BOUND TO HAPPEN....

Braves 5, Mets 3 (NYM: 4-1, ATL: 4-1)

I knew the Mets weren't going to go 162-0, but I still wanted to see just how long they could stretch the season-opening win streak. I guess it was just four games. But the Mets were done in by one of the things that keyed them to their 4 straight wins - their defense.

The Mets looked all set after the top of the first, after jumping out to another 1-0 lead - this one from an unlikely source: a homer by Paul Lo Duca. Tom Glavine gave it right back, though, and you could tell by the way he was working that career win number 292 was not going to come easy - of course, it didn't come at all.

The Braves' first started with an innocent grounder to second, which turned into their first baserunner when Carlos Delgado dropped the throw from Jose Valentin. Kelly Johnson then came around to score on a grounder to short. Matt Diaz homered in the second to give the Braves the 2-1 lead, and the Mets their first deficit of the season.

In the fifth, the Mets did their manufacturing run thing, after a leadoff walk by Jose Reyes. He stole second, went to third on a grounder to second by Lo Duca, and then scored on a single by Carlos Beltran. The Mets knocked around John Smoltz, but he seemed to get the outs when he needed to.

Unfortunately for Glavine, the outs couldn't come because of his defense. After no errors in 4 games, the Mets committed two on Saturday. In the bottom of the sixth, with the bases loaded, Shawn Green dropped a Matt Diaz fly ball that allowed one run to score. The next batter, Woodward, flew out to right off Pedro Feliciano, and Green made a nice running catch, but the ball was deep enough to score a run to make it 4-2. Then Joe Smith came on and got a groundball, but it was too slow for Reyes to make a play, so the Braves took a 5-2 lead. All 5 runs were charged to Glavine, but only two were earned.

The much-improved Braves bullpen held the Mets to one run the rest of the way, though the Mets did threaten Bob Wickman in the ninth. Trailing 5-3, Carlos Delgado walked, and David Wright singled (extending his hitting streak on an otherwise horrid day - 3 strikeouts against Smoltz). With two outs and runners on second and third, Green lined one towards right field, but the ball was snared by Craig Wilson at first. A tough way to end the game, but it showed the Mets still have that ability to come back late in games, and you still get the sense that they're never out of a game.

CHICK-FIL-A JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: No one really stood out in this one, so we'll go with Matt Diaz, who had a homer and lifted the fly ball that Shawn Green dropped. At least he put it in play, and you have to give him some credit for that - chances are the then-go-ahead run would have scored anyway. Diaz finished 1-for-2 with 2 RBI and a run scored.

NOTES ON THE GAME: The Braves have no true leadoff hitter, now that Rafael Furcal is gone. They also have no true second baseman. Kelly Johnson is playing second and leading off, but I also noticed this on Friday night, when Chris Woodward was the starting second baseman and leadoff hitter. That's a step back from Furcal, and Marcus Giles at second.

ALSO THE WAY I FEEL: Tim Kurkjian was guest host on Mike & Mike In The Morning the other day (I think it was Thursday), and the subject of the DirecTV/other cable providers Extra Innings packages came up. (An aside: I find the Mike & Mike show to be much more tolerable when someone like Kurkjian or Buster Olney is on for the entire show rather than the regular Mikes...but that's another story for another day.) Kurkjian said he has DirecTV, and the day he got it, he says, "was, other than the days my kids were born, the greatest day of my life." So, he said, it wouldn't be right for other people to not have the opportunity to get the package. I agree.

SNY 2007: Friday night was my first chance to see a Mets game on SNY. Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez were in the booth, and were very good (for the amount I saw before I fell asleep). A couple of notables:
-Slightly newer, snazzier graphics.
-Good ads - one, a tribute to Ron Darling for being named best New York sports analyst (I think, I was a little fuzzy on the award). The other was hilarious - it was a cartoon of Cohen, Darling, and Hernandez sitting on the couch watching the game, and Hernandez keeps saying, "I sound great. Wow, I'm doing a great job." And Darling and Cohen end up taking off Hernandez's mustache, and the announcer says, "Watch the Mets with Gary, Ron, Keith, and Keith's mustache." Good stuff. I hope there are different commercials like that each week. Hilarious.
-Also, forgot to mention this, so might as well here - Lee Mazzilli is the new studio analyst this year. I haven't seen enough of his work to comment yet.

1986 ROUNDUP: I don't remember seeing him all last year on camera, but Roger McDowell is still the Atlanta Braves' pitching coach. They showed him on Friday night, and either Keith or Ron said, "Roger smiled a lot more as a player." I thought that was funny.

MORE BROADCASTING: Caught the Reds' games over the weekend, and Grande was doing the games. Wonder what kind of a rotation they have going there. I'll have to keep an eye on that.

A WORD ON THE WEATHER: This year is more extreme than most, but I feel like every year there's a hubbub about the season-opening weather, and moving all of the openers to warm weather cities. Now, I don't know that that's a foolproof option - I hear there's a chance of snow in Arlington, Texas, for the Red Sox game Saturday night, which is surprising to me, but I feel like this is always a controversy in April every year, and then it dies down and is forgotten. I do feel, however, that this year has been extreme, as I mentioned above, extreme not only in weather, but also in outcry over the weather. And I think there will be some fallout - especially since Cleveland and Seattle are losing a game because of the weather, and because Victor Martinez got hurt in the bad weather, AND because of the controversy on Friday surrounding the weather and the way the game was called off. I don't know how much fallout, but I feel like the situation won't die away so easily, and maybe there will be some change next year.

BEAT THE STREAK: After no hits Friday by Xavier Nady and on Saturday with Derek Jeter, I'm going with as sure a thing as I can on Sunday, with the Cleveland doubleheader. I'll take Grady Sizemore - all he needs is one hit in two games to get me started.

FOURTH IS A ROUT

Mets 11, Braves 1 (NYM: 4-0, ATL: 3-1)

Just like last year, when these 2007 Mets score first on the road, they're tough to beat. And when Craig Wilson misplayed a foul pop to first by THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, Jose Reyes, the Braves might as well have gone home. Shortly after (might have been the next pitch), Reyes delivered a gapper to right-center, which can mean just one thing - triple. He scored on a Paul Lo Duca sac fly, and the Mets led 1-0. In the second, they made it 2-0 after Jose Valentin doubled home Moises Alou, who had doubled.

I didn't make it very far into this game...falling asleep around the third inning. But I did see enough to feel comfortable that the Mets were in good shape. Especially after I woke up at various points when the broadcasters voices got excited, and heard that Jose Reyes had a second triple, and David Wright had two doubles (this is the year he breaks Gilkey's doubles record). Wright also now has a 16-game hitting streak dating back to last season.

The Mets' defense continues to impress. They turned 2 more double plays, and have yet to commit an error. Oliver Perez had an impressive season debut, and also turned in a nice defensive play on a sacrifice bunt attempt in the third (before I dozed). With a runner on first, Mark Redman tried to lay down the bunt, and Perez fielded it, whirled, and got the lead runner at second on a very tough play. Everything's breaking the Mets way right now.

Tom Glavine goes against John Smoltz in the season premiere of FOX Saturday Baseball Saturday afternoon. Should be fun to watch.


LA-Z-BOY JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jose Reyes gets an honorable mention for his 4 RBI on a 3-for-6 night, and any other night he'd get this nod. But the Mets scored 11 runs, and we know what they're capable of at bat. It's Oliver Perez who really impressed last night - 7 IP, 1 ER (a homer by Jeff Francoeur) on 5 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts. The control is a huge issue for Perez. All 4 Mets starters are 1-0, which is fantastic...they've deserved the 'Player of the Game' award being handed down the rotation.

NOTES: Two important things to point out - one of the announcers, I want to say Ron Darling, pointed out that Rick Peterson, when he pitched, was a lefty, with the same arm angle as Oliver Perez. That's information I had never heard before. And that can only be good for Perez.

