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In yesterday’s Game 1 loss to the Phillies, Carlos Delgado was hitless in four at bats.
However, during a win in Game 2, Delgado hit two home runs, along with a two-RBI single, accounting for four of the team’s six runs.
Delgado, regarding last night’s win, had the following to say when talking to reporters:
“This was a great game for us. It was very important for us, especially after we lost the first two in the series and I was able to come up in some key situations and with some big hits…I feel good…It is nice to contribute, but it’s been a great team effort. We’ve been able to play some great baseball and overcome some injuries and we’ve been resilient - and that pumps you up…
“We think we’re as good as anybody. I think we think we’re the team to beat. We think that what happened last year is not going to happen again, and we’re very confident we can get this done. It’s definitely a different atmosphere here, different feeling than what it was last year.”
Following his second home run yesterday, the fans at Shea Stadium cheered for a curtain call, which Delgado accepted.
For more on Delgado, or, ‘Mr. Curtain Call,’ as he writes, check out Kevin Kernan’s column in the New York Post, as well as Brendan Kuty’s column for SNY.
Later in the game, the crowd began cheering, ‘MVP, MVP,’ which Delgado told reporters was, ‘Very cool, I’m not going to lie.’
Delgado hit .248 in the first half of the season while averaging one home run every 20 at bats. However, so far in the second half, he is batting .288 while averaging one home run every 11 at bats.
Johan Santana, regarding Delgado, while speaking to reporters following last night’s game:
“He’s been great, man. He’s doing a great job. He has stepped it up big time for us, and he’s one of the reasons we are where we are right now.”
It really has been a tale of two seasons for Delgado.
So much so that, according to Peter Gammons during last night’s broadcast on ESPN, the Mets had serious talks in June about whether to cut Delgado following the All-Star break.
From what I can gather, had Delgado been released, his replacement could have been a player like Richie Sexson and Scott Hatteberg, among others, all of whom were free agents at the time.
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Uh oh, throwin’ out the “team to beat” saying again.
I dig it. :)
Can we stop talking about old Delgado, and how everyone wanted him gone, and etc etc etc…and move on to just cheering for him!
MVP MVP!!
there is nothing inappropriate about talking about how low the Mets, Delgado and the Mets fans relationship was with Delagdo going back to just late June.
The guy is a veteran player who was under a huge microscope for a lot of reasons, some childishly absurd, when he arrived. His performance last year was sub par and in many ways was big contributor to the Mets downfall, and his resurgence is the story to other side of the spectrum.
I think it is perfectly fine to talk about it because the perspective is what makes it all the more important.
Not until ever last piece of crow has been swallowed with regard to the artist formerly known as Delcrappo.
funny but true.
Who do you think has been the MVP of the team since late June? Jose, Delgado or Santana. I think we can all make very good arguments for all three of them.
I can’t believe Delgado has hit 33HRs and 100 RBIs this season.
It would have to be Delgado, hands down. He is leading all of major league baseball in that timespan in home runs and RBI. Case closed.
Here’s what I want:
1) Mets to make the playoffs.
2) Delgado to get MVP.
3) Johan to get Cy Young.
Okay, all three are very very very very (very) unlikely, but hey, can we have number 1 and either 2 or 3? That’d be great.
Amazing how this can even be discussed, considering how this year started off…
1 and 2 are really possible this year, but Santana won’t win it. He’ll have plenty of time to win one as a Met though.
I really think that Santana is the Cy Young in the National League this year. I know Webb has had a great season and so has Lincecum, however, Santana has been better than advertised. Throwing out the silly wins/losses statistic, Santana has been the best pitcher in the National League this year. Webb has fallen off lately so if Santana wins out the rest of the season, it is not completely out of the question.
unfortunately, wins are the most important statistics to most voters. Remember when Colon won when he had 20 wins but really average stats? I think right now in voters’ minds, he is probably 4th in the NL.
sports.espn.go.com/mlb/features/cy
Looks like 5th, actually.
Lincecum’s been the best, but - for once - whoever gets it amongst those top guys will be a good choice. Lots of really great pitching in the NL this year, and the playoffs will have CRAZY good pitching.
With 19 games left and a 2 game lead, what do we need to go to win the east? I’m thinking 12 wins
12 wins puts the Phillies in need of going 14-5 to just tie, so I think 12 is certainly the bell water mark.
Series by series I think the Mets need to win them: so
they need both against the Nats this week and 2 against the Braves this weekend. Then next week minimum in 4 vs the Nats they need to take 2 and then win 2 in Atlanta next weekend.
If they take 8 of the next 12 with 7 to play at home after that I think you have to feel confident that they can take 4 of the final 7. It is all about the Nationals and Braves as last year was about the Marlins and Nationals, last year they fumbled with the Nationals and they can’t allow that to happen again.
Then, they can start getting the rotation set up to have Santana pitch twice in the first series.
I can’t even consider setting up the rotation.
At this point winning the NL East in and of itself is still a monumental task.
IF the Mets continue to play well and take the division they could be completely spend for the playoffs and burn out, or they could be so loose in getting the monkey off the back that they become real dangerous.
something else to consider: Santana could pitch the ATL opener on normal rest (rather than going through the rotation as normal), which would also allow him to make 4 more regular season starts…all of which we’re gonna need, considering the state of the rotation. Let’s worry about the playoffs if/when we get there.
I love Jose, he is an excellent player and a huge part of what happened to get this team back on track, and when he is not in the mix like this weekend you see what can happen to this team.
In my opinion he and Wright were pressing big time in their at-bats this weekend.
Yeah, that was one bad sign I saw this weekend. The fact that Wright has not been getting the job done in crucial spots and also Reyes popping up a lot. Remember last year that Reyes has popped up 5000 times during the second half. I really hope both of them get back their offense.
Delgado is not going to get the MVP but its hard to deny his contribution to the team over the second half of the season. He is the go to guy, he is the Mets 2nd half MVP.
Whether or not the writers give him the award is irrelevant to me, if the Mets continue to play well and take this division there is no doubt in my mind that his resurgence was the reason why.
agreed patrick. I just want to win the division and WS. I could care less who wins the MVP but my opinion was for those who give a crap about that stuff.
I have a craving for Papa John’s now.
I have a craving for fried gecko.
“Better ingredients…Better pizza..Papa Johns”
I was just about to comment on that. That ad is starting to bother me.
Referencing Kernan’s column in the NY Post:
‘There is joy in Metville - even though the Mighty Delgado has struck out. ‘
(a loosely based reference to the last line of ‘Casey at the Bat’ -
‘But there is no joy in Mudville— mighty Casey has struck out.’)
This referencing Delgado’s last at bat, after he knocked in the 4 RBIs, 2 from monster solo HRs. The ‘Mighty Delgado’ - how great is that description? Especially as he deserves it this second half of the season.
lol i prefer the name for him on hotfood..”Lord Gado”
I reserve “mighty” for joe smith..”The Mighty Joe Smith”
*hotfoot</