welcome back, Marlon Anderson

Game 95: Mets 13, Dodgers 9
53-42 for the season
1st place in the NL East, 2.5 games ahead of Atlanta

Anderson played for the Mets in 2005, and loved playing for Willie Randolph. but the Nationals were offering a two-year contract and the Mets were not, so off he went to Washington. He was with the Dodgers in the first half, but played in only 20-some-odd games, and was at home for two weeks before the Mets picked him up. He had a great combination of enthusiasm for his new club and something to prove to his old club tonight, with two hits and two RBIs and a fantastic catch for the first out in the 9th, as well as the last out on a more routine fly to left. Sad though everyone in my family is about the loss of Julio Franco and his coming out music at Shea, I have to say that it was really nice to see such great play from the guy in left field.

"I loved it when I was here, and I still love it now," Anderson told Kevin Burkhart after the game. We love having you, Marlon.

It was for the most part a sloppy game, with the exception of Aaron Sele's great three innings to stem the tide of unending runs for both sides. In the end, it was fun to watch the Mets hit and hit, since once Sele came in, the Dodgers never again got too close. It also felt a bit like a Bull Durham moment-- after being swept the last time they were in LA, the Mets wanted to announce their presence with authority. The message was perhaps obscured in the 9 runs the team gave away, but the 13 runs were certainly authoritative-- every Mets starter not only touched base but also scored a run.