A strange thought rolled across the mind in the waning moments of the Mets' 7-1 victory over the Phillies on Tuesday night.
Is Chris Young a fan of "Seinfeld"?
If he is a fan of the show, he likely remembers the episode when George became obsessed with leaving on a high note, even if it meant making an oddly premature exit from whatever room he just slayed with a good one-liner. Should Young be familiar with that quirk of Costanza, there had to be a moment on Tuesday when he considered doing the same thing.
The reason for this contemplation is that Young has to know things aren't going to get much better for him in New York than they are right now. He shut down the Phillies in his first start with the Mets while adding three hits, including two in the inning that chased Cole Hamels from the game.
That's the first time any Mets pitcher has ever pulled off that particular feat and Young's two singles in the third inning were both landmarks in the six-run third inning that sent the Mets on their way to victory. His first hit led off the inning and started the landslide, while the second single scored the final run and chased Hamels from the game.
All of that would have made for a night that etched Young into the memory banks of those that watched the game. The fact that he also struck out seven and handcuffed the Mets' bitter rivals for their first loss of the season makes the whole thing loom that much larger.
That's sort of ridiculous, of course. It's four games into the season, after all, and a lot more is going to happen before this season is all said and done.
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You don't need to have a parade to feel mighty good about things for the Mets, though, and you don't need to apologize for dreaming big in April. If Chris Young can have a debut like this, maybe anything is possible.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City. You can follow him on Twitter and he is also a contributor to Pro Football Talk.
