on NYC baseball and why the Mets won the division

After traveling to NYC with several friends yesterday to attend the Mets/Nationals game at Shea Stadium, it becomes obvious to me why the Mets ran away with their division (and the national league) this year. This team, even after they've already clinched and don't need anything else until playoffs start, is focused and driven to make the most of mistakes. They exploit their opportunities, and although it was still apparent that they had already clinched (examples: leaving the starter in after he had walked in two runs and was making a mess of the next inning; letting Billy Wagner pitch in a non-save situation when he didn't necessarily have his best stuff), they play hard and they play smart, and in the end, that's going to win ballgames. And of course, the multi-million payroll always helps too.

As side notes, David Wright hit a 3-run home run to make my day complete (it still freaks me out that there are guys playing this game in the majors that are very very close to our age), and New Yorkers are still New Yorkers in that they are the quickest (with Boston fans a close second) to turn on their own guys, but the atmosphere at Shea was definitely a lot more friendly and less disturbing than at Yankee Stadium when I went there last summer. The people there seemed more like fans of baseball and the team and guys themselves, while the Yankee fans just seemed like fans of hating me (the Boston fan) and the tradition of Yankee baseball. Vast generalization, I know, but it's just a point of reference that I noted while there.

In the vein of the other Chickball girls, I will be adopting the Tigers as my postseason team this year - I always love the former underdog turned good, my grandma used to be a hardcore Tigers fan, and hey, why not. My best-case scenario for the World Series? Tigers/Mets. I think it'd be a fun series to watch. October baseball is about to begin!