The ultimate mark of an exciting player is when the cheers precede the execution.
With two outs in the first inning yesterday, Jose Reyes took a relay throw from Cliff Floyd, who had bobbled a ball in front of the left-field corner.
As Reyes loaded up his right arm, the noise grew. With the Giants’ Deivi Cruz running through a stop sign and heading for home, the 37,194 on hand at Shea Stadium sounded similar to the reaction a football crowd gives when it sees a quarterback eyeing a receiver with a step on a defensive back.
“I heard them,” Reyes said after the Mets’ 5-1 victory over the Giants.
Standing near the line in shallow left, Reyes didn’t disappoint, delivering a perfect one-hop throw to Mike Piazza to nail Cruz at the plate.
“As long as you get it to [Reyes,] you have got a good chance of getting that guy out,” Mike Cameron said. “Just get it to him. He has a hose. He is definitely going to give you a chance to get the guy wherever he is going.”
On a perfect, blue-sky day at Shea, Reyes gave more glimpses of his dazzling potential with the type of defense and speed that not only can make the turnstile spin like a windmill, but can be the basis of future championships.
In the fifth, Reyes started the Mets’ three-run inning, launching a double above the 396 sign in left-center. Reyes, who entered yesterday leading the majors with seven triples, wanted another. He sprinted hard out of the box; however, he had to settle for a double because he hit the ball too hard.
Reyes would score on Piazza’s two-run single.
In the eighth, Reyes put down a sacrifice bunt. Tyler Walker, an ex-Met who is the Giants’ closer, knew who was running. Walker rushed and threw high and wide of first. The error resulted in a run.
In the top half of the inning, Reyes fielded a grounder up the middle, stuttered-stepped to touch second and, unveiling his cannon again, fired to first, doubling up Omar Vizquel.
“His arm’s as good as anyone’s,” Willie Randolph said.
And the fans anticipate his every throw, especially the big ones.
