The Mets have a number of excuses why they are in the position they are. Those excuses mostly surround the pitching. Noah Syndergaard went down in April with a torn lat. Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom haven’t been the same since returning from their season ending surgeries. There has been a revolving door at the fifth starter spot that has seen the likes of Rafael Montero, Adam Wilk, Tommy Milone, and Tyler Pill. This has put stress on the bullpen, and the bullpen broke.
They broke because Jeurys Familia went down for the season. Hansel Robles couldn’t keep up with the workload and fell apart. Josh Smoker hasn’t been able to figure it out this year. Addison Reed is a much better set-up man than a closer.
Through all of this, despite playing a weak schedule, the Mets are seven games under .500. The Mets are THIS CLOSE to being sellers.
However, there is hope. Seth Lugo and Steven Matz are coming off the Disabled List. Last year, Lugo was 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA and a 1.149 WHIP. He followed that breakout performance with a breakout performance in the World Baseball Classic.
Matz is even better than Lugo. Before succumbing to the bone spur in his elbow last year, Matz had a stretch from April 17th to June 18th where he was 7-2 with a 1.91 ERA and a 1.047 WHIP. That was after his rookie season where he was 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA and a 1.234 WHIP.
That combination of Lugo and Matz vastly improves the Mets rotation. It also bumps a good pitcher like Robert Gsellman into the bullpen. Lately, Gsellman has figured it out. In his last four appearances, he’s 2-0 with hold posting a 2.66 ERA and a 1.082 WHIP. This will give the bullpen a fresh arm. More than that, it means one of Smoker or Neil Ramirez is going to be gone from the bullpen.
Finally, the Mets will have the pitching to help an offense that has tried to carry this team. In May, the Mets averaged the second most runs per game (5.7) in the National League. Things promise to get better with Yoenis Cespedes having played in his first rull rehab game for St. Lucie last night.
With that, the Mets will have as complete a team as they can expect for the reason for the season. Now, they just have to take advantage of their opportunities. That starts with the four game series with a Braves team who is a half game up on the Mets for second place in the National League East. Sweep them, and the Mets will find themselves just three games under .500.
After that, the Mets have a seven game home stand. First, there are the Chicago Cubs, who are not the same team they were last year. After that, the Mets have a four game set with the Washington Nationals.
If the Mets take care of business against the Braves and Cubs, that could be a HUGE series for this Mets team. Sweep the Nationals at home, and all of a sudden the Mets could be just eight games back in the division or better. That’s still a large deficit to overcome, but it’s not as daunting as the 12 games they are now.
The Mets don’t take advantage of this opportunity? It’s time to sell. At that point, the team should look to move everyone to pave the way for Amed Rosario, who frankly should be here now, and Dominic Smith to become the David Wright and Jose Reyes of this generation.
If the Mets don’t want to do that, it’s time to take care of business. That starts tonight with a huge start for Matt Harvey. This used to be the exact moment you wanted him on the mound. It is time for that to happen again.
On Monday, MLB draft will begin, and the Mets will look to add their next superstar. The hope is the player drafted becomes the next David Wright and not another Steven Chilcott. There’s certainly hope as with the exception of last year’s draft, every single one of Alderson’s first round draft picks have reached the majors.
Can you name Sandy Alderson’s first round draft picks with the Mets? Good luck!
Justin Dunn Anthony Kay Michael Conforto Dominic Smith Gavin Cecchini Brandon Nimmo Desmond Lindsay Michael Cuddyer
Back when the Mets traded Carlos Beltran for Zack Wheeler, the Mets touted the trade as the team adding another potential ace that would one day serve as one of the cornerstones of a rotation that would bring the Mets their third World Series title. Unfortunately, with Wheeler missing two years after his Tommy John surgery, it hasn’t happened that way.
In the time he was gone, he almost became expendable. Matt Harvey was the ace in 2013, and he was well on his way in 2015 to re-claiming that spot. Jacob deGrom went from 2014 Rookie of the Year to the Game 1 starter of the 2015 NLDS. Noah Syndergaard brought a repertoire that included a 100 MPH fastball and a mid 90s slider. Throw in the tantalizing talent of Steven Matz, and the Mets almost moved Wheeler in 2015 as part of the ill-fated Carlos Gomez deal. With Gomez’s hips, Wheeler remained a Met, but after he missed all of 2016 as well, he was almost an afterthought.
