into the postseason.
