More of Last Night, Please

Seriously, when was the last time the Mets made a win look as easy as they did last night?

As accustomed as we've all grown to the Mets scoring runs in the first inning, rarely do we see them pile on the way they did last night. Ordinarily, the Mets would have tacked on those first two runs, sent a man to the plate with the bases loaded and seen the inning die, the opposing team down but not out.

Last night Omir Santos, the savior, stepped to the plate and smacked a grand slam to make it a 6-1 ball game. Santos' slam absolved Gary Sheffield of his first inning mishap in the terrain of despair that is left field, and gave John Maine the kind of breathing room typically reserved for an Ollie Perez-meltdown-in-waiting. Fortunately, Maine was able to make it stand up.

* * * * *

Tonight the team plays its 20th game of the season, and exactly who they are is still difficult to determine.

On the one hand their hitting is both better and worse than I'd have expected. The averages are up and the power numbers are down almost across the board.

Is it Citi Field? Maybe. I definitely think David Wright is a little psyched out by the dimensions, but it's clear that his mechanics are completely screwed up right now. Things looked better last night at least, and with Wright you don't even worry anymore.

On the other hand, Carlos Beltran seems liberated by th emove to Citi Field. Big money guys are expected to put up big home run numbers, but that's not really Beltran's game.

Sure he had the 41-homer season in 2006, but looking at his resume that's clearly the outlier. He's more of a 25-35 home run type hitter. If he winds up toward the bottom of that range, Citi Field gives him cover.

The hitting aside, the starting pitching has realized about every worst nightmare any of us had coming into the season. Perez sucks, Mike Pelfrey is an injury risk and a serious case of glass-half full, and whether it's his recovery from injury, his head, or his stuff, Maine can't be trusted to win 12 games. As for Livan... well, let's just hope for more tonight than the last two times out.

I'm not sure what part of the early returns should surprise anyone, but at least it can only get better. In the plus column, the bullpen has been mostly as good as advertised.

* * * * *

Tonight it's the 20th game of the season. They say a team has until Memorial Day to show you what it's got. So far, it's been inconsistency on offense, clumsiness on the base paths, and shoddiness in the field. Not a recipe for success.

If they're going to show us they're anything worth getting excited about, it'd help if they started with a little more of last night, please. They didn't exactly put it altogether, but it was exactly the type of good, clean win that this team needs more of in order to take the edge off.

- A.F.O.M.G.

'This, If the Mets Do Not Win It, Will be a Horrible Loss'

Even better than Gary Cohen's word selection was his pitch-perfect delivery. You could hear the disgust in his voice as he recounted the events that led to the Cardinals taking a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the 8th.

Beltran not sliding. Murphy sucking in the field. Perez sucking on the mound. Blowing a 4-0 lead. It was a terrible game. And the first "horrible loss" of the season.

I don't know what the answer is for this team. This was a game they had no business losing. They were rocking the Cardinals starter around through the first half of the game, they were even hitting with runners in scoring position -- but they never delivered a knock out blow.

Frankly they played tonight like they didn't give a shit. We'll score some runs here, walk in a few runs there, not slide here, lose our footing there.

It's pathetic that they lost tonight. I used to think that losses like this could teach this team a thing or two, but honestly, if they haven't gotten the fucking point after the last two seasons, they're not going to start getting it because of one loss in April.

At a point, you really have to ask yourself if the personnel Omar's assembled, and stuck with year after year, has the character to win.

- A.F.O.M.G.

Just What the Doctor Ordered

No doubt about it, the Glass Man has been an unabashed booster of Citi Field. But in recent days, as fan criticism of the un-Mets-ness of the place has gathered steam, I've found myself sympathizing with that critique.

The fact is that there is extremely little in the building to remind you that the Mets play there. In the business world they'd call it a rebranding exercise, an attempt to relaunch a product in a new image.

