Where are all the Mets detractors now?

For weeks and weeks I've been reading newspaper articles, blogs, forums and all that jazz clamoring for the Mets to make a move, fire people, spark a fire sale and the like.

Now that the Mets have gone on to win four in a row and pull within 1.5 games of first place, that seems to have died down significantly, which makes sense. But where is the praise for this team?

The team that has been playing without a healthy corner outfielder for the entire season? The team that seems to wins starts from every other starter but their bona-fide ace? The team that has a gimpy, old man as their second baseman? The team that as of now, looks to only have one player representing them in the All Star Game?

All those are true, but the Mets still manage to keep winning. The Mets are only two games over .500, but they're a different team than they once were. They're 46-44 heading into Wednesday's games, and with the teams they are playing, could easily go 4-1 or even 5-0 over the next five games heading into the All Star break.

This team has turned a corner, and though I'm not going to lay all the praise on Jerry Manuel, I think he deserved a heaping load of it. It's not that he's magically made talent come back to some players, but everyone in the dugout seems simply happy to be playing baseball. They smile, they joke, and they grow facial hair. It's much more relaxed, though Manuel seems like he'd rip your head off if you cross him (he's already been ejected three times this year).

The Mets are looking good, and the only thing I worry about right now is if the Mets get hot, will the three days off cool them down too much? This is a brand new season, ladies and gentlemen, and the Mets are right in the thick of it.