New York, NY – It’s 10 am on a beautiful day here in New York, and I’m happy to report that (by popular demand) MTM CEO Matt McCarthy is on a plane heading out of town. It doesn’t matter where he’s going, just so long as he’s not here. I know this because he texted both me and Fake Sandy Alderson moments ago begging one of us to write something today. I was so thrilled by the news of this albatross leaving Gotham that I decided to step up. Anyway, as his plane climbs to it’s cruising altitude, Short Matt should have a great view of all of the Mets fans clambering up the Whitestone Bridge ready to throw themselves into the icy waters below. To those fans I say, CALM THE F DOWN!
Panic Citi! This was the headline on this morning’s NY Daily News. As all of you know, the Mets got pasted last night in Game 2, losing to the Royals 7-1. So now they are down in the Series two games to zilch. It’s not a great position to be in, by any stretch, but there’s no call for toe-tagging the Mets just yet. All the Royals did was hold serve at home. The Mets could have won the first game, but didn’t. Last night they flat out lost. I’m getting all kinds of texts and messages from Mets fans and others saying things like “It’s over.” For those of you who can’t be cajoled out of this gloom and doom I say, enjoy starting your winter depression early and watching round-the-clock Law & Order reruns. For the rest of you, take a deep breath, cue up some Steely Dan, pop a valium or a Lee Ma-Xanax, and chill.
Noah’s Park. So the Mets are back home and will trot out fireballing phenom Noah Syndergaard Friday for Game 3 at Citi Field, where he pitches GREAT. This is cause for hope, but there’s more. Let’s just see how the Royals adapt to three straight games of having their pitcher have to hit. It may not seem like much, but sometimes it’s the smallest things that can throw players and lineups off their rhythm. But this isn’t all on Syndergaarden Cop. The Mets really need to start hitting. As the team showed all year long, they don’t need the entire lineup to get hot simultaneously, just a couple of guys. Cespedes has been ice cold, as has d’Arnaud. Conforto is a kid so we make allowances. The whole team mustered a grand total of two hits last night so, as a group, they need to pick it up… and I believe they can. Again, I’ll take my chances with Syndergaard and a (hopefully) pepped up offense against Yordano Ventura and a team who already thinks they’ve won. Did you see that celebration after game one? Reminded me of this.
Keep Calm and Let’s Go Mets! The Mets don’t need to sweep Kansas City at home, they just need to win Game 3. Like the old baseball maxim goes, let’s take ’em one game at a time. This thing can get turned around! When did I become such an optimist? I have no idea, but I’m going with it.
