How They'll Stack Up

When the dust settles in late summer, when all 2,430 games have been played, 10 teams will be standing, 10 teams left to fight for the World Championship.


Here are the 10 teams the Metropolitan has playing in the promise land.


AL EAST: Tampa Bay
- The Ray's been in the post season in the past few years, but this is the year they take the division with relative ease.  Their strong rotation and experienced lineup will provide enough to get them the division over New York and Boston


AL CENTRAL: Detroit
- Like all other teams, the Tigers will have to play 162 games, but that may just be a formality.  Their pitching staff includes the best starter and closer in the league and the lineup, with the addition on Prince Fielder, may be the strongest and deepest in the AL


AL WEST: Anaheim
- By acquiring the best position player and the best pitcher this off-season in free agency, the Angels are again prime to run at the World Series.  Deep pitching and the return of Kendrys Morales should prove enough to get out of the short division


AL WILD CARD 1: New York
- The Yankees will push Tampa Bay for most of the season but age will eventually catch up with them.  Jeter, Rivera, and Rodriguez will further their slow down and there will not be enough to get them over the hump.  The team is deep enough offensively however that they will be able to keep other teams at bay.


AL WILD CARD 2: Kansas City
- The time has finally come for the Royals and their fans.  After many years in the basement of baseball, Kansas City has built a young, fun, exciting team that will finally get some post-season baseball it's been waiting for.


NL EAST: Atlanta
- The Braves will end Philadelphia's streak of division titles mostly because of their talent and partly because the rest of the division is in shambles.  Their pitching staff has some of the best arms in the league and the return of Jason Heyward will provide solid pop in the middle of the line-up.


NL CENTRAL: Cincinnati
- Due to no other team wanting to win this division, the Reds will take the Central this season.  Joey Votto jumps from the third best to the best best first baseman in the league.  The addition of Ryan Madson as closer is enough to make this team the favorites.


NL WEST: Arizona
- What should be a race to the finish with the Giants, I like the Diamondbacks to take the crown because of their more polished, all around better offensive.  Their pitching matches up as equal to the Giants, but Justin Upton and Miguel Montero are enough pop in the middle of the lineup.


NL WILD CARD 1: San Francisco
- If pitching wins championships, then the Giants will need the greatest pitching performance they can get from their rotation.  The return of Buster Posey will help provide the spark the lineup desperately needs.


NL WILD CARD 2: Miami
- Potentially the riskiest team in the majors because of all the personalities on the roster, the Marlins will show plenty, at least for the first year, and will be an exciting team for the fans of southern Florida.  Jose Reyes will need to stay healthy, as well as Josh Johnson, for the club to make noise this summer.

And Away We Go...

And just like that, in a blink of an eye, the start to our 2012 season has come and gone.  Earlier today, in Japan, the Oakland A's and Seattle Mariners squared off to get things going.  Now never mind you that I believe it's quite dumb to start the season on another continent, over a week before the rest of the league will start theirs.  But money controls the world and that's exactly what pushed this opening game.

But alas, the season is under way and what a different season this may be for us fans.  For starters, the balance of power continues to shift to the American League.  Two of the three biggest free agents this past winter abandoned their team and the National League for the American League; Prince Fielder heads to the Detroit Tigers and Albert Pujols goes to the Anaheim Angels.  The American League has become the attractive place to play because of its deep lineups thanks in part to the Designated Hitter.  So for us National League fans, especially come Interleague play time, there is a good chance that we may have even more become the younger brother.

The biggest change for everyone involved moving forward is the new playoff structure.  Each league will now have a second Wild Card spot, with the two Wild Card teams meeting in a one game playoff to see who advances to the final four in its respective league.  This will change the way baseball is played in September, on both sides of the equation.  Those teams who are leading their division will be forced to play throughout the final month since they will not want a Wild Card spot and have to deal with the one game pay in game.  Those teams who in the past might have figured out of the playoff race will have an additional spot to chase after, and they may be close enough to make their September games count.

The last and final way the season will change this season has actually already occurred.  The calendar reads 2012.  Not 2011.  Yes, baseball may be slow compared to other sports.  It can be tough to watch or comprehend why other people watch.  But baseball is beautiful.  Every aspect that goes into the game.  The whip of a pitch, crack of a bat, the dive in the outfield, the slide at the bat, everything is beautiful.  But also, baseball opens possibilities for teams that are thought to have no chance.  It's a great sport for teams to overachieve.  To let it all hang out.  To have fun.

The weather was warm but has since cooled, now to what we are accustomed to at this time of year, and so baseball is here.  Between now and Halloween, who knows what will happen.

Man in the Mirror

TERRY COLLINS - MANAGER
Overall record - 521 W, 519 L
Mets record - 77 W, 85 L

Entering his second season with the club, manager Terry Collins will again have a ball club with a number of questions and uncertainty over its head.  Last season, it was the matter bad contracts for bad players, a thin bullpen, potential trades of All-Star players, and the overall black cloud of Mets baseball.

Some issues remain, while some new ones have formed for the 2012 season and Collins will have some magic to work if the club is to remain competitive throughout the year.  He does not need to worry about the constant questions of Jose Reyes, but instead he will get a steady stream of what will happen to David Wright.  The bullpen was solidified this off-season but the starting rotation has no depth should something happen to the first five.  Collins will also have to work with two rookies,  Lucas Duda and Ruben Tejada, and two players coming back from long term injuries, Ike Davis and Johan Santana.

And as always, he'll have to deal with the pressure of New York, the headache that is the Mets franchise, the large shadow of playing in the same city as the Yankees, and the preconceived notion that the Mets will finish last in their division this season.

Collins gets a good amount of credit for keeping everything together last season.  The club was in the running for the Wild Card for most of the year and showed itself as a very respectful club.  The season finally fell apart in late August when the injuries were to much to overcome and they could not keep up with the big boys.  Collins gets a pass for last season, his first year.  It was a lot of give and take between him and his players as well as him and upper management.  

This year, it won't be the same.  He will not have the good graces of the fans should the team get off to a rocky start.  He also needs to show who is boss and not take a lot from his players.  Collins needs to demand the most and the best from his players and hold them accountable.  This is not the season to coddle players.  This is the season to overachieve and win.  And win early.  If the Mets are playing well and have the record to show it in mid-July, Collins needs to force upper management to make an acquisition to make the club better down the stretch.

Collins is only signed through 2013 and for a baseball manager, that is not a comfortable feeling.  With their yearly salaries not that high, owners are more likely to let a manager go with one season remaining on the contract if the results are not seen this year.  Youth, inexperience, stacked against odds, none of those are excuses that should be used this season.  Just win.  And it begins with the manager.

Face of the Franchise

DAVID WRIGHT - IF
2011 stats - .254 BA, 14 HR, 61 RBI, 97 KO, 389 AB

Over the last few weeks, I've written about and touched upon those players who will most likely start the season on the 25-man roster.  As I get to the end of the alphabet, I've realized one thing.  It doesn't matter what this player does or how that player manages his season; the 2012 Mets will go as David Wright goes.

As the longest tenured position player, the boyhood fan who grew up cheering for the club who has grown into the face of the franchise, 2012 will be the most important season in Wright's career.  By far.

