Edgy MD

Oh, dear, it's one of those "gangstas" I've been reading about. Roll up the windows and lock the doors, Bernice.

That's some angry pitching by 'Gaard. That said, it may speak to the pitchers' faith in their offense that they go for the strikeouts with a runner in scoring position in the first.

I'm Steven Matz. I'm the last of the phenoms, and maybe the last among equals, but I have an undefeated record, an historic debut, a left-handed delivery, and a foxy grandpa. Surely there's still some room for growth. How much growth? You tell me. [fimg=308:11098d0c]http://isportsweb.com/wp-content/uploads//2015/10/Steven-Matz-31.jpg[/fimg:11098d0c] [fimg=392:11098d0c]http://cdn.newsday.com/polopoly_fs/1.10588974.1435531373!/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/landscape_640/image.JPG[/fimg:11098d0c] [fimg=332:11098d0c]http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/steven-matz-62815.jpg[/fimg:11098d0c] [fimg=368:11098d0c]http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/omnisport/29/16/matz-steven-062815-usnews-getty-ftr_k8z1a3olwaon1am5kwaly9f9s.jpg?t=1012380830[/fimg:11098d0c]

Wright ain't being dropped to sixth anytime soon. A bridge not quite as far in Terry overcoming his deference to big paycheck guys: getting Cespedes to consider right field.

No offense to CY, but how can the defending champsTM be rolling him out in game two?

Will voting remain open, and therefore the player of the game for a particular game possibly change over time as critical consensus evolves?

I'm Seth Lugo. I was an indifferent pitcher. From a Division III school. ERAs in the fives for DIII schools don't raise eyebrows. But I went to a tryout, and somehow threw my best stuff. One scout noticed, and I became a a 37th-round draft choice. I put aside my geology degree and hit the grind, and somehow I did more-or-less well at every level before reaching as far as Las Vegas, where I held my own over 30 innings with a 4.00 ERA. That's the sort of stuff that gets you onto the 40-man roster, especially when you're 6'4" of hulking man flesh. So, yeah, be a jerk. Count me out. I've been counted out before. But I'm making big league roster salary already, and that's more scratch than most of your geologists will ever see. I think you might want to think a few moments before declaring what I'm going to provide in 2016. I've surprised people before. [fimg=355]http://www.milb.com/assets/images/3/2/4/167032324/cuts/Lugo_9xzojqlh_icwfqo9z.jpg[/fimg] [fimg=333]https://cdn1.lockerdome.com/uploads/15389941f953cdafd88a8fd6185c2d7f18f0e278ddb9c0d95d3afd6482811dcf_large[/fimg] [fimg=332]https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DH69PGyRUaeZCueByCyMMivnAV4=/0x300:2000x1633/1310x873/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49072387/GettyImages-513720122.0.jpg[/fimg]

Start sending them your work now.

TransMonk wrote: In a perfect world, I'd prefer MLB analysts to be former MLB players (it's not like there is a shortage of them). In term of non-players, I prefer her to guys like Verducci. So, Keith Hernandez and Tom Verducci are above and below the Mendoza Line, respectively.

“I think she is fantastic,” he said. “I don’t think anyone in our business outworks her. I just love that she brings a fresh, new look at our sport. [The Nationals’] Bryce Harper was talking about how tired the sport is. Well, it’s a fresh new look. There’s nothing tired about Jessica Mendoza’s analysis. It’s some of the best stuff I’ve seen, to tell you the truth. “There is nothing that separates her from me except a thousand years [in age]. I was raised with a dad who loved the game and taught it to me, and so was she . . . And she could hit [as a star softball player] and I couldn’t. “I think she brings a great, effervescent quality, a hard work ethic. Anyone would be proud that she’s where she’s at right now.” I'm a little nervous that folks will pile up to get behind her as a concept — as a woman and as a Latina (as a FRESH FACE!) — and deny her the dignity of judging her for her work (however we judge broadcasters, which is admittedly grossly inconsistent). Or the Limbaughs of the world will attack her as an affirmative action hire for the converse reason.

Sure we do. We have De Aza. They just elected to deploy him otherwise.

As certain as I am that De Aza isn't as fast as he was, I'm equally as certain in the assumption that, as a backup center fielder, he's (almost by definition) faster and nimbler than backup corner infielder Eric Campbell.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: You gotta wonder whether being told "you're too shitty to make an appearance here" could weigh on the CAHNfidence of the actual bullpenners. I'd have said, "Hey, Jim Henderson! Go get 'em!" Totally. That guy's arm had the big out we needed.

d'Kong76 wrote: We'd all have heart attacks if a Matz or a deGrom pinch ran and pulled or broke something. At least I would. Maybe, but it seems like manageable risk. We had plenty of days in 84 or 85 with Darling pinch-running for Staub � and Gooden if Darliing was pitching that day � and the world kept spinning. Fear of injuries handicaps managers. Manage to win the games.

