Ceetar

Mets lineup vs. Cards at PSL: Torres-CF, Valdespin-2B, Bay-DH, Davis-1B, Turner-3B, Thole-C, Loewen-LF, Baxter-RF, Cedeno-SS. Santana-LHP Mets lineup at Houston: Tejada-SS, Flores-DH, Murphy-2B, Duda-RF, Nieuwenhuis-CF, Satin-1B, Rottino-3B, Johnson-C, Lagares-LF. Schwinden-RHP Cards game features Santana for 2IP on SNY. Houston game has an away audio feed so those of us at work can listen. pre-BP in Kissimmee

the cards come with a chance for this Golden Giveaway thing. No purchase necessary, can mail in an index card, normal stuff..but can anyone tell me why Canadians have to answer a math question to enter via this method? literally: "Potential Canadian winners will be required to first correctly answer the mathematical skill-testing question. Include on a 3x5 card the answer to the following skill-test question: 4X4+4-11 = ?"

Boras whining about the Wilpons cutting payroll, but it sorta read like he was really upset that they didn't overpay Heath Bell or something.

Keith is shocked that Kevin dared mention Voldemort by name.

gets the 2-6-3 DP. And they looked good turning it. No damage. Harvey didn't really have the control but it's Spring and his first 'big' league exposure. Had some good pitches.

Harvey looked good in his first inning.

Torres walk, SB, Murphy single, Torres takes out Flores leg to score on Ankiel's throw. 1-0 Good guys.

1-2-3 for Gee. no-hitter intact. Let's do this.

MFS62 wrote: The first sign of spring to me is not the first spring training game, but the first spring training box score. (Remember when the Sporting News used to print them?) I can hardly wait. Later here's yesterday's

The Mets open their Grapefruit League season tonight at 6 pm against the Washington Nationals in Port St Lucie, with Dillon Gee taking on John Lannan. Matt Harvey, Miguel Batista, Daniel Herrera, Tim Byrdak and Frank Francisco also are scheduled to to pitch. Also get our first listen to Josh Lewin

Edgy DC wrote: Loewen or Baxter is likely to make the roster as the fifth outfielder anyhow. That's now the fourth outfielder slot. The loser will certainly fall into the competition for the fifth outfielder slot, but I doubt that the need for a third centerfielder will trump the desire to have both a righthanded and a lefthanded hitting outfielder on the bench. If Hairston can't answer the bell, I think it looks like one of Loewen, Baxter, and Nooie, and one of Rottino and Pascucci. The depth chart in center, then, would be Torres, Loewen, Bay, and Cede�o, I guess. Not ideal, but tolerable in the short term, looking to Nieuwenhuis and den Dekker as preferable long-term options. Yeah, I'm figuring Nieuwenhuis is all but not really competing for this spot. Previously Loewen/Baxter weren't really competing for backup-CF, I'm just pondering if their ability to play there requires (in TC/SA's eyes) something more than good righty splits. I guess if anything this actually makes them more versatile than Hairston who's really more of a lefty split guy, even though they didn't use him that way last year and he hit righties better which was almost definitely a small sample size thing.

Edgy DC wrote: The next righthanded bats available appear to be Rottino and Pascucci. Collins seemed to be making little effort to get Pascucci much PT at the end of 2011. hmm, and neither of those guys are CFers really, so that gives Loewen and Baxter maybe a leg up.

Edgy DC wrote: Sure and all, but benches are short. And that's 42 at-bats they really, really would have liked to have given to other people, but couldn't. A lefty off the bench who can defend himself against lefthanded pitchers is not a bad thing to have, especially since any depth the Mets can muster need to continually keep the heat on the starting outfielders. True, I guess what these guys are more trying to show is that maybe you can take a second lefty bench bat to replace Hairston if he indeed (which seems likely) misses the early going. The Mets don't really have a standout lefty-masher to Hairston's splits that can play CF floating around that should obviously get that spot right?

Edgy DC wrote: It's early and shit, but Baxter and Nooie have both gone deep against lefties. Loewen's got to break off a piece of that while it's going around. Well, maybe. I mean, Terry's likely going to give them very few AB against lefties. Willie Harris got 42 last year, and that was mainly when due to injuries forcing him to start.

Fman99 wrote: Seriously considering working from home tomorrow after lunch so I can watch the afternoon game on SNY while I work. Unless you work in Hawaii, the game's at 6 tomorrow. Very nice of them to be accommodating actually. I'm just trying to figure out how to both listen to WFAN and watch SNY

they're Ivory.

Frayed Knot wrote: Asking about it is part of their job description. apparently so is criticizing the response.

Edgy DC wrote: Flores sidelined with a sore shoulder. Wright scratched with sore left side. as is alluded to by Collins and others in some of these reports, I kinda wish some of these guys would work out a little less.

Here's Duda's RBI single off Beato scoring Bay. I'm loving the coverage of some of the stuff going on down there. via Metsblog

Wright skips intra-squad game with "stiff rib cage" (isn't it supposed to be stiff?) Noble @ mlb.com -- ... Wright provided half-answers and spoke vaguely, and with each word he spoke Saturday morning, the WhatEverItIs that caused him to be scratched from one of the intrasquad game lineups became more curious. Official word from the Mets is that Wright has stiffness of the left rib cage. Mets manager Terry Collins pointed to his own side and indicated that was the troubled area for his third baseman. Wright wasn't even that precise. He called in stiffness, period, end of diagnosis. And, of course, the usual caveat of: "If these were real games I'd be playing", was thrown in for good measure -- a phrase which might trail only "I'm in the best shape of my life" and "flu-like symptoms" in the pantheon of vague fitness claims. Maybe if the media didn't demand specific and elaborate details to every little ache and pain.. If you send a gaggle of reporters to Wright and then Collins for this they're gonna have to say something or they'd criticize them for not talking, and if they let Wright play in a meaningless 3/3 game anyway they'll all pretend they have medical degrees and kill the Mets for letting him play with it.

bmfc1 wrote: I'm in so long as the draft isn't the 23d or 24th. You threw me with the thread title. I think we're almost settled on 3/22 at 8:30

Seattle announcers just went down Perez's career lines, described him as "Consistent, kept them in the game" with the Mets before he fell apart.

Listening to the first audio broadcast of the season. Oak vs. Seattle. On the A's feed. They're talking Moneyball. They feel bad for Art Howe. There were some inaccuracies but solid entertainment. In the background: "Ice Cold beer!" Reddick just stole second in the first spring training game. Got a huge .. and I lost my train of thought because they just mentioned getting a look at Oliver Perez.

The flip side being, fans probably don't care, and if you sell something when you're only 1 out of the second wild card, even if you're 10 out of the first spot, they might not be too happy with you.

Regardling the Trade Deadline. I wonder if it'll actually become quieter, not more active. More teams will be 'in it', but the financial payoff is not as guaranteed. With increased prices most teams make out very well if they make the postseason, with at least 1 guaranteed game plus merchandise and all that. Are teams going to spend in July when they're two games out of a second playoff spot when it could mean they don't even get a home game and even the first wild card team may only get the one. Will they be able to charge NLDS prices for that play-in? (probably, in fact the desperation of it probably spikes the price. I remember how fast tickets sold to the 2007 and 2008 possible play-in games)