Now, he has gone from damaged goods to the staff ace. After shaking off some rust in the early part of the season, he really has been a dominant starting pitchers. Since May, Wheeler has made six starts going 2-1 with a 2.48 ERA, 1.431 WHIP, and a 7.7 K/9 while averaging over six inning per start. Last night, we watched Wheeler play the part of the stopper with him going seven strong and giving the Mets a chance to snap the Mets out of a funk that saw the team lose five out of its last six games.
Now, many would point to the fact Wheeler is now the staff ace because the rest of the rotation is either injured or has struggled. Syndergaard is likely gone for the year with a torn lat. Matz and Seth Lugo have yet to throw a pitch this season. Harvey and deGrom have not been the same pitchers after last year’s season ending surgeries. And frankly, anyone is better than Rafael Montero, Adam Wilk, and Tommy Milone. Still, even if everyone was pitching to their best abilities, Wheeler would stand out.
It’s easy to forget, but we did get a taste of this with Wheeler. In 2014, Wheeler had a stretch from July until September 6th where he made 12 terrific starts. In those starts, Wheeler was 7-1 with a 2.28 ERA, 1.213 WHIP, and an 8.9 K/9. During that stretch, Wheeler looked like the ace the Mets thought they were getting when they traded away Beltran. It was during that stretch where you believed the three starters who would carry the Mets to the World Series were Harvey, deGrom, and Wheeler.
It seems as if Wheeler is recapturing some of what he was back in that terrific 2014 stretch. If he is, he is certainly becoming the ace the Mets believed he could be. More than anything, he is the ace the Mets need right now.
Tonight, it was a battle of the aces. For the Rangers, it was Yu Darvish who is having another fine season. For the Mets, it was Zack Wheeler. Yes, Zack Wheeler.
While we watch Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom struggle, and with Noah Syndergaard gone for most of the year, it has been Wheeler. He’s been the most consistent starter, and he’s getting better as the season progresses.
Tonight’s start was a microcosm of Wheeler’s season. In the first, the Rangers loaded the bases with no outs, but they only came away with one run on a Nomar Mazara RBI groundout. It was initially ruled a double play, but upon replay, he was ruled safe. It didn’t matter much, as Wheeler got out of the inning by inducing Robinson Chirinos to hit into the inning ending double play.
From there, Wheeler was brilliant. He mowed down the Rangers, and he pitched into the seventh. The Rangers put Wheeler on the ropes with runners on first and second with two out, and Delino DeShields coming to the plate. At that point in the game, DeShields was 2-2 with a run and a walk. Despite this, Wheeler dug deep, and on his 108th pitch of the night, he got DeShields to fly out to right.
The 108 pitches matched a season high for Wheeler. His final line on the night was seven innings, six hits, one run, one earned, three walks, and five strikeouts. Simply put, he was terrific.
On the opposite side, Darvish probably had better stuff. He was perfect through three, and the Mets didn’t look like they had much of a chance on the night. Things changed in the fourth.
Michael Conforto got hit by a pitch in the dirt thereby ending the perfect game. He then scored on what was initially a Jay Bruce triple. Upon replay, it was ruled Bruce hit a two run homer:
https://twitter.com/mlbreplays/status/872642909006430208
Darvish would not make another mistake until Bruce came up again in the sixth. Bruce took a slider off the plate, and he drove it opposite field for a solo home run making it 3-1.
Overall, Darvish was nearly unhittable over his 7.1 innings pitched. In fact, other than Bruce, Juan Lagares was the only Met to get a hit off Darvish. That hit chased Darvish. Former Met Dario Alvarez would walk Conforto before getting Asdrubal Cabrera to hit into the inning ending double play.
The Mets would rue failing to tack on runs there. Jerry Blevins got the first two out before allowing a Mazara single. That’s where Terry Collins poor managing reared its ugly head.
Despite Blevins having a terrific year with a 1.42 ERA, he has struggled against righties. On the season, righties are hitting .364/.481/.591 off of him. The batter, Chirinos, the Rangers version of Wilmer Flores, is hitting .353/.389/.529 off lefties. Chirinos struggles against righties hitting just .210/.310/.460 off them. Looking at the splits, it was an obvious spot for Addison Reed to go with the four out save with the Mets having a day off tomorrow.
