Coming Home Again

There really isn't much to say about the departure of Jose Reyes. It happened and that's that. The Mickey Mouse Marlins gave him a contract that the Mets weren't going to go anywhere near matching, and in reality, they were right to not do so. That doesn't mean there's not a bit of a wistful feeling watching all the Reyes highlights on SNY juxtaposed against him in a Marlins uniform.

Because home-grown stars like Reyes have been few and far between in Mets History, it's easy to over-romanticize Reyes' time in New York, but from a nonobjective point of view, there was a lot to be desired. While Reyes was an undeniable sparkplug who came along at the depths of a dead era of Mets Baseball and was around while they returned to prominence, they never put it all together while he was here, and he never had that signature moment that most superstars tend to have. Nice accomplishments, yes, but overall a career that only showed tantalizing glimpses of true brilliance. Mostly, he left the fans feeling frustrated, questioning his desire at times, and ultimately wanting more.

But he's not our problem anymore. The Mets have a new Shortstop for us to rally around in Ruben Tejada. Jose Reyes plays for the Marlins now, so the 4 Marlins fans can enjoy watching him be great when he's great, and be frustrated when his hamstrings inevitably cramp up, or he decides to not run out a ground ball, or when he hits a Home Run and decides to start swinging for the fences for the next week. It's not sour grapes, it's fact. After 9 seasons of watching him, most Mets fans know what to expect out of Reyes. The lukewarm reception he received from the Citi Field crowd his first at bat tonight should tell you all you need to know.