It’s been four days since that Jeurys Familia ninth inning meltdown, and while the painful sting of that fateful moment is long gone, I think it’s safe to say there is still some lingering general soreness.
They say the best way to get over something is to talk about it – or in my case write about it – and while I fully intended to post a multi-point indictment of the missed opportunities that led to that disheartening loss to the San Francisco Giants, I thought the better of it and decided to just let it go.
I could have railed hard against Terry Collins for how poorly he executed in the biggest game of the year for the New York Mets and ruminate over his many strategic blunders that ultimately led to the lamentable outcome, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
The truth is that underneath that layer of pain and disappointment, I still had an overwhelming sense of pride for the Mets in general and how much they had to overcome to get to that wild card game.
I won’t soon forget how often the 2016 Mets were left for dead by the media and many fans alike. And even I – a self acknowledged, dyed in the wool believer in the Orange and Blue – had my confidence shaken when we fell to two games below .500 in Early August. How can I unleash a barrage of unbound criticism on the team I love after witnessing 30 days of such immense resiliency, sheer determination, and an undying will to win, such as I’ve never seen before in all my years of following the Mets.
I’ve heard it said that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs overcame those same obstacles as the Mets en route to winning their divisions. And while I’ll admit they both lost more days to the disable list, I will argue that the Mets losses were significantly more impactful to the team than either of them.
The Mets lost their starting third baseman and staring first baseman in David Wright and Lucas Duda, both being middle of the order hitters. They would eventually lose second baseman Neil Walker as well, who was having the best season of his career.
The greatest casualties were suffered by the starting rotation which lost three of their top four young starters including former All Stars Matt Harvey (2.94 ERA) and Jacob deGrom (2.74 ERA) and the sole left-hander in the rotation Steven Matz (3.14 ERA).
These are just the players lost for the season and doesn’t include lengthy trips to the DL by Asdrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes, both of whom would be hindered by their injuries for the rest of the season. Let me see the Cubs and Dodgers sustain the same gravity of player losses and still make the postseason – I very much doubt it – especially the Dodgers.
So getting back to my point, how can I get angry and outraged at the Mets over losing a one-game playoff to one of the game’s best ever postseason pitcher?
I can’t.
I won’t.
Instead I prefer to draw on my better angels and thank the Mets for giving it all they had and making it to the postseason against all odds. They finished the season with pride and accomplishment. And while we didn’t win the brass ring, we ended the season with an MLB-best 27-13 run which won’t be soon forgotten by me.
I’m ready for the Hot Stove season and I have plenty of ideas I look forward to sharing with you beginning on Monday. Thanks for reading and Let’s Go Mets!