If not Reed, at least Fernando Salas, who was warming in the bullpen. Instead of Salas, Collins stuck with Blevins, who hung one to Chirinos. Tie game.
For the second straight night, the Mets would make Matt Bush in the ninth. Lucas Duda hit a one out double, and Curtis Granderson worked out a two out walk to put the game in Jose Reyes‘ hands.
Reyes hit a bouncer to Rougned Odor who spiked the throw to Elvis Andrus. Andrus could not come up with the throw, and on the throw, Matt Reynolds, who came on to pinch run for Duda, never stopped and scored from second on the play.
With the Rangers failing to make the play, and with Reynolds’ hustle, the Mets reclaimed the lead at 4-3. Reed came on in the ninth, and he pitched a rare 1-2-3 save for him.
If nothing else, this win shows this team has heart. They blew a game yesterday. They had their stomach punched on the Chirinos homer. And yet, they pulled this one out. Maybe, just maybe, there’s still room for hope.
Game Notes: Reyes got the start with Neil Walker out of the lineup. While Collins said it was a routine day off, reports indicated Walker may have a knee injury.
Given his struggles as a starter of late, there have been growing calls to make Matt Harvey the closer for the Mets. Given how Harvey has pitched this season and how the Mets bullpen has performed, this may not be just an absurd fan overreaction to the struggles of a pitcher returning from season ending surgery last year to alleviate the effects of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS). In fact, you could argue the TOS could be part of the reasons for Harvey’s struggles, and why he needs to be moved to the bullpen.
The biggest case you can make for Harvey moving to the bullpen is his numbers. This season, Harvey is 4-3 with a 5.43 ERA, 1.484 WHIP, and a 6.8 K/9. It’s scary to think about, but Harvey is actually putting up numbers worse than the numbers he posted last year when everyone was wondering what was wrong with Harvey. The surgery that was supposed to fix Harvey hasn’t tangentially resulted in better numbers. Instead of getting stronger and better as the seasons has progressed, Harvey is regressing. In Harvey’s first four starts, he was 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA, 0.947 WHIP, and a 6.0 K/9 while averaging 6.1 innings per start. In his seven starts since, Harvey is 2-3 with a 7.25 ERA, 1.861 WHIP, and a 7.3 K/9.
Normally, you would take someone like this out of the rotation, but there was no one to put in Harvey’s stead. However, with Steven Matz and Seth Lugo coming off the Disabled List, and Robert Gsellman starting to return to form, the Mets have the avenue to move Harvey to the bullpen if they were so inclined. Putting aside for the moment whether they would be willing to do so, or whatever interference may be ran by Scott Boras, the question is whether such a move would make sense for the Mets.
Let’s start with the positive. According to Brooks Baseball, Harvey certainly has the velocity to be an elite bullpen arm. After the surgeries, he is averaging just under 95 MPH with his fastball. If given the opportunity to air it out for one or two innings, we could see him once again touch the high 90s he did back in 2013 and 2015. Even if he can’t, Harvey’s current velocity should be more than sufficient. A move to the bullpen would also allow Harvey to focus more on his two or three best pitches to get batters out.
And despite everything that has gone on, Harvey still has that grit and determination. Despite diminished stuff, Harvey bears down when he needs to most. Batters are hitting just .132 off Harvey this year with runners in scoring position. No one has gotten a hit off of Harvey this season with a runner in scoring position and no outs. This should come as no surprise. Harvey has always wanted to be the guy on the mound in those pressure situations, and he has consistently delivered in those situations. Certainly, Harvey has the stuff and the swagger to be a dominant late inning reliever.
Unfortunately, there is more evidence to suggest the bullpen is the wrong place for Harvey. Batters leading off an inning are hitting .327/.439/.709 off of Harvey. In high leverage situations, batters are hitting .273/.368/.545 off of Harvey. In Harvey’s first 25 pitches of a game, batters are hitting .241/.353/.534 off of him. More than any of this, Harvey has been more than susceptible to the long ball. In all but one of his starts, Harvey has allowed a home run, and he has allowed 1.9 homers per nine innings.
The biggest reason for all of these struggles is Harvey is having difficulty putting batters away. His strikeouts are way down this season as batters are either fouling off his pitches, or they are better able to take a pitch they would have felt inclined to swing at two or more years ago. In fact, Harvey has a career high 4.7 BB/9.
