I’ve a Feeling We’re Not in Baltimore Anymore

Okay, so it’s late and I’m severely lacking in sleep. But even I’ll concede that the line would have worked a lot better if the Mets had beaten the Royals instead of the Orioles on the last road trip. Damn you, Judy Garland.

Here’s the point, the Tigers and the Twins are pretty good. But not so good that they can expose the Mets starting pitching staff which some think are getting by on smoke and mirrors. Friend of mine ranted about how Jeremy Bonderman must feel awful not being able to outduel “a piece of garbage like R.A. Dickey” the other night. So yes, there are still non-believers out there that still lean on the fact that the Mets fattened up on Baltimore and Cleveland. But this is top quality competition out there that the Mets are taking care of, whether it be by good starting pitching, timely hitting, or mad dashes to the plate by Ruben Tejada. It’s happening before our very eyes and it’s something I still can’t believe.

Now I’m going to resist the temptation to say something like “and not only have the Mets taken three out of four, they have Johan going tomorrow”, because we all know that Johan has been prone to some shoddy run support or a random brutal inning. So I can’t take anything for granted. But wouldn’t this be the most magical game for Johan to do what only the most immortal of immortals like Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, and Edwin Jackson have done? It’s his former team. It’s with the team a half game out of first. It’s his first game since we found out that, uh … he likes to play golf. (Make room for a new euphemism on your list, boys and girls.) It seriously would be just perfectly timed.

(Editor’s note: The last time somebody called a no-hitter by Santana it took seven pitches to break it up, and it took about 30 more pitches to give up a grand slam. So I’m not calling s**t. But it would be kinda cool, no?)

Hey, all that has to be overcome would be 49 seasons of history. Just like the constant battle to overcome misconceptions by the masses, Frankie Rodriguez’s tight back, and the Phillies playing road games in Philadelphia.