Very insightful baseball reporting

David Lennon's NY Newsday piece on the relative lack of marketing exposure of the Mets' All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes, compared to the explosive marketing growth of the Mets' All-Star third baseman David Wright, is a terrific read. Reyes is a brown-skinned Dominican; Wright is a white-skinned Virginian. A lazy effort at answering the question could have started -- and ended -- there. Instead Lennon bothers to talk about language (Reyes spoke no English when he came to the Mets and has made huge strides), fan demographics (ccontrasting Ichiro's Japanese/Seattle experience), and cross-cultural efforts the team has made (such as the extremely entertaining "Professor Reyes" Spanish lessons at home games).

Reyes is, at least to this Mets fan, the most exciting player in the game. He has remarkable talent, but just as importantly, the best attitude I've ever seen in a professional player in any sport. He's constantly smiling, laughing, and joking with his teammates and coaches, and is one of those people whose cheerfulness and joy is simply infectious. I love to take my daughter watch him play because his every action conveys to her that you can play a sport with complete concentration and effort and still have fun.