Overall, Harvey isn’t putting guys away, he’s walking them, and he’s giving up a lot more home runs. That’s not a recipe for success in the bullpen.
And yet, the Mets need to do something. Maybe emulating post-Tommy John surgery John Smoltz is the way to go. For those that forget, Smoltz was suffering from the same issues Harvey is now. He found himself in the bullpen, became a dominant reliever, and he would return to the rotation to be a good starter once again.
Given Harvey’s early season struggles, it might be time to try something different. It might be time to at least try him in the bullpen for at least the short term just to try to help him find himself. If a Hall of Famer like Smoltz accepted the move, everyone else should be willing as well. Harvey included.
Here’s the best way to synopsize both this game and the 2017 season ➡️ Dillon Gee allowed half the amount of runs in this game than Jacob deGrom did. And no, Gee was not good tonight.
The former Met allowed four runs over 3.1 innings allowing solo homers to Juan Lagares, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Neil Walker. The most impressive of these was Lagares, not just because he hit one, but because it went opposite field:
Lagares HOME RUN!! 2-1 Mets! pic.twitter.com/TDPz9JpdfF
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 7, 2017
It was almost four homers, but Jay Bruce got robbed by Jared Hoying:
Get ?, @jhoying3035! https://t.co/QKyVJsWYEc
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) June 7, 2017
The other run came in the first and was set up when Michael Conforto led off the game with a double. He later scored on a two out RBI single by the red hot Lucas Duda.
For his part, Lagares was uncharacteristicly good at the plate going 4-5 with a homer.
It wouldn’t matter as deGrom couldn’t hold any lead. He just couldn’t protect a 1-0, 2-1, or a 4-3 lead. He allowed runs in every inning he pitched.
It started when deGrom couldn’t get his footwork right in the first inning. Adrian Beltre grounded into what should’ve been an inning ending 3-6-1 double play, but deGrom was searching for the bag with his feet instead of stretching for the throw. Instead of getting out of the inning unscathed, deGrom allowed the tying run to score.
In the second, deGrom lost a 2-1 lead. Rougned Odor hit a double after a Jonathan Lucroy single to set up runners at second and third and no out. Hoying hit an RBI ground out, and Delino DeShields followed with a sac fly to make it 3-2.
The Mets took the lead, and deGrom gave it back in the third on a Joey Gallo two run homer. On the play, Bruce had a NL opportunity to return the favor to the Rangers by stealing a homer himself, but he fell just short:
https://twitter.com/therendermlb/status/872265476822401024
It all came crashing down in the fourth for deGrom. With runners on second and third with no outs, deGrom threw a wild pitch while walking Shin-Soo Choo to make it 6-4. The seventh run scored when Elvis Andrus hit into a double play. Unfortunately, deGrom still couldn’t get out of the inning before allowing a solo homer to Nomar Mazara.
It was a tough night for deGrom. His final line was four innings, 10 hits, eight runs, eight earned, one walk, and just two strikeouts. Not too long ago, he seemed to turn the corner. This is now his second poor start, and his ERA has ballooned to 4.75.
The best thing you could say scour the night was deGrom seems more devastated by his struggles than Mets fans are.
From there, the Mets had little choice but to bring in Josh Smoker and his 7.43 ERA into the game. Things could’ve gone worse, but he still allowed two runs over his two innings pitched raising his ERA to 7.56. If you really want to be depressed, consider Neil Ramirez was the Mets best pitcher on the night.
The Mets bats went mostly silent after the third with the team scoring just one run in the 10-5 loss. The team was 2-13 with RISP, and they were only able to score one run when they had bases loaded and one out in the eighth. They were one big hit away from getting back in the game. Instead, they made three quick outs.
However, the bats reawoke in the ninth. After a Flores lead-off single, Curtis Granderson and Travis d’Arnaud went back-to-back to get within 10-8. After a Lagares single and a Conforo walk, the Mets were really in business. Asdrubal Cabrera struck out, and then Bruce hit into a game ending double play.
The Mets need to get going soon because the Nationals aren’t slowing down anytime soon.
Game Notes: Duda (2-5, HR) and Wilmer Flores (3-5) continued to hit. Travis d’Arnaud played poorly going 0-4 leaving five runners on base. DeShields also stole two bases off of him.
