The Year of Grimace, OMG

The 2024 World Series is ongoing and a full recap of that can be expected next week when it has concluded. At this time, I would like to recognize the 2024 New York Mets for their efforts despite falling short of the ultimate goal, a World Series Title. The minute the 2023 Mets traded Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander at the trade deadline, it felt like 2024 was a rebuilding season with David Stearns, the new President of baseball operations, just trying to get his feet wet. Somehow, Stearns and owner Steve Cohen said, with straight faces, that they expected the 2024 team to compete for a playoff spot before the season started. The roster had its core intact and was surrounded by veterans on 1-year contracts. JD Martinez was signed 48 hours before the season started. The team began the year 0-5 and were being no-hit through 7 innings in the 6th game. They, magically, rallied in that one to win it. On May 29th, they fell to 11 games under .500 and one of their relievers tossed his glove into the stands. Francisco Lindor, the most scrutinized Met, decided it was time for a team meeting. No cameras. No media. No coaches. Just themselves. From June 1st until their elimination in the playoffs, they had the best record in all of baseball. Francisco Lindor made a significant run at NL MVP before missing 2 weeks in September. Their rallying cry, Grimace, arrived in early June. Jose Iglesias, the creator of the song “OMG”, was called up to start June. The team won in every fashion imaginable. The comebacks. The clutch hits. The pitching. The energy. It all brought the fanbase together and made for an exciting summer of baseball. As the season got late, the moments became bigger and bigger. This team had a flare for the dramatics including a wild win in Game 1 of a doubleheader with Atlanta on the day after the end of the regular season (due to rain) to clinch a playoff berth. Then, Game 3 in Milwaukee with their backs against the wall, Pete Alonso crushed a 3-run HR off closer Devin Williams to send them to the NLDS to face the Phillies. The magic continued with comebacks galore, captivated by a grand slam by Francisco Lindor in the 6th inning of Game 4 that sent NY to the NLCS. Against the Dodgers, they could not find the strike zone and fell short to a great Dodgers team. There were so many other parts and characters to this season. I want to thank the 2024 Mets for showing up to the ballpark with the resiliency every fanbase dreams of each year. We will forever miss you. See you in 2025! Check out my sports show: “Game Time with The Goose” every Saturday from 8:00 to 9:00 AM on WTBQ AM 1110 FM 93.5 and on WGHT Radio with co-host Zach Kruk, Sports Director of WTBQ and WGHT!