We Are Young...No One Can Tell Us We're Wrong

This final stretch of success has been heartening and disheartening at the same time.

Heartening because Mike Jacobs and Aaron Heilman, as evidenced by their performances down the stretch and particularly during tonight's 3-2 victory over Colorado, present the Mets with options next season...fallback or otherwise. Disheartening because you can't help but let your mind wander as to how different this season could have been if Aaron Heilman was the closer all year, or even since June.

Now nobody could have realized that Braden Looper was hurt, or that Aaron Heilman could have had some success in the closer's role, but it's human nature to wonder "what if..."

But it's nice to know that if whatever plans the Mets have for free agency fall through, at least there isn't going to be a panic as to how plan B should proceed. And that's not to say that the Mets should be the favorites for the division if Aaron Heilman is the closer, but what I am saying is that for the first time in a while, there's a foundation coming from within where as the Mets could use free agency to enhance a team, as opposed to using free agency to build an entire team, which we know never works.

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When you think of Shea Stadium moonshots you think of the many that Darryl Strawberry hit for the Mets off that big scoreboard, including one I saw personally off Fernando Valenzuela that hit off of Keith Hernandez's "17 1B" lineup spot on the board (and since he batted third, you know that's pretty high up). You think of Dave Kingman's shots into the parking lot...and again I have to note one that I saw which came on a 3-2 pitch, the first one after a rain delay which I think knocked out a car window. You even think of a shot Mo Vaughn hit off the Budweiser sign in 2003.

Well now you think of...Marlon Anderson?

Marlon Anderson?

His shot off the scoreboard in the fifth was the game winner for the Mets tonight, and made a winning pitcher out of Kris Benson, a feeling he hasn't felt in about six weeks.

Marlon Anderson?

Jacobs also hit a moon shot which was more high than far...but majestic. Jacobs has reached double digits in homers, and he'll still have a shot to win the rookie of the year award in 2006. The more I see Jacobs escape the adjustments that pitchers have made off of him, the more I think that maybe he has enough power to play first base regularly next year.

But then I think how nice it would be to have his offense behind the plate.

Marlon Anderson?