Mets needed this one in worst way but much more work has to be done

It was Col. Jacob Ruppert, the imperious and imperialistic owner who oversaw the first chapter of the Yankees dynasty, who spoke for all baseball fans of all eras as he enjoyed one of the seasons when his lads of Murderers’ Row ran roughshod over the American League.

Someone once asked him: What is your idea of a perfect day at Yankee Stadium?

“It’s when the Yankees score eight runs in the first inning,” the beer baron bellowed, “and then slowly pull away.”

That’s it, isn’t it? In retrospect, as years pass, baseball fans do enjoy reliving the heart-stopping games their fandom requires. From the safe distance of hindsight, it’s actually quite enjoyable for a Mets fan to, for instance, watch the 10th inning of Game 6 of the ’86 World Series. It’s actually a breeze to watch the top of the ninth inning in Milwaukee last October, Game 3 of the wild-card series.