During his years playing at Shea Stadium, Wright had the monster offensive seasons that everyone expected him to have.  It was easy to know he would bat over .300, knock in at least 105 RBI, hit over 25 home runs while smacking the baseball all over the field.  He was a bonafide superstar in New York and a perennial All-Star.

As soon as the Mets moved in Citi Field, everything began to fall apart for Wright.  He sustained long term injuries in two of the three seasons; a concussion in 2009 and a fractured back in 2011.  His power numbers drastically declined as 2009 and 2011 saw him combine for only 24 home runs.  Worst of all, his strike out totals have increased at an alarming rate.  In 2009, Wright struck out 140 times and followed that by whiffing 161 times in 2010.  His pace last season would show that trending continuing had he played a full season.

Possibly the largest question looming over Wright is the same issue that was over Jose Reyes' head last season.  Wright is entering the final year of his contract and no one knows what will happen next.  With the financial troubles the owners are in, the question rises of whether or not they can afford to keep Wright.  And if they can't, can they possibly trade him away and further infuriate the fan base?  Or keep him and watch him possibly walk away for nothing in return?

In essence, today marks the beginning of 2012 for Wright, as he's been sidelined with a minor ribcage tear for the first month of Spring Training.  For both Wright and the Mets, he needs to stay healthy and stay on the field.  If he can do that and put up numbers similar to his old self, the Mets will win more games.  It is that simple.  And as people know, winning cures almost everything.

Yes, the Mets desperately need Johan Santana to stay healthy for 28-32 starts, they need Ike Davis to come back from his ankle injury, they need their new bullpen to pitch like a solid bullpen, they do need all that.  But of all, they need David Wright to be none other than David Wright.   

Cultivating the Farm

ZACH WHEELER - SP
2010 stats - 9 W, 7 L, 3.52 ERA, 115 IP, 129 KO

A potential star is shooting his way through the Mets farm system and although it is extremely, extremely unlikely that we will see him in Flushing this year, there will be a lot of talk about Zach Wheeler.

Wheeler is a 21 year old right hander who came to the Mets organization last summer from the San Francisco Giants, the return for Carlos Beltran.  A power pitcher, Wheeler is a strikeout pitcher by mainly using his fastball and his curveball.

Ideally, Wheeler will start 2012 in Single A and move up to Double A sometime in the summer.  Along with Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia, Wheeler is a top prospect arm in the minor leagues that should make the rotation quite good in years to come.  The beginning of 2013 is a stretch to see these arms with the big club, but if Wheeler continues to pitch the way he has and continues to grow, he may force his way to the majors.

Little Bit of Everything

JUSTIN TURNER - IF
2011 stats - .260 BA, 30 2B, 51 RBI

To start the 2011 season, the Mets made the unpopular move and started Justin Turner in AAA.  It only lasted a few games as the Mets realized they needed a spark in mid-April and recalled Turner to take over second base.  Turner quickly became a fan favorite at Citi Field because of his non-stop hustle, his new guy approach and his productivity.

The month of May threw Turner in the spot light as was an RBI machine, collecting 20 RBIs for the month, earning himself Rookie of the Month honors.  He cooled off from his sizzling start as the season wore on, but a lot of that can be attributed to long season fatigue and pitchers adjusting to his game.

Turner became a jack of all trades last season, playing all over the infield as the Mets starting infield suffered injuries all throughout the season.  With the 2012 quickly approaching, Turner seems to be the number one utility player on the Mets bench.  Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy, and David Wright all will becoming back from injury and reclaiming their starting spots which in effect will put Turner on the bench.  Most of his playing time will come at second base, behind the learning the position on the fly Murphy.

As long as Turner can keep getting enough at bats to stay sharp, he will be a very valuable asset off the Mets bench this season; both at the plate and on the field.  The Mets aren't a very deep team, but this is one spot where they should feel a bit comfortable.

All Up The Gut

ANDRES TORRES - CF
2011 stats - .221 BA, 19 RBI, 95 K, 24, 2B, 348 AB

The other we spoke about how Ruben Tejada is now the man, like it or not, to replace Jose Reyes at shortstop for the time being.  But it's known, that at least to start to the season, that Tejada will not be replacing him at the top of the order.


Instead, that joyful role goes to newcomer, Andres Torres, who came to the Mets this winter along with Ramon Ramirez for Angel Pagan.  Torres had a down season in 2011, batting only .221 with a .312 OBP.  But that does follow a season in which he batter near .270.


That's not an average that has the Mets overly excited as well, but these are tough times for the team and money was scarce.  2012 should truly show what a good leadoff hitter can do for a club.  If Torres repeats his 2010 season, the Mets will struggle to get runs in.  So far this spring, they have not produced a decent amount of offensive and outs at the top of lineup will not help.  On the other hand, if he can get on base and go back to 2010, those extra runs can immensely help out.


The one area the Mets know will improve next season is their outfield defense.  Torres is a much stronger and smoother defender than Pagan and can control the expansive outfield at Citi Field.  Better routes to the ball, better relays to the infield and better positioning for the corner outfielders can help the opposition limit their power and keep the opposition run total town.

Catcher, Catcher

JOSH THOLE - C
2011 stats - .268 BA, 40 RBI, 17 2B

Near the conclusion of the 2010 season, Josh Thole became more than just a part-time catcher for the Mets.  He began getting most of the playing time as the organization was prepping him to become the full-time, in house catcher for the foreseeable future.  Without much of a challenge from a backup catcher in Spring Training last season, Thole took over the full-time duties in 2011.

Known mostly as a slap hitter, a batter who can work the count and draw some walks, Thole had an up and down season behind the plate.  He had 340 at-bats over the course of the season and had a decent average of over .265.  But there was something missing from Thole's game.  The club knew that he was not going to be a power hitter and never expected him to be one.  But there seemed to be a bit too much inconsistency with Thole's game.  Defensively, he was learning on the fly, improving week by week and most of the pitching staff was pleased with the way he called a game.

Coming into 2012, Thole is again the Opening Day starter behind the plate.  The Mets didn't go out this off-season and pick up another catcher and his back, Mike Nickeas, doesn't seem to have enough in his game to unseat Thole.  But that doesn't mean he should sit back on his laurels and not immensely aim at improving his overall game.  The franchise is looking to go younger and of the young group, Thole is one with the most experience.  This is a make or break season for the kid.

The Replacement

RUBEN TEJADA - IF
2011 stats - .284 BA, 21 RBI, 7 2B, 328 AB

Welcome to the big show, Mr. Tejada.  Yes, over the last two seasons, you've been able to get some time and a decent amount of at bat with the big club.  You're familiar with the club house, how to play the game, how some of the pitchers pitch.  But this season is different.  It's all different.


As soon as Jose Reyes signed the dotted line with the Miami Marlins, everyone began to stare at Ruben Tejada, the replacement at shortstop.  Everyone is trying to protect the 22 year old by not putting to much pressure on him to be Jose Reyes.  The team says that they are different players.  Different skill set.  Different personality.  That's all true, but there is one similarity.  The position.  The position that had been Reyes' for the last seven seasons.