For much of the 2017 season, the presumption is Michael Conforto was going to be the Mets lone representative on the All Star team. The reason for this was because across the diamond the other Mets players were either injured or underachieving. While there was a point in time you could have made a case for Jay Bruce, his lackluster play in May pretty much put that discussion to bed. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll notice Lucas Duda is having a terrific year. The question is if he’s done enough in his 140 plate appearances to merit consideration for the All Star Game.
Since coming off the Disabled List, Duda is hitting .286/.389/.610 with seven doubles, six homers, and 14 RBI. Believe it or not, these numbers are only slightly than Duda’s stats for the season. Overall, Duda is hitting .269/.379/.597 with nine doubles, 10 homers, and 21 RBI. With they way Duda has been hitting this year, he has a 157 OPS+, 155 wRC+, and a 1.3 WAR. If he continued this production, this would be a career year for Duda. But, is it enough to merit being named an All Star.
Well, there is a case to be made. Among players with at least 140 plate appearances, Duda is tied for third in the National League with a 155 wRC+. He is also third in slugging percentage. When you consider he is behind Freddie Freeman, who will miss the All Star Game with a fractured left wrist, Duda’s case becomes all the more compelling. However, when you begin to look at the bigger picture, it becomes much more difficult to make a case for Duda.
In terms of the more traditional counting stats, Duda lags behind the leaders. His 10 homers is only 12th best in the National League, and his 21 RBI rank dead last among National League first baseman who have 140 plate appearances. Of course, the main reason for this is Duda lags behind the leaders in these categories is because he missed 18 games due to a hyper-extended elbow. While he was on the Disabled List, players like Eric Thames and even Brandon Belt were putting some distance between themselves and Duda. Ultimately, this missed time is also a reason why Duda’s 1.2 WAR is really only good for ninth among National League first baseman. When you’re ninth in a category like WAR, it is hard to justify making you an All Star even if you are currently the second best hitter at the position in the National League.
There’s also the issue of there being room for him on the roster. Last year, the National League had four first baseman on the roster. Off the bat, we know Ryan Zimmerman is going to be an All Star with the first half he’s had. There is no way you can leave Paul Goldschmidt off the roster as he’s having another great year. The same goes for Joey Votto. Throw in a terrific comeback to the United States for Thames and another good year from Anthony Rizzo, and you’re really hard pressed to find room for Duda.
Still, none of this detracts from the fact Duda has been an absolute monster at the plate of late, nor does it detract from the impact he has had on this Mets lineup. So no, Duda is not an All Star. That shouldn’t detract from the season he is having, and it doesn’t change the fact that when he’s in the lineup, he is a difference maker for the Mets. All Star or not, Duda is having a good year that should be celebrated by Mets fans.
Look, if the Mets are being honest with us, and they’re not, they would say they will not consider promoting Amed Rosario to the majors until they are comfortable he would not be a Super Two player. If Rosario were to be a Super Two player, he would be eligible for arbitration a year earlier. That would have financial ramifications for both as it would increase his salary from the $500 – $600,000 range to the millions of dollars. If he’s going to be as special as we think he is, he will be an expensive player very quickly.
The issue with the Super Two cutoff is it is a moving target. It is given to the top 22% of players who have between two to three years of service time. That leaves the date a moving target because it is dependent on when teams have called up their prospects. Therefore, pinpointing the exact date is an inexact science. In hazarding a guess, the best thing we can do is to look at when the date has been in prior years. According to MLB Trade Rumors, that is as follows:
| Year | Service Time | Date |
| 2015 | 2.130 | May 27th |
| 2014 | 2.133 | May 18th |
| 2013 | 2.122 | May 30th |
| 2012 | 2.140 | May 16th |
| 2011 | 2.146 | May 5th |
| 2010 | 2.122 | June 3rd |
| 2009 | 2.139 | May 18th |
If history is any guide, the Super Two cut-off has already passed. Over the past seven years, the Super Two cutoff has been 133 days. With the regular season ending on October 1st, the Super Two cutoff would have been on May 18th. Even the most conservative estimate would peg the cutoff date at June 4th, which was yesterday. Therefore, realistically speaking, the Mets can call-up Rosario now and avoid his becoming a Super Two player.
