Marco Scutaro, Former Met Utility Man Becomes NLCS MVP a Decade Later

Remember Marco Scutaro?

Yeah, me neither. Not in the sense of any real lasting memories given he didn't even play 100 games with the Mets across two seasons. 

Scutaro had the misfortune of arriving in New York during the dismal stretch of time right after the 2000 Subway Series, but left well before the team hired Omar Minaya to be the general manager.

Instead he got to experience the final year of Bobby Valentine's run in New York and Art Howe's first all while sharing a clubhouse with the likes of Mo Vaughn, Jeromy Burnitz, Roberto Alomar and Rey Ordonez.

Looking back, I guess what I can remember about Scutaro was he was always hustling, yet seemed like a guy that would ultimately be nothing more than a spare part.

Could he have hung on with the Mets and made a career for himself in New York?

Honestly, I have my doubts, but still find myself amazed by Scutaro's drive to persevere.  

For years following his departure from New York I kept an eye on him, mostly on the waiver wire during fantasy baseball seasons whenever I needed a middle infielder. Yet, year after year I could never bring myself to acquire him though. 

Not that it mattered really.

Some way, some how, just when it seemed he would fade away like so many other journeymen, he instead just kept going and steadily improved in the process. 

Scutaro winning the NLCS MVP award with the San Francisco Giants, currently the sixth professional club he's played with at the major league level, just shy of his 37th birthday is incredible and for any Mets fan with a sense of humor, kind of funny in a familiarly odd and painful way. 

What Scutaro will do for an encore in the World Series remains to be seen, but in a day and age where so many of us struggle to find and/or keep a job, it's hard not to admire what he's managed to achieve over the course of the past decade going back to his humble start as Joe McEwing's replacement.  

Just makes you wonder if someone like Vinny Rottino could end up coming back to haunt the Mets?

After all would you have believed way back when that Scutaro would be NLCS MVP in 2012?