HOPING FOR WINS, EXPECTING LOSSES, ON WEST COAST
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row gap=”10″][vc_column][vc_column_text]The New York Mets arrive in Los Angeles this week to undergo their first legitimate performance test of the season.The results of the first two months (35-17) suggest the Mets are talented enough to compete for a championship. After sweeping back-to-back series at home against division rivals Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals, the media asked Buck Showalter how good the 35-17 first-place Mets are.
The Mets manager revealed his maturity and wisdom when offered this sage response:
How good is this Mets team?
“We’ll find out in September and October.” – Buck Showalter pic.twitter.com/WAOU5Z6aGA
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 1, 2022
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row gap=”10″][vc_column][vc_column_text]”The game always answers your questions,” added Showalter. “Our curiosity is always satisfied. We live in a world, in a society that wants to know things before they happen. It’s why we have something called betting.”
While September and October will provide the true test for the 2022 Mets, the schedule over the first 10-14 days of June will be a great dress rehearsal. The 11-day, 10-game excursion to Los Angeles, San Diego and Anaheim will give New York the opportunity to see how they stack up against three of the best teams in the game. The Dodgers (33-17), Padres (30-20) and Angels (27-23) have a combined record of 90-60.
Mets pitchers will be responsible for keep Mike Trout, Freddie Freeman, Manny Machado, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Anthony Rendon, Eric Hosmer and Cody Bellinger in check. It’s a tall task without Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tylor Megill in the rotation. But, then again, why not?
Why not? The answer is simple, but disturbing. Because Mets fans are conditioned to losing — even when the team is playing well.
We always hope to win, but expect to lose. We are like the abandoned and abused dog that desperately wants to be loved but is deeply fearful and insecure. Our past will always live in the recesses of our minds and the smallest setback will send us into a tailspin awash by dark and painful memories.
Even a win can occasionally feel like a loss. That’s sick, I know. All we ask is for is a little compassion. In the meantime, we will try to enjoy the moment — and this amazing team — but it will be a struggle. As if the West Coast time difference isn’t enough to contend with, combine it with our fragile psyche’s and the Mets fan becomes combustible.
It’s quite a niche we Mets fans have carved out for ourselves, wouldn’t you say?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row gap=”10″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”16px”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