The fact is that, for me, the experience of watching the game there is what's paramount, and from everything I've seen of Citi Field, that experience is fantastic. But as you've no doubt read by this point, the fact is that there is a noticeable absence of hallmarks to the team's history. In fact, the building feels a lot like a tribute to the bygone Brooklyn Dodgers.

The fact is that Dodger and Giant history is part of the Mets' story, and I don't mind the team making a point of it in the new stadium.

The problem though is twofold: first, the history the stadium honors is not both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants, it's mostly just the Dodgers; second, the history the stadium honors is not both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Mets, it's mostly just the Dodgers.

You see it in a lot of subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Just look at the seating chart: there's an Ebbets Club but not a Shea Club or a Polo Grounds Club.

When you enter the building there's the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which is a really unique, really impressive entrance for a stadium. But just imagine if they had made a similar hall honoring Mets history -- imagine if they had a grand hallway where videos with Mets greats played on constant loop.

I'm not saying they should gut the Jackie Robinson Rotunda or anything, but it would have been really fantastic if they'd also built a shrine devoted to Mets history. God knows we won't get it anywhere else.

More subtly, they really should have their ushers wear blue or orange parkas, rather than the Phillie red ones they currently wear. And while I don't mind either as they currently are, it seems that a blue wall and blue and orange tiered seats would go a long way toward appeasing fans.

* * * * *

The fan ire came to a head this week with Gooden-gate. I was prepared to go on a major rant this morning about the idiocy of the organization for erasing Gooden's signature.

I haven't seen it in person, but in the pictures I've seen, his autograph lends an organic, history-embracing quality to Citi Field that it currently lacks. Erasing it would have been a tragedy, and I'm really glad they've decided to reverse course and keep the signature. They're going to move it to another location, but they're also going to encourage other Mets greats to write their names alongside it. This is the right move.

The team is also now saying that they will be constructing a Mets Hall of Fame or some such thing at Citi Field. It is a fair question as to why that wasn't a higher priority for them initially, and you have to wonder where they've got the real estate to do a truly excellent job, but I hardly know all the ins and outs of the ballpark yet.

More than anything, I just want the Mets to do the little things they can to squash this story so that people can go back to admiring the great things about Citi Field. As far as I'm concerned, the good far outweighs the bad, and I wish the focus were on that.

- A.F.O.M.G.

Sun Soaked, Fancy Free

Quick one for you all today. The Glass Man was out there today at Citi Field with B.O.A.F.O.M.G., who was taking in his first game at the new ballpark.

I can't say enough good things about this new stadium of ours. What really gets me about it is the sense of freedom. We got up from our seats in the 3rd and toured the ballpark. Out we went to left center field where I waited endlessly for a beer on a line with a broken register.

Then it was off to the area behind the scoreboard in center where the Shake Shack is. I found a functioning beer line and ordered the first semi-exotic thing I could find... Kirin Light. Let me tell you something about Kirin Light -- it's great for group dinners at Benihana or the Bond Street Grill in Westport, but at a ball game... well, I'm not sold. Not yet anyway.

From center field it was off to right center for a tick followed by a walk up tothe Pepsi Picnic Area, a great spot to watch the game on a gorgeous, 70-degree day. Curiousities include the 900-calorie popcorn offering (to put it in perspective, the fries had something like 475 -- you really have to wonder what the eff they're putting in that popcorn).

By the time we returned to our seats it was the 6th inning, but we hadn't missed any of the action. We'd caught the whole game but had managed to see it from 4 different perspectives. It's liberating.

Saturday was the first beautiful day of 2009, the first day that makes you think winter might end some day after all. I couldn't have been happier to have spent it at Citi Field with B.O.A.F.O.M.G., Johan, and all the rest. Perfect little Saturday.

They say tomorrow's going to be lousy weather; whatever, you take a sun-drenched Saturday and rainy Sunday over the opposite every time. More important, let's hope there's no let up in our boys. 7-5 sounds a heck of a lot better than 6-6.

Before we get there though, there's still a beautiful Saturday night to enjoy. Have fun everyone.