Manager Terry Collins is helping the pressure gauge by not having Tejada hit in the leadoff spot.  Instead he'll bat at the bottom of the order.  But Tejada is a great defensive player.  He's small and quick, with a strong, strong arm.  This spring, the most important item for Tejada is to work on chemistry with Daniel Murphy at second base and make sure they are comfortable turning the double play.


Tejada will not provide the electricity with his bat while he's at the plate.  He's not that type of hitter.  But he isn't a bad hitter.  He's more of a contact hitter who will look to put the ball in play and spread it around the diamond.  Last season he hit over .280 once he became a regular in the infield, thanks to injuries across the board.


Ruben Tejada has to be Ruben Tejada.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Biggest Comeback of All

JOHAN SANTANA - SP
2011 stats - 0 IP

Johan Santana is known across the Major Leagues as a bulldog.  He wants the ball all the time.  It doesn't matter the opponent, the hitter, the situation, anything.  An accomplished warrior on the mound, Santana wants nothing more than to go mano-e-mano against this opposition.


And in 2012, the New York Mets want nothing more than Johan Santana to be healthy and provide upwards of 25 starts.


Santana had left shoulder surgery near the conclusion of the 2010 season and has not stepped on a major league mound since.  The Mets struggled last season for a number of reasons, but one of the biggest was the fact that their defacto ace was not with them.  Not close.  No where to be found.


Instead, the left hander was in Port St. Lucie rehabbing all season long, hoping and praying to get a start or two in September.  That never happened.


This spring, all eyes are focused on Santana, every time he picks up a baseball.  The media swarms toward him, Terry Collins and pitching coach Dan Warthen.  How's he feeling? What's his progress?  What's his Opening Day status?  Those are just some of the questions that these men are bombarded with all the time.


All signs are pointing upward though.  Santana has been able to start three Spring Training games, each time pushing himself a bit further with his pitch count and has not had any setbacks.  The club is still taking the cautious route with their ace, stressing the importance of his health and his availability for the entire season, and not just Opening Day.


But let's not read this the wrong way.  Collins expects Santana on the mound against the Braves on April 5th. He anticipates having him pitch every fourth or fifth day.  And with that happening, the overall rotation will be deeper and stronger because of it.  The other pitchers will know who their ace is.  They'll know what they will be getting from him.  The organization and fans want and need him healthy.  And Santana wants it just as bad.  This bulldog's hungry.

Big, Big Man

JON RAUCH - RP
2011 stats - 5 W, 4 L, 11 S, 4.85 ERA

The last of the pitching recruits that Sandy Alderson brought to town, and one of the last pitchers that I have to write about, is the tallest player on the roster.  Jon Rauch comes over from Toronto where he was mostly their closer in 2011 until a leg injury slowed him down in the summer.  The near seven foot reliever, who is filled with arm and neck tattoos, is slated to be the 8th inning guy for the club.

In the past, Rauch has been a reliable reliever in both the National and American leagues.  Twice in his career he has had at least 18 saves in a season, the most recent being 21 saves in 2010.  Rauch pitches to contact.  He does not strike out many a men, rather lets the batter put the ball in play and relies on the defense behind him to convert the outs.  This final move by Alderson should hopefully solidify the bullpen and allow the starters to pitch a shorter game.

Another Arm for the Pen

RAMON RAMIREZ - RP
2011 stats - 3 W, 3 L, 2.62 ERA, 68.2 IP, 66 KO

Ramon Ramirez came over to the Mets this off-season along with Andres Torres, whom the Mets acquired for Angel Pagan.  While Ramirez will not step in and be the Mets closer this season, he will be a crucial part to the bullpen.  One of the main goals for Sandy Alderson this winter was to improve the bullpen and he saw quality in Ramirez's right arm.

Over the last two seasons, Ramirez's numbers have been better in the National League, especially his WHIP.  If he can keep men off the base path and hit his mark from last year of one strikeout per inning pitches, the Mets should feel confident each time he steps on the mound.

Biggest Frustration of All

MIKE PELFREY - SP
2011 stats - 7 W, 13 L, 4.74 ERA, 193.2 IP, .287 BAA

For the past couple of seasons, everyone has been waiting for Mike Pelfrey to pop and burst onto the scene like the touted prospect he was once known as.  There were signs alright, enough of them, sprinkled here and there throughout his first few seasons, to show that consistent stardom was almost here.  The biggest sign was in 2008, the last season at Shea Stadium.  Big Pelf, a nickname the fans concocted for him, was a strong, dominant presence in the rotation and finished the season with 13 wins.

After a so-so year in 2009, Pelfrey had his career season in 2010, posting a career high 15 wins and a career low 3.66 ERA.  As last season approached and certainty that Johan Santana would not be available for most of the season (we all know how that story played out), Pelfrey was tabbed to be the ace of the staff.

Wrong move.  Big Pelf struggled from the get go last season and was never able to get into a comfort zone and find a groove.  It may have been the pressure placed on his shoulders, the constant match up with the opposition's #1 pitcher, or a natural regression.  It also doesn't help that Pelfrey is a head case and no one ever knows what is going on through his mind.

What the Mets need to know is this, simply, which pitcher are they getting his season... 2009, 2010, or 2011.  They need the old Pelfrey.  As long as Santana continues his health come back, Pelfrey will not be looked at or needed as the number one guy.  At this point, his spot as the two or three is in question.  There is the strong possibility that Pelfrey will be the #4 starter, which may be best for him.  He will not have the pressure of being the ace nor the match up with top pitchers across the league.

Lots of Frustration

BOBBY PARNELL - RP
2011 stats - 4 W, 6 L, 3.64 ERA, 64 KO, 59.1 IP

Bobby Parnell has been on the Mets radar for a number of years now but it also seems as if he's always on the radar for Triple-A Buffalo.  There's no question that Parnell has the talent of a major league pitcher and a fastball to prove it.  Numerous times throughout the 2011 season, the scoreboard would indicate that a Parnell heater topped out at over 100 mph.  But there's where it seems to end with him.  Parnell has the mindset that he will just be able to blow hitters away with his fastball.  News flash, all major league hitters can hit a fastball, no matter how hard it's being thrown.

Parnell does not have enough secondary pitches; pitches that he can effectively use to keep the hitter honest and just off balance enough.  If the hitter's eyes do not leave the level plane that Parnell constantly throws on, than it's a piece of cake for them.  And a headache for the Mets.

Last season, as the Mets were in the midst of trading away closer Frankie Rodriguez, Parnell stepped up and stated that he wanted to be the closer for this team.  He wanted the closer role for the future.  Well, he struggled when given that opportunity a year ago and because of that, will not be the closer in 2012.  He's not even second in command should a back up be needed.

Parnell now needs to focus on his secondary pitches and learn a better way to attack big league hitters.  It's either that, or a potential trip back down to the minors so other pitchers can show him how to get it done.

Boom, Boom, BANG!

Ya knew it was going to happen eventually.  For the most part, this has been a smooth and clean Spring Training for the Mets.  Although a few minor bumps and bruises have come across, there had been nothing on the serious note... Unless you count a Scott Hairston oblique injury to be overly serious.

Well, this morning, that changed.

