Why not the Mets, it is Christmas after all?

          By John Rahilly

Now that most of our Holiday Shopping is complete, we can finally relax and count our blessings and look forward to 2011.  This makes me wonder what the Met fan is thankful for, or what they look forward to,  this coming year ahead. 

          You could get pretty downright depressed, if you compare the approaches and the results this off season by the Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies, and of course the Yankees are the Yankees.  So when Sandy Alderson’s, Dream Team front office comes up with Ronny Paulino and D.J. Carrasco – we say Ronny Paulino and D.J. Carrasco,  SERIOUSLY Sandy, SERIOUSLY????

          I started thinking about the off-season this past week and I felt this dark cloud hovering, then it hit me like a ton of bricks, the left side of my brain took over – my God optimism took over.  I have come up with something for the Met Fan to be optimistic about in 2011.   I think with health and less bad luck, this team will be better and more competitive,  and play meaningful games in August and September.  Has any team had more misfortune than the Mets since 2006?  Be it Wagner, Beltran, Reyes, or even the K-Rod and Tony Bernazard fiasco – we are do some good luck.

          A healthy Reyes and Beltran in their walk years all adds up to more production.  Beltran and Boras could be posturing himself for that monster year.  Couple that with a healthy Jason Bay, and a consistent David Wright, along with the continued progression of Angel Pagan and Ike Davis - a future All Star, makes us strong from the leadoff spot to the 6 hole.  Sprinkle in Josh Thole into the mix we should be able to hit.  Maybe even the best entertainment value for your dollar in town? 

Let’s not forget that we were “contenders” until the implosion in the second half, and pitching carried us with Johan not being Johan a good part of the year.  Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel lost their jobs because they fell short of expectations.  Expectations imply we have some talent here, and in my view we still do – to the tune of a $130M and $140M.   If the Mets had little or no talent,  we would not get as mad as we do.

          This time last year no one in the game was picking the Giants, and in 1969 no one was picking the Mets to go all the way, heck in 1986 there was even some “glass half full” sentiment in this town.  Of course the off season has a few months to go.  There is always that guy that appears from nowhere like a Maine, Dickey, or back in the day a Rick Reed.  The key for Sandy is finding ‘multiple” fill ins until Johan returns.

          Of course, the Red Sox and Phillies at this point are paper champions, but they play the game for a reason.  How many times were we the pick, and fell flat on our faces?  Someone surprises each and every year, why not the New York Mets?  As much as failure is in our pedigree, so is thriving as the underdog.

Let’s Go Mets, Happy Holidays all and speedy recovery to my brother who had bypass surgery the other day – of course he is a met fanJ!