The Mets begin a three-game series tonight at Shea Stadium against the Braves (the fluctuating pitching matchups were documented below), in what could be a statement series for either team. 

Mike Vaccaro, one of my favorite writers, in his column for the Post this morning, does a great job describing some of the intangibles that should come into play this week.  Last year was supposed to be this grand changing of the guard -- the younger, fresher, and more exciting Mets rolled through 2006 pulling ahead of the Braves by 15 games at this time last year.  Most importantly perhaps was the way the Mets dismantled the Braves head-to-head, even sweeping a series in Turner Cemetery, where all Mets teams go to die.  This year, the Mets still have the youth with Reyes and Wright, and they're still in first place, but doesn't it seem eerily similar to the 14 years before 2006 when the fans were conditioned to losing?  It still seems like it was yesterday that Armando Benitez blew two saves in a week in 2001 when the Mets had a chance to pull to within two games of the Braves (and I will admit to crying in the stands for one of those games).  I'm still trying to will away a return to those days, and the best cure for those feelings would be winning this series.  We don't have to go into all of the moves the Braves made on July 31st - -they've ben well-documented, and yes, they improved more than the Mets did.  But a win on July 31st is worth a total of 0 wins in the paper -- unless the Braves happen to roll into Shea and win a couple games.  It's time to return to the days where the Mets could come to work at Shea and expect to win everyday -- and that time is now.

Let's go Mets!

P.S. I'll be at the game tonight with my 11-1 record to root on the boys.