With the MLB lockout behind us, one team seemed to create more chaos than the rest: the New York Mets. Are the Mets, and Steve Cohen, the league's new villains?
Last night, the Madison Garden Crowd was giving it to their home team, as New York came out and played a sluggish first half. Boston led by as many as 25 and the boo birds were targeting Knicks star forward Julius Randle. Then, in the 4th quarter, with New York in the midst of an amazing comeback, Randle made that familiar 'thumb down' gesture towards the fans. Uh, oh...What are these athletes thinking? Like, New Yorkers are going to stop when you do that to them? You'll get a finger right back and it won't be the thumb!
Sunday night, Major League Baseball handed out their 2021 Gold Glove winners. On the list of potential winners, was two time trophy winner, Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets. Better luck next year. Brandon Crawford, who led his San Francisco Giants to the top of the National League West with 106 victories was voted this year's NL shortstop extraordinaire.
The 2021 New York Mets season was not a total disaster. However, to say it was full of disappointment and unwelcome drama, would be an understatement. Before fans returned to the stands with hopes of their new owner, Steve Cohen, delivering an all expense paid trip to the World Series, the team had already fired their general manager in mid January. Another famed highlight of the season was, of course, the "Rat or Raccoon" controversy.
The New York Yankees and Mets played a series filled with emotion and intensity, yet it was the more subtle move by Brett Gardner that stole a few headlines.
The evening was full of playoff pressure for both the New York Yankees and the Mets at Citi Field last night. The two teams had split the 3 game series so far. Both teams are in their respective Wild Card races and the Mets have a fading chance to return to the top of the National League East with dwindling opportunities. The high emotions surrounding the 9/11 anniversary game on Saturday were behind them. It was back to the business at hand, make the playoffs.
After sliding in for the game-winning run for the Mets, Javier Baez felt slightly lighter on one side of his head. And just like that, the search was on.
The New York Mets finally licked their wounds by sweeping the Washington Nationals in three games, right after getting swept out of first place by the Philadelphia Phillies. However, there isn't time to celebrate as the red hot Los Angelas Dodgers come to town to begin a brutal 13 game stretch for the Metropolitans against the top two teams in the National League West.
But the biggest advantage for the Mets is the experience they had weathering those injuries and remaining in first place. How important will the evolution of the "Bench Mob" be, late in games, down the stretch? I bet you pretty important for Rojas and his coaching staff. Who will forget Kevin Pillar getting his face smashed by a fastball, bleeding all over the field and being back in the lineup with a face mask only a few days later. Does it really get tougher than that? All of this has helped develop an identity for this team.
The clock is ticking for the New York Mets and superstar Shortstop Francisco Lindor to get a deal done before the season starts this Thursday. That's the deadline set by Lindor to stop focusing on contracts and start focusing on playing baseball. So here we are on Tuesday morning and both sides seem eager to get a contract signed but still sit a reported two years and $60 million apart.