How about this nugget from the SNY broadcast? Friday night's game between the 3-0 Mets and 3-0 Braves was the first time since 1894 that two undefeated National League teams who had played 3 games or more had matched up. 1894!! And that was NOT a typo.

One more thing - wonder how many times Jose Reyes and David Wright have hit multiple triples and doubles, respectively, in a game. That might have been a first, now that I think about it.

SO FAR, METS ARE PITCHER PERFECT

Mets 10, Cardinals 0 (NYM: 3-0, STL: 0-3)

How about a three-game series where you outscore your opponents 20-2? How about if that opponent is the defending world champion? OK, they're still the mediocre, lightning-in-a-2-week-bottle-that-was-the-2006-post-season-Cardinals, but it's still an impressive way to begin the 2007 season for the Mets.

Even more impressive - three starts, 3-0 for the starters. John Maine completed a solid turn by the Mets' top three with 7 shutout innings, giving up just one hit. Maine retired the first 12 he faced before giving up a hit, and then walked a batter, before ending his outing by setting down 9 of 10. (He also pitched out of his mini-jam very well, getting a strikeout, lineout, and flyout with those two men on.

By the way - I seem to remember that Maine did this a lot last year, too, where he'd make it through the lineup once, one and a half times, even twice, without giving up a hit. Then they'd figure him out...but he's picking up this year right where he left off.

The Mets were facing their former closer, Braden Looper, who was making his first career start after 572 appearances - the third-most appearances all time before making his first start. Looper was good his first couple of times through the order, too, before the Mets got to him. In the top of the sixth, Paul Lo Duca singled, and Carlos Beltran then deposited a pitch into the right field seats for a 2-0 Mets lead. That same inning, with two outs, David Wright legged out an infield single to shortstop (he's not driving in runs in the first three games- so it was good to see him get a hustle hit - this was just a slow roller to short), then later came around to score on a Shawn Green single, making it 3-0. That run was earned by Wright, by beating out that infield hit.

The Mets then blew the game open - in the seventh, Jose Reyes had a solo homer, then Beltran hit his second of the game, a solo shot (4 RBI), and then in the 8th the Mets added 5 more to make the final score 10-0. Definitely an exclamation point to a big statement made by the Mets in the first three games of the season.

The Mets have Thursday off before taking on the Braves for three games in Atlanta. I think the Mets finally exorcised this "House of Horrors" stuff with their success in Atlanta last season. We'll see if it carries over into this year. I might take Thursday off too - these have been some late nights after the 8 o'clock starts. I'll write again on Friday, if nothing else important comes up before then.

WB MASON JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: Again, we have to go with the starting pitcher. John Maine went 7 innings of one-hit ball...there is no more deserving candidate. Tack on 6 strikeouts, and just two walks, and you have yourself a great start to the season.

SWEEPING THE CARDINALS: I noted in my last posting how wrong I thought people were who were saying that the season-opening win by the Mets was revenge for the NLCS. (The scale is just so different between post-season and beating the team that won it all the previous season...you just can't take that title away from them.) But by sweeping the Cardinals, while they're not getting revenge, the Mets are sending a huge message. I don't think the Cardinals will be around in October, but it's more of a message to everyone - we know what we missed out on last year, and we're here to fix it. Also - I read somewhere a comparison to 1985/1986, where the Cardinals edged the Mets in September to win the division in 1985, then the Mets came back and swept the Cardinals in April of 1986 en route to the championship. That's a more accurate comparison.

BROADCASTERS: So I caught a bit of the Reds-Cubs game on Wednesday night, and I was surprised to see Thom Brennaman and Jeff Brantley broadcasting the game. Must be a lot of broadcaster shakeup around the league, what with Gary Thorne now doing Baltimore, and these two now doing the Reds. I'm not sure I'm crazy about the switch - I've never been a big fan of Brennaman, and you may remember I kind of liked George Grande. I'll have to keep an eye on the other broadcasting switches...and perhaps do a new evaluation.

BEAT THE STREAK: Vladimir Guerrero got me going again (so mad that I didn't pick him Tuesday night)...I look to A-Rod to continue it on Thursday against the Devil Rays.

EL DUQUE RINGS UP CARDS

Mets 4, Cardinals 1 (NYM: 2-0, STL: 0-2)


(Note: The 8 o'clock starts are late on school nights. Excuse this post if it's a bit disjointed - I'm writing parts before the game is over, so that I can finalize it when the game ends, publish, and go right to bed.)

The Cardinals handed out their championship rings before game 2 of the season, and the Mets soured another celebration in St. Louis with a 4-1 win. Orlando Hernandez pitched an outstanding game, and the Mets turned in some more solid defense, making their 4 runs stand up.

The Mets manufactured a run right out of the gates - after Jose Reyes drew a leadoff walk, he almost got picked off, but on the next pickoff throw, was able to advance to second on a wild throw by Kip Wells. So with Reyes at second, Paul Lo Duca laid down a bunt, and a Carlos Beltran fly ball to center brought Reyes home from third. That's what the Mets did all last year, jumping out to early leads.

In the fifth, Reyes again created another run - with 2 outs he singled, then stole second. Lo Duca lined one to right field, which was badly misplayed by Skip Schumaker (ruled an error), and Reyes scored to make it 2-0.

El Duque was great on the mound (see below), but also at the plate - he was 2-for-3, and picked up 2 RBI with the bases loaded in the sixth after an intentional walk to Jose Valentin (who wouldn't walk Valentin in that situation?). Hernandez grounded one down the third base line, and Valentin was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first, but it gave the Mets a 4-0 lead.

The Mets turned 3 more double plays Tuesday night, giving them 7 in two games. I tried to look up in the media guide if that's some sort of record, but I could only find double plays in a game - 5. Love that book, though.

The bullpen got a wee bit shaky in the eighth inning. Scott Schoeneweis got two straight outs before getting runners on first and third, with Albert Pujols coming up. So Aaron Heilman was brought in, and he got Pujols to fly to center. Billy Wagner pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save.

The Mets go for the season-opening sweep of the Cardinals on Wednesday with John Maine on the mound against none other than Braden Looper. That should be fun.

AUTOTRADER JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. I hate to see this be the starting pitcher all the time - but the past two outings have deserved it. Hernandez went 7 innings, giving up one run (a solo homer to Scott Rolen), and walking just 2, giving up 5 hits. He didn't strike anyone out, but started two of the Mets' three double plays. He gave the Mets just the kind of start they're going to need from him all year - it's a nice way to get started. His big problem last year was consistency - one good start followed by a bad start, so now his next start looms large - string together a few like this, and the Mets are in great shape.

I've just decided that I'm going to keep a tally of the "Player of the Game" players that I award over the year. The winner will get a watch...or nothing. Most likely nothing.

NOTES: I've been reading some recaps of the Opening Night game between the Mets and Cardinals, and some people are writing that the Mets exacted revenge on the Cardinals for the NLCS by winning Sunday night. Uh....I don't think so. Those two don't quite equate.

The Cardinals gave their fans replica rings. Pretty neat. That's a giveaway I'd like, if it was for my team.

Also, the Cardinals are allowed to wear uniforms with gold trim around their names and numbers, because they are the champs. I actually like the way the unis look. I'm not sure if this is something new baseball is doing, or if it's something the Cardinals requested. I don't remember the Red Sox or White Sox having that option. It's a neat idea.

Finally, I watched this game on FSN Midwest, so I had Joe Buck. He got a World Series ring, because he's the Cardinals announcer. Seems to me that's some sort of conflict of interest.

LOOKING AHEAD: I was checking out the Mets' schedule. July looks particularly tough. There are 10 home games, and 16 road games. It looks more intimidating on the schedule than it sounds...but there are a couple of lengthy road trips.

Also schedule-related...there are only 20 off days all season, counting the days before and after the All Star Game. And that also counts Monday, and this Thursday, and next Tuesday. So 17 off days after a week from today. It seems like a lot more during the course of the season - each off day feels like 2 or 3 to me.

