Jerry's Juice

Following last night's 6-5 loss to the Tigers, Jerry Manuel said the following about his team:

"That's one of the strong characteristics of this team -- this feeling they can come back," Manuel said. "We put ourselves in some pretty good positions. We didn't get it done, but you've got to like the fight."

Jerry is spot on. The Mets may not have won, but they showed yet again that they will fight to the end of each and every game.

Let's face it, moral victories mean nothing in professional baseball. And if David Wright had come up with a bases loaded hit, we would be talking about another stirring comeback win instead of just a valiant effort. But the ability to come back from behind is a quality that every good team must possess, and this Mets team certainly has it. Countless times this year they have overcome deficits to make things interesting, and several times they have climbed the entire mountain top to steal a victory.

Recent Mets teams have lacked this ability. Especially last year, if the Mets were losing early on you were better off watching paint dry. This year, we expect the Mets to comeback and are surprised when they don't, a sign of how far the team has progressed. Last night I missed the first few innings but made sure to catch the rest, even though the Mets were down 6-1.

The Mets pension for rallying is just another part of the excitment that this years team is creating. There is nothing like a come from behind win to spring a hot streak and pull the clubhouse even closer. More importantly, the Mets starters can pitch without trying to be perfect, knowing that a few runs won't be insurmountable.

So while last night was a loss, it was still another step in the Mets process of becoming a very good and exciting team. Next time, Wright, Reyes, Ike or someone else will come through and make it a victory. We'll all be surprised if they don't.

Please note this was written by Mike Simon.