Well, folks, as I'm sure you can tell from today's relatively heatwave, we are officially one month and one day away from pitchers and catchers.
If you would have asked me how I felt about Spring Training approaching at this time yesterday, I'd have told you I'm more likely to re-read The Odyssey and start training for a triathlon (for the record, I don't know how to ride a bike and have the coordination of a puppy with ADD, so it shows you how likely me being an Iron Woman is) than pay one second of attention to Mets baseball this season.
I mean, what would be the point of paying attention to a team who I felt paid no attention to me? All we wanted was for the Mets to do SOMETHING. Literally anything would have been sufficient. Sign that 22-month-old kid hitting dingers to a contract starting in 2036 for all I care. At least it would prove that we'd have something to look forward to eventually.
This kid rakes. https://t.co/sU0x6Ywrni
— Cut4 (@Cut4) January 10, 2018
And then it happened. Wednesday night, as I was sitting on my couch binge watching Law & Order: SVU, the New York Metropolitans signed Jay Bruce to a three-year-deal.
WE'RE ALIVE, BABY!
I know that Bruce isn't Stanton. No one is Stanton. That being said, if you're not happy about signing a veteran guy who knows the team, seemed to really like the team, brought a ton of positivity to the clubhouse, and hit 36 home runs last season, kindly check yourself into a mental asylum.
This is exactly what we needed: a spark to get us excited about the possibilities of what 2018 can hold. Is Bruce enough? No, and I'm certainly not naive enough to think so. But say, if you add Todd Frazier to the lineup, things start to get pretty interesting:
if i'm the mets, i round out my offseason with signing todd frazier.
— Brian Erni (@brianerni) January 11, 2018
Rosario
Conforto
Cespedes
Bruce
Frazier
Cabrera
d'Arnaud
Lagares/Nimmo
i could be down with that.
I'm certainly not ready to say that 2018 is our year. I'm making no promises of a playoff run or even a winning season. I do think, though, that with Mickey Callaway (who has me AMPED from his interview on OABT which you can watch here), Bruce, another guy -- hopefully Frazier -- and a single Noah, we may be along for a really fun ride.
We're checking off the Southside with The 7 Line Army on Saturday August 31st at Guaranteed Rate Field. Let’s get some miles in to start our day, then sightsee or do whatever else you have planned before the Mets/T7LA pre-game party.
Alyssa Rose
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T7L contributing blogger - Follow Alyssa on Twitter