MASN NEWS: The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network airs both Nationals and Orioles games (there's a MASN2 this year - I'm pretty sure there wasn't last year), and there are broadcasting developments that I caught on Tuesday night. It sounds like Gary Thorne is now doing Orioles games, which is fantastic. I'm pretty positive it was Thorne, not seeing the booth at all, just hearing some audio. But you don't mistake Gary Thorne's voice. And the analyst on the Nationals' post-game show was 1986 World Series MVP Ray Knight. Didn't stick around long enough to see how he did...but it's nice to know where to find him.

BOOF: I was watching MASN2 because our old pal Boof Bonser was pitching for the Twins against the O's. He did well. Not sure we'll be following him here this year like we did last year. The secret's out - he's a good pitcher with a funny name. Also, I wasn't even smart enough to pick him up in my fantasy league - someone else grabbed him. Whoops. Some fan I am. (For the record, Bonser went 6 innings, striking out 6, and giving up 2 runs, getting a no decision in the Twins win.)

BEAT THE STREAK: Not sure how this snuck under my radar the past two days, but Vladimir Guerrero is playing against the Texas Rangers - that's an automatic Beat the Streak pick. They're an afternoon game on Wednesday, too, so I won't have to stay up late to see how he did...like tonight with Mike Piazza. So far, as I'm about to turn in, Piazza does not have a hit.

WHAT A DAY!

I love Opening Day...even if it falls on the in-between day for the Mets, when they don't have a game. I love watching all of the different games....even if I am at school for most of them, and don't get to watch the afternoon games. I love looking at the scoreboard pages of the website, and seeing full boxscores of games that count.

One day does not a season make, but these were things that stood out to me on Opening Day:

-The Royals beat the Red Sox - pretty convincingly. A lot of people in the national media are pretty down on the Sox. And I've mentioned I think the Royals will surprise some people...maybe they're even better than I thought?

-Brad Lidge - slowly but surely, he's becoming less effective. He just blew a save for the Astros against the Pirates by giving up a homer to Xavier Nady with 2 out in the ninth.

-Dominant Pitching Performances - The headliner here is Felix Hernandez of Seattle - 8 innings of 3-hit, 12-strikeout ball. Ben Sheets went 9 innings for the Brewers, giving up just 2 hits and one run. And Gil Meche of the aforementioned Royals went 6-and-a-third, giving up just one run on six hits, and striking out 6.

-The Yankees Lineup - Sure, you can say they were just playing the Devil Rays, but they can hit. They took a lead, then fell behind, and then outscored Tampa the rest of the way. Scott Kazmir, incidentally, was touched up for 5 runs in 5 innings.

I'm just sitting here trying to think of other notables, and I'm realizing that I don't think anyone in baseball is opening a new stadium this year. That's worth noting these days.

RUBBING IT IN?: Tuesday night before the Mets-Cardinals game, the Cardinals will hand out their championship rings. This, in front of the Mets, who had to sit through the banner-raising ceremony Sunday night. The Cardinals say it's not to rub it in - they just didn't want to overload Sunday night with ceremonies. I don't care, to be honest. I'd rather the Cardinals tick the Mets off, show them what they could have had...give them more fire in their bellies for this year. Orlando Hernandez pitches for the Mets against Kip Wells on Tuesday.

ESPN PICKS: Forgot to mention this on Sunday night, but I caught the end of 'Baseball Tonight' before the Mets-Cardinals game, and the crew made their picks. Peter Gammons picked the Mets over the Red Sox in 7 games in the World Series (with Pedro* going against the Sox), Tim Kurkjian took the Yankees over the Mets, and Karl Ravech took the Red Sox over the Mets. Just FYI.

A THOUGHT ON THE NUMBER 2 SPOT: So Paul Lo Duca showed that he's fine hitting second. I had mentioned that I'd love to see David Wright hitting there, to get some more at-bats in games. The difference between Lo Duca and Wright, though, is that Wright strikes out a lot. Lo Duca does not, so he's probably better suited for the 2 spot for now because he puts the ball in play, giving him a chance to move Jose Reyes around the bases, if not drive him in.

MEDIA GUIDE: I think I mentioned that my dad got a mini ticket plan, where he gets the home Tuesday and Friday games. Along with the purchase of those tickets, the Mets sent him a media guide...which was forwarded to me today. Fantastic. I'll never want for stats again (until 2008, I guess). I'll put it to good use.

BEAT THE STREAK: Chase Utley gave me a 2-gamer on this early season. I will go with Mike Piazza of the Oakland A's against Jarrod Washburn on Tuesday.

ANOTHER SEASON UNDERWAY....

Mets 6, Cardinals 1 (NYM: 1-0, STL: 0-1)

When you consider that the Mets played a great game on Sunday night, you also need to keep in mind that the Cardinals (defending world champions or not) are not very good. So just keep that in mind.

But that said, Sunday night's game was a great way for the Mets to kick off their season. The funny thing about the Mets productivity was where it came from. The top of the lineup was a bit late to the run-scoring party, and it was Shawn Green, Moises Alou, and Jose Valentin who played very good games for the Mets.

Carlos Delgado, RBI machine, actually did get the scoring started. He had a 2-run double off the left field wall in the third inning off Chris Carpenter. (The ball was badly misplayed by So Taguchi.) In the fourth, the Mets added a few more on a 2-run single by Paul LoDuca and another RBI single by Carlos Beltran. Lo Duca hit second, by the way, and David Wright hit fifth. It seemed to work pretty well.

Jose Reyes looked a little anxious at the plate - he finally got a hit in the ninth inning (and then was picked off of first base) - so maybe a little opening night jitters for him. At the plate, I think the Mets showed only a little of what they're capable of all year - they were definitely not all clicking at the same time - and they still put up 6 runs!

It was in the field that the Mets surprised - pleasantly. They turned four double plays, Tom Glavine fielded his position very well, and Jose Valentin capped a solid defensive night both personally and for the team with a diving stab on a grounder up the middle, turning a 4-6-3 double play with the bases loaded and 1 out in the eighth inning, where the Cardinals were mounting a comeback.

Other defensive highlights:
-It wasn't much, but Paul LoDuca played a squeeze bunt in the third inning perfectly, throwing back to David Wright to get the runner coming from third base.
-Carlos Beltran gunned David Eckstein at the plate on a Preston Wilson single in the sixth inning. The grounder up the middle went right to Beltran, he came up throwing, and threw a strike to LoDuca.
-To begin the sixth, Moises Alou stretched out headfirst and robbed Adam Kennedy of a base hit.

The only disappointment was that this game got a little too close for comfort at a couple of points - Glavine clearly got tired toward the end of his outing, and the bullpen wasn't outstanding - they were helped by the great defense. Joe Smith debuted, and wasn't great. Billy Wagner was his old self in non-save situations, taking forever to retire the side in the ninth.

But a win is a win - and the Mets are 1-0. Too early to start with the magic number?

DIRECTV JOHNNYMETS.BLOGSPOT.COM PLAYER OF THE GAME: A new feature here on johnnymets.blogspot.com. I'll pick a player of the game, Met or not, and post their numbers here every night. Sponsorships are subject to change. For Game one, though, the winner is Tom Glavine, who went 6 innings, giving up 6 hits, one run, and striking out 2. He definitely tired at the end, but benefitted from the run support, working with a cushion, and able to pitch out of his jam. He picked up career win 291, and is 1-0 on the season. I like unblemished records. Also, this was a gem that the ESPN broadcast showed - Glavine is now 136-0 when he has a 5-run lead (which he did when this one was 5-0). I like that number a lot.

THIS IS SPORTSCENTER: David Wright is clearly a star. He is in a new "This is SportsCenter" ad on ESPN. I saw it on Saturday night, not during the game on Sunday night. Wright is good in the commercial - he has some acting in his future. I bet he hosts Saturday Night Live within a year.

