Is This the Start of Something Special?

I think so.

The Mets have suffered so much early season adversity.

There are the well documented injuries to key stars and role players, errors, both mental and physical, and of course, the new ballpark.

But here we are, on June 14th, 3 games out of first place and a scant half game out of the wild card.

And look at the stats for the team--this banged up team:

2009 National League Ranks

AVG	R	OBP	SLG	OPS	SB
.280	284	.362	.414	.775	63
1st	5th	1st	4th	2nd	1st
ERA	BAA	OPS	SV	WHIP	QS
3.96	.253	.714	18	1.37	34
6th	6th	4th	5th	8th	6th

Those are fine numbers--just imagine how much better they'll get when Jose Reyes gets back.

My friend Rob Harding at Hot Foot looks back at a few games the Mets should have won.

And that gets to my point--did we get our bad games out of the way early? Is all that early adversity over?

Speaking of Friday night, my buddy Steve over at Kranepool Society sums up my exact feelings about Luis Castillo and the Friday situation.

I was very upset for about an hour, but really, after seeing how Luis handled himself, I am really pulling for him to have a great stretch here. Adversity shows you the character of a man, and Luis has absolutely handled this like a man.

So let's play a little "what if".

What if Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, JJ Putz, Billy Wagner, and Oliver Perez all come back over the next 8-10 weeks.

If this current Mets roster can hold the fort and keep pace with the Phils, odds are that good fortune will turn their way.

What if from here on out balls will be caught, bases will be ran, and the hits will all drop?

What if the shoe goes on the other foot and the Mets catch the breaks?

Was the Fernando Nieve start the beginning of that string of good luck?

Remember--this team has competed very well against the Phils, Yanks and Red Sox...we're a hair of bad luck (and better execution) from winning two more from the Phils and the Friday night game against the Yanks.

Again, it's June 14th...let's play great ball and keep fighting--the same type of fight they showed yesterday.

They say that hope springs eternal....here's to hoping.