David Wright's sore rib cage is a bit worse than expected and he is expected to be in New York today to meet with doctors.  There's even the report that a cortisone shot will be used to help speed up the injury.  Tim Byrdak accompanied Wright to NY to get his knee checked and it was discovered that he has a torn meniscus.  Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow.

At this point the Mets do not have another set lefty reliever in their mix; although a few leftys are in camp and the team is expected to sign lefty CJ Nitkowski to a minor league deal.

We can only hope that this is the deepest extent of Met injuries in the early going.  This is not a deep team by any stretch of the imagination and any time missed because of injury will just darken the black cloud hovering over them.

High Expectations

JON NIESE - SP
2011 stats - 11 W, 11 L, 4.40 ERA, 157.1 IP, 178 H

There are a number of pitching story lines to track this spring and the progression of Jon Niese is most certainly one of them.  The talented left hander has shown glimpses of brilliance and the potential for what he can be in a Mets uniform.  There are many in the media, and organization, that feel this may be the season that Niese puts it all together and has a very strong campaign.

There have been two factors that have currently held Niese back, and the hope is that those factors will be corrected this season.  The first is the obvious with this club: injuries.  Niese missed the final five weeks of 2011 due to a strained rib cage and he has previously missed time earlier in his career with hamstring issues.  This doesn't fall as much on Niese as it does the black cloud hanging over the team.  

The other factor, which is common with most young pitchers, is fatigue.  Usually this tends to occur once the summer roles around and Niese tends to go 2-3 weeks without having his best stuff.  Pitches tend to stay up in the zone and over compensation leads to a bit of wildness.  This may be a factor that Niese can control, not only by maturation but by a cosmetic procedure he had done during the off-season.  The southpaw had surgery on nose, which not only reshaped it, but opened up the airways into his lungs for him to breathe easier.  He has already stated that he was able to lose up to ten pounds this off-season because he was able to get in better physical shape.

Niese will battle with RA Dickey for the proverbial second/third starter in the rotation but regardless of when the youngster pitches, the expectations are there.  A 15 win season is not out of the realm because of Niese's ability.

Riding the Pine

MIKE NICKEAS - C
2011 stats - .189 BA, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 53 AB

Almost a career minor leaguer, Nickeas made it up to the bigs near the end of last season when Ronny Paulino went down with a season ending injury.  A serviceable call up and short term replacement placer, Nickeas is beign dubbed as the backup catcher to start the 2012 campaign.

In checking out the stats from last season, even though it is a small sample, it's easy to see that Nickeas will not wow many people with his bat.  What is more known for is his defense behind the plate and his ability to call a good game for his pitchers.  

Being needed once every five games or so, the Mets should be able to get by with that type of backup catcher.  The question will rise up if starter Josh Thole struggles with his offensive game and the Mets become desperate to fit a catcher with a stronger stick.

The Return

It's only Spring Training.  It was only 2 innings.  But this afternoon marked a huge step for the Mets and their 2012 season.  

Johan Santana returned to the mound against major league hitters since September 2, 2010 when he faced the St. Louis Cardinals.  Santana threw 29 pitches over those two innings, allowing one hit and one walk.  His velocity was in the high 80s although he did top out at 90mph once.  Santana also threw his signature change up twice as well as two sliders.

After the performance, Santana says that he feels good and was very encouraged by his outing this afternoon.  The real factor will come over the next two days as him and the team will see how his shoulder reacts.  All signs are pointing to him making his next start through the rotation.

This is huge news for the Mets; huge, huge news.  For so many reasons, the franchise needs positive vibes coming from camp and this afternoon provided the biggest vibe so far.  Many people should not expect to ever see the old Santana again, given his age and the multiple surgeries over the years, but if the Mets can get 22-25 starts from Santana, maybe 140 innings, then they accomplished something this season.

No Third Injury This Time Around

DANIEL MURPHY - IF
2011 stats - .320 BA, 49 RBI, 49 R, 28 2B

For all intents and purposes, this is a make or break season for Daniel Murphy, no pun intended.  For the last few seasons, Murphy has been known as a man with a stick but no position.  The Mets experimented with a couple of different spots for Murphy, including left field, third, second, and first base.  The inconsistency showed as Murphy has struggled at most of the positions, except for third base which is his natural position.

But of all the question marks defensively, the biggest concern for the Mets this season will be Murphy's health and him being able to stay on the field.  In 2010's spring training, Murphy was taken out hard attempting to turn a double play and the knee injury cost him the entire season.  A feeling of deja vu returned last season as Murphy was injured again, this time his other knee, and it cost him the last two months of the season.

With Rueben Tejada manning the position to his right, Murphy will enter 2012 as the everyday second baseman.  The number one goal and agenda for the Mets this camp is to properly and effectively teach Murphy how to turn the double play.  They can not possibly afford to have his bat miss time from the lineup due to injury.

Throughout most of last season, Murphy was one of the most clutch hitters for the Mets.  He had a team high .320 batting average and was near the Top 10 in the league in doubles despite having less than 400 AB.  Murphy is slotted to be the number two hitter in the lineup and has the chance to have a special season because he makes contact, puts the ball in play and does not strike out to often.  Again, all Murphy needs to do is learn the double play and keep himself healthy.

Play Ball

It is great to know, that 2 hours ago, the Mets opened their 2012 Spring Training season.

Here's to the growth of our players and to all around health for the ball club.

Play ball!

First Prospect Up?

MATT HARVEY - SP
2011 Minor League stats - 13 W, 5 L, 3.32 ERA, 156 KO, 47 BB

The Mets have three top, solid pitching prospects in the minor leagues and the most familiar name of the three belongs to right hander Matt Harvey.  Drafted out of UNC in 2010, Harvey had a very strong showing last season in the lower ranks.  After blowing away competition in St. Lucie A ball, Harvey moved up to AA Binghamton and did struggle a bit.  This was to be expected as he faced better competition and hitters with more patience.  But he managed his way through the turmoil and finished the season with five straight wins.

Harvey is a power pitcher who also has three other pitches at his disposal.  Since him being drafted, there have been many a folk expecting him to be a front of the rotation pitcher for New York.  The organization has done and is saying all of the right things so far about Harvey.  They invited him to the big league camp for Spring Training but fully intend on having him start the season in Binghamton again. They do not want to rush him to the majors and have him exposed to early.  But, Harvey is turning 23 years old this month and does have a full collegiate career's worth of experience, so one would think that he'll be able to handle any work load.

The main consensus from certain media personnel and fans is that it's not a matter of if Harvey will make it to the bigs in 2012, but when.  Again, the Mets will do their best to keep in the minors for a few months, but between the possibility of injuries or lack of performance, the trip to Queens may be expedited for this young pitcher.

Familar Spot on the Bench

SCOTT HAIRSTON - OF
2011 stats - .235 BA, 7 HR, 24 RBI

Being the fourth outfielder on a club is good, but it's not great.  One side is like 'yes, I'm on the big league roster!". While the other side says 'I'm close to playing, but still riding the pine'.

This is the position that Scott Hairston is occupying for Mets again in 2012.  Hairston did not have a bad season in 2011, even showing a small bit of pop with seven home runs in 132 ABs.  But he did not do enough, and probably does not have enough, to get an every day job with this club.  If one of the starting three go down for a game or two, Hairston will be able to fill in admirably.  But anything closer to a week or more, and the Mets will show some signs of offensive trouble.