THE KID'S KIDS: Sadly, there will be no Kid's Kids this year - because there are no Kid's Kids. Gary Carter will not be managing in the Mets' organization this year - he is reportedly upset - or in the words of the Florida newspaper article I read - "Disagrees" with the Mets this offseason regarding their preferred assignment for him. (I think that means he's mad he didn't get the first base coaching job that Howard Johnson got instead.) Carter was on hand about a week ago for a Mets spring training game where his St. Lucie Mets were honored with rings for their Florida State League championship. I'll keep my ear to the ground and see what other news pops up about Carter this year, but again, there will be no regular feature.

BEAT THE STREAK: The 9th inning single by Reyes got me a 1-game streak. I'm going to try Chase Utley on Monday against John Smoltz.

MEET THE 2007 METS

The roster is set. Lastings Milledge and Ambiorix Burgos will be heading to St. Louis for the season opener, Chan Ho Park and Jon Adkins will not. Here's a breakdown of the 2007 Mets (please note the size of the picture has nothing to do with favoritism):

THE LINEUP

SS - JOSE REYES - Becoming one of the best leadoff men in the game. My pick for National League MVP this year. Also might win a gold glove one of these days. The Mets are lucky to have him.







3B - DAVID WRIGHT - Again, Mets are lucky to have him. I place him here, because Willie Randolph has been putting Wright in the two spot, and moving Paul LoDuca down in the order, and if I could choose, I'd want Wright in the two spot. A little pop (of which LoDuca has very little) as well as a few more at-bats per game for Wright. So maybe Willie will read this and take what I want into consideration.



CF - CARLOS BELTRAN - Hopefully Beltran will pick up where he left off last year, and have another MVP-type season. Also, I remember in Little League, when I made the last out of my team's season (although, I grounded out to short and didn't strike out LOOKING), I remembered that all the way through the next season and came back with a monster year. Just saying, Carlos.


1B - CARLOS DELGADO - Solid production is all I'm asking for. A higher batting average than last year would be nice, too.






LF - MOISES ALOU - I've said it before, I'll say it again. This has been the quietest spring ever by a big-name acquisition. What does that mean? I don't know. A quietly productive season would be great, but too much quiet this season would be bad news.




RF - SHAWN GREEN - The jury's out. He was a good clubhouse influence, so far as I could tell, during the Mets' stretch run last year. He's not going to be clubbing 40 homers at Shea, but if he's around .280, 20 HR, I think I'd be happy with that.





C - PAUL LODUCA - Not sure if LoDuca and Green may swap positions in the lineup, but LoDuca will see a slight decrease in playing time this year, so perhaps Ramon Castro will be in this spot more often. Critics say LoDuca will not be able to match his hot hitting of a year ago...I think he'll hit for a good average, especially if Randolph holds to his promise to rest LoDuca more.



2B - JOSE VALENTIN - I'd be surprised, if the Mets are having another very good season, if Valentin is a major part of it. I'd also be surprised if he's the starting second baseman by year's end. If anyone had a career season last year that won't be repeated, it's Valentin.


THE BENCH

The problem with Valentin is that there's no suitable replacement on the Mets' bench right now. (The bench above, from left to right: Ramon Castro, Endy Chavez, Damion Easley, Julio Franco, Lastings Milledge, and David Newhan.) I'd love for Damion Easley to be that sparkplug off the bench that the Mets have had in recent years in Marlon Anderson or Jose Valentin, but I don't think Easley will be taking away anyone's job. Ramon Castro is a good backup for LoDuca - about what you'd want for a backup catcher. Chavez will get plenty of playing time this year, subbing for Alou, who will get plenty of rest, and Green. Milledge is here for the time being, he'll probably be sent down when the Mets need their fifth starter. Franco is more of a coach than a player at this point, and it's getting to the point where the Mets are wasting a bench spot on him. And I really like David Newhan. He can play the outfield or first base. I picked him up in a fantasy league when he had a really hot streak going with the Orioles a couple of years ago - he's capable of doing good things. Too bad he's only played a very limited amount of time in his career at second base.

THE ROTATION

TOM GLAVINE - 10 wins from 300 in his career. He'll get there, but hopefully this isn't one of those situations where the team starts pressing trying to achieve a milestone. Glavine seems to have been reborn with the Mets' success. I expect a good year.




ORLANDO HERNANDEZ - El Duque has already complained about some neck stiffness. His ability to stay healthy will be one of the main factors for the Mets all year - if for no other reason than it's better to have El Duque in the rotation than Chan Ho Park. Park was sent down because there was no room for him in the bullpen or the rotation - if the Mets need to call him up (a la last year, using 13 starters), it will most likely be due to an injur y to this man.
JOHN MAINE - Last year couldn't have done anything but help his confidence. He's got a pad now, as the number three guy, and shouldn't have to worry about being dropped from the rotation due to a bad start. That all adds up to a comfortable season, and hopefully a successful one.

OLIVER PEREZ - I really think Perez is going to shock people this year. This year is the first time Perez will be with a successful team - I bet he rises to the challenge. I can't wait for him to prove me right.



MIKE PELFREY - I'm so glad the Mets went with Pelfrey over a veteran retread. The exposure to the Majors that Pelfrey will receive can only do him good this year, and down the road for the Mets. And, I think he'll have a good season, to boot.



PEDRO MARTINEZ* (MAN-IN-WAITING) - Pedro* should be back by August, if all goes according to plan, and hopefully be very effective by September. That means the Mets get better right when they're turning the corner towards the post-season (hopefully).




THE BULLPEN

(From left to right: Aaron Sele, Ambiorix Burgos, Joe Smith, Pedro Feliciano, Scott Schoeneweis [whose name I have been spelling wrong until now], Aaron Heilman, and Billy Wagner.) Aaron Sele won the long-relief job held by Darren Oliver last year. Oliver did a great job, especially in the clutch situations in the post-season. Sele has some big shoes to fill. I liked the acquisition of Ambiorix Burgos, even though it came at the expense of Brian Bannister. I equated him to the Mets' new Guillermo Mota, who had been suspended for steroid use. Then the Mets re-signed Mota, and I wondered why they acquired Burgos. But Burgos throws hard, and showed enough promise this spring to make the team right out of spring training, so hopefully some work with Rick Peterson will make him an asset. Joe Smith has a tricky sidearm delivery, so he'll bring a different look out of the 'pen. Pedro Feliciano has been effective, despite saying some things that have gotten him into my doghouse. Scott Schoeneweis is another lefty out of the bullpen, and I like that acquisition as well. Aaron Heilman isn't happy doing what he's doing, but he sure is effective. He'll probably take last season's NLCS loss more personally for giving up the game-deciding homer in Game 7 than Carlos Beltran for taking the last strike. I expect him to come out and have a great year. Billy Wagner is again the closer. I wonder how much longer he'll be dominant...hopefully he'll have at least this year.

FANTASY NEWS: No "Survivor" yet, but mlb.com has "Beat the Streak" up, so I encourage you to sign up. I already have Jose Reyes for Sunday night. I didn't see the option to create our own league...but if it presents itself, I will be doing it and letting you know about it.

I'll be back Sunday night with the first posting of the season!

ONE-TRACK MIND

Honest to goodness, when it gets this close to baseball season I have a one track mind. I'm able to shift my focus to schoolwork during the school day...but almost every other second it's "MetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMetsMets." Really, it is. I even talk to The Baby about the Mets, like she gives a hoot. But that's the reason I created this here blog - so I can spare the ones I love with these types of verbal assaults. So here's what's on my mind right now:

-Jose Reyes, aka THE GREATEST BALLPLAYER WHO EVER LIVED - I keep forgetting to mention this, but I need to change my NL MVP vote from last week in my season predictions. I have to go with Reyes. The guy is getting all sorts of national recognition now, and people know how valuable he is to the Mets. If he stays healthy and has another year like he did last year, and the Mets need him more this year than last year, because it will be a tighter race...Jose Reyes will be the NL MVP. (I had said Ryan Howard, which isn't a bad thought, but Reyes might get it this year.)

