Living in the Midwest has its advantages. It is an area that is heavily populated by Cubs fans.
The Cubs are currently the one franchise that is more synonymous with losing in heartbreaking fashion than the New York Mets.
If you live in the Big Apple, I’m sure you have little to say when an arrogant, obnoxious Yankee fan starts giving you a hard time about pulling for the Mets.
My life isn’t so bad. Don’t get me wrong—Cubs fans don’t have a problem giving me a hard time for being a Mets fan. However, I can usually diffuse the situation nicely when I utter the simple phrase, “1908.″
At some point, I think it would be fun to compare heartbreaking Cubs moments to heartbreaking Mets moments. The winning (or losing) franchise should hold a fan appreciation month and allow everyone free entry to every game and give them all of he hot dogs and beer they can consume.
Last night's game had its Cub moments.
Only the Cubs can find a way to allow a struggling Jose Reyes to get on base in the bottom of the seventh inning in a tie game. Not only did they allow him to get on base, they also did so in true Cubs fashion.
Cubs pitcher James Russell had Reyes down in the count 0-2 after making Jose look plain silly on the first two pitches. Russell proceeded to graze Jose’s jersey, giving him first base. Classic Cubbies.
The makeup of the game changed dramatically, as Russell then became very concerned with Reyes on first base (rightly so). He wound up grooving a fastball to Angel Pagan, who blasted a ball over the left-center field fence.
This situation is a perfect illustration of why Reyes is so important to the Mets. He literally can change the game just by reaching base.
Jeff Samardzija continued his struggles, and the Mets were able to tack on three more insurance runs.
The much-heralded arrival of Ike Davis did not disappoint. He went 2-for-4 with a late-inning RBI. This organization desperately needs a feel-good story. The homegrown talent Davis can most certainly provide one for them.
Maybe a four-game visit by the inconsistent Cubs is just what the doctor ordered.
Originally posted on Midwestropolitan .