Friday, July 11, 2008

Tatis & the staff

I know the Giants can't hit, but still that was as good a pitching display over three games as we've seen by the Mets in a while. Other than Maine's roughish outing - 3ER in 4 2/3 isn't horrendous - the staff really came through. That's what I anticipated at the start of the year: only I thought it would be Martinez who'd be giving Santana a run for his money as 'ace' and not Pelfrey.

You know when Milwaukee was in New York and Gabe Kapler was beating up the Mets I 'wondered' about what he'd been up to while he was out of baseball. He seemed like superman reborn. Well, Tatis has been every bit as good as Kapler.

*****
Great moment on Wednesday night when Howie described the moment Seaver came to bat in the 8th inning on July 8, 1969. Howie said it was possibly the moment he'd remember best about Shea. He set it up well with the background about life in NY in the late 60s and the Mets franchise up to that summer. Howie said it was the loudest he ever heard Shea and that was a reflection of what was going on in the game, but also how much everyone in the stadium realized that the Mets were for real. The team had come of age. And here, coming to the plate, was the Mets' answer to Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Ted Williams. The Mets own superstar, Tom Seaver.