- A.F.O.M.G.

'Paper' Tiger?

Really troubling article by Jon Heyman in Sports Illustrated yesterday. Here's the long and the short of it:

"While Mets people are all understandably thrilled to be in their comfy new confines, a slow start that has revealed weaknesses in the team's rotation, defense and lineup has offset the jubilation. Although the new season is just seven days old, Mets people seem genuinely dismayed.

'We have a good team ... on paper, anyway,' lamented one top Mets decision maker."

A "top Mets decision maker" is saying that already? Jesus.

Where was this "top Mets decision maker" during the offseason? And more importantly, what part of the Mets' early-season troubles has caught this top decision maker by surprise?

Was it Oliver Perez's inconsistency? Daniel Murphy's fielding problems in left? Mike Pelfrey's struggles? Every single one of these issues was entirely foreseeable.

We all know that Perez is Mr. All-or-Nothing. It was buyer beware that Perez would suck every now and then, and we took that risk.

Murphy's a converted infielder playing left field. Did this top Mets decision maker miss the Todd Hundley show in the late 90s? Or what about the Mike Piazza-to-1st experiment earlier this decade? Picking up a new position is not as easy as it was when you were in Little League. Mistakes are going to happen, and sometimes they're going to cost you a game.

The one that sticks in my craw the most is Pelfrey. What part of his struggles wasn't foreseeable? I had this debate here and on other sites -- Pelfrey had three really good months and three bad ones last year. This offseason the Mets took the glass half full approach to Pelfrey and decided he was a No. 2 starter. However, if you took the glass half empty approach... well, the glass looked more than half empty, put it that way.

I'll say it again, the biggest gamble this season wasn't on Murphy or Luis Castillo or Ryan Church, it was on Pelfrey. Don't get me wrong, he deserves to be part of the rotation. But there was always the potential that dubbing him a No. 2 starter after last season alone was premature. Through the first week of the season we've gotten exposed for it. Let's hope he gets right fast (tendinitis probably won't help, but who knows).

* * * * *

So to the top Mets decision maker Jon Heyman quoted: great job this offseason. Your anonymous quotes in the press are super helpful.

Beyond that, jesus, the quote was given after 7 games. Did the Mets look good in that span? No. But if there was reason to start calling the team a paper tiger I didn't see it. If the negativity and fatalism of the WFAN crowd has seaped into our front office, god help us.

- A.F.O.M.G.

'They Did It'

I'll say this -- I didn't expect to love Citi Field. I didn't expect to love the architecture, the attractions, the amenities. But I did.

More than anything else, Citi Field felt right. With the possible exception of the Caesar's Club that me, the Hound, Sip, and a friend of Sip's walked through on our way out, Citi Field feels like what a Mets ballpark should feel like.

It's possible this doesn't all translate on television. I got a text message from Nails a few innings in, bemoaning the architecture and its nod to the Brooklyn Dodgers, the colors of the wall and their nod to the New York Giants, and the overhang in right and its nod to Tiger Stadium. Where was the nod to Shea Stadium? To Mets history?

The truth is there's very little to remind you of Shea Stadium. They've got the new apple out in center field (the old, rotting apple can be found somewhere near the bullpen, but I didn't see it yesterday); behind the Jumbotron in center, at the Shake Shack, sits the old skyline silhouette that once topped the scoreboard at Shea. And that's about it.

I'll say two things about it. The first is that a lot of the things I expected to bother me a lot, don't. Take the color of the seats -- why couldn't they paint them orange, blue, green, and red like old Shea? The outfield walls -- why aren't they blue? The truth is, when I was there yesterday, neither bothered me. The color of the seats definitely didn't; I looked twice at the walls but ultimately I was fine with them.

The other thing I'll say is that comparisons with Shea really aren't fair. Shea was our home, and people like me, Sip, and Nails will always love it. But the experience of watching the game there just cannot compare to Citi Field. At Shea you essentially had two options for watching the game -- from your seat or on a television while on line for food.

