Amid the myriad personnel moves the Mets have made this year, it’s easy to overlook the contributions of three players in particular. Dale Late has put his stamp on the starting rotation; Buck Short has become a presence in the middle of the order; and before being relegated to part-time duty, Mo Mentum looked to be a real factor. Indeed, the Mets were ultimately defined in their Saturday night game against the Yankees by the actions of the aforementioned trio.
Dale Late wasn’t sharp early, and allowed the Mets to fall behind by a substantial margin, but then he found his groove and gave the Mets enough innings to call it a good start.
Buck Short loomed as a threat all night, particularly as the Mets threatened to retake the lead they’d battled so hard to take after trailing, but his last big swing came up a little shy of making the crucial difference.
Mo Mentum? Frankly, I thought this might be the night we’d see Mo Mentum earn an everyday slot, but I’m sure those who analyze and strategize have their reasons for keeping Mo Mentum from really developing into the kind of player who can help the Mets sustain consistent winning.
As it was, there were several players who came through and kept the Mets in the game, but in the end, the club came up a day late, a buck short and had no momentum, falling, 8-7 [1]. Each of the Mets’ last eight losses has been by one run, coinciding with the additions of Late and Short to their roster and the subtraction of Mentum from their lineup.
Prior to Saturday night’s game, Citi Field hosted what appeared to be thoughtful and well-done ceremonies to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the September 11 attacks (“appeared,” because Fox kept cutting away from the ceremonies in order to yap and advertise). Manager Bobby Valentine, first base coach Mookie Wilson and eleven members of the 2001 Mets were on hand, as were hundreds of people with a specific connection to the events, aftermath and ongoing commemoration of 9/11. The current Mets broke out special home white NEW YORK jerseys to emphasize their bond with the city; wore the caps of the FDNY, the NYPD, the PAPD, the Department of Sanitation and the Department of Correction to honor those who gave so totally of themselves in the wake of the tragedy; and lined up alongside their interborough rivals to stress two opposing sides can sometimes come together. Even a person who isn’t particularly excited to see another New York team [2] visit Queens under any circumstance considered it a nice touch.
The pregame production echoed that of the first game back at Shea Stadium in September of 2001 as well as the tenth-anniversary remembrance of September 2011. When it comes to reaching out to their community, the Mets organization indeed never forgets.