Edgy MD

So I guess the setup and staffing are cost-prohibitive and the ratings back home don't make it worthwhile. Lot of folks want their Harvey visuals today.

Something to think about as internet grumbles about Matt Harvey's second start not being televised. Is there any reason, when the team owners also own a network anchored around team programming, that you shouldn't carry every spring training game? At least every spring training home game? I guess the setup and staffing are somewhat prohibitive. For the games they do shoot, are those with MLB network equipment or SNY equipment?

That's all? There's usually a why or a because in there.

I just got the idea that this was Terry Collins attempting to pump the team and project the idea that they are all expecting a successful season. So I told Fred that he's going to like what he sees and he's expecting to.

He does like his whipping boys.

Looks like a cross between Eric Campbell and my baby cousin Brian.

The Miami Marlins have the divisions best hitter. At least, he was the best hitter before his face needed to be reconstructed. Now, it's a little bit up in the air. But the likes of Bob F. Nightengale sees them as the real comer in the division � with perhaps as much exciting young pitching as the Mets � and so the Mets may have to push aside the Fish before even thinking about pursuing Washington. No small assignment. Here's a shot of Giancarlo's last happy moment. [fimg=600]http://www.trbimg.com/img-54126fcb/turbine/sfl-photos-giancarlo-stanton-beaning-20140911[/fimg] Let's hope his next happy moment doesn't come at the expense of the Mets. The lineup begins and ends with him, sure, but they're pretty solid anyhow: Dee Gordon, 2b Christian Yelich, lf Giancarlo Stanton, rf Michael Morse, 1b Marcell Ozuna, cf Martin Prado, 3b Jarrod Saltalamacchia, c Adeiny Hechavarria, ss They did a good job last year stocking a lineup of comers with vets floating around, picking the right floaters. Hechavarria is injured at the present time, but is considered likely for opening day. The aforementioned pitching rotation is headed by Jos� Fernandez. But he's not due back until mid-June, and who knows what he's got. I like to think the difference between the Mets and Marlins might be Matt Harvey being months ahead of Fernandez in the rehab cycle, but who's to say. Without Fernandez, the still-impressive rotation looks a little like this: Henderson Alvarez (I don't think there's a name in the league that Gary Cohen says with more masculinity) Mat Latos Jarred Cosart Dan Haren Stupid Tom Koehler The Dillon Gee on this team Brad (Mr.) Hand. Closing games is sidewinder Steve Cisek. If you're like me, you think of right-handed sidearmers and you might think, "Gee, I bet Nieuwenhuis hits him well." But then you wonder if that's all wishful thinking. And then you check the stats. 4-for-6, three doubles. .667 / .667 / 1.167 //1.833 File that one away for future reference.

The standard bearers in the division have Bryce Harper already demanding his ring. An expectedly very good lineup and a seemingly excellent rotation will lead young men to jump to conclusions, but games must be played. For the time being, they must be played without Yunel Escobar and Denard Span. Escobar is expected to be in ship shape in time for the opener, but Span, not so much. When they take the field, they may or may not look like this: [*:125iygtw]Escobar, 2b[/*:m:125iygtw] [*:125iygtw]Rendon, 3b[/*:m:125iygtw] [*:125iygtw]Werth, rf[/*:m:125iygtw] [*:125iygtw]Harper, lf[/*:m:125iygtw] [*:125iygtw]Zimmerman, 1b[/*:m:125iygtw] [*:125iygtw]Desmond, ss[/*:m:125iygtw] [*:125iygtw]Ramos, c[/*:m:125iygtw] [*:125iygtw]McLouth, cf[/*:m:125iygtw][/list:o:125iygtw] Escobar returns to the bottom third of lineup if and when Span returns, knocking McLouth to the bench. Did someone say pitching? [*:125iygtw]M. Scherzer[/*:m:125iygtw] [*:125iygtw]S. Strasburg[/*:m:125iygtw] [*:125iygtw]D. Fister[/*:m:125iygtw] [*:125iygtw]J. Zimmermann[/*:m:125iygtw] [*:125iygtw]G. Gonzalez[/*:m:125iygtw][/list:o:125iygtw] That's one perfectly justifiable way to sort the rotation, but who knows. Each one can be as dominant as any other, depending on which house the moon is in that night. Tanner Roark gave them a more-than-solid 15�10, 2.85 season and is looking at bullpen assignment in 2015. Drew Storen was the third closer the team used last year but was excellent when the team finally cycled around to him. Max Scherzer is a handsome guy at press conferences but is one of those guys who can't not look goofy when pitching. [fimg=600:125iygtw]http://a.abcnews.com/images/Sports/WireAP_80441d44f0e840c2815b56b75ef54bff_16x9_992.jpg[/fimg:125iygtw]