At Citi Field you have complete freedom. After the first inning, the Hound and I took a little stroll around the ballpark, and ultimately went to an eatery out in right center field. We got our food, went to a nearby table, watched the game, talked, and ate. We didn't have to watch from our Excelsior Club tickets anymore, we could watch from behind the bleachers in right field. It was a really nice option to have.

* * * * *

There's a certain breed of Mets fan for whom embracing Citi Field will feel like blasphemy, but that's silly. Shea Stadium was a great old place, and the memories aren't going anywhere. But as Tim Riggins recently said, it's time to make some new memories, and if you're a Mets fan, holding Citi Field at arms length is just self-defeating.

The good news is that when you're there, you get it. That was my experience at least. As I walked around the promenade some time around 6:15 yesterday, a hint of exhilaration in my step, I found myself feeling relieved. The new ballpark felt great, but I was only just discovering it. "They did it," I said to myself, and hurried on my way.

- A.F.O.M.G.

On Second Thought, Hang on to Those Rolaids

Tell me you didn't have flashbacks last night. Tell me you weren't screaming at the television, pacing, clenching your hands in prayer/supplication.

Anyone who tells you they knew the Mets had this one in the bag is lying to you. Two days after all the plaudits that came with their effectiveness in game 1, the bullpen sure looked shaky last night; nobody more so than Francisco Rodriguez at the end.

It was a nauseating few innings as the Reds chipped away runs against a succession of Met relievers, but say this about the bullpen: they bent, yes, but they did not break. They made you want to take some Rolaids, but they did not make you want to take your life.

To a man, each member of the bullpen I saw interviewed after Monday's game that there would be stumbles, but if nothing else, it was encouraging to see us stumble but not fall. I think a much more desirable kind of confidence develops when your bullpen comes in and slams the door, but the bullpen still has a chance to inspire that type of confidence.

What they showed last night inspires a different type of confidence. They showed last night that they can be shitty as all hell and get away with it. And that counts for something too.

In fairness, Bobby Parnell looked pretty good, and some better glovework from Delgado might have saved us all a lot of heartache. Even Pedro Feliciano looked pretty good, I thought, even if his line looks the worst in the box score.

The bullpen wasn't the only story last night. Even if he gave runs back with his shoddy footwork at first, Delgado seems to be answering the doubters with his bat in the earlygoing. The rest of the lineup did their part as well.

But the really interesting part of last night was watching Mike Pelfrey. The Pelf Man looked incredibly bad that first inning, but to his credit he really settled in afterward and he kept a lid on the damage.

All in all, it was a pretty ugly game for the good guys, but say this: it would have been pretty 2008 of us to have blown a win, leading 9-4, on the same day the Phillies pulled off an improbable 12-11 victory after trailing 10-3 in the 7th.

The Phillies showed us they've still got that tenacity yesterday. Last night I like to think we showed we have a little tenacity of our own.

- A.F.O.M.G.

2009 Buffalo Bisons Preview

You asked for it ... so here it is. Actually, I'm pretty sure nobody asked for it save A.F.O.M.G., who has a secret Buffalo fetish that only emerges when the moon is full. Regardless, it's me, Cheddar Ben, chiming in from law school with a quick cameo to spotlight the Metsies' new AAA affiliate.


To recap. Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far, away, the expansion New York Mets had a top minor-league affiliate. The name of that franchise was the Buffalo Bisons. For three years, from 1963 to 1965, the two organizations loved each other dearly. They exchanged rings, shared wonderful, blissful moments together and talked almost every day on the phone. Cleon Jones and Ed Kranepool actually walked in on the Mets and Bisons making out in a hot top in Tonawanda one night, which was somewhat awkward. But the two teams swore they would be together forever.

