It’s the eighth inning at Citi Field. Jenrry Mejia’s on the mound trying to maintain the Mets’ 5-run lead, and hold the win for Jon Niese. Ike Davis is over at first, looking happy with two hits and an RBI in his first big-league game. Out in center, Angel Pagan looks in from near the spot where his two-run homer cleared the tall, dark wall to give the Mets the lead.
So ok, Pagan’s no kid but he’s clearly still developing (some do) in his late 20s. Mejia is 20 and a pure talent. Niese is already a real pitcher at 23 (and it’s a nice bonus that he was born on the day the Mets won their last World Series). And Davis is 23 and knows how to swing the bat.
My point is this: the old Mets core is fading. Jose Reyes doesn’t have his speed or his quick stick any more; you hope they’ll return. David Wright has become a walk machine and a nervous carnival of extraneous movement in the batter’s box. Carlos Beltran is just a rumor. Tonight as the Mets handled the Cubbies with style and what looked – dare we say it – like some boyish fun breaking through the gloom, we got a snapshot of the Mets to come.
And it felt just a little bit like 1983.
And let’s not forget Jeff Francoeur, Omar Minaya’s one good move of the last 18 months or so, who is all of 26 and playing well.
Yeah, .500 is still a dream for this under-managed, under-armed team – but there’s enough change and promise to make this interesting.
And yes, we already like the Ike Davis era far better than the Mike Jacobs or Frank Catalanotto eras.
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