-Duaner Sanchez - Sanchez's comeback from last season's shoulder injury, suffered in an off-hours taxicab accident in Miami, took a big hit. Sanchez might not be back now until August, after feeling/hearing a pop in his shoulder while pitching the other day. I would not expect Sanchez to be effective this year. Also, I get the feeling this might be very, very serious, and possible career-ending...or at least, ending Sanchez's career with the Mets. He's in Willie Randolph's doghouse, after reporting overweight, and this injury just keeps getting worse, it seems.

- Ben Johnson and Jon Adkins - The other day I mentioned that both of the former Padres, who the Mets got in exchange for Royce Ring and Heath Bell, could open the season in the minors. Well, Adkins has no options, so he might be dealt before the season opens. Johnson might get the chance to start the season on the Mets roster because of an injury to......

-Lastings Milledge - he hurt his hand the other day, and it's still causing him pain, so he might not be with the Mets come Sunday night. Too bad, because he worked hard this spring and deserved to break camp with the team. But Ben Johnson might keep his roster spot warm (which was only keeping Mike Pelfrey's roster spot warm until the Mets needed their fifth starter).

-Scott Schoenweis - The last thing that I spend some time thinking about during the day is the Mets' newest reliever. I always liked watching Schoenweis pitch with the Angels...although his numbers haven't been the greatest...I look forward to seeing him contribute with the Mets.

WHEN WE LAST LEFT THE METS......

This picture pretty much sums up the last time we saw the Mets. It captures the disappointment of the moment - Carlos Beltran having just looked at strike three with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7 of the NLCS. (I don't care how tough of a curveball Adam Wainwright throws...I maintain that with the salary Beltran is making, you take the bat off of your shoulder. I could have watched that curve fall in for strike three, and I'm not making 17 million a year.)

So that leads us to "When We Last Left The Mets...", a new game that will help part of another day pass as we head towards Opening Day:

(I won't repeat it, so each of the following statements begins with...)

WHEN WE LAST LEFT THE METS.....

...(and perhaps this is the most telling indication of how long it's been)....I had a newborn daughter. The Baby will be 6 months old on Opening Day. She can't wait for Sunday night.

....Pedro Martinez* was injured. Pedro* is still recovering from said injury.

...Aaron Heilman wanted to start but was coming out of the bullpen. Not much new there.

....The Mets rotation was Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, John Maine, and Oliver Perez. That was in the post-season. The rotation is exactly the same now, but with Mike Pelfrey the number five guy.

...The Mets had a sidearming righty coming out of the bullpen. They still do, though it's someone else - Joe Smith for Chad Bradford.

....The Mets had a washed-up former lefty starter doing wonderful work in long relief. The Mets now have a washed-up former righty starter taking over that role - hopefully Aaron Sele can do as well as Darren Oliver did. (Although Sele has Scott Erickson written all over him.)

...The Mets had an aging slugger in left field prone to injury, hitting from the left side of the plate. The Mets now have an aging slugger in left field prone to injury and hitting from the right side of the plate.

...The Mets had two young superstars on the left side of the infield. No change there. (Though David Wright needs to pace himself better to be fresher come October, and Jose Reyes can't try too hard in the post-season - he got into his old habits in October, and popped the ball up like he used to. He didn't perform like he did in the 2006 regular season.)

...The Mets didn't have a reliable second baseman. They still don't.

A lot has changed (mostly faces), but a lot remains the same this year. Perhaps most importantly remaining the same are the expectations - the fans expect great things. I don't think it's a bad thing that the Mets are opening up in St. Louis this year, where the Cardinals will be raising the banner in front of the team they defeated en route to that unlikely championship. Hopefully it will stick in the Mets' craw until they are raising their own banner in April of 2008.

OTHER THINGS:

-The pitcher I hinted at the other day (see post below) that I think is going to have a great season is Randy Wolf. He's with Los Angeles, great pitcher's park, and he has had the arm surgery which will make him more mechanically sound. The Dodgers are going to be very good - maybe the best in the league.

-Still no fantasy games up on mlb.com. I'll keep you posted so that you can join the leagues that I create.

-I haven't talked about it much (haven't written much), but the Mets have not had a good spring training. I know that doesn't mean much...but it'd be nice if they entered the season feeling good about themselves.

-Looks like the first Mets game I will be attending this year will be Friday, April 20th against Atlanta. That's the Friday of April break, the weekend before we go back to school.

-Also, The Wife has planned our summer trip. She thinks we can get away with driving to Ohio with The Baby, so we're hitting Cincinnati (against Milwaukee...on Frank Robinson Bobblehead Night - I can't tell you how excited I am about that), and Cleveland, who will be playing The Wife's BoSox.

-Just saw this on the internet...Interestingly, involving former Mets all around. The Marlins traded Yusmeiro Petit (former hot prospect in the Mets organization, involved in the Carlos Delgado trade) to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Jorge Julio and cash. Seems like a high price for the Marlins....but Petit's numbers weren't so great last year, maybe they're giving up on him.

ROUNDUP

A week and a day away from the beginning of the season! I have to get a post in here or there before the game recaps take over all of my time.

I was switching around as I watched the Rangers beat the Bruins in a shootout, and discovered I had the Mets game today on SNY. Not sure how DirecTV works this, but they black out most preseason baseball games, and I only catch them once in a while. I've seen parts of about three Mets spring training games this year. But I caught a little of the split squad loss to the Orioles, and there were a couple of things worth noting:

-Chan Ho Park pitched three perfect innings, then was lifted for Joe Smith (more on him in a minute). Park was apparently really mad about being taken out of the game. The plan is to use him again on Monday, and see if he can handle being used more than once every fifth day, and compete with Aaron Sele in a long relief role. (The role vacated by Darren Oliver's departure to Anaheim.) Sele has apparently had a good spring.

-Smith is a sidearming righty. He's the Chad Bradford replacement (he signed with Baltimore), and has wowed the Mets this spring, and will likely be in the bullpen to start the season. Interestingly, with a much more mature Lastings Milledge showing up at camp (haven't written about that at all - but it seems like he did some growing up this off-season), and Smith taking up a bullpen role, it seems both Padres the Mets got this off-season in exchange for Royce Ring and Heath Bell will be starting the season in the minors. There doesn't look like there will be room for Ben Johnson or Jon Adkins. Milledge is expected to start the season on the bench, but in the majors, as the Mets won't need a fifth starter until mid-April, so Milledge will stay with the team until then.

-Speaking of that fifth starter, it's looking more and more like Mike Pelfrey, which is just outstanding. Pelfrey is going to be very, very good, and I think he's better off at this point being with the major league team than off in the minors. Besides the fact that I think he's a better option than some of the flotsam the Mets have been collecting to fill that role. As for the other exciting young Mets pitcher, Philip Humber will be starting the season in the minors...and most likely spending the entire year there. He'll be a factor next year, but I wouldn't expect him to get more than a cup of coffee in the bigs this year.

-Is it just me, or is Moises Alou having just about the quietest spring training in the history of sports? I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I still say he has to prove to me that he's worth the Mets' acquisition.

-Carlos Delgado is in no danger of missing any regular season time due to the birth of his child. His wife went into labor this weekend, and Delgado went to Puerto Rico to be with her, so he'll be ready on April 1st.

-Pedro Martinez* is still on track in his recovery, taking his throwing program to the next level.

FANTASY ROUNDUP: Here's a rundown of what I'm doing fantasy sports-wise this year, since you're bound to hear about these things throughout the baseball season:

1. East Coast Bias - This is the only fantasy baseball league I thought I'd ever do for the rest of my life (more on that later), with Justin from NYC, The Southern Bureau, and Dave in Brighton. It's fun and it's different. We can only pick players from the AL and NL East (making scouting easier), and we have different categories than the average league. I came in 3rd place last year, after leading most of the first half, then falling out of second place on the last day of the season as I threw all my hopes onto 7 different starting pitchers (none of them good) on the final day of the aforementioned season. I am determined to win our trophy this year.