We know how these things often end, though, and in the fall of 1965, the scene got bad. Things were said that couldn't be taken back, and the Mets ended up walking away. The Bisons locked themselves in their rooms, listening to "Crying in the Chapel" and "I Got You Babe" over and over again. Out of spite, the Mets hid their AAA players in faraway coastal Virginia for nearly four decades, first as the Tidewater Tides and then, beginning in 1993, as Norfolk. The Tides' major accomplishment during this period was, so far as I can tell, to inspire a young David Wright to take up the game of baseball. For that, in and of itself, they deserve a round of kudos. Kudos, Tides. Kudos.

For the last two years, then, the AAA scene shifted to New Orleans, where the Zephyrs (formerly of Denver, where they were displaced by the expansion Rockies) did their thing before small crowds amidst stifling humidity and general disinterest. Not that I can blame anyone there. If I had a choice between rebuilding my city and plopping down money to watch David Newhan, I know where I'd spend my evenings. For their trouble, the baseball faithful of New Orleans got to witness the resurgence of Fernando Tatis and a whole lot more of Anderson Hernandez than any one city should be exposed to. Clearly, this was not a relationship built to last.

And so it came to pass that the Mets, for the 2009 season, decided to bring it all back in-state, naming the Buffalo Bisons as their AAA partner on a two-year deal. The romance was rekindled. This caused much rejoicing amongst the small-but-strange Mets/Bisons fanbase, all of whom immediately envisioned great things for the rekindled partnership. They yet may be proven right! It's too early to tell at this point. Still, we fans of the Bisons, and true love, know that there's plenty to be excited about for this upcoming season.

Change is afoot

The Bisons have responded to the Mets deal by spiffing themselves up in a bunch of different ways. The new logo and uniforms, modeled on New York's colors and designs, look fantastic. The team sensibly signed an agreement to air a bunch of games on SNY, the television home of the Mets, which is kind of cool.

Even better, the organization dumped one of the crappiest naming rights deal for a professional stadium in favor of ... a slightly less crappy one. "Coca-Cola Field" isn't all that bad, right? Right? It's not like it's demonstrably worse than "Citi Field," and it's a damn sight better than "Dunn Tire Park," its previous iteration. It's also about a million times more catchy than "North AmeriCare Park," the title from 1995 to 1998. That was a somewhat traumatic part of my high school experience, let me tell you. "North AmeriCare Park" sounds like a triangle of grass outside a nursing home where old people cruise in Hoverounds and play chess.

The team will be fun to watch

We think. The final roster isn't set yet, but fans in Buffalo will be able to watch at least two would-be Mets on a regular basis, including top starting pitching prospect Jon Niese and future reliever Eddie Kunz. Niese, most everyone is aware of at this point. A decent 3.04 ERA and 112 Ks in 124.1 innings at Binghamton as a 21-year-old last season, followed by a solid late-season promotion to the Big Easy (39.2 IP, 3.40 ERA, 32 K, 14 BB) and three rather unsuccessful starts in the Bigs. No big deal. He's got a nice sinking fastball (not a Pelfrey-esque dive bomber, but more of a moving two-seamer) and above-average control, and he may be pitching in Queens before too long, depending on how the Mets' 5th starter situation shakes out. [Shudder.]



Kunz, though, has the real thing -- a huge, heavy sinker. I've been rooting for this clown since he was pitching alongside by boy Cole Gillespie back at Oregon State, and he's going to make a hell of a ground-ball reliever before very long. He's a big boy (6-foot-5), and once he gets his control down pat, it's on.

As far as the rest of the roster, meh. I love me some fat baseballers, so it'll be good to see Robinson Cancel chug around the basepaths at Coca-Cola Field, but that's not the sort of thing that draws you out on a cold April evening. Argenis Reyes? Yawn. Nothing to see there. I hope Fernando Martinez will be up before very long, and it's possible he'll crack camp with the Bisons. If so, that'll be a huge reason to come out and watch as often as possible.

