Move over Yankees, there is a new sheriff in town.
In a city that has been dominated by the big brother New York Yankees since Carlos Beltran was left frozen on an Adam Wainwright curveball in 2006, the tide has been turning for the Amazin Mets, the only first place team that plays in the Big Apple.
They are certainly the King of Queens, but now they may also be Kings of all of New York City. In the last two weeks, the Mets have catapulted into 1st place of the NL East, while the Yankees have spiraled out of the penthouse in the AL East, and have seen the red hot Toronto Blue Jays overtake them.
Yes, things can change just as quickly as they already have. Mets fans are all too familiar with collapses late in seasons. But there’s just something different about the city when the Mets get hot. Just like Seinfeld star and longtime Mets fan Jerry Seinfeld said, “It feels like something crazy is happening.” It sure does.
To me, there’s just a little something more to this Mets team. Maybe it’s the raccoon, or perhaps the mysterious yellow parakeet that found its way to having a front row seat at Wednesday’s night game. Or maybe it’s the fact that they were able to remain cool, calm, and collected when losing their captain just days into the season.
The Mets have battled through several key injuries, but so have many other teams. It’s the fact that they were able to send one mediocre lineup after another night in and night out and yet still remain in striking distance of the Washington Nationals that’s interesting to note.
Now, with some reinforcements and some major acquisitions, the Mets have completely bought in, and so have their fans. When is the last time you can remember 37,000 screaming fans at Citi Field on a Wednesday night in mid-August? Oh and the Mets say they are 13-5 at Citi Field this season with a crowd of above 36,000 or more in attendance.
With a powerful rotation stacked with some of the best arms the league has seen in quite some time, coupled with a now much more potent lineup, this Mets team is finally fun to watch again. They also give you the feeling that they are going to win on a nightly basis, a feeling Mets fans haven’t had since Jose Reyes was manning SS, and Carlos Beltran was gliding out in CF.
While some may still look over to the Bronx and see a much more established hitting team, along with a bullpen that is second to none, back in June several MLB executives were asked which team they’d rather have and all six unanimously picked the Amazins.
Finally it’s all coming together for us and we have team to be proud of and to beat our chests about. The myth of the Mets taking over New York again has officially become a reality. This is no longer just a city owned by the Yankees. Sorry Tex, our apologies A-Rod, but there’s a newer, younger and more exciting show in town, and they’re here to stay.
