It really is amazing. Who could've possibly thought that the Mets could choke away leads in the division and wild card two years in a row. When it happened in 2007 it hurt, but afterwards I thought, everyone hits a streak of crappy luck now and then. But then 2008 started. The Mets didn't exactly light the world on fire the whole season, but at the end all they needed was to win one more game and they would have been in the playoffs and the collapse of 2007 would have been forgotten. But if you had a pulse in the last year and were remotely involved in sports the Mets collapsed again and missed clinching by a game. Willie Randolph got fired, too soon in my opinion and it was handled terribly. So Jerry Manuel took over. In my opinion, he did a good job. I'm glad they brought him back for at least two more years. He knows how to handle the media, keeps his interviews interesting and is not afraid of answering the question. He has a fire about him that can really motivate a team(just watch a game where he got all up in the face of an umpire against Atlanta I believe).
I really didn't notice his genius until this off-season. Like I said before, the Mets are fresh off of 2 end of season collapses but have you read a written story about it this off-season? I haven't. I don't count the Philles players talking about it because, I feel that they should celebrate the fact they won. Its like how I felt after the Giants won Super Bowl XLII. I didn't worry about shoving it in the Patriots faces. I soaked it up as much as possible because who knows when or if they will get back there again in my lifetime(see Boston Red Sox 1918-2003). But anyway, Jerry has caused some "controversy" this off-season. He has done everything in his power NOT to have the collapses come up. He talked about having Luis Castillo hit leadoff to jump start his season, and then the attention shifted to Reyes to get his reaction. Not to get crazy over spring training games but Castillo has seemed to respond, which is a positive sign.
Jerry also made Daniel Murphy the everyday leftfielder. For those that don't know, Murphy is going into his first full season. Ryan Church is a veteran and will be platooning in right field. Now, that can't be the best feeling to him, but its keeping negative stories about the Mets out of the news, which for all intensive purposes, is great.
I do have to give credit to A-Rod for keeping the Mets under the radar as well. But Jerry really seems to know how to run this team and so far its working. I look forward to seeing where this team goes. But I've learned not to count them chickens before they hatch....
No injuries through Spring Training and Lets go Mets!
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