After serving as punching bags and punch lines for so long, it might only be appropriate the Mets and Cubs were resurrected in the same season and now will battle to determine the National League pennant.
The Mets have the young arms and the Cubs the bats. One team will be left standing for a rare trip to the World Series, bringing hope to a tortured fan base.
After popping champagne corks for the second time in less than three weeks, this time to celebrate beating the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLDS, the Mets chartered home early Friday and by the time they landed at JFK thoughts had shifted to the Cubs.