Best Weekend Ever

In case you blacked out this weekend (from drinking too much Koolaid, of course), I'm here to tell you that it was one of the best in recent memory for the Mets and their fans. For both on and off the field reasons, the last three days could very well serve as the turning point of the 2010 season.

On the diamond the Mets swept the Marlins, a team that gets more and more annoying every year. For some reason every Marlins player seems to take particular joy in making the Mets suffer, and they even threw in a couple of dirty slides to boot. This, coupled with the fact that neither Santana or Pelfrey threw a single pitch, made the three game beatdown even sweeter. Whether it was holding a small lead, mounting a big comeback, or just plain dominating from the start, the Mets showed they can win ballgames in a variety of ways.

But it was really the off the field news that had Mets fans giddy and hopeful. During what will forever be known as Mets Spring Cleaning Weekend 2010, the front office FINALLY took out the trash that is Gary Matthews Jr. (cut) and Oliver Perez (DL'd). The removal of these two players undoubtedly helped fuel the sweep. Heading into the games, Mets players for once did not have to think about the inevitable late inning Matthews Jr. strikeout or watch Perez hang his head in shame while getting shelled in a blowout. And while Luis Castillo is nowhere near as atrocious as those two, his placement on the DL opened the door to an exciting, young, athletic, and all-homegrown infield that can play together for years to come.

If the Mets are playing serious fall baseball, we will look back on June 4-6 as the weekend that sparked it all. They not only disposed of a pesky division rival, they also removed two major buzz kills and took another step towards getting younger.

For Mets fans, it was a weekend to remember.