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New Years Metsolution: Be like Shanahan

I know that earlier this year I made a comparison of Rangers center Chris Drury to Keith Hernandez, but I think my initial instincts were correct. The better choice is Drury's teammate, Brendan Shanahan.

I'm in need of a new favorite Met now that Paul Lo Duca has departed (the besmirching of his name via Mr. Mitchell didn't help either) and I think that role is well-suited for Shanahan.

The thing that's great about Shanahan is that he's 38, but plays hockey like someone who is 28 (he also took a very reasonable salary to stick around, aiding the team in a time of salary cap issues). He is often not only among the best offensive players in the game when he's on the ice, but one of the best defensive players. He's someone who makes the smart play and the clutch play, the latter in evidence on Sunday when he scored his 12th career regular-season overtime goal (5th-most among active players). He's a leader, who got a standing ovation at a game I attended on December 30, last season, when he took on tough guy Donald Brashear, because he felt the need to stick up for his teammates when things were going lousy. Shanahan is the kind of player you appreciate far more when you get to see him play for your team on a regular basis. By all accounts, I've only heard good things about him and I've built a trust in him far stronger than any I had for Tom Glavine.

I don't think Brendan Shanahan would allow what has happened to the Knicks to occur on any team for which he is a leader. And I don't think he would have allowed what happened to the Mets to have taken place either. When he needs to, Brendan Shanahan takes matters into his own hands, be it with his fists (ie Brashear), or with his wrists (ie the overtime winner). As we enter into 2008, perhaps those on the Mets should consider making it their New Year's Resolution to make their mark on this town in the manner that Shanahan has in his brief time here.

True Metdans know...The Mets got a walk-off win against a Brendan once. Brendan Donnelly gave up Cliff Floyd's walk-off three-run extra-inning homer in a 5-3 Mets win over the Angels on June 11, 2005 (a Shanahan-esque kind of moment, actually).

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