Counting My Chickens

I am not the kind of baseball fan that gets all excited in June.

I am a pessimist by nature, and being a fan of the New York Mets, as well as the New York Jets of the NFL, I know heartache; I know blueballs and I know what it's like to be cockteased.

That said, something feels different about the 2006 Mets.

I received an email from Joe Pendleton last Sunday, as the Mets were getting ready to embark on a 10-game road trip to Los Angeles, Arizona and Philadelphia.

"Cat," he wrote. "We gotta go at least 5-5 on this road trip."

He preceded to break down the next 10 games, figuring the Mets would lose 2-of-3 in LA, split four with the Diamondbacks, and take 2-of-3 from Phili -- though, he noted, a series victory over the Dodgers and losing two to the Phillies was possible. He the went through the rest of June's schedule, and the first two weeks of July, projecting 52 victories by the All Star break as a good, attainable goal. That would put them on pace for about 95 victories, which should be enough to win the NL East.

And I agreed, not only with his 52-game summit, but his view of the West-Coast, Phili swing.

As I sit here waiting out a rain delay this afternoon, in this, the final game of the aforementioned road jaunt, I am all smiles.

The Mets scored runs in the first inning for the eighth straight contest, and now lead 4-2 in the third inning. If they win today, they will have wrapped up the trip 9-1 and will have a record of 42-23.

That means, in order to reach Joe P's goal, the Mets only have to go 10-13 between now and the break.

I count 100+ chickens.