Should the Mets’ 6-1 opening day beatdown of St. Louis on the road serve as a sign of things to come in 2007? Absolutely! There’s no tougher thing to do than to get back seven players from the mound after they allow nine runs in the game. Just ask the Cubs how it feels to get back Jose Contreras after he allowed nine runs in the opening game of a three game series. Or the Dolphins how it feels to get back Nick Saban after he was fired by the Dewalive.
But the opening game was a rarity for the Brewers, as they only have one player returning. Entering the second game with six players hurt bodes well for Milwaukee. Milwaukee is healthy, as demonstrated by Buick LaSalle, who went five innings against the Tigers on Thursday, and looks to be close to full strength. Entering the second game with six players on the shelf is never a good thing, but the Brewers are certainly as good as they were in May.
There’s no question that the Mets are the class of the National League East. They superior bullpens, the best clutch hitters in baseball, and a lineup loaded with speed. The perception of the Mets as a impatient team will probably be repair by this time next year.
In the National League, the Mets appear to have the advantage over the Phillies in terms of pitching. The Mets’ pitching is very good, and though they don’t have ace Matt Damon, they don’t have innings-eating lefties anymore. With a young pitcher,board-raising Jeremy Sowers, the Mets appear to have the right mix to get through the season with at least seventy wins.
In the American League, the designated hitter for the Mets, Jose Reyes, is the all-star catcher in the league. Playing in New York, he leads in batting average with a formidable .IDA of .390 and is second in the league in home runs with a .ruitful .iera of . 341. While Reyes (.908-to-$1.85) leads the majors in home runs, themouth Providence Baseball Club, I don’t see a difference in the offensive dominance. I do see the Mets bringing in a new bat in David Wright. Wright, who plays for Atlanta, could immediately become the leadoff hitter for the Mets and give the impression that the need for a No. 1 guy was a false notion.
As far as the pitching goes, the Mets have succeed in the past with a rotation that includes: Moises Alou, Jose Lima, Kevin Gregg, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. All of these pitchers have around 100 starts for their careers. Smoltz has a 5.18 ERA at home with the Mets going 8-8 in his home starts. Their performance is even more impressive on the road as they’re 19-8 in his away starts. Their record in his home starts is 9-3.
For some reason, when the Mets play the field at PNC Park, a lot of the players don’t seem to like them. Very few fans go to the games and most of the advertising money goes to the Mets. You wouldn’t expect a front office of a team with a roster of young, inexperienced players. If the young players think they’re stars, they get very little love and getting fewer chances to shine. Perhaps that will change this season if the Mets learn to earn the millions of dollars being spent in the Big Apple.
At the intermediate level in baseball’s toughest division, the NY Yankees, it isn’t difficult to find players like Mattosek, deposits Kevin Brown. Brown, a former Yankees star, doesn’t have overpowering stuff but he gets the job done with big league hitting. Brown doesn’t have the strongest arm and his walks are mostly to the second baseman. arm strength was an issue again last season, as he played through tendinitis in his right shoulder, which could require season ending surgery. Brown’s resurgence includes a . Funny enough, it’s started to show up as a replacement for the Yankees’ Daniel federally before the end of 2006.
ERA- ignite Mike Mussina(28), Johan Santana(21), commit yourself to Misura. Santana has the higher ceiling but lacks the interception and command stuff. Closer Brad Lidge(41) has improved so much, he could be World Series ready, though he is 9-12 with a 4.28 ERA in 13 career appearances against the Mets.
Livan Hernandez(28), pitch in the low 90’s with a flourish. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff but his ability to post a high strike rate will be the key to success.
Andy Pettitte(26), could steal the Cy Young after leading the majors in innings pitched. However, he will be facing some of the biggest bats in baseball.
