Man, I gotta tell you about this wild idea I had last week. See, I was watching a Mets game on TV, feeling kinda grumpy ’cause they were down again, and all these young kids kept making rookie mistakes. Then it hit me – what if it’s actually our old guys carrying this team? Like, not just playing, but seriously holding things together. Had to find out.
Setting Up the Whole Thing
First things first, I needed to track everything during last Tuesday’s game against the Phillies. Grabbed my beat-up notebook – the one with coffee stains – and a crappy pen that barely worked. Propped my laptop open on the kitchen table with the game streaming. My plan? Watch three specific guys all game long: Mark Canha, Eduardo Escobar, and Starling Marte. Just watch them, see what they did off the ball.
- Mark Canha: Focused on his at-bats and how he moved runners over.
- Eduardo Escobar: Watched his defense, especially those tricky throws from third.
- Starling Marte: Tracked his hustle on the basepaths and outfield plays.
The Surprising Stuff I Saw
Right away, Escobar does this thing where before the pitch, he takes two quick steps toward the line if there’s a righty up. Saw it clear as day when Bryce Harper stepped in. Harper smashed one hard down third. Boom! Escobar was already leaning that way. Pure reaction? Nah. Dude was setting himself up. Made the play look easy. Scribbled that down fast.
Later, Canha comes up with Pete Alonso on first, nobody out. Kid pitcher on the mound, throwing gas. Instead of trying to smash one out, Canha just… waits. Lets two high fastballs go. Then punches a slider the other way. Pete chugs to third. Simple. Effective. My notes just said: “No hero swing. Moved runner.” Felt huge.
Marte? His legs never stopped. Even after a routine walk, he was bouncing on first base, staring down the pitcher, making him sweat. Saw the pitcher flinch once or twice. Then Marte stole second standing up, easy. Pressure. Just constant pressure.
Fans Actually Notice This Stuff!
After the game – Mets somehow pulled it off, 4-3 – I jumped online. Read comments, forum posts, everything. Fans were loving these exact little plays!
- “Escobar saving the defense AGAIN tonight.” – @SheaTrue1986
- “Canha hitting behind Pete is a genius move.” – MetsFanLou
- “Marte just WILLED himself onto second. Vet move!” – QueensRising
It wasn’t about homers or flashy stuff. People noticed the smart baseball. The grimy, win-the-game stuff my notes were full of.
Why This Actually Matters So Much
Putting it all together hit me like a fastball. These old dudes aren’t just filling spots.
- Glue Guys: They stitch the whole team together. Alonso looks calmer when Escobar makes that play. Lindor seems faster ’cause Marte rattled the pitcher.
- Teaching Without Talking: Saw Francisco Alvarez watching Escobar like a hawk in the dugout. Guys see this stuff.
- Fan Love is Real: Fans don’t just see strikeouts or homers. They see the craft. They love that grind.
Stayed up late going through my scribbles. The whole time I was damn near kicking myself – how did I not see this before? These veterans? They’re the damn foundation. Not always pretty, but solid as rock.