If you think the picture below does not represent an ideal and healthy way to deliver a thrown baseball, you may be correct, because the Atlanta Braves are looking at shoulder soreness from Mike Minor. He's waiting on a visit from Dr. James Andrews, who first has to look at Cliff Lee, but the expectation is that he is opening the season on the disabled list. Also looking to miss the opener is the newly renamed Melvin Upton, Jr. Projected lineup: Nick Markakis, rf Andrelton Simmons, ss Freddie Freeman, 1b Chris Johnson, 3b Jonny Gomes, lf Alberto Callaspo, 2b Zoilo Almonte, cf Christian Bethancourt, c That is largely speculative, and Eric Young could sneak in there, possibly at leadoff, dropping Markakis back in the lineup, giving the team two Juniors in their outfield at once. Apart from the rotation opening (at least) without Minor, reliever Shae Simmons is looking to spend the year rehabbing from Tommy John. The initial rotation should be something like: J. Teheran A. Wood S. Miller E. Stults W. Rodriguez Your closer is the oddly posed Craig Kimbrel, with a whole lot of other solid guys in the pen.

It's a good time to give our rivals their own threads to hash their thing out in. The Phillies are not having a good time of it right now. With Cole Hamels already openly begging to be traded, Cliff Lee is working with an ailing elbow that damages both his prospects to perform and his prospects on the trade market. We already know that Jonathan Papebon hates it there, and Jimmy Rollins is gone. Ryne Sandburg has inherited a team in full demolition mode. A team needs a lineup, no matter how much they are trying to dump contracts. And the Phillies will have one, and it may look like this. Ben Revere, cf Freddy Galvis, ss Chase Utley, 2b Ryan Howard, 1b Domonic Brown, rf Darin Ruf, lf Carlos Ruiz, c Cody Asche, 3b Unless and until transactions start breaking up the party, the once glowing Phillies rotation will resemble this. C. Hamels C. Lee A. Harang J. Williams D. Buchanan If and when either of those big two get traded or disabled as expected (or arrested, in Hamels' case), the next two peeps in the pecking order are longtime Dodger Chad Billingsley and fringy prospect Miguel Gonzalez. Closer is the aforementioned Mr. Papebon, who can be an unhappy camper. For now, it's all smiles and positivity. �We�ve got a pretty good vibe going in this clubhouse, the best vibe I�ve seen since I've been here,� he said. �That�s exciting. It�s a little bit of a different feel, the attitude, the camaraderie, all that. It�s not just one thing. �I feel like we�re going to contend. There�s no doubt about that. I don�t think anyone in this clubhouse, especially the veterans, feels like we�re not going to contend. It�s like I said earlier, I don�t think it�s a total rebuild where we�re letting everybody go. I think we�re in it to win it, and we�re going to see what happens until it�s dictated otherwise.�

With Flores as the starting shortstop and Campbell as the nominal third stringer, I'll be OK if the second stringer is a glove first guy. The way I see is that he's not getting the job that would otherwise go to Reynolds, but the job that would otherwise go to Tovar.

Hey, man, check me out. I'm only 1-10 this spring, but last spring I went 2-4. YEAH! That's what I do. I hit. I hit for high averages and that's a rare thing in a catcher. [fimg=500:2xlvic8x]http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1703936.1393522944!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/gallery_1200/kevin-plawecki.jpg[/fimg:2xlvic8x] I know they're looking to farm me out. Tell me to "round out my game." Whatever. And yeah, I don't cut a fine figure in my underwear like Recker and Monell do. But I will be back, and I will be hungry. So when do you think I'll arrive? And what do you think I'll do?