The New Pilates Master

DILLON GEE - SP
2011 stats - 13 W, 6 L, 4.43 ERA, 160 2/3 IP

The 2011 campaign was the absolute definition of Jekyll and Hyde for Dillon Gee.  After getting a small taste of the big leagues in 2010, Gee started off last season in Triple A Buffalo but was called up to the bigs early on when Chris Young went down with an injury.  And he started with a bang!  Gee started his season with a clean 7-0 record and a 3.05 ERA.  He instantly was a breath of fresh air for the club and was being considered by some to be a dark horse candidate for the All-Star game.

Once the middle of June came around however, things seemed to fall apart for Gee.  Looking at the numbers, it wasn't all bad as he finished 6-6 and led the club with 13 victories.  However his ERA ballooned to almost four and a half and he was giving up more hits and walks per nine innings.  For Gee, it was a long season, the longest in his professional career to be exact.  The 160 innings he threw were by far the most he had ever thrown.

While recognizing that he tired down the stretch, part mental and part physical, Gee decided that he needed to work on his body and conditioning this off-season.  One of the ways he went about doing so was picking up Pilates to strengthen his core and to focus on muscles he never had before.

The Mets would be more than thrilled if they can get a repeat first half performance from their number five starter this season.  Without having the pressure of needing to step up and rescue the team, Gee has an amazing chance to be the quiet guy at the back of the rotation who slowly goes about his business.

New Closer in Town

FRANK FRANCISCO - RP
2011 stats - 1 W, 4 L, 3.55 ERA, 17 S

After getting rid of Frankie Rodriguez in the middle of last season, the Mets went closer by committee in the summer, a patchwork job in order to get through the season.

The main piece of Sandy Alderson's bullpen fortification was the addition of their new closer, Frank Francisco.  After spending the first six years of his career with Texas, Francisco played with the Blue Jays yesteryear and was their main closer in the second half.  He is a bit of a strikeout machine; since the 2007 season, he has the 5th most strikeouts among American League relief pitchers.

There is no doubt there Francisco is the closer on this Mets squad.  That's in the information the organization promised him during free agency and the reason why Francisco inked a two year deal with the Mets.  The team can only hope now that the closer role will not be a distraction and potential detriment as it was in 2011.

The Duuuuude-A

LUCAS DUDA - OF
2011 stats - .292 BA, 10 HR, 50 RBI, 301 AB

If the expectations are high, yet solid, for Ike Davis, then those expectations for Lucas Duda are above average but cautious. 

Duda got his first call up to the big leagues in 2010 and mightily struggled during that stint.  The Mets had Duda up during parts of the early season in 2011 and those struggles continued for the outfielder.  However, none of those call ups gave Duda the chance to play every day and find a consistent groove.  Not until the Mets traded away Carlos Beltran in July did Duda get a chance to play every and once that happened, he showed what type of hitter he can be.

Lucas Duda has the build of your typical power hitter.  A tall, burly left handed hitter, he has drawn some early comparisons to Jason Giambi; very fitting considering those comparisons came from General Manager Sandy Alderson, the same man who drafted Giambi in Oakland years ago.  The Mets are saying all the right things publicly about Duda and expectations they have for the 26 year old this upcoming season, but they are not fooling anyone.  The organization is praying and banking on Duda to be the cap in the middle of the lineup, which should be Wright-Davis-Bay-Dude, hitting 3 through 6.  Putting up 20 HR and around 90 RBI would be exactly what this lineup needs from its right fielder.

A main concern with Duda is his ability to play a strong right field defensively.  The Mets are believing that with a full Spring Training, Duda will get plenty of work and will be able to perform his duties without an issue.  Another factor playing in his favor is the wall change over at Citi Field.  With the Mets evening out the walls and pulling them in some, especially in right field, Duda will have less ground to travel on his way to the baseball.  One final factor that is a plus for him is Andres Torres, his new center fielder.  Torres is known more for his defense and is a better fielder than Angel Pagan, the man who was next to Duda last season.

The Lone Knuckler

RA DICKEY - SP
2011 stats - 8 W, 13 L, 3.28 ERA, 208.2 IP

In 2010, RA Dickey turned into the best Cinderella story the Mets could have hoped for at the time.  He busted onto the scene in May, didn't look back and rung up a career high 11 wins and a sub-3 ERA.  Although the stats were not as impressive as that year, Dickey did not disappoint in 2011.  With a mostly inconsistent pitching staff, and a staff with no set ace nonetheless, Dickey provided some stability in the rotation.


With Tim Wakefield's retirement this past off-season, Dickey remains the last true knuckle ball pitcher in the big leagues.  It's a roll and trait that he has fully embraced and uses it well to his advantage.  Along with the knuckle ball, Dickey has learned a two seam and a four seam fastball, to use essentially in the opposite manner of a change up.


Dickey may be leaned upon quite a bit this season to be the main anchor for a very questionable starting rotation.  Last season's 'ace in training', Mike Pelfrey, failed miserably in that role so the Mets are doing everything they can to steer him away from that spotlight.  And with the uncertainty of Johan Santana and his left shoulder for the entire season, and especially the early months, even more pressure will fall on the right arm of Dickey to deliver quality starts and innings pitched.


One characteristic of Dickey that I have learned to like over the last two seasons is his outright honesty.  RA knows that this team, right now, does not have the make up or experience to make a strong run deep into the season and he hasn't been shy about relaying his feelings.  He made a number of comments in the off-season about the lack of money and payroll the Mets are showing for this season.  It concerns him, as it should.


Who knows what Dickey will bring the Mets this season.  One thing that should be counted on is his consistency to take the mound every five days and to be a true warrior when he has the ball in his hand.

We Like Ike!

IKE DAVIS - IF
2011 stats - .302 BA, 7 HR, 25 RBI, .925 OPS

It's a sad story when thought about, but the 2011 season for both Ike Davis and the Mets were tied together from the start.

Going into 2011, the Mets did not have as many questions marks as they do this season.  There was a small sense of optimism but still enough uncertainty to go around.  Davis performed very well as a rookie in 2010 and was being counted on to be a huge part of the offensive in his sophomore season.

The Mets started the season playing good baseball.  They weren't dominating anyone or making a statement that there would be meaningful September games, but they were competitive, had a great attitude, and fun (for the most part) to watch.  Davis was a step above the team though.  He was crushing the ball over the first six weeks of the season.  Hitting over .300 and in the Top-5 in both home runs and RBIs early on, many Mets fans began to envision the power days of Strawberry and Piazza.  But then that fateful afternoon came where Davis and David Wright collided during a routine pop up and the season was essentially over.

The initial injury was only an ankle sprain.  But it become more than that.  It became a five and a half month ankle sprain.  The doctors did not know what was wrong.  Was it more than a sprain?  Was it broken?  Were ligaments and tendons damaged?  Would surgery be required?  How about just rest and rehab?  As this was going on in the doctor's office, the Mets would lose control of their season.  More injuries began to snowball, specifically to Wright and Jose Reyes.  The decent pitching that was there in the first half of the season fell apart and tired out in the second half.  The carousel of infielders had trouble with a constant change of personnel at first. And we know how the rest played out.