2. The Orange Couch - Named for The Southern Bureau's blog, this league was created primarly for The Southern Bureau's dad, so that he had a league to play in, after their long-time league disbanded. So it's a good bunch of guys (featuring the same 4 from East Coast Bias, along with 6 others, including Dave in Brighton's dad, too), and it's a full player universe. So even though I thought I'd never be doing another fantasy league like this, here I am. I want to do respectably well in this league. And one of the biggest banes of fantasy baseball - player trades - has been a good experience for me so far. On a whim, I offered Ramon Hernandez for Mike Piazza, who you all know I like this year. The other player countered with Hernandez and Octavio Dotel for Piazza, which I thought was too much, so I thought no deal would happen, until finally I threw out there Hernandez and Jonathan Broxton for Piazza, and I landed him. So I'm happy about that. Coming soon: I feel good about a certain pitcher in the majors this year, who I forgot to mention in the season preview. He's still a free agent in this league, and I will pick him up on Sunday to fill Broxton's roster spot. Stay tuned to find out who I'm talking about.

3. I will be doing my New Baseball Pool again this year. It was a huge success last year, and has grown this year.

4. Beat the Streak - I love it. Can't wait for it to start up - it's always one of the last things mlb.com gets going. I will create a league, and I hope you all join up to compete against me. Someday I'll get to 57 games....this year, I hope to get past 17.

5. mlb.com also has a fun game called Survivor. You pick teams until you lose. It's fun, it's free. I won't start a league, but I'll be playing, I'll let you know if I win anything.

SUNDAY COMICS: One of my small enjoyments in life is that I read the comics in the newspaper everyday. I read most of them, there are a couple I skip. One that I skip is called 'Zippy The Pinhead'...or sometimes, just 'Zippy'. But this caught my eye in the Sunday comics a week or two ago. I don't read this comic because I never get it....it's not funny, it doesn't even make sense. This one doesn't either, but I had to point it out. Poor Mr. Met...how did he get involved in something like this?!

THE 2007 PICKS

I figure if I don't do this now, I'm in danger of never doing it. In my limited spring training write-ups, I've been somewhat critical of the Mets. It's not that I don't think they'll be good...it's just that I don't think they'll be as good all season as they were last year. But I think this team has the chance to hit its stride at the most important time - September and October - which is the opposite of what happened last year. So, without further ado:

THE NL EAST

A lot of people are down on the Mets. I agree with a lot of what they are saying, but it's not the end of the world. The Mets just aren't going to be as good as they were last year...but they'll still be good. The problems are:

1) The rest of the NL East is better (except for Washington, who I hear might set the record for losses in a season)

2) The Mets' pitching is weaker.

BUT!!

The Mets can still outhit 90% of the National League, and they will still win the division.

The Phillies, I think, will run away with the wild card this year. I think the NL East will be a 2-horse race (I don't buy the Braves for a full year, and the Marlins will take a step back), and the Mets will pull away from the Phillies in September with a healthy Pedro* leading the way...but the Phillies will still be better than the rest of the National League.

NL CENTRAL

Surprise here is the Cincinnati Reds...mostly by process of elimination. Carlos Zambrano guaranteeing a world championship pretty much guarantees the opposite. The Astros will probably finish second, but they're not going to be very good. St. Louis shouldn't have been the division champ last year, let alone the other things they did afterwards (*sigh*), and they'll be third place this year. Then the Cubs. Then the Brewers, then Pirates. So the Reds sustain for the full year what they started and couldn't maintain last year.

NL WEST

The only other good team in the National League (outside of the Mets and Phillies) will be the Los Angeles Dodgers, who I feel are much improved this year. They'll win this division easily, outpacing the Padres (under new management), Rockies (improved, but not great), Diamondbacks, and Giants.

NLCS: I think Mets over Phillies, but I can see the Dodgers getting past Philly too. Mets to the World Series.

AL EAST

The Red Sox did a lot of tweaking, and improving. The Yankees got rid of some problems, but still have the usual baggage (A-Rod). I say Sox win the division, and Yankees get the wild card, and next year the Jays and Orioles make their move (with the Devil Rays maybe a couple of years away?).

AL CENTRAL

Here's where I think a lot will happen in 2007. The Detroit Tigers had too many career years by some aging guys (Kenny Rogers) and young guys last year. I don't think they'll repeat that. I think Gary Sheffield might be on an island, and the Tigers won't recapture the glory they experienced last year, as age catches up to some, and the league catches up to the young guys. The Indians, I think, will be better, like 2 seasons ago, but not great. The White Sox will be good, maybe third place behind the Indians, and ahead of the Tigers. But I think the Twins win the division - I think they're the best team. Now, the big news: I think the Royals will be a lot better. I think they'll be over .500, and be the most improved team in baseball. I can't particularly tell you why, but I think they had a smart offseason, and improved themselves in the right areas.

AL WEST

The A's win this division. They lost Barry Zito, but they'll have a (hopefully) healthy Rich Harden back for an entire season, so they're right back to where they were last year. And I think Mike Piazza will be what Frank Thomas was last year for them. The Texas Rangers are a chic pick to win the West (especially since Buck Showalter is now gone...and we know his history), but I don't think they'll pass the A's.

ALCS: The Sox and Yanks make early exits, and the Twins have the pitching to outlast the A's.

WORLD SERIES: Mets in 6. Why not? It's a new season. Hope springs eternal.

AWARDS

NL MVP: Ryan Howard. He's going to carry the Phillies all year, especially in that park.

AL MVP: I want to say someone different here, but I think I have to go with David Ortiz. If the Red Sox win the division, like I think they will, he will be the main reason why.

NL CY YOUNG: Despite Cole Hamels' claim that he'll win 20, this award will go to Carlos Zambrano, who will then take the money and run in free agency.

AL CY YOUNG: Hmm...Rich Harden.

NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: I don't know any NL rookies. If Mike Pelfrey qualifies, I'll say him...but I fear he doesn't qualify.

AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Let's go with Daisuke Matsuzaka. Why not.

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Let's say he stays healthy and playing in his hometown....Cliff Floyd puts up some nice numbers in Chicago.

So there are the picks. I'll still be distracted this weekend by the NCAA tournament (I'm having a great bracket this year so far...one of my best ever in 14 years of keeping track), and then school has been busy...and I'm busy setting up the "New Baseball Pool II"....but I'll be ready to go for the regular season. So please keep checking back.

PURE HILARITY

A couple of funny items, the first an e-mail, of course from none other than Justin in NYC, and then a joke of my own making:

"IM A COUPLE DAYS BEHIND.. I JUST READ ABOUT HOW YOU READ BASEBALL PREVIEWS.. AND IT ONCE AGAIN REINFORCED HOW YOU ARE INSANE.. JUST LIKE ME.
WHILE I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC SYSTEM FOR READING PREVIEW ISSUES (EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I FORCE MYSELF TO READ EVERY WORD AND NOT SKIP AHEAD TO MY FAVORITE TEAM, NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE LISTED IN THE TABLE OF CONTENTS).. I DO HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC PROCEDURE FOR READING SPORTS ILLUSTRATED...

1) LOOK AT THE THREE PICTURES AT THE FRONT
2) I ALWAYS SKIP THE EDITORS NOTE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
3) I READ EVERY LETTER, AND COMMENT OUT LOUD ON WHETHER I AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE LETTER WRITER'S OPINION
4) I READ THE SCORECARD SECTION (WHICH AS OF TWO WEEKS AGO HAS BEEN MELDED WITH THE SI PLAYERS SECTION, WHICH IS GOOD CAUSE THAT'S A COOL SECTION THAT I ALSO LIKE AND USUALLY READ 5) NEXT)
6) THUMB THROUGH THE MAGAZINE AND DECIDE WHICH ARTICLES I WILL EVENTUALLY READ AND IN WHAT ORDER (AGAIN.. THIS IS DONE OUT LOUD)
7) I READ THE INSIDE SPORTS SECTIONS (INSIDE BASEBALL, HOCKEY, THE NBA ARE MUSTS..AS IS THE ONCE A YEAR COLLEGE HOCKET ONE... NFL AND COLLEGE BASKETBALL ARE READ 75% OF THE TIME... TENNIS AND OLYMPIC SPORTS ARE ONLY READ IF IM TRAPPED IN THE BATHROOM AND I'VE READ EVERY OTHER WORD IN THE MAGAZINE. INSIDE MOTOR SPORTS IS NEVER READ UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
8) FINALLY I GO BACK AND READ THE ARTICLES IN THE PREVIOUSLY DETERMINED ORDER."

