I’m back from my hiatus for the summer which felt like I visited most of the United States. I spent my summer mostly in New York and Tampa, but also made some stops in Kansas City, St. Louis and Minnesota. What can I come back and say about the Mets but I told you so. This team is stuck in the mud with its current management. It has been a long year and really a very long four years since game seven of the 2006 NLCS.

Instead of complaining and focusing on the negatives (which I plan on doing sometime in the near future), I ask are you still here? The Mets are seven games back of the Wild Card as we get closer to September. Crazier things have happened and can the Mets get hot in time to get back in this thing. I, for one think this team is dead but after watching tonight’s game, seeing timely hitting, an offense who comes back and a walk-off hit, I cannot totally throw in the towel. The excitement of the team following a win shows me that these guys still believe, so why not me too (at least for now.)

From attending games at Citi this summer, listening to WFAN and watching SNY, along with my friends opinions I find few people who seem to have any confidence. So I’m asking you are you still watching and hoping for a YA GOTTA BELIEVE miracle to make those ever so elusive playoffs.

When the Mets hit the road after winning two of three at Citi Field versus San Diego, one thing was pretty clear at 8 and 18 on the road, they would need to start winning road games in order to compete for a playoff spot. The Mets have responded by beating bad baseball teams, sweeping both Baltimore and Cleveland to up that record to 14 and 18. Yes, we cannot get too excited about beating terrible baseball teams, but good baseball teams take care of business against teams like Cleveland and Baltimore and even better teams sweep those lousy teams.

The Mets now have won 7 in a row and are 10 games above .500 for the first time this season. The Mets have trimmed the fat off this team and certainly now have team chemistry. I get spooked when I hear about them talking about John Maine and Luis Castillo’s returns. As long as this team is hot, you cannot touch the roster, crap, even Beltran can take as long as he wants to come back with the way Angel Pagan is playing.  I think the Mets need to think about how well they are playing and how excited everyone seems and the chemistry this team is playing with before making any changes.

The Mets of course, will face a major challenge this weekend as they go to the house of horrors that is Yankee Stadium to face the defending world champs. The Yanks, however have been hit by the injury bug and were just steamrolled by a struggling Philly team the last two games. The Mets need to take advantage while the Yankee bats are silent and get two of three in this series. Winning a series at Yankee Stadium, combined with an 8-1 road record should have the Mets flying high as they square off with the AL central’s top two teams at Citi Field next week.