When the Mets and Braves finally squared off in front of nobody Thursday night, I found myself watching with the intensity I normally bring to a split-squad game in mid-March. I had to remind myself that, hey, this one counts — in fact, it’s pretty damn important.
I wasn’t being arrogant — I remember late leads that seemed plump until late September ran them through the funhouse mirror. (Believe me, I remember.) No, it’s that I was tired — mentally spent from three nights of watching the Mets break the Nats’ spirit in ludicrous fashion over and over again. It’s been a long time since I watched September baseball that mattered; the soaring euphoria and gnawing anxiety was immediately familiar, but I’d forgotten just how exhausting all this is.
I think Terry Collins and even most of us would have forgiven the Mets a letdown game against the Braves on Thursday — Terry rested plenty of guys with an eye towards rebuilding emotional reserves that had been tapped in D.C. But the Mets coolly dismantled the Braves anyway, shoving the Nationals another half-game back, and then sent the regulars back out again Friday night behind Steven Matz.
Matz was OK, but it wasn’t a good night for David Wright, who twice left runners at third with less than two outs. But here’s the thing — Wright’s poor night didn’t matter. Not with the bullpen sending out Erik Goeddel, Addison Reed, Tyler Clippard and Jeurys Familia to scatter three hits over four innings, and not with Yoenis Cespedes being Yoenis Cespedes.
We call ourselves the blog for Mets fans who like to read, but words fail me trying to describe Cespedes. All I can do is recite his deeds. He opened the scoring with a ringing double over Michael Bourn‘s head that chased home Curtis Granderson from first, and then bookended that with a simply ridiculous clout in the ninth into the left-field seats, a ball that soared above and beyond whatever spectators were left. As Cespedes glided around the bases, the fans started clambering up the concourse in the direction of the shadows that had swallowed the ball, like mountaineers plotting a course to a distant, wind-whipped flag.
The Mets spent a good chunk of this year asking complementary players to shoulder burdens best reserved for stars, which went about as well as it usually does. In that state, the team had to play close to perfectly to win, beginning each game with a worrisomely thin margin for error.
But that was the 2015 Mets 1.0, a team that no longer exists.
The 2.0 release — remade from both within and without — is the opposite, a mix of solid complementary players around a superstar who’s playing this game about as well as it can be played. It won’t last forever, but Cespedes can do anything right now, and it’s let every other player in the lineup relax and surf along in his slipstream. If one guy doesn’t execute, there’s another dangerous hitter strolling to the plate. If a starting pitcher falters, the resulting deficit seems more like an interesting challenge than an impossible task.
The Mets had to overcome some offensive fizzles and crazy-good plays from the Braves Friday night, but they did, forging a slim lead from a clutch hit and an Atlanta balk and then a passed ball. And then Cespedes recreated Sherman’s March to the Sea with a baseball, and you knew the game was over. Meanwhile, down in Miami, the Nats lost again — in five days the Mets have added 4 1/2 games to their lead. Anxiety has yielded to respectful caution, which will be maintained here, but even superstition allows salutes to bygone Mets that just might have some not-so-secret relationship to relevant mathematics. (Tip your hat to Jerry Grote! This fist raised to the sky is for you, Gil!)
Cespedes wears No. 52, a uniform number that even the most ardent future Mets fan probably won’t invoke in a pennant chase. If they do, it’ll be a pretty amazin’ year indeed. But that would be fitting — because whatever happens the rest of the way in 2015, we’ll remember this time, and what it was like to watch a player who seemed borrowed from a league of the imagination.
The Mets continued surge and the Nats epic collapse sure is making the gloom and doomers look mighty silly. Glad to see Cuddyer well enough to take an AB tonight. He’s been swinging a hot stick the last couple months and is the kind of grizzled vet I could see coming through with some clutch postseason hits if he’s healthy enough to be out there.
This season is an exorcism and passing to Nationals fans.
Because of his swing during his single last night, I thought I was seeing Willie Mays. That is about the biggest compliment you can give a ballplayer.
ha! i was about to make the comparison to mays myself.
Gary Cohen has made the Mays comparison too. When he swings with power to right field, Cespedes definitely evokes memories of the Say Hey Kid.
I had never heard of Cespedes before the home run derby where he parked approximately 22,456 baseballs over the fence. I remember saying to myself – boy how come I’ve never heard of this guy? Would love to have someone like that on the Mets. Then he got traded and watched the A’s tank without him. When I heard he was coming here, I was pretty psyched, but somewhat cautious – why would he be traded twice in 2 years? No way to expect he’d be anywhere near this good – what a treat to get to watch the display he’s putting on and how the rest of the lineup is benefitting from his presence there. Lot of great pieces on this team, but he’s the guy the holds it all together.
Best 5 tool player in a Mets uniform since Beltran.
Well put, but Cespedes outdoes Beltran in terms of gladly carrying the team on his back. When healthy, Beltran was a great player but seemed to want to just do his job. I think Cespedes – and it may well be due to the contract he’ll be signing this winter – wants to be the big guy on the big stage. In that respect, is a Piazza/Carter type.
Beltran was a switch hitter and got it done year after year. Cespedes has been awesome, but it’s been like 35 games.
Simply remarking on skills brought to the the table, not comparing and contrasting. Food for thought though.
