Ike Rides a Bike, Puts his Finger in the Dike, and Steps up to the Mike!

Today is the first day of the rest of Ike Davis' career. I have to be careful here, since I once fell deeply in love with another 1st base prospect, back in 2005. But along with every one else, I enjoyed his first appearance, from the way he has a knack for timely singles, to the way ducks out of the way at each curve ball--isn't it cute? My main challenge was not to use the word "like" in the headline to this post--a quick late night perusal of sportsspyder indicates that the tabloid beat writers are still working on their rhyming Ike headlines as I write this. Well, top this you crusty bastards!!

In his own indomitable style, Jerry himself expressed the fact he was impressed with Ike's deep drive to right in the 6th. Ike's flyout in other words.

"It was a young man thinking the game was on the line, 'Let me see if I could do some damage here,' and he took a shot," Manuel said. "I thought that was impressive."

I dunno about that, Jerry. In fact, I dunno about you, Jerry.

But, hey the Mets won last night, and we didn't even have to watch Angel Pagan run the bases much--he just trotted.  Which reminds me that the 20 inning Cards game was so bearable because we didn't have to watch Oliver Perez.

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Today's Good Guy Opponent award goes to the Cubs' Marlon Byrd, who took a wayward Jenrry Meija changeup to the coconut in the 9th, then enthusiastically picked up his helmet and ran to first.  No macho bullshit for Marlon. Alright, I never gave this award out before, but there you are.

"He tried to throw a changeup," Byrd said. "If it was a fastball, I wouldn't have gotten up."

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Our stars have seen better days.  Jose Reyes is exhausted and begging for a vacation.  Carlos Beltran is having his knee (routinely) checked out, we are told.  And now, since David Wright has forgotten how to hit, perhaps its time we play up some of the other aspects of his game. He's real polite, for instance.  And the ladies love him.  You know, it's worth remembering that David Wright loves him some scrappy.

I've always been a huge fan of high-character players, not only players that [have talent]," Wright said. "I love a player that puts winning before everything else. I take a guy that maybe has a little bit less talent but a guy that has a desire to win over maybe a guy that's a little more top-notch but doesn't.