No Longer Just A Reyes Of Hope

By Mike "The Voice" Silva
Posted Saturday, April 14, 2007

It was Sunday June 15th, 2003. Jose Reyes was up against Jarrod Washburn of the World Champion Anaheim Angels with the bases loaded. Tom Seaver, announcing for Channel 11 at the time, was in the midst of saying how the worst thing that Reyes could do is hit a home run this early in his career.

Guess what happened on the next pitch?

Reyes grand slam highlighted the 8-0 Mets victory. A day that would also see Steve Trachsel pitch a one–hitter and the team have some hope amidst a ninety five loss 2003 campaign. Seaver was well intentioned in his analysis, fearing that an early career home run would hurt a speedy leadoff hitter. After all we had seen that happen with Lenny Dykstra almost twenty years earlier. I wasn’t in the mood for negativity at that point. That day I thought there was hope. Could Reyes be our first home grown “impact player” since Darryl Strawberry?

He provided a glimmer of hope in a dreary season that brought the blunderings of the Steve Phillips era to the forefront of on field performance. We all know what happened shortly after. Two years of injuries that lead to stunted development. That lack of field time created a talented player that lacked baseball intelligence and plate discipline.

Fortunately Willie Randolph and company took over in 2005 and spent the next year and a half teaching him how to play the game. By the end of 2006 we all saw how good he can be. Two weeks into 2007 I want to make this bold statement: He, not David Wright, is the face of the Mets. No longer is he just a ray of hope.

After two weeks in 2007 Reyes is hitting .350 with a homer and eleven RBI’s. Ironically he leads the team in RBI’s from the leadoff spot! Bobby Cox was debating about whether he could be better then Rickey Henderson. The stats don’t lie, neither do the in- game impact. Look just at the last week of games. Two triples ignite an 11-1 Mets victory in Atlanta. Think Jimmy Rollins botches that opening day double play if someone other then Jose is running? Remember who drove in the winning runs on Thursday with a two out single? Last night, against Washington, his walk and stolen base helped the Mets tie the game. There is no season without Jose Reyes.

Five more months of this type of impact and we could start thinking MVP.

Maybe you could accuse me of being too giddy. Some will get angry and think I am about to jinx the guy. Neither is my will or intention. Simply I think Reyes deserves his due even this early in the season. We continue to hear about David Wright’s hitting streak. He seems to be the one that gets all the “face time”. I love David, but lets be honest Reyes is on another level when it comes to talent. Think of the lineup without Jose. Not so balanced anymore, right? Now take away the emotions, leadership, and personality of Wright and replace him with Ryan Zimmerman. In my opinion, still a pretty good lineup. This is not about a Reyes - Wright comparison, but more about lauding Jose.

Last month I compared his stats to Derek Jeter over the first two full years of his career. Reyes beat him in every category but walks. With the plate discipline shown thus far, that should no longer be a problem. You can go even further and start to look at Rickey’s first couple of years in the league and see similar stats.

Jose Reyes is the face of the Mets. Hopefully (yes the baseball god’s owe us at least this one) he stays healthy for the next 10-15 years. This is our franchise and face of the team. The energy, smile, and youthful enthusiasm are traits that will differentiate our organization for years to come. With the way baseball is today, players around him will come and go but one constant will remain the same: Jose Reyes. No longer do we have to wait for the savior or pine for someone else’s superstar.

Jose Reyes has arrived; he isn’t just another ray of hope.

Please check out my weekly Sunday radio show recapping NY Baseball from 10pm to 11pm at www.am1240wgbb.com

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Please email me at chinmusicnybo@aol.com