It’s funny when you think about it, but Kelly Johnson is now an ex-Met. He has returned to the Atlanta Braves where he has played most of his career. However, at least to me, in his three plus months with the team, he became a Met. 

It might’ve been the circumstances in which he came to the team. The offense was historically bad. Terry Collins was trying to stick Danny Muno sized pegs into a Krakatoa sized hole. I used Krakatoa there because it was a disaster. Sandy Alderson finally responded by making a shrewd trade to bring on Johnson and Juan Uribe. In his first game as a Met, Johnson hit cleanup, played second, and did this:

The Mets who couldn’t hit their way out of a paper bag suddenly beat the Dodgers 15-2. The season had a different feel. The Mets made a move, and it was paying off. The Mets would win three straight. Everything changed when Johnson and Uribe joined the team. Everything that happened afterwards started with them.

Johnson did all he could do to help. He played every position but pitcher, catcher, and center. I appreciated it, but to me that wasn’t the moment he became a Met. That moment was after Game Two of the NLDS. He lambasted that coward. He was emotional defending his teammate, a teammate that was a New York Met. 

Before the trade, I was never a fan of Kelly Johnson. The reason is as simple as it might’ve been unfair. He was an Atlanta Brave. Now, however, I see him as a New York Met even if he’s back in a Braves uniform. He was a key part of a World Series team and wish him the best of luck. When he returns to Citi Field this year, I’ll stand up and clap. He deserves it. 

Thank you Kelly Johnson.