Here We Go

So I have about as good a 4 day weekend ahead of me as I could imagine.

Hop the redeye Thursday night from San Jose to JFK where I arrive @ 6:30 (Note: first Reader to volunteer to pick up Sip from the airport gets 5 percent of Y2K, which, if AFOMG and I have our way, should be worth about $40,000,000 by 2008)

Reunite With the Cousin, J Schubes, AFOMG, the Penn Crew and some of the other Dutchmen for a big night in NY.

Saturday we have the Final 4.

Sunday we open the season with the #2 squad of Y2K, The Tribe, kicking off the season.

And then we have Monday. Maybe the best day ever.

We have Opening day, the best event of the year. We have the NCAA Finals. And we find out who is bad in 24.

So life is good for Sip. But is it good for the Mets? Below, we'll have the 10 keys to the Mets season. Most are baseball related, but others have to to with certain issues, completely non baseball related that will have what I believe is as big of an impact as anything on the field.

10. Carlos Beltran

This guy has to get his act together for a number of reasons. First, and most obvious, he stunk last year and is being paid like a top 5 player in baseball. Last year he was lucky to crack the top 100. We're paying this guy for 5 tools. On a good day last year we saw 1.


More importantly, we need to give D Wright one more year of not completely being "The Guy." By 2007 the Mets will be the team of the Golden Boy, however, I'd like to give him one more year to develop.

Luckily, there's hope yet for Beltran. He'll start the season 28 years old. The break-in year that we've grown used to for big money guys in New York is behind him. Between Carlos Delgado and David Wright, he's no longer expected to be the biggest thumper in the lineup. A lot of the pressure is off, time for him to play like he's capable of playing.

So Carlos, step up. Next year is now.

9. Nick "The Voice's" Paralegaling needs to come to an end

Clearly an issue of karma. Nicky started with me at Paralegal U back in August of '04. While Young Sip maintained the few ounces of dignity that he could muster by getting out of the game late last fall, The Voice still remains in the show.

The kid needs to get out. He is supposed to be out of the game by June, but that bet is fading fast.

Truth is, if Nicky remains in the show, my energy will not be fully focused on the Mets, shifting the energy of a city and drowning the Mets' hopes.

8. The rotation needs to stay healthy

One major injury to Pedro and the season will look grim. A lot of pressure is falling on his injured toe.

But the rest of the old rotation, mainly Tommy the Spy and Shitty Trachsel, need to pitch 200 innings. These guys are both approaching their 50's making this a lot to ask, but we need them.

Everything needs to go right this year, and everything starts with pitching. We need Bannister to come in here and be a serviceable No. 5 starter. We don't need to ask for the world from him, but if he can go for a .500 record, well, that's basically what we would have gotten out of Kris Benson.

As for Zambrano, look, he's never going to justify the trade, but he's put up some good numbers this spring and if he can parlay that into a regular season with 11-14 wins out of the 4 hole I'd take it.

7. Fez needs to be taken out

If for some reason something bad happens to Wilmer Valderrama this year, I know god will be on my side. Man do I hate that fuck. At his bday in Vegas at the club we were at, the guy MC'd the place, and it was flat out painful. Knowing that that guy is a "playboy" in holiday makes me quiver and led cousin Jason to put it very simply:

"Case in point why life isn't fair... if he gets to bang all those chicks, I should have at least been granted a Jabril Hodges three at the buzzer to secure the Long Beach State cover." (Referring to meaningless championship week bball, in which Jason felt the need to invest his children's college fund... which is why he is my hero).

6. Need some help from the Braves

The Braves have been the class of this division since I was about 8. I don't like the Braves. So we need some bad things to happen to them. What will start it all is that their bullpen is straight bad.

They have Chris Reitsma closing and a middle relief filled with journeymen.

We need to get out to a decent sized lead in this division because John Schuerholz is a deadline wizard. Last year, with the bullpen in disarace he stole Kyle Farnsworth from the Tigers when most other teams didn't even know he was available.



One injury to John Smoltz, combined with a declining Tim Hudson and the Braves could crack. We will need that help.

5. D Wright, Keep Growing

As I have said many a time, this is the guy that will bring us our championship. He has seen his last vacation in July for ten years and he will hopefully see his last spot in the lineup other than 3 or 4 in no longer than a couple of months.

We need to hope that this kid just keeps growing. We shouldn't force him to take over this team, but if he just happened to do it on his own, that would be a good sign.

4. Brother Sip pops the question to wifey

My brother sometimes get overlooked on this site. Let's just say he is a Sippy Momo Sr. in training. All class.

He found the right girl a while's back and now it's his time to take the plunge. He has the classic fears that most guys do, but truth is, there isn't a member of our family not pulling for this one.

Let's just say if big bro pulls this off then karma will be at an all time high in the Momo family.

It will be at its highest since Senior called Bob Stanley's wild pitch. So make it happen big bro, and maybe we can celebrate later this year with a wedding ring for you and a championship ring for the Mets.

3. Uncle Cliffy and Aaron Heilman

These were the two biggest non-David Wright bright spots of '05. Cliffy was healthy and Heilman was dominant. Both were great, having seasons well beyond what we expected.



Everyone is penciling in the numbers for these guys, especially with Heilman, as though it is a lock that they repeat their '05 production.

Not so fast. These guys need to do it again. As I said before, everything needs to go right for this one to work. Otherwise, there is simply not enough pitching for this team to win.

2. The Warriors win the championship

Right now I think we are 4 out of the playoffs with about 10 to go. Still, despite a tough 1 point loss to New Orleans/Oklahoma tonight, the boys have looked great of late.

Big Fella's big scoring about 19 per over his last 8 and the Warriors look like they belong.

Let's just say that if somehow these guys can pull off the miracle, sneak into the playoffs, and creep their way thru the Western conference playoffs, only to upset the Pistons in the finals, well, then anything is possible.

Even the New Mets.

Good things always happen in bunches for my sports teams. The Mets and Giants won in '86. The Mets and Giants made the World Series/Superbowl in 2000.

Why not the Mets and Warriors in '06?

Crazier things have happened...Heck, George Mason is in the Final 4.

1. BILLY WAGNER

We brought this guy on board to be on the mound for the last inning of our season in October. He's the first dominant closer that we as Mets fans have seen in at least my entire life.

But still, BW comes with a ton of question marks.

Mainly, he hasn't proven that he is a postseason closer. That's not his fault; he hasn't been there enough. We need more and we need to see it.

Second, can he stay at this level? Wagner definitely faded towards the end of '05, blowing a couple of huge saves at the end of the season. Let's hope that rust disappears and Wagner is a go.

Add Wagner to last year's team and the Mets might very well have made the playoffs.

Well next year is now, and we need the little guy in the back of the pen closing it down.

So anyway, those are the keys to the season. I'll be back for the Opening day special.

Can't wait to see everyone at Shea.

VCD,

SM