Davis showed up early to Port St Lucie to get a jump start on his 2012 Spring Training.  He has be quoted many, many times as saying his ankle is 100% and there is no need for concern.  He even went as far a week ago to refuse to speak to any reporters who made further inquiries about his ankle.

Let's not beat around the bush or try to sugarcoat the obvious here.  The Mets need Ike Davis to have the type of season he was on pace for last season.  Manager Terry Collins already has Davis pegged for the cleanup spot and he needs to put up cleanup type numbers.  The average doesn't need to be as high as it was last season, but should stick around the .275 clip.  Davis though does need to approach 30 home runs and 115 RBI.  He needs to instill a fear in opposing pitchers which will offer some protection to Wright, who will be batting around of him in the everyday lineup.  Davis needs to be this generation's Strawberry and Piazza for this suffering Mets fanbase.

Also, lets not forget the simple thing with a power hitter.  Defense.  Davis has a fantastic glove and range over at first base.  This will help calm down a potentially shaky throwing infield and provide assistance to Daniel Murphy at second base.

This is a lot of pressure on a kid who has played in only 183 career games, but that's where we are now as Mets fans.  Owner Jeff Wilpon today stated a reason for the smaller payroll is because the organization has young, talented players who have to shine and produce.  I think he may have been specifically speaking about Ike Davis

1st Season with the Club

RONNY CEDENO - IF
2011 stats - .249 BA, 43 R, 32 RBI, 93 KO

General Manager Sandy Alderson didn't make many moves to shape up the roster this season and the ones that he did mostly helped fill out the bullpen and the bench.  The signing of Ronny Cedeno officially names Reuben Tejada the starting shortstop and places Cedeno behind him on the depth chart.

Mostly the starting shortstop with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011, Cedeno will serve an important role as this is the first year Tejada will be an everyday player.  Some rest throughout the season will be needed and that is what the Mets are hoping Cedeno can provide.  A once a week stop gap that should hit low in the order when it's his turn to play.

Cedeno hit .249 last season, after hitting a career high .256 in 2010.

The New Hulk Hogan

TIM BYRDAK - RP
2011 stats - 2 W, 1 L, 1 S, 3.82 ERA, 47 SO, 19 BB

Of course three out of the first four previous are middle relievers.  Doesn't make this difficult or overly exciting or anything like that.  But that's what baseball is sometimes.  There can be an amazing opening act and a phenomenal finale, but if the glue in the middle isn't there and isn't strong enough, the entire performance goes to waste.

Last season, Tim Byrdak was the main LOOGY (Left-handed One Out Guy) for the Mets bullpen.  This was evident by his combined 37.2 innings pitched in 72 total appearances.  But that's the role every bullpen needs.  Managers in today's game love the lefty lefty match-up, especially late in games, and that works perfectly for a guy like Byrdak.

At this time, the Mets do not seem to have another left handed option for the bullpen so it is safe to assume, for now, that Byrdak will again be that specialist for the Mets.

For some reason it does seem that Byrdak is calling out his inner Hulk Hogan this spring.  Maybe he's a bit nervous about making the roster and is looking to intimidate manager Terry Collins?

More Middle Relief

PEDRO BEATO - RP
2011 Stats - 2 W, 1 L, 4.30 ERA, 39 SO, 27 BB

Pedro Beato was a small breath of fresh air for the Mets in the early part of last season.  A Rule 5 draft pick from the Baltimore Orioles, Beato had to stick with the big club for the entire season (except for injury rehab session), or be offered back to Baltimore.  Well Beato did his part.  The 24 year old rookie started his career with 17 scoreless innings pitched as he worked his way into the 7th inning role.  A minor stint on the DL in the middle of May slowed down his momentum but he proved his worth throughout the summer and completed his rookie season as one of the reliable arms in a battered bullpen.

Looking ahead to the 2012 season, Beato falls into the same category as Manny Acosta.  With the bullpen additions the Mets made this off-season, the club should not be expecting much more from Beato in the upcoming season.  He most likely will not be classified as a specific inning guy, but rather as a fall back option to help give relief, no pun intended, to the other relievers.

One area that Beato can improve, and this may be nit picking a bit, is to miss more bats with his pitches.  Beato only recorded 39 SO in his 67 innings pitched so limiting the number of balls that are put into play can only improve his confidence and overall performance.

Continuing to Look at the Opening Day Roster

JASON BAY - OF
2011 stats - .245 BA, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 59 R

Today I look at potentially the biggest bust in Mets history, Jason Bay.  After the 2009 season, Bay signed a 4 year, $66 million deal and has largely failed to earn any of that money.  A concussion limited him to only 95 games in 2010 and other minor injuries and unproductive stats led to 123 games last season.

Bay is one of two hitters in the middle of the Mets lineup (David Wright being the other) that needs to rebound to a somewhat normal season in order for there to be a glimmer of hope in 2012.  Upper management has done their part to help out with the problem by readjusting the outfield walls in Citi Field.  The dreaded wall in left field has been reduced to 8 ft and the deep alley in right center has been brought in from 415 ft.  All of this is being done to help with the psychological nightmare that many believe Bay is living.  With a more neutral hitting park, the Mets are banking on Bay to finish somewhere between 18-21 HRs and 70-85 RBI.

There are a few factors, outside of the moved in walls, that can also help Bay this season.  He should hopefully have a full season's worth of protection around him with Ike Davis being healthy, a full season of Lucas Duda, and an improved David Wright.

No one is looking for Bay to be savior of the offense, a person who will carry the team on his back for games at a time.  The Mets just do not need Bay to be an every now and then singles hitter.  Some pop will be needed from his bat.  It's hard to have high expectations from everything we've seen the past two seasons.  This may be his final chance though to prove he will not be the largest bust in Mets history.

Manny Acosta - Relief Pitcher

Starting today and going through the end of Spring Training, I will be looking at all players that should be making the 25-man roster heading into the start of the season.  Some will have more in depth information than others and every now and then I'll include a prospect or two that may soon be seeing Citi Field.

MANNY ACOSTA - RP
2011 stats - 4W, 1L, 4S, 3.45 ERA, 46 KO, 15 BB

It's always difficult to start any evaluation of a team with a relief pitcher because that position is very fickle one year to the next.  Outside of top closers in the game, middle relief pitchers have up and down seasons and up and down careers.

Acosta is a player that had a very strong 2011 for the Mets bullpen and will be looked at to repeat that performance in 2012.  After starting the season in Triple A Buffalo, Acosta came up to the big club in early June and stayed the rest of the time.  For the most part, the Mets knew what they were getting out of Acosta each time he took the hill.  His season averages almost evened out at one hit and one strikeout per inning pitched.  Near the end of the season, Acosta picked up four saves as the Mets were in a closer by committee mode.

With the additions the Mets made to their bullpen for the upcoming season, Acosta will most likely be battling for innings this year.  Hopefully this will help him keep his head level and not take on as much pressure as a late inning pitcher.  A repeat performance from 2011 is exactly what the Mets need from Acosta this season.