It occurred to me while watching Terry Collins during last night’s game that the past 2 games were probably the least stressful he has managed since he came here. Even during the losing times of the past years, it always seemed like each game was do or die for him (each loss meant one less win on the year-end totals).
The past two nights, and for the foreseeable future (well maybe not against the Yankees), if they lose a game here and there, Terry won’t have to stress over it. I’m happy for him, he deserves this.
it seems like long time ago – when cespedes was yet to really start hitting, but his presence had already transformed the team to something formidable. i thought it would be interesting when he’d finally heat up. who could have even hoped for the absurdly constant barrage of big hits we’ve witnessed?
this current surge coming so much seemingly out of nowhere, there’s still a ‘pinch me’ feeling to things. i didn’t watch the ’69 race and came in to ’73 once the playoffs started (my first memory was a jubilant, future sports journalist paul dottino jubilantly relaying game details (v reds) to the rest of us prisoners of weds catechism via transistor radio headset)
the other races were either over long before the season ended – or in the case of ’99, the result of the stars aligning each and every day down the stretch to reach a mathematical tie…and then break it
this one really feels like cinderella. this team over the course of a season might have buried the nats for good two months ago. and that, in its own way would have been boring. the way yankee fans were for so many years boring in their bloated sense of entitlement. and the way the yanks themselves looked like they were faking it when they celebrated that last out of the season – that is, when they weren’t beaten by lesser teams.
it feels like the team, and we as fans, are experiencing the same unlikely, incredible phenomenon.
like matz’ grandfather in the stands : “hoooly shiiiit!”
each and every day.
here’s to much more, exhausting, pinch-me reality!
Last night I looked at an interview with Cespedes that delved into his defection from Cuba and the boatride to the D.R. a few years ago…It spoke of his son who he hasn’t seen in 4? years, a big-hearted mother and a small contingent of friends/family who left Cuban shores with him. He’s already said how much fun it is to play on this team. Whatever FA money he’s offered–it appears, like so many other athletes, he will be the breadwinner/ life support for a whole lot more folks than just himself. Is it totally naive to think that he is not just a “businessman” but someone who will take a tad less money to stay in Gotham where there is already a hungry, passionate and familiar fan base to make him feel at home? I don’t have the keys to the vault but, what really is the difference between 170 and 200 million dollars? Don’t other factors come into play for serious consideration? Just asking.
I’d love to see that interview–is there a link you can share? thx
Penacious, i believe the interview was with Steve Serby -with translator- of the NYPost in early to mid August…
If Cespedes keeps writing this narrative into and during the playoffs, it will be fascinating to see what the Wilpons are willing to do to keep him. Certainly the fan pressure on them to be competitive in the free agency market will be enormous. Cespedes is the first guy since Piazza who appears to be worth a big, long-term contract. Piazza’s years on the team were transformative, even though he slowed down toward the end. Cespedes could have a similar effect.
OK. I’m convinced that Cespedes has put us into the playoffs. I would love to see him signed long-term. You just have to make sure that he has the pieces around him. The young stud pitchers plus d’Arnaud and Conforto will be there. I guess Granderson will be the right fielder for the next two years. Can Wright stay healthy? What of Wilmer, second or short? Will the real Lucas Duda please stand up? The bullpen? I assume Clippard and Reed are rentals. Will Robles, Gilmartin and Goeddel be the bridge to Familia next year?
Interesting questions to ponder.
Can we enjoy this season and THEN worry about next season?
Yes, let’s! It’s not our typical approach, most of us Mets diehards, between looking over our shoulders for doom and gloom and worrying about the future. But Matt’s right, let’s live for today and enjoy this incredible streak and team.
I also agree with the other posters–it IS well deserved that Collins doesn’t have to do or die with every stinking’ little move. And though I am still wary of ‘needing’ to play Eric Campbell (nice guy but prototypical bench guy) like when we were out of 1st basemen last week, this is such an incredible six weeks so far!
I vote enjoy it and worry about having to fund the Kickstarter to keep Cespides later.
2 years (2017) of team control for Reed.
Add Lagares to your list of questions.
Facing the possibility of the lead being chopped down to 1, then lengthening the lead from 4 to 8.5 games in 5 days, instead, is impressive. The 1st game out of the sweep was telling. Would the Nationals make a final do-or-die charge? They came out flat against the Marlins, and tonight, they face Jose Fernandez.
Next up is flipping the 2/3 seed with the Dodgers and claiming home field advantage in the NLDS. 1 game back in the loss column.
The Cardinals are struggling and the Cubs and Pirates are only 2 and 4 games ahead of the Mets, respectively. There’s an outside chance the Mets, with their remaining schedule while the Central teams play each other, might end up challenging for top record in the NL. That’s too far away to aim for, but the Dodgers are close.
was thinking about same today; was at a wedding a week ago commiserating with a previously long-suffering pirates fan – truly concerned about the possible outcome of a series against a resurgent nats team…and yes, now our mets, done with the nats, are setting site on the Nat! THAT could keep the team focused once the magic number gets too small to worry.
i think it makes sense to enjoy now AND wonder what it would take to keep cespedes. now that we’ve had him, i don’t want to ponder 2016 without him.
but first things first…
Makes a great deal of sense to think about next year, as we plan (dare we say it!) the playoff rotation.
Thor staked his claim, and Matz has been terrific since his return. Bartolo will understand the need to keep him as a 5th-6th inning guy. Niese will not understand, so F— him.