If ever a list was put together noting actions and events that were quintessential New York Mets, that list would probably include continually opting for the unusual move that eventually backfires instead of choosing the more obvious and safer option; trades for veterans well past their primes that everyone except the front office knew would backfire; bizarre injuries that seem to happen only to the Mets; and big tease sprints toward the playoffs that ultimately collapse, bre

By the time the conga lines hit the third-base line, the flags were waving like a United Nations parade on double espresso, and the temperature dipped to a wind-chill-enhanced 47 degrees, Citi Field felt less like early-winter Queens and more like a giant Caribbean block party sponsored by LIDOM, the LBPRC, and maybe a little by the New York Mets themselves. And yes — this was absolutely a Dominican Republic vs. Puerto Rico showdown. But make no mistake: it also had a tremend