[Sports] Reyes' Smile Is the Difference

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes is my favorite player in baseball today, certainly in part because I have always been one that is partial to speedy players (Ricky Henderson was my favorite growing up; Willy Mays my favorite of all time). But the real reason is something that a recent Village Voice article about Reyes completely missed.

All things considered, Allen Barra's article was a good description of Reye's ability and his placement on the team, in the present and the future, but the major theme of the article questions whether or not Reyes can live up to all that Met fans expect of him. When you talk about Jose Reyes, this is not an issue worth discussing. I think Met fans already get everything from Reyes they could truly want in a ball player: talent and fun.

It is easy to recognize Reyes' talents: from his speed to the power cloaked under his seemingly small frame. It is even easier to say how much potential he has and how much Met fans want to depend on that potential as time goes on. And it is still easier to say that Reye's numbers have not brought the team a World Series ring and have not given him the status of certain Hall-of-Fame material yet, and in doing so point out his weaknesses. But beyond all of that, what is so much more important, is how much fun Reyes has playing baseball.

Baseball, perhaps more than any other team sport, is fundamentally dependent upon the mind set of the individuals involved. Because of how divided the labor is in a baseball game, the autonomy of each individual player's attitude is at the crux of every victory, and, as such, pure talent enjoys no better company than pure enjoyment. That is what Jose Reyes offers the game and the fans. I challenge anyone to find a player in the game today that looks to be having more fun than Jose Reyes. The fact is, you won't.

His smile is infectious to fans and teamates, and, almost ironically, it is intimidating to opponents. He has been described on numerous occasions as "electric," and in one game at Shea Stadium that electricity is completely visible. I saw it all last year. When he did one of those signature handshakes with a teammate, the crowd would light up, half of the fans trying to do their own intimations. When he hit for the cycle, the crowd was overcome with joy, so easily so that it truly seemed as if everyone in the stadium felt like a ten-year-old at their first ball game again. I venture to say that few players in the history of the game can make their fans feel like they did when they were just zealous kids. Jose Reyes has that uncanny ability.

Sure, Met fans may come to expect a lot from Jose in the future. At only 23 years of age his potential is still bounded by nothing. But one thing I have learned from Mets fans is a deep passion for the game, even above a passion for their own team. From all we could expect from a player like Reyes, we have gotten something much better: a smile and the most simplest of American pleasures: baseball.

If Jose reads the Village Voice article, then I hope he follows it by reading this blog, because he should know that his visible love for the sport may be his greatest contribution to the game, and if nothing else, his success and potential to be a Hall of Famer is only dependent upon his continued enjoyment everyday he goes out there. As far as I can tell, there is no better fuel for maximizing athletic potential than pure enjoyment and nobody has it better than Jose.