Logically, you can't consider something only after checking with "several medical specialists," when you never would check with them unless you were considering it. I would imagine every move the Mets make with regard to their pitchers, and particularly their post-operative ones, includes input from medical specialists. But you have already come to your conclusion. What medical specialists have any of us heard from on this question?

Below ain't even in camp. I don't know if they can technically add him to the camp roster at this point. I don't see any reason why they shouldn't, but there seems to be rules about that. There's nothing wrong with using Matz out of the pen. No small amount of good and great starters have debuted as relievers and spot starters until a spot in the rotation opened up. Certainly nothing wrong with considering it.

And Braves 3, Mets 2 is your final, with all the Braves runs coming off the bat of Frederico Freeman with two out in the third. Mets got cap on their walkishness, giving free passes to only three Braves, while walking four times themselves. Buddy Carlyle threw two scoreless innings. Dario Alvarez, now in serious competition for a bullpen job, threw a perfect inning, striking out one. All three guys he faced were authentic, legitimate MLB Braves starters, the first two being lefties, the last was a righty, and he struck that guy out. Alex Castellanos returned to action, playing both third and outfield, after seemingly breaking a finger on a hit-by-pitch last week. I'd be really surprised and disappointed if the Mets dumped Tejada. That would leave them crossing their fingers with anybody they put at shortstop. They need at least one guy who isn't faking it out there.

Flores makes way for Reynolds. Leaves the game with a .429 spring batting average.

Bartolo hits his limit. Nieuwenhuis has two walks in two appearances, with the Mets' only run. If any of this carries over into 2015, 'twould be nice.

PlayerWLERAGIPHRERHRBBSOAVGWHIPAlvarez, D000.0022.0200013.2861.500Matz, S000.0012.0000002.0000.000Rice, S000.0022.0000000.0000.000Edgin, J005.4021.2311010.3752.400Gilmartin, S0013.5022.0333112.3332.000Leathersich, J0133.7521.1255050.3335.250 Still out there (I think): Sean Burnett, Phil Coke, Ryan Feierabend, Pedro Figueroa, Troy Patton, Aaron Poreda, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Raul Valdes. First two have the best track record. Hate to hit the Coke machine this early though.

Gillie gave up a three-spot in his last one-inning outing. He'll get every chance, but he's still got to pitch his way onto this team. Ricecakes, on the other hand, has been spotless in his two appearances.

�[but] I was happy with the outing overall,� Wheeler said. �I did hit two batters and walk a couple, but it�s still early and fastball command was a little off. Offspeed was there, it was sharp and I was throwing strikes, so that part I was happy with.�

Edgy sure doesn't shine in the spring, do he? And things are suddenly looking up for Scott Rice.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Below gets some play. Alvarez gets a toedip. Gilmartin gets more than a fairshot at second-seat-lefty, but is more jack-of-all-roles-master-of-nothing. It's Edgin-- as long as he can physically handle it-- and Ol' Buddy. As long as he can physically hand it looks like... perhaps not so long. All dozen of youse (including mese) who bet on Edgin, it may be time to lay down some more chips.

If the proof is in the pudding, though, the guys who participated last year seemed to generally take steps forward. A whole lot more pudding to sort through this year, of course.

Tyler Pill has a mediocre run with Las Vegas that is really better than mediocre when you take into account that Las Vegas is Las Vegas and he gets better throughout the season. But he gets no call-ups.

More intimidating than finger-flipping Harvey is 72-year-old Jerry Grote, recuperating from knee-replacement surgery and keeping his digits to himself. [fimg=400:2inlpqiw]https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/harveyfinger1.jpg[/fimg:2inlpqiw] [fimg=400:2inlpqiw]http://dailystache.net/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2015-03-09-at-7.03.37-PM.png[/fimg:2inlpqiw]