At the end of the game last night Tommy Hutton had a moment of clairvoyance that would make any gypsy fortune teller green with envy. He said something to the effect that Dontrelle Willis' stature in the Cy Young had moved up because he won a big game in New York and the New York media would pick it up and run with it.
It was a few minutes of late-September magic in Flushing. As magical as the night would get for the Florida Marlins and the Mets, who at the end of the rainbow will only find bags packed for the trip into winter.
One of them should definitely also pack for a return trip to New York. Dontrelle Willis should be coming back here in January, to pick up his National League Cy Young Award.
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"If you want me to have it, you'll all give it to me and I'll say 'Thank you very much.' I don't vote. Ask your colleagues."
Told offhand that we were in his camp, D-Train grinned broadly.
"God bless you. Honestly, it's not in my hands. My mama told me not to worry about things you can't control, and that's something I can't control."
Tommy was exactly right and I can't think of a more deserving individual than Dontrelle to receive the award. I hope it happens.
In case you were wondering about D-Train batting seventh the last time a pitcher batted that high in the lineup was, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, Steve Renko hit seventh for Montreal on August 26, 1973.