Spring Training - 2012

This morning was a blissful morning.  Not because it was a Monday morning.  Not because it was a holiday morning and most of us had off of work.  No, this morning was blissful because it is the first day of spring training.  A fresh start.  A new beginning.  A clean slate.


It's been this way since the end of the 2007 season, 'The Collapse'.  Everything that possibly could have gone wrong for the organization, did.  Both on and off the field, the organization has struggled, up and down.


But, as of this morning, at least for a few days, that all goes away.  No one should look back at what was, but look forward to what can be.  Yes, there's a lot, and I mean a lot, that needs to go right for the Mets to be contenders this season, even if a second Wild Card spot is up for grabs.  But that doesn't mean we, as fans, can't hope for it.  Hope is what we have right now.  Hope is what this morning gave us.


It's something small for Mets fans, and that's okay.  While there are a number of other teams that open Spring Training this morning with legit dreams of a World Series in the fall, we should allow their fans to agonize and stress over the small things.  As Mets fans, we're suppose to have nothing to play for, nothing to aim for this season.  Let that be the case, let other people, the so-called experts, predict that the team will finish last in the NL East.  Maybe it'll happen, but maybe it won't.  Who knows?  No one, that's who.  That's why they play the game.


The whip of a pitch.  The crack of the bat.  The heat of the sun.  The smell of the grass.  It's all here now, it's time for Spring Training.  It's time for baseball.

Back and Better Than Ever

Apologies for my 9 month vacation, although it wasn't much of a vacation.  Moreso busy at work and tight with time.  I've come to realize that things need to change and I enjoy writing, even if no one is reading.

Starting this weekend, this blog will be once again active.


Let's go Mets!

Rinse, Lather, Repeat

Yes, the Mets lost last night to the Nationals, ending their 6-game winning streak.  But that's okay.  As I wrote the day, all ya gotta do is believe, and win series.

Tonight starts a new series; a tough and more important series.  Tonight the Mets open a three game series, on the road, against the Phillies.  Tonight is a must have as the Mets are going against the #5 pitcher for Philadelphia, Vance Worley.  After that, it's a heavy dosage of Halladay and Lee.  Get tonight's victory and then hope to 'steal' one over the weekend and boom!  There ya have it, it'll be another series win.

Big Pelf on the mound tonight.  He looked pretty dang solid in his last outing against Arizona.  His record is as ugly as most of his performances this year, 1-3 including a performance in Philadelphia three weeks ago when he got tattooed for seven runs.

11-14

Just Win Series

Obviously what is written below is always easier said than done, but I don't know if I believe that professional ball players truly buy into this concept and I know for a fact that most fans do not.  In baseball, this is all that a team needs to do, win series.

Again, winning ball games is a tough task and the better team will do so more often than not.  So this isn't as much of a personnel or talent item but more so a mind set.  Teams should not be worrying about winning 6, 7, or 8 games in a row or even sweeping a particular team.  Just win the series.  Win majority of the games you play against an opponent.  For the fans out there, this is something that I don't think they will every grasp on to.  As fans, we're taught that doing something right only once out of three tries is a very good thing (.333 average), so then we're expected to accept losing once out of every three games?  In short, yes, we all should be very happy with that.

This formula/mind set is how the Mets can get into the playoffs this season, 2011.  Let's first take the team's 9-13 record almost a month into the season, so we're left 140 games remaining.  For the rest of the season, there are nine series that are either of the 2-game or 4-game variety, totally 32 games.  For the overall total, let's be conservative and figure the team will play .500 ball.  This will place the Mets at 25-29.  The remaining 108 games are broken into a total of 36 series.  If the club is able to win each series then that will give the Mets another 72 victories.  Add those and the 32 losses to the most recent record and the Mets will finish the season at 97-65.  

Laugh it up if you please, because yes, I know that this year's Mets winning 97 games may be the funniest thing most people have heard in a long, long time.  But by keeping things simple minded, it's not out of the realm.  And of those 36 remaining 3-game series, let's say that the Mets drop a few of those series, let's say seven of them, well that will leave their record at 90-72.  Since 2003, the National League Wild Card winner has, respectively, won 91, 92, 89, 88, 90, 90, 92, and 91 games.

Mr. Wilpon, if this formula is followed, you will have your wish of meaningful September games.

9-13.  Young vs Nationals, 7:10 PM

Vacation Again?

So maybe I should plan another trip away?  Maybe for the rest of the baseball season?

First off, I'm a bit tired since I got back this morning and only had an hour's worth of sleep last night, so if this post doesn't necessarily make sense or run smoothly, I'm blaming it on the drive home.

When I left my apartment Wednesday evening, the Mets were 5-12 and things were just looking bleak all around.  No quality outings, a bullpen that got hit harder than Sonny Bono hitting a tree, and an offensive line-up showing that their bats were made out of a Swiss wood, aka, nothing but holes in their sticks.  And sure enough, they lost Wednesday night.  A lot of the same issues flared their ugly heads that night.

But what happened next is a little bit of awesomeness.  New York played four games, which started while I was in a different state, and they were able to take all four of those games.  The finale against Houston and then a weekend sweep of the Diamondbacks.  Citi Field became the place to be for a few days.  Capuano, Pelfrey(!!!), Dickey, and Niese all put up solid, solid performances that allowed the bullpen to get some much needed, extended rest.  The whooping sticks that us fans thought would be around all season long started to gain some life.  Wright ended his horrible 0-20 skid by blasting some doubles and home runs.  Davis showed that he may actually hit the ball out of Citi Field one of these days.  Hell, the team hit its first 3-run home run of the season and it came off the bat of Jason Pridie!  Reyes and Bay (welcome back) and Beltran, oh my!

I know, I know, sweeping the Diamondbacks isn't the biggest deal in the world, I mean, they are (record wise) pretty close to the Mets.  But for this team, this week, in this fashion, it was a huge, huge, huge weekend.  And two more nuggets to further prove someone should plan me a trip away.  Good Bye Rangers.  Good Bye Knicks.

Really, when?

When is enough really enough?

For this fan base, how many more empty promises and 'meaningless' September games will we have to go through (I know it's only April, but I believe everyone can see which way the ship is headed)?

Last October/November was such a promising month for the Mets: ownership finally got rid of Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel and then promised the future would be brighter with Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins running the organization.  Alderson explained immediately that the team would not be big spenders and crash the off-season free agent party, that they're long term goal was to get the long term payroll under control and build from within.  For the most part, that's happened.  Chrises Young and Capuano were the biggest free agent signings, each for a year.  Youngsters such as Josh Thole, Brad Emaus, Lucas Duda, and Ike Davis were with the team on Opening Day. Collins did his part as skipper during Spring Training, energizing not only his players but the fans and media as well.  We all were ready for Opening Day, and although that day was a bit of a disappointment, the ensuing days were great.  3-1 was a very, very nice start to the season for the Metropolitians.

And then it all went downhill.  The squad has gone 2-10 since then and many of the ghosts of the Minaya/Manuel era seemed to be floating above the clubhouse each day.  The pitching staff has be abysmal as a collective unit.  No one can get the big out at the appropriate time.  The offense is way to stagnant in to many big moments.  I don't pretend to say I view the stats of all the MLB games played, however I doubt there have been many teams that have had as many bases loaded opportunities as the Mets and yet have done nothing with those opportunities.  The team as a whole strikes out too much; trying to work the count and draw walks have shown the reverse results.  Lastly, the defense has been horrendous.  The squad leads the majors in runs allowed due to defensive mishaps.  Not turning the double-play, not hitting the cut-off man, the pitcher airmailing the ball into the stands, it's all happened of late.

