WHAT A TEAM! by Tom Brennan
I can give you 25 good reasons the Mets are going to the World Series (26 if you include Ruben Tejada), but let me briefly highlight what I have found amazing.
In 6 of the 9 games, the Mets faced four of the finest pitchers on the planet - not wearing Mets' uniforms, that is.
Kershaw, Greinke, Arrieta, and Lester tossed 890 innings this year, went 68-28, struck out 954, WHIP of a ridiculous 0.90, and ERA of 2.20.
Yet the Mets beat them up. And won 7 of 9.
Daniel Murphy was beyond miraculous with the bat, but I was equally impressed by his extreme hustle and enthusiasm. Totally unreal.
Jake deGrom? Magnificent, whether he had his best stuff or not. Three And Oh. Oh my.
Noah Syndergaard? Simply electrifying. Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive.
Matt Harvey? The Dark Knight was superb.
Jeurys Familia? In Mariano Rivera's class and that is all you need to know.
Lucas Duda? Showed he can damage mortal pitching.
Curtis Granderson? The consummate lead off man. He gets on and can still steal bases.
Bartolo Colon? Cool as cool can be under pressure.
David Wright? See comments on Duda, and that miraculous snag of a liner with the bags full saved the Mets yesterday.
Everyone else? Pretty darned fine too. Lots of great moments for Cespedes, Matz, d'Arnaud and others.
Love the way this team loves each other. Chemistry is off the charts.
Thrilling to watch, now some R&R before the World Friggin' Series.
Mets in 5. The pitching is just too good....and we have Murphy.
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I think you touch on something very important.
ReplyDeleteThe "chemistry".
How these players have banded together and become a family.
For all of the statistical analysis of players, teams, and situations, there is something more important.
Each of these players fill a role in this "Met Family" that we watch today.
I caution, this off season, that the decision makers look beyond dollars and cents & offensive or defensive stats (yes even the oh-so-precious WAR) and understand the make-up of this Met Family.
Understand the roles each players play on and off the field. Understand how each player fills those roles. Understand which roles are interchangeable, replaceable, and irreplaceable.
Absolutely. Spot on.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember the last interview I saw with a Met that didn't include some variation of "This is just a great group of guys in here. I've never been on a team like this." And sure, you can lose with a great group of guys too, but all else being equal, people who like coming to work, like their co-workers, want to go to battle with and for each other, and revel in the success of the guy next to them are going to perform better, particularly in big spots.
ReplyDeleteWith so many of these guys on the last year of contracts, I hope that the chemistry is something that's taken seriously. A big example would be Colon, who clearly has had a massively positive influence on the young pitchers. (Familia especially.) Perhaps we can find a taker for Niese's contract and offer Colon something around $7-8 million to come back on a one-year deal to be the #5 until Wheeler returns, then spend the rest of the season sitting next to Familia in the pen, picking up innings there until needed for spot starts. Also, if Tejada is healthy, I wouldn't complain if we went into next season with he and Flores manning SS. And at this point, I'd be totally cool with signing Murphy, who seems to be a key part of that chemistry (clearly, they'll at least make him a QO). Would it surprise anyone if he springboarded off of this postseason to have the best season or two of his career at age 31 and 32?
Whatever happens in the offseason, I'm finding it ultra satisfying watching a team full of guys who really like and appreciate each other take their game to another level. Fun.
Adam, I agree with you...just add in signing of Cespedes. Watch attendance spike a million fans next year. Camraderie and dominance...a perfect combo.
ReplyDeleteMurph's excitement and elocution and humility are so refreshing. Not just his mind-boggling performance. He knows He is "blessed" and loves it here. He must stay.
The joyful David Wright is also wonderful. I loved his interviews.