Call him what you will, for Jose Reyes goes by many names.
Jose the Nuisance: A pest in the eyes of the Phillies, Marlins, and beyond. It seems that teams don't like to see Jose be Jose on the field or in the dugout and hold some sort of grudge against the New York Mets when their teams meet on the field. Is it jealousy, envy? We're not sure, but he sure isn't Armando Benitez's favorite player.
Jose the Distraction: Losing focus, not running hard on every play, or under performing. Some see Jose as a distraction. When the Mets collapsed twice in the past three years, some fans demanded for him to be traded, placing the blame on his shoulders. Psychological examination show that people don't realize they have something wonderful until it is gone. Reyes' absence last year proved this.
Jose the Catalyst: The most exciting player to watch in all of baseball due to his speed, his personality, and his desire to play the greatest game on Earth in front of the greatest fans on Earth (so I may be biased, it's my article after all). Jose Reyes has proved that he can lead the Mets to victory time and time again. Stats prove that as soon as Jose Reyes went down last year, the Mets winning percentage plummeted.
Now we are told by his agent Peter Greenberg that Jose Reyes, according to his thyroid specialists, will need to rest for two to eight weeks. An overactive thyroid will keep the Mets star shortstop sidelined for up, but not limited to, two months.
This means that the league may not see Jose Reyes until June or beyond and that his return will not occur until mid-season. Of course this is a major hit to the Mets chances this season including the psyche of a team and fan base that has redefined the meaning of 'facing adversity'.
Mets fans are now forced to await the return of their nuisance, the man who drives the opposition crazy. They will have to wait up to eight weeks for their distraction, the shortstop who causes havoc on the base paths with his legs. Their catalyst will hopefully make his return before the All-Star break and lead the Mets to victory when they are in need.
Jose Reyes is now the underdog, a Met through and through. His current medical situation is something that his body must overcome in order for him to be the player he truly is. After working hard this offseason and reaching what he said is "the best shape of my career," Jose will have to go even further beyond.
Good luck Jose, we fans can't wait to sing your name on the evening of your return to Citi Field. This circus of an organization may have driven off countless fans over the past year, but it is players like you who keep our eyes drawn to the blogs, the standings, and every inning of every game.
I, for one, can't wait to see my favorite nuisance steal second base.
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