Major disappointments

Little known fact about Cheddar Ben -- the man is a certified Kansas City Barbecue Society judge. "What's that?" you say. "Cheddar is qualified to taste and evaluate competition-level brisket, chicken, pulled pork, and ribs?" Indeed he is. One day, he'll tell you the story of how he earned his stripes as a KCBS man. Here's a little teaser -- the story involves a 450-pound mentor, a rainy drive through Eastern Massachusetts, and a bag of marijuana. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure that's how most KCBS members got their start, but never you mind.

The point is, I know my stuff in this area. And as such, I'm utterly horrified that the Bisons, after years of offering truly mediocre fare at the park, finally decided to upgrade their concessions with some barbecue only to go out like a punk. More specifically, they went national, opting to offer the horrifyingly awful Famous Dave's to the menu. Bad choice.

Talk about unimaginative. You might as well slap some sauce on a McDonalds chicken sandwich and call it barbecue. I don't know how much the chain is paying them for the concession, but it can't be much. More importantly, it can't have been enough to outweigh the far superior local options, like Fat Bob's or the plucky little Smokin' Toms.

[Note: Citi Field will offer Blue Smoke barbecue, which should be absolutely great. Expect a full food review of the park later this summer.]

That said, the team has decided to offer Tim Horton's coffee at the park, which is a step in the right direction.

NL weirdness

The Bisons had been affiliated with the Indians for a while, which has meant that the DH rule has been in effect in Buffalo for a while. Now that they're linked up with a National League club, that's going to change ... kind of. Apparently, the rule in the International League is ... well, I'll let the club explain it:

The Bisons will not be able to use a designated hitter when they take on another affiliate of a National League team. Therefore, in games against Lehigh Valley (Phillies), Syracuse (Nationals), Louisville (Reds), Gwinnett (Braves) and Indianapolis (Pirates), the Bisons pitcher must take his normal turn in the batting order. When the Bisons play a team affiliated with an American League team, both clubs will be able to use a designated hitter.

A little bit strange, right? You'd think there would be a home-away thing going on, like they have in the World Series, but apparently not. Anyways, fans in Buffalo will get to see pitchers hit a bit this summer, which will speed up games and increase the chance of a Chien-Ming Wang-type disaster, which is always fun.

Pure class

And just so everyone is aware of what type of organization the Bisons are, this is how they're going to kick off the season:

The Buffalo Bisons, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, today announced that they will offer up to four FREE tickets to Opening Day 2009 to any person who has lost their job.

The Bisons recognize that many of the same fans that have helped the team set numerous attendance records have now fallen on hard times with the downturn in this country's economy. With the hope and promise of Spring and a new baseball season, the team wanted to make sure that all their great fans and their families have a chance to attend Opening Day on Thursday, April 9 against the Pawtucket Red Sox (3:05 p.m.).

That's what's up. Let's go Bisons.

The Showcase

It wasn't poetry out there. It wasn't, we should hope, the team's best game of the year. Everything from the elements to the play on the field seemed a tick off.

The weather was lousy. Johan wasn't his sharpest. The lineup could hardly string anything together.

But in the end, with the bullpen logging 3.1 scoreless innings of relief including dominant innings from J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez, Game 1 of the 2009 season was the perfect showcase for everything the Mets couldn't do in 2008. And as such, it was the perfect showcase for everything we hope will be different in 2009.

* * * * *

There are many important questions left to be answered. A big one -- is Mike Pelfrey for real -- takes center stage tomorrow night in Game 2.

But yesterday at least things turned out positively even if the steps along the way weren't all pretty. Johan didn't dazzle, but even that's saying something. He went 5.2 innings, allowed 1 run, and got the win, but still we all know it was kind of an off day for him. That's a good thing.

David Wright had an opener to forget, unfortunately. Sometimes I worry about his head -- he wants so badly to be great that I worry he takes failure too hard. Really, I shouldn't worry -- he's had a hall of fame start to his career after all. But still, I'm sure he's heard all the "unclutch" chatter this offseason, and stranding Reyes at third in the first didn't help his cause.

