This is exciting, and I will relish it and hope it doesn't break my heart, as so much Mets-related excitement has eventually done in the past. But that's not what I'm going for. Instead, from Mets.com:
"We are friends," Reyes said. "We talk all the time. I thought he was kidding. When he threw his glove down, I knew he wasn't kidding."-Jose Reyes talking about what provoked Marlins catcher Miguel Olivo to charge after him in the 5th inning of the Mets' 13-0 win yesterday. The benches had already cleared after two straight Harvery Garcia (?) pitches had landed behind Luis Castillo, and tempers were still flaring. According Olivo, Reyes challenged him to a fight. According to Reyes, he was joking.
Either way, Olivo charged Reyes, found Sandy Alomar instead, and the benches cleared once again. Olivo was the only ejection, but Reyes and Oliver Perez were pissed, as was Mike DiFelice, who charged after Olivo and smartly would have been the fall guy if a Met had gotten suspended for this business, as opposed to Reyes, who was held back by a wall of at least 5 Mets.
This is it - after a Phillies loss to the Nats, the Amazins and Fightins are tied for first place in the NL East with one game to go, the Phillies charging hard to try and win the division, the Mets trying to expel as much of whatever they have left to outlast the Phils. Which is why I was so glad to see the brawl.
From the New York Daily News: Oliver Perez and Mike DiFelice, who were called "two pieces of ---" by Olivo, were the most prominent players off the Mets bench involved in the fray. Billy Wagner also twice led the spirited sprint in from the bullpen. "Hell yeah. I been getting my butt kicked. It'd be good to kick somebody else's butt, or at least attempt to," Wagner said.
Crazy-eyes Lo Duca: "I was in the training room getting ice and was trying to zip up my pants as quick as I could to get out there. I don't really know what happened, but (Olivo) is a little chicken you-know-what for taking a swing at a 60-something year-old man."
Exactly.
But I've been waiting for this ALL season. Expecting a brawl comes with expecting to watch a team that plays like it's on a mission. A brawl shows heart, resolve, and clarity of purpose - most of all a prevailing "we're not going to be f*cked with while we try to win this thing" attitude. When the Mets struggled in June, I hoped they'd fight and that perhaps that would wake them up. At any time in the season, really, I hoped I'd see a fight - not because I wanted blood, or anything, but just because I wanted to see balls on the part of the Mets. Instead, we've been seen as too nice and possibly gutless all year.
Not yesterday. In the midst of a 13-0, John Maine almost threw a no-hitter-style blowout, I finally got my fight. And the finally Mets looked alive with their season on the brink.
I can only join with Mets fans everywhere now in hoping that today (or tomorrow) we'll finally get our postseason berth. Screw the Phillies.
(Picture courtesy nydailynews.com)
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