OK, I get it -- wait, hold on … I think Murph just hit another dinger on the flight home.
Where was I?
Oh yeah, I get it, Mets fans have waited a long time to get back to the World Series, and a much longer time to win it all. And whether the opponent turns out to be Kansas City or Toronto, I don’t think anyone who roots for the orange-and-blue is even considering the possibility that their team will fall short in the Fall Classic. If they do, the disappointment around here will be thicker than the No. 7 train crowd out to Citi Field.
But let’s not forget what an incredible run it’s already been for the Amazins.
Where do you even start? With Matt Harvey coming off a year missed due to Tommy John surgery to anchor the Mets’ young staff? Or Jacob deGrom, who may not be the team’s ace, but was its top hurler all season and even stepped up his game in the postseason? Or David Wright, who missed all but 38 games this year because of his ailing back, but returned as a key contributor during the stretch run? Or Jeurys Familia, who was only in the closer role because of Jenrry Mejia’s suspension, yet became one of the best in the business -- and has been nearly unhittable in the playoffs?
Or Terry Collins, who has been in the game longer than Yoda has been doing the whole force thing, yet had never managed a postseason game until just two weeks ago? Or whichever team doctor decided Carlos Gomez wasn’t worth the risk, thereby putting a stop to Wilmer Flores’ tears … and opening the door for Yoenis Cespedes to carry the Mets on his back during a run where he seemed to hit every pitch out of the park (even the ones thrown to other batters)?
Or you could start from the back, and look at the superhuman effort Daniel Murphy has put forth since the regular season ended. With homers in six consecutive games, the Mets infielder has accomplished an unprecedented feat, etching his name in the national pastime’s history for all time.
Murphy is one of the longest-tenured Mets, having been with the club since its days at Shea. He’s been a very solid hitter and a guy who’s gamely played all over the field, and last season was named an NL All-Star for the first time. The 30-year-old veteran may not be a Met for much longer, as free agency is looming in the offseason and between his likely asking price (which has surely jumped in recent days) and the fact that GM Sandy Alderson is feeling really good about the farm system talent, it’s been widely speculated that Murph will be moving on.
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If so, it sure would be nice to see him go out on top -- with a few more four-baggers to boot. But for now, let’s just tip our caps to what Murph and the Mets have accomplished. It’s already been an amazing season.
