TransMonk

I'll also take Minny 9/16 - 9/18.

I was unaware there were a total of three interleague series to start the season. The schedule-makers continue to baffle me.

Curtis became one of my favorite current Mets last season. Still, I see a bit of a dip due to age across the board due to age: .240/.335/.415/.750, 20 HR, 65 RBI. I'm not sure they will be able to stay committed to him leading off all year unless he duplicates last year's BB and OBP rates. That said, I'm not sure who would take his place at the top.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I'd like to be more optimistic but I'm filled with dread. I have to be honest, I know everyone was rooting for a Cespedes deal but I don't like him in center field one bit nor do I like the alternative of sitting Conforto as often as we might. I'm rooting in the meantime for guys like Doodoo and dArnaud but they're anything but locks: How they go could make the ultimate difference. Walker's another guy I don't trust yet, but less concerned with Mookie Dilson ready to take over. Cabrera? Who knows. Wright? Good luck. Grandy? Love his attitude, worried about his advancing age. Pitching? Love Syndergaard, consider him a CY candidate right now, and I think deGrom is swell. Harvey's got great ability obv., but had a very bad spring and I feel like his state of mind isn't right. I don't trust Matz yet, and I think his girlfriend is weird. I'd put him in the same maybe/maybe not category as Duda and dArnaud. Colon gets, and I suppose, deserves, a lot of credit for a guy with as high an ERA and hits allowed as he surrenders, but those nights where he just doesn't have it are going to be more frequent. A midseason Wheeler delivery would do wonders for us. I'm also constitutionally incapable of predicting bad things so we somehow arrive at the line 90-72 with a playoff spot before the pitching steps up and we go All. The. Way. I tend to agree with most of this (tho, I like Walker much more than Murph and consider losing Niese addition by subtraction). Yes, there are question marks and I expect the Nats to be better than last year. But I also think ownership and management is as "all in" as they have been lately and maybe as much as they are ever going to get. I believe that if the 2016 Mets have holes in July, an attempt will be made to fill them.

This is the era to go big or go home. 94-68 NL East Champions World Champions

Separate from Garcia, Alou used to urinate on his hands to toughen them up...though in looking back , he revealed that he practiced this ritual long before he arrived in New York.

Zvon wrote: Backhand side? I believe so. Zvon wrote: Do u recall the inning? I'll go look. 4th or 5th. While Noah was in the game IIRC.

Mets – Willets Point wrote: I guess this is better than the last urine-related news out of Port St. Lucie involving Karim Garcia. Wasn't the last one Moises Alou?

Nymr83 wrote: bring back the great shea airplane race!! Seconded. No reason to re-invent a tradition.

Looks like Frenchy will make the Braves' Opening Day roster. http://www.talkingchop.com/2016/3/29/11325976/mlb-opening-day-2016-jeff-francoeur-has-made-the-team-atlanta-braves

Centerfield wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: lolloool. would be even better if I could place the tune but all I can conjure is Eric Clapton Hi I'm JCL. I clearly do not have a young daughter. Right. I've heard this song about 37 times in the past 24 hours.

There was another misplay by Cespedes in center today, too. In a game of our regulars vs. the best division rival's regulars, I found nothing to be inspired about.

Blood clot on his bladder. It has passed. Good to go for Opening Night.

"Winless" streaks mean little to me. Multiple extra innings are chances not given in these ST games. Ties are for soccer. I'm glad they are getting out of the system now. Once Opening Day arrives, I'm hoping this will all just be a bloody bladder clot that has passed.

I'll take the two Milwaukees if no one else is looking for them.

I'd assume deGrom...if his wife isn't birthing instead. All of a sudden, three days off in the first week doesn't look so bad.

Yabbut, he missed today's team-building trip suggested by the Captain! SC=96.7%...but if there was one guy on this team I would suggest team-building exercises for, it would be Matt.

Rubes RIGHT NOW on the ESPN side bar thingy: Sandy Alderson said Matt Harvey may have to go to New York for further examination. He will not pitch the remainder of exhibition season, but Opening Day not yet ruled out yet. Alderson said Harvey experienced a symptom which prompted medical attention. The GM declined to reveal any specifics. However, the Mets say it's not orthopedic (related to an elbow, shoulder, etc.).

Rubes said earlier in the day Harvey went to see a "non-orthopedic" doc. That would rule out tendons, ligaments, muscles and bones, right?

Ah, for fuck's sake. This is not what I wanted to see 6 days before the season starts. I'm hoping my high expectations for this season don't lead to disappointment.

1. Reach base safely - Granderson 2. Get a hit - Walker 3. Draw a walk - Granderson 4. Hit a double - d'Arnaud 5. Hit a triple - Lagares 6. Hit a home run - Duda 7. Steal second base - Granderson 8. Reach by error - Cabrera 9. Hit a grounds-rule double - Cespedes 10. Score a run - Granderson 11. Drive in a run - Wright 12. Get hit by a pitch - Duda 13. Drive in more than one run in a single plate appearance - Cespedes 14. Hit into a double play - Cabrera 15. Get caught stealing OR picked off base - Walker 16. Strike out as a batter - Cespedes 17. Bunt for a base hit - de Aza 18. Get tagged out at home - Flores 19. Pinch hit - Lagares 20. Be pinch-hit for - Conforto 21. Commit an error - Cespedes 22. Play a batted ball by an opponent in fair territory - Walker 23. Be called on to relieve - Robles 24. Strike out 6 or more batters in the same game - Harvey 25. Hit an opposing batter with a pitch - Matz 26. Blow a save opportunity - Familia 27. Get credited with a hold - Robles 28. Strike out the side - Harvey 29. Get a save - Familia 30. Pitcher to get a base hit - deGrom Bonus tiebreaker: Name the date when Terry Collins gets ejected for the first time, closest to actual date wins - 05/15/16

I got down to reading this a little later than I thought I would...but I finished it in one sitting yesterday afternoon. Great work, Greg! I'm sure I'll be coming back to this book to recall the 2015 season again and again.

The thread had a deceptive title...Every Day I'm Hustling I started this one without having read that one...RMPL, I guess.

I love this pic. One of my all time favorite Mets moments. [fimg=420:14jldm8n]http://m.mlb.com/assets/images/9/0/8/140256908/cuts/Flores1280f_nwtvnb29_aqcs2sw5.jpg[/fimg:14jldm8n] .265/.310/.415/.725, 10 HR, 40 RBI

I'll be with the 7 Line Army in Milwaukee on 06/11/16 (as well as attending the games on both sides of that one).