WRIGHT WAY TO START THINGS OFF

Mets 3, Nationals 2 (NYM: 1-0, WAS: 0-1)

I can't believe the season has started, and that all the games I've watched today actually count. I'm so excited. And for the Mets to win, that makes things even better.

Since it's Opening Day, and hope springs eternal, let's start with the positives:

• Tom Glavine: Glavine pitched very well. In 6 innings of work, Glavine gave up 6 hits, walked 3 (!), gave up just one run, and struck out 5. A very good afternoon. He picked up the win (number 276 in his career) by the skin of his teeth (more on that later).
• Xavier Nady: Nady was 4-for-4, with 2 singles and 2 doubles, including the RBI double that put the Mets ahead 2-1, scoring Cliff Floyd all the way from first base in the fourth.
• David Wright: Future Hall of Famer Wright was 2-for-4, with an opposite field home run (career homer number 42) that proved to be the game-winner. He also made a couple of good plays in the field.
• Anderson Hernandez: He looked very good in the field (he made one bad play where he seemed to freeze, and made a bad decision, which didn't end up hurting the team), and looked very comfortable as the starting second baseman.
• Billy Wagner: A 1-2-3 ninth, aided by a nice play at third by Wright on a hard-hit grounder, and a bad baserunning move by Jose Vidro.

There were some negatives, though:

• Carlos Beltran*: Beltran* was 0-for-4, and on the receiving end of some boos after he popped to short with runners on second and third in the fifth. He didn't look comfortable at the plate. He also made two way off-line throws from the outfield...and made a great throw to end the game. He'd better get his act together at bat soon, or things might get ugly.
• Aaron Heilman: Heilman was very shaky, giving up three straight hits upon entering the game, and twice nearly blowing the lead. As a matter of fact, outside of a bad call by the home plate umpire, Heilman would have blown the lead. He needs to find his rhythm. Hopefully this was the only bad outing he'll have for a while.

Let's talk about the outfield assists: In the eighth, with no one out and Alfonso Soriano on first, Heilman gave up a double into the left field corner to Ryan Zimmerman. Soriano came around to score, but Paul LoDuca got the out call. Replays showed LoDuca dropped the ball, but the umpire didn't see it. It's possible LoDuca had control of the ball when he tagged Soriano. But the big thing is that Soriano appeared to touch the plate by sticking his hand through LoDuca's legs before he was tagged. No one has mentioned that - perhaps I'm wrong. But regardless, Soriano looked safe.

Then in the ninth, with the Mets clinging to a 3-2 lead, 2 out, Jose Vidro singled into left-center field. He tried to stretch that into a double, but Carlos Beltran* nailed Vidro at second. Call it bad baserunning by Vidro, but I saw Beltran* make two very bad throws earlier in the game, and I think I understand Vidro trying to get that extra base.

A good win, though, for the Mets, and for Tom Glavine. Hence the Mets Fan-O-Meter is pointing in the direction of the 2006 World Series. I'm not sure the Fan-O-Meter will be an everyday occurrence...I'll try to figure out a regular schedule for it.

BROADCAST OPINIONS: I had an idea it may happen, because it was an East Coast game, but I was really hoping it wouldn't happen....but it did. Chris Berman doing the Mets game, along with Duke Castiglione on the field. Ugh. Berman drives me nuts. I really feel for Jeff Brantley - he must just want to take a header out of the booth doing games with Berman. And how often does Berman run out of breath while calling a game? That might be his first hint that he says too much.

I TiVo'ed the ESPN broadcast (much more successfully than last year, incidentally) because DirecTV still does not have a deal with SNY - hopefully that will happen soon. Like, before Wednesday night's game. But I heard/read that SNY had its own problems - losing its feed and its sound, I think. They need to get those things worked out. During spring training is one thing, but this is the real thing now.

One more note on SNY - I can't wait to be able to listen to Gary Cohen doing games, and for the first time in years have no reason to complain about the play-by-play guy.

MINOR MOVE: Just after it seemed the Mets were breaking camp with Pedro Feliciano in the pen, Feliciano was reassigned to Norfolk, and Darren Oliver (who otherwise would have retired) was activated. The Mets figure they're better off having Oliver in case they need to go without Victor Zambrano for an extended period (not likely), and they need Oliver to start. I'd take my chances with Feliciano. Also, Victor Diaz did make the team as a bat off the bench, and he is excited about his role.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The Braves hung on to beat the Dodgers 11-10, after leading that game 8-1. Last year the biggest problem for Atlanta was its bullpen - it doesn't seem, after one game, that things are much better there....Mike Piazza homered to the opposite field in pitcher-friendly PETCO Park in his first San Diego at-bat. He showed he still has that (natural) power...The Marlins hung tough, losing to the Astros, 1-0. The bullpen pitched very well for Florida, and the only run scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch. Maybe they won't be such a cakewalk this year....Vladimir Guerrero looks awful. He still swings the bat really well, but he doesn't even run - he just hobbles.

(CEREMONIAL) FIRST PITCH: It was Orosco to (Hall of Famer) Carter, and Carter, like a dope, tried to ham it up a little bit. Orosco looked like the little kid embarrassed by his friend. Carter toned it down when he saw Orosco wasn't into re-enacting a World Championship celebration.

BEAT THE STREAK: I took Carlos Beltran*, and he did not get a hit. Neither did Grady Sizemore Sunday night. For tomorrow, I have Vernon Wells. No reason, just picked him. In the New Baseball Pool, I picked Houston to have a good week against Florida and Washington. So far, so good.