All right, so maybe it wasn’t quite the iconic pose of Carlton Fisk. It’s more hysterical than iconic. But for Mets fans, it’ll be an image burned in our minds for a while as the importance of this moment cannot be ignored. August 1st, 2009 was the last time that this, a grand slam hit by somebody in a Mets uniform, happened. We’re not talking about a super-rare or even kinda rare occurrence here, either … like say, a no-hitter. Think about this for a second: Just about a quarter of the league has had a no-hitter pitched for them since the last time the Mets had a grand slam. Thankfully, Jason Bay ended the long drought and helped the Mets to a victory to open the series in Detroit.
Bay’s grand slam of course started a new drought of grand slams that lasted a long time too … six at-bats …
Go ahead and give yourself a couple of minutes to revel:
That’s right, two grand slams in two innings, after none in 299. But let’s not forget all the young men that reached base to make these grand slams happen (like Jose Reyes, he of the four hits including another triple). And also let’s not forget that Josh Thole hit a home run too. His first of the year was no less stunning than the grand slams. And I think it spurred a Bobby Ojeda rant after the game. Well, it was praise disguised as a rant as far as I was concerned. I thought he was absolutely right when he was talking about every hitter having their own approach at the plate yet all with the same mindset. When he was talking about every hitter going with the pitch instead of concentrating on one thing … going the other way, for example … I couldn’t help but surmise that Bobby was taking a subtle jab at a certain former manager’s teachings like, say, a certain 80-pitch drill?
Even if he didn’t mean it that way, I do. I’ve always thought it (and maybe I said it, I just don’t remember), that the past staff focused on getting the hitters, and pitcher for that matter, to concentrate doing one thing whether it be hit the other way, or throw more strikes. Both noble causes, but one-dimensional. What Terry Collins and Dave Hudgens seem to be telling the hitters, and Ojeda hit it right on the button: “Umm, be good. No matter how you do it, just be a good hitter. Inside pitches are to be pulled, and outside pitches are to be taken the other way. Use your brains … you have them, you know.”
What a concept! And Jason Bay is even following along the program? I’ve wondered how good this lineup can be if Jason Bay was ever Jason Bay again. I still kinda don’t know, as the last two three-hit games he had were in losses where the Mets scored four runs combined. Tuesday night he only needed one hit to break it open. We can only hope that this isn’t a grand tease from Bay like we usually get from this team as a whole. Hell I’m hoping that 40-39 isn’t a grand tease, but we’re almost halfway through and the Mets are still hovering around .500 and I never thought that would be possible after starting 5-13 and sitting through the most awful doubleheader ever against the Rockies. So I guess Jason Bay having a good second half of the season isn’t out of the question either.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