Hey, I'm Juan Lagares. I earned a Gold Glove but didn't win in 2013, actually won the thing in 2014, then lost my job (deservedly) in 2015. But I finished strong. Now I'm back, 20 pounds lighter and ready to contribute stuff. Is there room for me to show my merit in this outfield? I think there is! How about you? [fimg=343]http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2179339.1428603143!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_635/lagaresviva10f-1-web.jpg[/fimg] [fimg=357]https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/03/01/sports/DOG-01mets-jp/DOG-01mets-jp-articleLarge.jpg[/fimg] [fimg=362]http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/4665773/2014-05-27-lagares-catch.gif[/fimg] [fimg=338]http://dailystache.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Juan-Lagares-gif.gif[/fimg] [fimg=390]http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/video/video.mlb.com/27083757_yahoo2_576x324.jpg[/fimg] [fimg=310]https://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/11/01/sports/GLOVE/GLOVE-master675.jpg[/fimg]

Frayed Knot wrote: - When your first pinch-running option is Eric Campbell it doesn't say much for team speed. Any of our pitchers look like runners? Matz? deGrom is a former shortstop and a good fielder, but he seems too tall and gangly to have that fourth gear. De Aza would have been the best choice for pinch-running, but they wanted to use him for his lefty bat instead.

I think Wright � and even Cespedes � can use some of the breathing room that budding offensive forces like d'Arnaud, Conforto, and Duda can provide. They need to re-establish their game without the focus of having to anchor the lineup day in and day out. YOU'VE ALL GOTTA PULL YOUR WEIGHT, GUYZ!

It's probably baseless, but I wonder if Harvey inspires less defensive excellence. He owes Cespedes a couple of punches. That said, Harvey walking folks is never good. Why doesn't Lagares play shallow anymore? Biggest Mets strategic mystery since "Why doesn't Cede�o steal anymore?" Two big hits dropped just in front of him. I like having Colon out of the pen, but you don't go for the long man in the middle of an inning (Terry). You go for a short man who can get the one big out with runners on base, and then you start the next inning with your long man. It was nice to see them break through in the late innings, to the extent that they broke through. An absolute offensive shutdown on Opening Day with most of the rest of the week off would have been... foreboding. Royals fans riding Duda: not cool. That was a really cool play from the Royals perspective, and fans should be celebrating the derring-do of the guys who executed it, not glove-shaming the guys who got beat. I hope Duda hits three homers on Tuesday. There are guys with whom you're supposed to accept the strikeouts with the extra-base hits. But I never like when Wright isn't making contact. Neil Walker is pretty similar to Daniel Murphy, but I think we're going to miss Murph's bat-to-ball skills. We needed contact in the ninth last night, and I didn't know who to wish was at the plate. I've been spoiled by opening day victories. The day after opening day is horrible for any number of reasons. Living through it with a monkey on the back is situation I'm almost completely unaccustomed to. Speaking of which, how has MLB mismanaged Opening Day so? They lament that the difficulty of getting fans to watch games not involving their hometown team, but a national opener is one time a baseball-starved nation would sit down and watch Pittsburgh and Cincinnati play in the daytime. Or, if you don't want to return to Cincy (just to stick it to the racist ghost of Marge Schott) use yesterday as a precedent, and make a tradition of World Series teams meeting for the National Opener. Any number of storylines are waiting to be writ. Strawberry batted like .750 on Opening Day, didn't he?

Keith Hernandez was a 42nd round draft choice.

cooby wrote: who is the second from left? Asdrubal Cabreera, new Mets shortstop.

Their fans are mean to Boo.

Yeah, and Ford automobiles are pretty... St. Paul, Minnesota. It's like the black uniforms, or the retropark. Take somebody else's idea and do it last and worst*, pretend it's cool and authentic, slap a corporate sponsor on it, and fool nobody. #MetsMarketing! * I don't actually think (or know enough to think) that Citifield is the "worst," but the execution of retroness (relaunching Ebbets, putting a street corner design in a giant parking lot) certainly wasn't fully thought out.

Bastardo is a cool character.

Winter acquisitions on Opening Day look like strangers trying to pass themselves off as family members. By May, for better or for worse, they're part of the household. Who do you anticipate eventually embracing?

Zvon wrote: Fman99 wrote: The Mets lost. I was sad. Haaaaaa Not an excuse but the home plate ump was unbelievably awful and that box thing didn't help him. Dave may not be up to speed yet. The second pitch that at bat, I thought he was almost there. And that last pitch...well, shit, that was a perfect fuckin' pitch. That was threading a needle up and in. Yeah, he (and Cabrera for that matter) may have that Murphy-in-2015 thing going, where the incomplete spring undermines April.