I feel like Justin just got through yelling at us. I've just come to the decision I prefer all lowercase to all caps. The funniest thing from Justin's e-mail has to be the fact that some of this is done out loud. The saddest thing...when I did get Sports Illustrated, I read it the very same way, but then I stopped reading the articles due to time constraints, and cancelled my subscription.

AND THEN THIS: The other night during the Rangers-Islanders game, Chris Simon swung his stick viciously and nailed Ryan Hollweg. Simon was suspended indefinitely by the NHL.

The NHL is trying to make players think of the consequences before they behave carelessly with their sticks. The NFL is now thinking about adopting a similar protocol for Tom Brady.

MAJOR CHANGES IN THE MINOR LEAGUES

The tough life of a minor league baseball player is getting a little tougher this year...for certain teams, anyway. Some minor league veterans are going through the same procedures they would have to go through if they had been traded - but they're still property of the same major league club they were part of last year. Confused? So are minor league veterans of the Yankees, Phillies, Orioles, Mets, and Nationals. They will have to go through a major transition, reporting to different teams this year in different cities, without ever having been part of a transaction.

The merry-go-round started with the New York Yankees, who switched their Triple-A affiliate last year from the Columbus Clippers to Scranton Wilkes-Barre (formerly the Red Barons). The Red Barons' contract with the Philadelphia Phillies was up as well, and the Phillies had come to terms with the Ottawa Lynx. That team had been vacated by the Baltimore Orioles, who took over the Norfolk Tides, made available when the Mets made the New Orleans Zephyrs their Triple-A affiliate. The Nationals, who had been with New Orleans, took the team made available when the Yankees started the mess, moving their operation to Columbus.

So the teammates haven't changed, but the uniforms, stadiums, and cities have. Minor leaguers are used to change - they jump from Single-A to Double-A to Triple-A sometimes in a matter of months, and some go from Triple-A to the majors so often they are compared to yo-yo's. But it must be a weird sensation for many to have to relocate without having been part of any personnel changes.

Then there's the business end. "You don't realize how much stuff you have with the Mets logo on it until you have to switch to the Orioles," says Ian Locke, director of media relations for the Norfolk Tides, the new Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Locke mentions letterheads, envelopes, websites, group info brochures, and schedules as among the items that now need updating. It also changes the off-the-field personnel. "I have to get acclimated with the new people in Baltimore, as opposed to who to call in New York. I'm not sure who to call in spring training - I used to know who to talk to. The little things are different, but it's been a positive switch overall."

The Orioles and Nationals are taking advantage of their new affiliation, and taking their relatively new geographic rivalry on the road. Both Norfolk and Columbus will host an exhbition game at the end of spring training featuring the major league clubs in the minor league stadiums. There are other benefits for Baltimore - all of its minor league clubs are now within driving distance of the major league city - a benefit that Philadelphia now loses, moving from in-state Scranton (125 miles away) to out-of-country Ottawa (447 miles away).

For the Mets, they lose a long-time affiliate, but get to establish a new relationship with a city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. They've already started the goodwill, donating money to the city and its playgrounds. And Mr. Met seems happy about his new friend as well:

For the Mets, their affiliate did not just switch cities - they are now in another league. The Zephyrs are in the Pacific Coast League, where they play in the same division as teams in Texas, Oklahoma, Albuquerque....and a schedule which will take them further west. The Tides are in the International League, playing teams like Buffalo, Pawtucket, and Richmond. Whether all that extra travel will have an affect on the players who are called up remains to be seen...but one thing seems sure - a minor league affiliation switch rarely affects just one baseball team.

NOTE ON THE ARTICLE: I started to write the above over February break (oh, how long ago that seems, when I had such great intentions, and wrote a blog entry every day), and actually made some phone calls to try to put together a really good article for some magazine. A few non-returned calls later and back to school, and I lost all momentum. But I didn't want to waste the idea, and the one interview I did, so there it is. I got the idea when I bought my baseball preview, and there was no mention of all the affiliate changes, which I thought was one of the bigger deals of the off-season. It's an article I would have wanted to read.

NEW FEATURE: I think I'm going to add a "Player of the Game" feature this year. Just a thought that popped into my head tonight.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: With the NCAA tournament coming up this week, I'm glad I got a chance to post tonight - because I can't make any promises that I'll be updating during the basketball games. I will get my season picks up before the season starts - that's about the only promise I can make. Mets-Cardinals is just 23 days away to open the season!

SWITCHING PLACES

A quick update on what I think are some of the more interesting off-season moves, not only of players going from team-to-team, but movement within teams.

FROM RELIEF TO ROTATION - these are 3 pitchers making the switch from the bullpen to the starters role this season.

The Jonathan Papelbon move has been well-documented. I wonder whether pitching every fifth day helps his arm, rather than working almost everyday, or if he's hurt by the number of pitches per start he'll be throwing. I think he'll be fine - it's the Red Sox' closer position I'd be worried about if I was a Red Sox fan. Papelbon was soooo good in that role last year. He struck fear in other teams - something that's been missing from that position at Fenway in the past.

This one should be interesting - everyone's favorite former Mets closer, Braden Looper, is part of an experiment in St. Louis, most likely titled, "How to Destroy A Championship Team". Looper is being moved into the rotation - I can't imagine, if he couldn't fool teams coming into games late, how he's going to do against teams facing batters more than once per game.

Then there's Adam Wainwright, who did such a spectacular job closing out games for the Cardinals during the post-season, but is no longer needed as a closer because of Jason Isringhausen's return. Wainwright is also expected to get a shot at starting...if I'm a Cardinals fan, I'd rather see Wainwright in there than Isringhausen at the end of games, based on Isringhausen's performance and the way he's looked on the mound in the past couple of years.

OLD FACES, NEW PLACES

I've mentioned this before, but I'll continue to root for Mike Piazza as long as he's playing. This year, Piazza finally finds himself on an American League team - the Oakland A's - meaning he's going to be a DH for the majority of the year. (There is a possibility he'll get some time behind the plate - possibly even some time at first base!) It will be interesting to see how his bat responds to the new role, even if it is at cavernous McAfee Coliseum.


I'll bring this up again when I make my picks, but the Texas Rangers have become a chic pick to be good this season (perhaps it's because Buck Showalter is no longer with them, and every team Showalter has left has won a championship the year following his departure). I don't think the Rangers will win the West, but I will be keeping an eye on the once-dominant, now-very-fragile, Eric Gagne, and whether or not he can return to form. Or, at the very least, stay healthy.


When Juan Pierre is your number two hitter, you have a good lineup. Such is the case for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will have Pierre hitting behind Rafael Furcal. The Dodgers improved their team this off-season, I can't say much more than that. Pierre and Furcal at the top of the lineup could mean a lot of early leads for Los Angeles this season.



COMMENT COMMENTS: The Southern Bureau left a note detailing a few of Oliver Perez's other, not-so-successful starts. I didn't bring up the horrid numbers, because I figured the ERA spoke for itself regarding how bad those starts were. My point remains - I'm not sure he's too much worse than Trachsel in the rotation - there were times when Trachsel hurt the team and taxed the bullpen. Bottom Line: I hope Dave in Brighton's unfailing confidence in Oliver Perez prevails over the Southern Bureau's negative experiences.

OLIVER!

I didn't expect to write tonight, but I'm working on the theory here that another blog entry will take my mind off of going back to school tomorrow.