Now, the Super Two cutoff is just one barrier. The other barrier is the Mets willingness to displace Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes. This is a more significant barrier than you could anticipate with Terry Collins recently saying, “It helps that Jose swung better, getting on base.” (Zach Braziller, New York Post). Collins made those statements with Reyes hitting .216/.280/.330 in the Month of May. Collins backed up those statements by continuously hitting Reyes second in the lineup.
But if the Mets were really serious about contending in 2017, they would call-up Rosario now. Cabrera’s Luis Castillo impression is the latest example of how he’s no longer defensively capable of handling the position. He has not had a positive UZR in any full season in the majors, and he has not posted a positive DRS since 2008. While he can’t play shortstop well, that doesn’t mean the Mets should take his bat out of the lineup. He’s a second half player who showed everyone last year he’s capable of carrying an offense. Rather, the Mets should move him to third where he would be better suited. This would have the added advantage of putting Reyes on the bench.
Overall, with the Super Two deadline likely having passed, the Mets are out of excuses for not calling up Rosario. With each passing day Rosario is not called up to the majors, it’s a signal the Mets are contempt with the lineup they are putting out there on a daily basis.
It was a Sunday game, and no offense to him, but the Mets were starting Tyler Pill. With Addison Reed likely unavailable with his pitching two innings last night, you’d be hard pressed to argue the pitching would sufficiently line up to give the Mets a chance.
Hopefully, you didn’t try to argue the Mets could win this one because they lost a non-competitive 11-1 game. The Mets were probably luck it was that close especially considering both Josh Smoker and Neil Ramirez brought there 7.00+ ERAs to the mound today.
About the only player who showed up ready to play was the scorching hot Wilmer Flores, who stayed hot going 2-4. Other than that, you’re really stretching to find another positive.
This season is falling apart fast. In fact, it may have already. Only one team since the 1930s entered June .500 and won the World Series (2003 Marlins). With the Mets not willing to fire their manager and without a Miguel Cabrera to call-up, it’s hard to argue the Mets can repeat that feat.
It’s next to impossible when you consider the Mets do have uber prospect Amed Rosario, and they still won’t call him up. If we’re being honest, if the Mets do eventually call him up, it’ll probably be too late to salvage this season.
Game Notes: The Mets scored their only run of the game in the second inning when a run scored on a Travis d’Arnaud GIDP.
There is no better reminder of all of your bad habits than having a child. If you have a son, they watch you and want to do all the things you do. Unfortunately, that includes your bad habits. Check that, that especially includes your bad habits.
I was reminded of that again the other day:
My son wanted a blue car like his daddy, and because grandparents do what they do, he was given this instead of a matchbox car. After he got in the car, I was soon very uncomfortable.
No, it wasn’t because of the size of the gift. It wasn’t for safety reasons. Between the fact these are impossible to flip over, the low rate of speed, and bike helmets, that wasn’t the issue. The real issue was what my son did once he got in the car.
Almost everyday, I have to derive through bumper-to-bumper traffic on the way to preschool. This means I have to deal with idiots of every kind who won’t drive for a number of reasons:
- On their cellphone
- Completely zoned out and not paying attention
- Doing their makeup in the car
- Eating breakfast
- Talking to everyone in the car
- Turning the knobs on the radio like it’s one of the ones with the dials
- Singing and dancing
- Letting everyone in whether or not people actually want to get in even if it means stopping dead in traffic to let it happen
- Somehow I have to get two or three lanes over in the span of 3 feet and I’m just realizing it now so I’m stopped
- Just not in a hurry to get anywhere
- And one of my favorites: the person who takes a cat nap at every red light.
With my child in the car, I make sure not to use profanity or insults, and if anyone of the aforementioned people get angry with me, I certainly don’t engage. To that extent, I thought having a child made me a better man.
That was until my son got in the car, and his very first reaction was to slam the horn repeatedly and scream, “DRIVE YOUR CAR! GET OFF THE ROAD!”
By the way, that’s when you get the knowing look from your wife. You don’t even have to turn around to see it. It’s there. You don’t even have to have the conversation about it either. It happens instantaneously and telepathically.
And yet, you will talk about it. You will both laugh that he did it and reinforce to one another how he watches everything. The end result is I’m seemingly calmer in the car without any slamming of the horn.
One added benefit – I’ve found flashing your lights certainly pisses people off more than slamming your horn. I wish I knew this sooner. To that end, I can once again say I’m once again better for having a son.