Gwreck

I remember Axford looking intimidating when I first saw him last year but I also recall Ruben Tejada (!) getting him for a game-winning walk-off RBI double at the end of last season.

Tigers loaded the bases with nobody out but went Sac Fly-Line Out-Strikeout to only net 1 run.

Frayed Knot wrote: Jason Heyward 1st AB in 2010 = HR Jason Heyward 1st AB in 2011 = HR Eh, that's not so special. Just ask our friend Kaz Matsui.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Among today's scheduled starting pitchers is one former Met: The Nationals' Livan Hernandez. It will be either Livan or C.C. Sabathia who throws the first pitch of the season. It was Livan. Hopefully the Yankees are not first in anything this year.

Now properly adjusted for age, he actually had a pretty normal career arc and none of the telltale good-seasons-at-too-old-an-age sort of stuff that we've seen with a lot of those accused of taking the 'roids.

That's the key. There's only one season where a league played all of their games on that side of the Mississippi: the 1954 season, when the Browns moved to Baltimore and before the Athletics moved to KC. Your answer is Larry Doby.

I'll also take that St. Louis series after the ASB.

Sorry to be a wet blanket but I don't think Pedro F. was on the 2004 opening day roster.

As noted above, I'd be mighty pissed if I were the Mets, that the "specially designed for Citi Field" stuff got copied elsewhere.

Um, what the f? Our signature concessions have now been transplanted to Nationals Park as well? Not cool.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I'll say this: virtually all the stuff that Citi missed on when it opened-- from the sparseness of Met-specific decor and statuary to how to incorporate ads tastefully to fun, city-specific aesthetic touches to sky-high prices to a playable, natural-appearing playing field-- CBP had nailed from Day One. If it were our stadium, I'd love it so hard it hurt. That's pretty much how I feel about Pittsburgh, Seattle and Minneapolis. If it weren't for the degenerates that make up the fan base in Philly, I'd probably have that park it in my top 5 or 6.

We told the Mets to go shove it when it comes to multi-game plans this year but wound up buying a chunk of games off another season ticket holder (the games we wanted to go to). Roadtrips: Detroit in June. Considering Pittsburgh in June; and Washington in July but will probably wait and see as to how the team does before committing. Will of course be there on April 8. I'm a big fan of the 4:10 start time. Originally thought I would have to worry about getting out of work but now will just have to leave a few hours early.

If something like that had happened just once, I would write it off as a random thing. But NO -- I had the same exact problem with a guy on the train in Phoenix this past summer when I was there to see the Mets again. Contributing to the situation is that my other half is more willing to engage in friendly conversation with strangers at the ballgame but that still doesn't explain why people want to bring that lovely topic up for conversation.

I think I saw this guy pitch in that debacle of a series in Houston in 2008 when we got swept, Wagner got hurt and I sat next to the most annoying Astros fan who, after realizing I was from NY (maybe the David Wright jersey tipped you off?) wanted to spend the whole game asking me questions about 9/11.

Ceetar wrote: The only one I have a real quibble with is RF. Are your assumptions cumulative? games played? As of right now I'd be Beltran at the top of that list, or second. Nothing scientific; just ordering the players based on how good they are relative to each other right now. Of course past performance and future expectations are factors in the evaluation but right now, Carlos Beltran is not a better player than Werth or Heyward. Maybe you could put him at 3 ahead of Stanton.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Gwreck beat me to the Tigers series, but I'll take the May gathering against the vile MFYs Didn't mean to snatch it out from under you. As the Second Spitter deduced -- yes, I will be going to those games at Comerica.

It's that time again. DateTeamKTE AuthorApr 1-3at FloridaYour Name HereApr 5-7at PhiladelphiaApr 8-10WashingtonApr 11-14ColoradoGwreckApr 15-17at AtlantaApr 19-21HoustonApr 22-24ArizonaApr 26-28at WashingtonApr 29-May 1at PhiladelphiaMay 3-5San FranciscoMay 6-8LA DodgersMay 9-11at ColoradoMay 13-15at HoustonMay 16-17FloridaMay 18-19WashingtonMay 20-22at YankeesMay 24-26at ChicagoMay 27-29PhiladelphiaMay 30-Jun 2PittsburghJun 3-5AtlantaJun 7-9at MilwaukeeJun 10-13at PittsburghJun 14-16at AtlantaJun 17-19LA AngelsJun 21-13OaklandJun 24-26at TexasJun 28-30at DetroitGwreckJul 1-3YankeesJul 4-7at LA DodgersJul 8-10at San FranciscoJul 11-14All Star BreakJul 15-17PhiladelphiaJul 19-21St. LouisJul 22-24at FloridaJul 25-28at CincinnatiJul 29-31at WashingtonAug 1-3FloridaAug 5-7AtlantaAug 8-11San DiegoAug 12-14at ArizonaAug 15-17at San DiegoAug 19-21MilwaukeeAug 22-24at PhiladelphiaAug 26-28AtlantaAug 29-Sep 1FloridaSep 2-4at WashingtonSep 5-7at FloridaSep 9-11ChicagoSep 12-15WashingtonSep 16-18at AtlantaSep 20-22at St. LouisSep 23-25PhiladelphiaSep 26-28Cincinnati

Did this last year as well. (Check out where Pagan and Bay were, compared to now). C McCann Buck Ruiz Thole Pudge 1B Howard Davis LaRoche Sanchez Freeman 2B Uggla Infante Emaus Espinosa Castillo 3B Zimmerman Wright Jones Polanco Murphy/Bonifacio SS Ramirez Reyes Rollins Gonzalez Desmond LF Ibanez Prado Bay Morse Morrison CF Pagan Victorino Coghlan Ankiel McLouth RF Werth Heyward Stanton Beltran Francisco

There are no single digit relievers in Mets history. Shingo Takatsu (remember him?) was a 10.

Vic Sage wrote: i think "optimism" in this context goes beyond merely misguided and approaches dangerously delusional. While I agree that any optimism for the season has to be carefully measured, it's also fair to point out that not everything on your list was accurate.

Costas noted that there are 3 games from the '86 postseason in the top 10. Presumably our two game sixes are the other ones.

Ashie62 wrote: Evans can't hit righties but would be very effective off the bench or as a platoon partner against lefties Fixed it for you

He was ejected on fireworks night (July 5) when the umpires first ruled Scott Rolen out on a held third-strike foul-tip but reversed their call after Rolen whined like a little baby that the ball had hit him instead. I think that was the first but am still checking. edit: Monday, May 10 vs. Washington was Manuel's first ejection of 2010. Reyes got thrown out by Laz Diaz for slamming his helmet down after a called third strike. Manuel came out and also got ejected.

We already have a backup centerfielder on the roster. A guy named Carlos. My guess is that he'd do just fine there in a pinch. (Yes, Carlos might open the season on the DL but in that case I bet Evans makes the team).

I realize that Evans doesn't really hit right handed pitching but his career ML numbers against lefties: .322/.379/.512 (in 132 PAs); his MiLB numbers are also not shabby. I guess he gets the squeeze because Harris can hit lefty. Personally, I wonder if Evans is a better choice than Scott Hairston.