Mike Baxter’s RBI double made me smile

I love this story… Before yesterday’s game, the Mets promoted 26-year-old OF-1B Mike Baxter, who was born in Queens, where he helped lead Archbishop Molloy to the city championship at Shea Stadium in 2002. He later played college baseball at Columbia and Vanderbilt and was eventually drafted by the Padres, with whom he had eight at bats last season. However, last night in the 8th inning, with the Mets down four runs, Lucas Duda singled, after which Jason Bay walked. Baxter entered as a pinch hitter and delivered an RBI double just over the head and out of reach of the left-fielder. I love this story, because this is you, me, or anyone else (like Baxter) who grew up a Mets fan, not too far from Shea Stadium, and imagined ourselves in our favorite blue and orange getting the big hit one day … and he just did it, for real, with his parents in the stands jumping up and down with pride and joy, he just made that dream (and goal) come true and I’m happy he got to ...