Speaking on behalf of Mets fans, I understand that 2011 is not a year that we should be expecting to make the playoffs.  But what all of us were hoping for is a competitive team that will be in every game and will allow us to openly be proud of being a Mets fan.  We haven't received that yet and not only is it frustrating but it has become disheartening because we believed this past off-season.  We thought things would be different.  Even if just slightly.  We feel lied to.

5-11

Break That was Needed?

So aside from last night's game cancellation ruining my birthday, yeah that's right Mother Nature, I was there after receiving tickets as a present you rainy bitch, last night's non-game may have been a blessing in disguise for the Mets.

Essentially, it gave the Mets a chance to get away from the ballpark for a night, lose focus that they've lost five of their last six and try to escape the sense this is a similar story to 2009 and 2010.

More importantly though, the night off meant that the bullpen could rest.  It's not a secret that the Mets pitching staff (aside from a few arms) has struggled mightily in the early going this season.  They rank next to last in ERA and offer the second most walks in the league.  And because of the starters struggles, the already questionable bullpen has been taxed a lot already.  We're not even at Tax Day and manager Terry Collins has stated that he can not burn out his bullpen by June.  So maybe there was a small shining light somewhere amongst the dark clouds over LaGuardia last night.  Let the guys rest their arms for a night and rest their minds.  It's an early season so we can't get too ahead of ourselves and keep the 'whoa is me' mentality.  But we also can't afford to watch the team constantly hitting rock bottom because of the pitching staff.

Now I play Devil's Advocate and say that last night's rainout will end up killing the team because not only may they be needed for multiple innings tomorrow (please Mr. Niese don't let that be the case) but if RA Dickey's fingernail or Chris Capuano's elbow bring up red flares during a double header on Thursday, any and all rest may be gone in the form of burnout.  And that doesn't include the safety net that may need to be provided on Sunday when a spot starter is needed.

4-6

Not the best, Not the worst

Starting a season .500 isn't the worst thing.  And hell, we're only a week and a half into the season so there isn't too too much stake to put into everything.  But ahhhh, to be a Mets fan, it's still a bit torturous.

Reason being?  The team starts 3-1, beat the feckin Phillies in their house, almost everything is clicking.  And then for three straight games, it falls apart.  First it's the starting pitching, then it's the offense, then it's the bullpen.  Ahh, the last three years all come back.  The feeling and the gut wrenching.

Yesterday was a needed win, if there is such a thing in Week #2.  Carlos Beltran showed that he still has a thundering bat with two long balls.  Chris Capuano had a nicely impressive first start as a Met.  And K-Rod locked it down!

---- On another note.... Feckin' Devils!!!  Allowed the bloody Rangers to get into the playoffs.  Feck!----

4-4

Small Pelf

Piggy backing off of yesterday's post, one must realize that last night was just one game.  However, it was Game 2 for Mike Pelfrey and for the second consecutive outing, he looked small.  There are probably some excuses that could be found for his performance in Florida last week but not last night.  The man wasn't even able to make it out of the third inning, and that hurts the team in a number of ways.  

First off, all the more pressure is placed on the offense's shoulders to score a lot of runs and credit to them, they did, scoring seven runs to get Small Pelf off the hook.  Secondly, added innings to the bullpen.  Those guys had to pitch a few innings in securing Tuesday's win, tacked on a lot more work last night and have a short rest since there's an afternoon game today.  Finally, it has to kill Pelfrey's confidence.  He might be one of the most short fused, mental pitchers in the game.  One thing goes wrong for him and his mind starts to race and everything just seems to fall out of sync.

Listen, I'm not throwing the 'Ace' tag on him, because he's not that type of pitcher.  I'm hoping that the organization and the rest of the media shed that title from him because it's unfair.  He's a #2 pitcher and that's what we need from him; to be solid, get his 15 Ws, and give the team a chance to win each time he takes the mound.  It didn't happen last night.  It better happen Monday night at Citi Field vs the Rockies.

3-2

Only One Game

Last night's game, a 7-1 whooping over the Phillies, was just one game.  Just one game out of the 162 game schedule and just one game out of the 18 that the Mets play against their division opponent.  From tonight through the end of September, anything can happen.  There is a bunch of time for all the negative energy that has plagued this team recently to come back and show its ugly head.  Last night was just one game, one small sample of the good this team could do.

But it was one hell of a game.  Chris Young looked great, limiting the Phillies to only one run while striking out seven in his first start with his new team.  David Wright is on fire!  Four more hits last night.  Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan got on base and ran the bases with a purpose, and made the opposing defense look silly in the process.  The bullpen was lights out again.  That all pushed the Mets to a great victory over their division rivals.

Just one game, but one hell of a game at that.

3-1

That's More Like It

Again, that is why the season is 162 games long.  After Friday night, the 'same old Mets' thoughts were creeping through the minds of the fans and some of the media as well.  There was the feeling that 2010 never ended, instead just rolled over into this March.

But 42 hours can change a lot, especially the feeling about the team.  The Mets finished the weekend by taking the last two games against the Marlins and won their first road series of 2011, something that didn't happen until August (I believe) last year.

Starting pitching was the key in both victories as Jon Niese allowed only two runs in 7 innings on Saturday and R.A. Dickey followed that with just one unearned run in 6 innings this afternoon.  The bullpen ended up getting a decent amount of work in while finishing out these two games because no one was particularly solid, but that's a good thing.  It allows all the arms to get some action early on.

Ike Davis, David Wright, Josh Thole and Willie Harris (!!!!!) all contributed with big at bats this weekend and the positive vibes transcended to the rest of the squad.  This is more like the offense that we expected coming out of Spring Training, putting 15 runs on the board while collecting the two Ws.

They now get a well deserved day off on Monday after traveling up north.  Their next stop, Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia.  Tuesday night is the first of 18 against the Phillies, and the Mets will give the ball to Chris Young who will be making his first start in a Mets uniform (he'll be opposed by Cole Hamels).

2-1

Not What Was Envisioned

Well last night didn't turn out to be what Mets fans and myself had hoped for since the end of September last year.  Basically, it seemed as if it were the same team playing the same game from last year.

David Wright kept striking out.  Jose Reyes was jumpy at the plate.  The offense had no pop in its bats.  Mike Pelfrey struggled with his command and channelled his inner John Maine by allowing way to many foul tips.

There were some positives though.  Brad Emaus played well defensively at second base.  Carlos Beltran had a decent game in right field and had the first RBI on the season.  The bullpen, although giving up some hard hits, pitched decently.

That's the great thing about baseball though, there's 161 games left to be played and they Metsies get to do it all over again tonight at 7:10 (Jon Niese vs Ricky Nolasco, SNY/WFAN).  I believe the team will have settled down from their Opening Day nerves and get back to the team who hit the ball pretty well the last week of Spring Training.

0-1