Mike's Mets

I had to spend most of today on the phone handling a couple of things that came up, so I'll just share a couple of quick thoughts with you for now.

I understand the rationale behind having an off day after the opener, but it's weird to wait so long for baseball to resume and then have to wait another day for the next game.

The terrific win last night put an end to the 1-game losing streak that festered for over five months. The fine play of the club was a beautiful sight to see, particularly after a spring that featured a level play that was reminiscent of 2003 and 2004. Just another reminder not to read too much into spring training.

The other Jose
Regular commenter "dd" made a very good comment about Jose Valentin to last night's post that I'd like to share with those of who don't look at the comments:

A year or two from now Jose Valentin is going to retire; and maybe then folks will look back and note that he was one damn fine ballplayer. I was aware of him for years, of course -- but I wasn't, really. I saw the numbers and assumed that he was a slugging shortstop, a lesser Ripkin model, who probably was pushed to provide adequate defensive. Somehow over those years I never heard of what a heads-up, smart player he was and is, nor of the array of skills and the leadership he gives a team.

Very, very glad I finally made your acquaintence, Jose.

I couldn't agree more. I saw Valentin play a few games here and there in his career, and I just thought he was a mediocre player who either struck out or homered every at-bat. In fairness, there are ballplayers you have to watch on a regular basis to really appreciate, and Valentin is definitely one of them. He is indeed a ballplayer in the best sense of the word -- a total professional who understands the mental side of the game and also still has the kid-like love of playing. I could understand why so many of the pundits under-value him, but I'm shocked at how many Mets fans do. I doubt that many of us that watch all the games are in that category.

Great Blogs
As I explained a few months ago, I don't have all the time I would wish for to put into Mikes Mets. One of my deepest regrets is that a lack of time doesn't allow me to point readers to all the other great blogs out there as I used to. Here are a few items you may have missed.

Bob Sikes of Getting Paid to Watch is back and blogging regularly again. In this post, Bob gives a shout out to another one of the best Mets bloggers, Dave Murray of Mets Guy in Michigan. Because he doesn't post every day, Dave doesn't get the traffic of some other sites. Personally, I consider each post that Dave offers up his unique perspective on baseball and life a special treat, and the posts where Dave wrote about his late grandmother made me tear up a little, as my late grandmother was very special to my Mets fanhood.

Also, Jeff Brohel from Metsquire is back posting again, and offers a good post on the whole SI linking to bloggers thing. Jeff is one of the best, and I hope he finds the time to blog at least semi-regularly. Also, a blog he links to in his article, It's Mets For Me, is a personal favorite of mine, and one of the funniest out there.

Take care.

Support Mike's Mets by shopping at our Amazon Store

More Mets Stories:
SportsSpyder Mets

Continuous Mets Coverage:
MetsBlog
Hot Foot