But these are quibbles. The story yesterday was that the bullpen did what it was supposed to do. After all that futility last season and all those dollars spent this offseason, we needed Putz and Rodriguez to come through that first time. It would have been really classic -- really Mets -- if one of them had blown it, but we'll take progress where we can get it.

* * * * *

After the game, after Blondies, I came home and cooked dinner for me and my girflriend. Baseball was back, it was a great feeling.

- A.F.O.M.G.

Hopes and Fears: The You Ain't Shit Mets

As I write this it's Sunday evening, and the baseball season has begun. It's the bottom of the fourth inning, and our old nemesis is beating our current nemesis, 4-0. A short time ago Nails texted me "I hate rooting for the braves, but love having baseball back!"

The day before the start of the Mets' season is what Christmas Eve used to be. I glance impatiently at the clock, the principle emotion, excitement, competing with expectations and the fear that that special present might not be under the tree.

The baseball season, of course, is a much different proposition than Christmas morning. In baseball you don't get all your presents at once. You get a big one -- you get baseball back. But the real prize, the thing you really wanted, that can never come until 6-7 months later.

* * * * *

In some respects, we're going on 24 years of waiting for that thing we really wanted. But for me the calculus that really matters is what's happened since 2006.

2006 was a special season. Watching the Mets that year was such a joy, but in the end, 2006 turned out to be the miracle year that wasn't. In 2007 we played on the fumes of 2006 only to fall flat on our faces. If the downward spiral began with the Game 7 loss in 2006, it culminated with the 7-up-with-17-to-play debacle in 2007.

Some people lump 2008 in with 2007, but I've never thought that was fair. In 2007 the team didn't seem to give a damn what happened. In 2008 the team fought and clawed and gave it their all (or at least I believe they did), but there was a fatal flaw in their composition, a defective bullpen, and in the end that flaw did them in.

Both seasons were disappointing. But as learning experiences go, 2007 felt like a full stop where 2008 felt, somehow, like something to build on. After 2007 all there was was bitterness, and an odd relief at no longer needing to watch the team throw it all away.

In 2008 there was drama and excitement every single night; in the end they came up short, but it was OK -- you knew they'd tried. If we could only fix the fatal flaw, who knows what we'd be?

* * * * *

Things will be different this year. Between the bullpen upgrades, the absence of Willie Randolph, and the opening of Citi Field, in 2009 there won't be any "OK -- they tried".

It is my hope that 2009 is a year of renewal. You look at this Mets team, and you look at the teams around the NL East, and there's no reason the Mets can't win the division. You think about a team with David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Johan Santana, Francisco Rodriguez, and J.J. Putz and you have all the pieces of a team that can be a juggernaut. I can't help but have hope.

But after 2006, 2007, and 2008, those hopes are tempered by fears. Fears of falling flat in September again, fears that John Maine and Oliver Perez might not fulfill their potential, fears that Mike Pelfrey isn't ready to be what we need him to be, fears that the team may not appear to care as much as the fans in the seats.

After the disappointments of the past few years, we need something good to happen. But for something good to happen, the players have to take ownership of the season. They need to play like it's them versus the world every night; they need to play like they've got everything to prove. That shouldn't be difficult. For all their gaudy individual statistics, this team has never fulfilled its potential. They've never really succeeded.

Changing that begins with accepting the failures they've suffered and using them as inspiration. They need to embrace as their ethos the you ain't shit mentality I outlined in November. They have all the talent in the world. A Cy Young winner at the top of the rotation. Multiple MVP candidates. The all-time single-season saves leader. Doesn't matter. They ain't shit until they put it all together.

* * * * *

On Monday, at a presumably rain-soaked Great American Ballpark, they'll begin anew the task of putting it all together.

Having been proven awesomely wrong the past two seasons, I'm wary of making predictions. But when I look at this club, I see a team that should win something like 93 games. That's a bullish number; what can I say, I'm a long-time believer in a strong bullpen (a lesson the Mets keep relearning every few years). I won't make playoff predictions yet, but I will say I think this team should go to the playoffs.