I have it in my head that Oliver Perez is no worse in the Mets' rotation than Steve Trachsel. I'm thinking that, had he pitched for a better team in 2006, Perez's record would not have been 3-13 (2-10 in 15 starts with Pittsburgh). Of course, Steve Trachsel gave up a lot of runs in 2006 as well, but finished with a 15-8 record. Here's how the two compare overall in the 2006 season:

I had to throw in the post-season, because Steve Trachsel failed the Mets horribly in that department, while Perez stepped up big-time. But I digress.

I'm not going to break down each of Perez's 15 starts with Pittsburgh, but I will highlight five:
1) Opening Day, in a 5-2 loss at Milwaukee, Perez gave up one run (earned) in 5-and-a-third innings. He ended up with a no-decision.
2) and 3) In back-to-back starts in May, at Arizona and at home against Houston, Perez got two no-decisions in two very good performances. At Arizona, Perez gave up 0 runs in 6 innings of work, and vs. Houston he gave up 2 runs (both earned) in 8 innings. Pittsburgh lost both games (4-3 and 5-4), and Perez didn't factor in those decisions, as I mentioned.
4) In June, Perez and the Pirates lost to St. Louis 2-1, after a 7-inning, 2-run performance by Perez.
5) In his next start, Perez went 7-and-two-thirds innings against Minnesota, giving up 4 runs, but only 1 was earned, in an 8-2 loss.

Now, it's generous, given the final score of that Minnesota game, but again, we're talking pitching well enough to win on a good team. If you take these five starts, and reverse the outcome, factoring in pitching on a better team, Perez is suddenly 7-8. It doesn't change his awful ERA (6.63 in those Pirates starts), but it shows that having Oliver Perez in your rotation is not a bad thing.

Also consider the fact that with the Pirates, Perez was the number one guy, and often was matched up against the opponents' number one starter. With the Mets this year, he'll get the chance to start anew, and in the back end of the rotation. If he gets off to a good start, and builds up his confidence....maybe that's what he's needed to recapture the flashes he showed early in his career (spotlight on 2004 with Pittsburgh: 12-10 with a 2.99 ERA in 30 starts).

As for Trachsel, I didn't break down his starts like I did Perez's, but having watched nearly all of his starts last year, I KNOW that there are quite a few that could have gone the other way, leaving him with a lot less than 15 wins if he was with a lesser team. (Hello, Baltimore and American League hitters!)

Bottom line - I'm excited to see how Oliver Perez fares this year. If a couple of the Mets' potential starters do as well as they are capable of (Perez, Glavine, maybe one of the young guys like Pelfrey or Humber, or even John Maine), the rotation may not be the problem people are making it out to be.

ODDS AND ENDS

Seeing as how I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to update will be (keep checking back - you never know when it'll be - it'll be a fun surprise!), a couple of the more time-sensitive issues that I've been meaning to get around to:

-From winter ball, some good news. Anderson Hernandez discovered his stroke. After hitting .246 in the minors last season, and .152 with the Mets, the second base prospect hit at a .287 clip during the winter ball season. He also hit .310 in 6 games of what I think is the equivalent of the winter ball post-season. We'll watch to see if he carries that type of hitting into spring training. I think that would be important because I'd much rather see Anderson Hernandez and his glove at second than Jose Valentin, who I don't feel so good about as the Mets' regular second baseman this year.

-The Mets did not tender a contract to Victor Zambrano back in December, making him a free agent. There were rumors the Mets would re-sign Zambrano at a later date, but he ended up signing with Toronto. That officially makes the Scott Kazmir trade a disaster (as though there were any doubt), and if Zambrano comes back strong from Tommy John surgery with the Blue Jays, look for lots more criticism headed Rick Peterson's way. I feel Peterson could be doing a better job for the Mets...at least, the Zambrano thing was a huge failure on his part.

-On the subject of Peterson, he was one of seven coaches the Mets locked up under contract this off-season. Peterson got a three-year deal, third base coach Sandy Alomar, bullpen coach Guy Conti, hitting coach Rick Down, and bench coach Jerry Manuel all got two-year extensions, and newcomers Howard Johnson (first base coach) and Tom Nieto (catching instructor) got one-and-two-year deals, respectively.

HoJo beat out Gary Carter (among others) for the first base coaching job. Remember, Manny Acta has left the staff to be the Nationals' manager.

-Finally, another Blue Jays connection: John Thomson also signed with the Blue Jays, after receiving overtures from the Mets as another possible arm for the pitching staff. And after he turned down the Mets because he didn't want to pitch to Paul LoDuca or for a team with Cliff Floyd in the outfield. Wow. Talk about taking shots. I don't remember LoDuca having a response to that, a little surprising, since he can be a hothead.

Floyd, though, shot back, saying from Cubs camp last week, "From what I've seen, he's not one of the greatest pitchers in the game. It didn't really affect me in terms of my pride....People who talk a lot seem to always be on the short end of the stick. I wish him the best of luck. Hopefully, his luck can change in Toronto because it didn't change in the National League." Nice job, Cliff. Well said.

Thomson did make 9 starts for the Mets, incidentally, in 2002, going 2-6 with a 4.31 ERA.

FLASHBACK: I've mentioned many times how my mom is cleaning out lots of my old stuff as my parents renovate their house. Recently, I got a bunch of stuff, and I just went through some of it today. Among the books were a few years' worth of the old Topps Sticker Yearbooks. I remember my brother and I competing over stickers to fill every page. Fun stuff. Surprisingly, the price was just 35 cents. And I was going through the 1987 edition, and came across the 1986 World Series page. Thought it was a good excuse to use the new scanner at the House sponsored by DirecTV. So here it is:

AGE APPROPRIATE

El Duque has arthritis. Let the age jokes begin.

Tom Glavine forgets things.

Moises Alou hates when he misses the early-bird special.

Julio Franco is incontinent.

I guess El Duque's injury isn't a threat to him during the regular season, but it is a reminder of how fragile the Mets' pitching situation is. These guys are old (relatively speaking), and the injuries can pile up fast in that case.

This was actually the subject of one of the ESPN blogs today (thanks, Southern Bureau), and how difficult it would be for the Mets to get a front-line starter should Tom Glavine get injured, or even El Duque.

There is bound to be an injury to the Mets' pitching staff this year, but I don't think it will cripple the team. I think we need to remember that the Mets were in a similar situation last year, and it didn't affect them at all. (13 starters over the course of the season, and they still ran away with the division.) And let's remember that things got even worse in the post-season, and Steve Trachsel notwithstanding, pitching was the Mets' strength in the playoffs.

The other thing to remember is that as poor in pitching as the Mets are this year, other teams are worse off. Pitching is tough to come by these days, and the Mets have a good stockpile of arms. The problem, for you pessimists out there, is that the teams that are better off in the pitching department reside in the National League East...the Marlins and the Phillies. We'll just have to see if the Mets can outhit all of their opponents if the pitching proves to be a worst-case scenario.

Sadly, my February vacation is coming to a close. I still have many things to write about, but less time to do so. I want to touch on: the Mets coaches, the off-season deals, and my pre-season picks, among other things. Please keep checking back, although my postings will be inconsistent. Thanks.

ROLLINS WITH THE PUNCHES

The big news out of spring training on Wednesday and Thursday was Jimmy Rollins' proclamation that the Phillies are the team to beat in the National League East, and the Mets' reaction to that claim. The Mets did just what a Mets fan would hope they would do - they laughed off the comment, and said the matter would be decided on the field, implying that the Mets are the defending division champs, and the Phillies would have to prove it to them.

I do think the Phillies are better this year, but I don't necessarily think they are better than the Mets. (In past years I felt very strongly that the Phillies don't scare me - but this year I may change that tune....but, again, they'd have to show me something on the field, which is what their problem has been in past years. Good on paper, not good in actuality.) As I wrote a couple of days ago - the difference this year is that the Mets won't be running away with the division - there will be some competition.

So Jimmy Rollins spoke out, David Wright put him in his place - just for kicks, here's a breakdown of the two players involved in this war of words (please click on the picture so you can actually read the darn thing):