(Noah Syndergaard aka Thor)
I've been taking #7 train to Mets games for fifty years and I never get bored with the trip. I was on the #7 last night at 5:30 pm before the next to last regular season game and despite the terrible weather my subway car was already filled with Mets fans, half of them wearing team hats along with surprisingly grim faces, perhaps because the Mets lost the first game of a doubleheader despite a brilliant effort by Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard's nickname is Thor and he looks more like the God of Thunder than the actor who plays him.
The Mets pitching staff is nothing to be grim about, and despite Max Scherzer no hitting the Mets, Matt Harvey struck out 11 and gave up just one run in six innings. I had never seen a no hitter live but my attention was on the Mets and the discussion revolved around the post season and what the team may achieve. The Mets are the National League East champions and the fans (who were out in abundance) were there to celebrate the team's success. This was clearly illustrated by a young man who relentlessly banged a cow bell (loudly) throughout the game without a harsh word from anyone.
The Mets are about character and chemistry. Yes they can be frustrating at times but at this moment they have won 89 games despite missing their best player (David Wright) for most of the season. In June I wrote a column (Mets Fans Forever) predicting a successful post season for the Mets and based on their current state of play the team is ready to begin a rapid ascension in the playoffs. Steven Matz's injury is not a concern. This is the type of situation that brings out the best in a scrappy, gutty team that always finds a way to win.
I plan on writing about the Mets well into October.