It all starts Monday. Christmas morning.

- A.F.O.M.G.

What?

On this last Friday before the regular season, I find myself a mess of what the early 2000's rock legends Keane once referred to as hopes and fears.

I can see this season going in so many different directions. On the one hand, the certainty I felt coming into the 2006-2008 seasons is gone, but on the other, all that certainty left us with was one magical run and two heartbreaks.

So, to channel both my hopes and fears and the song "What?" by the early 90's jazz-rap group A Tribe Called Quest, here are some of the questions I have about the upcoming season, in two parts and with none of the rhymes.

What?

What if All-or-Nothing Ollie Perez is more nothing than all this season?

What if Mike Pelfrey isn't ready to be a No. 2 starter?

What if John Maine breaks down again?

What if John Maine breaks down again and Livan Hernandez can't hack it?

What if Daniel Murphy isn't a .300-hitting wunderkind after all?

What if we were living on borrowed time with Carlos Delgado last season?

What if J.J. Putz gets hurt again?

What if Luis Castillo is as bad as we all fear?

What if Ryan Church is more post-concussions than pre-concussions?

What if we all get there and decide Citi Field kind of sucks?

What happens if the Mets don't make the playoffs?

What happens if we don't make the playoffs and miss out on the season's final day again?

What? (Optimistic Remix)

What if all the whats above don't happen?

What if David Wright has an MVP season?

What if Johan Santana wins the Cy Young?

What if Delgado is everything he was after May of last year?

What if Carlos Beltran hits 40 home runs again?

What if Jose Reyes takes it to another level?

What if the Mets never blow a win when leading after 7 innings?

What if Castillo actually bounces back?

What if Ollie and Maine win 15 games again?

What if the Mets win the division?

What if the Mets win the division and win out over the Phillies on the final day?

What if the Mets win the World Series?

* * * * *

Did I miss any critical questions? If so, go ahead and sound off on the comment board.

Have good weekends all; dream the dreams of 8-year-old baseball fans.

- A.F.O.M.G.

Sports Illustrated Picked Who?!

I'll admit it: for the past week or so, I'd grown pretty bearish on the prospects for the Mets' upcoming season.

I'm a big believer in the power of a strong bullpen so that's a source of comfort, but between the back end of the rotation (the part that comes after Johan, that is), the uncertainty of Daniel Murphy, the uncertainty of Delgado, the almost assured shittiness of Castillo, the limited contribution of Schneider -- there were too many question marks and holes on this team for me to feel really positive.

Things started to change last week as I watched a few exhibition games on SNY and I heard how the guys in the booth were talking about the team.

Maybe it was just them projecting what they wanted to see on to the field, but one guy after the next kept talking about how they were seeing something different this team. They saw a renewed sense of urgency, or a renewed sense of purpose. Beyond that, there was the talent of the guys on the field. This team had the look of a real contender.

The problem I have is that I'm largely incapable of looking at the Mets objectively. When I look at the 2009 team I can't help but project my disappointment and bitterness over the past two years onto this year.

I think Gary, Keith, and Ron are better at avoiding this pratfall than I am, but even if they're not, I saw this morning on SportsNite that Sports Illustrated had picked the Mets as their World Series champ. I haven't found the article yet, but SNY said SI was most impressed with the Mets' bullpen, and thought it was the key to the Mets' improved fortunes this year.

Now, SNY prefaced all of this by noting that SI has only picked the eventual World Series winner correctly once in the past 10 years -- and that was in 1999 when they picked the Yankees.

For me though it's an uplifting development either way. To the (presumably) unaffiliated, unbiased people at Sports Illustrated, the Mets are the team to beat. Untainted by hope or frustration, they see something in this team that makes them think they're really good.

Now, that and $5 will buy you this week's issue of SI -- on it's own, SI's does nothing for us. But it does improve my confidence, cover jinxes be damned. And with less than a week to go until Opening Day, confidence is a valuable commodity around here.

- A.F.O.M.G.