Mets 2010 Season Preview – Top 10 Questions

The Mets are going into 2010 with question marks at every position on the field. They’re taking a 70-win team in 2009 and only adding Jason Bay to the mix. Is that enough to make a run at the World Series?

When I was in Port St. Lucie watching the last week of Mets spring training, a lot of thoughts about the team were running through my head. There are so many questions marks on this roster. This was a 70-win team last season and Jason Bay is the only major change. It’s a big gamble the Mets are making to go into the season with so many players that couldn’t play up to their potential last year.

If you’re a Mets fan, you’ve probably already read too many season previews from every mainstream media outlet. So I won’t bore you with another one that reads the same way.

I’m usually a very optimistic fan about the Mets. How can’t you be? They put more financial resources into the team than any other ownership group in the league. But there are some major questions about this year’s version of the Mets that I’ll ask below. We won’t know the answers for at least a month, maybe more.

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Are We All Pumped for Mets 2010 Opening Day?

It’s time for Mets fans to get pumped up about opening day 2010! We’re all concerned about some shortcomings on the roster, especially about who will step up as the leader of this team.

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Courtesy of jessicafm via FlickrI know I’m pumped for opening day! I’m going through my closet right now looking for a jersey of some player, any player, who’s not on the disabled list. Where’s that David Wright jersey?
 

 

By the way, the Fan Misery Index has jumped to 8.13 out of 10. Not sure what I’m talking about? Check out my last post… and check out some of the pictures Dave got from Spring Training this week…

I’m still trying to figure out this team chemistry-wise. I have heard all spring from bloggers covering the Mets and WFAN that the clubhouse atmosphere is so much better than last year with the additions of Jeff Francoeur and Jason Bay. I hope so.

After watching the Yankees struggle for the first part of last year, they seemed to kick it into gear but only after a few of the new players shook things up.

Continue reading “Are We All Pumped for Mets 2010 Opening Day?”

Mets Spring Training- Oliver Perez Fails Again

What a let down for my first day at Mets spring training this year. Oliver Perez gets rocked for 7 runs including giving up 3 home runs. Even Johan Santana had a rough day against the Triple-A Cardinals team. It was tough all the way around. Alex Cora got hit by a pitch in the hip and came out of the game too.

It’s really beyond anyone’s capability to comprehend what’s going on with Perez. There’s no consistency from game to game. And I’m a firm believer that there never will be. He may be able to put a few good starts together but not enough to warrant anyone’s expectations that he can do so with any regularity.

The only good news of the day was that Jose Reyes played in the minor league game and went 1 for 5. He didn’t go crazy on the bases, but did get out and do some running. It sounds like Reyes is still holding out hope to play on opening day. Even if he doesn’t make it into the lineup next week, he’s not far away from being ready to play.

Here are my photos from my first day here at Digital Domain Park:

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649

Oliver Perez at Digital Domain Park Today

Mets Spring Training - Oliver Perez
Image by wallyg via Flickr

It’s still strange to write Digital Domain instead of Tradition Field. But I’ll be there for today’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals with Oliver Perez on the mound. There’s no denying that Perez is one of the keys to the Mets’ success in 2010. So I can’t wait to get a first-hand look at him this year.

I also read a tweet from David Lennon that Johan Santana is throwing his tune-up for opening day against the minor leaguers today. I’ll have to see if I can find him on one of the side fields.

I’ll try to post some images and posts from my phone while I’m there.

Video: Mets 2010 Pitching Preview

This is the fifth installment of season preview videos that I did with Kerel Cooper of On The Black and Joe Janish of Mets Today. You can see the other videos on offseason grades, catchers/Daniel Murphy/Luis Castillo, Jose Reyes and David Wright, and the outfield.

In this video we talk about the starters, Francisco Rodriguez, and the set up situation.

http://blip.tv/play/guougcyrJAI%2Em4v

Highest Payroll in National League Should Be Good For Fourth Place

David Daniels writes that the Mets, despite the highest payroll in the National League, will continue to underachieve in 2010.

Courtesy of permanantly scatterbrained FlickrEditor’s Note: This is a guest post by long-time Mets fan David Daniels. David is a Long Island native that gives his take on the state of the Mets in 2010. You can read David’s work at his site on Long Island life and tech.

Baseball’s back! Let the season begin, but before it does here is where I think this Mets team will stand at the end of the year. Stock up on your Rolaids and Tums because we’re in for another wild ride and when the dust clears this team will be in 4th place and possibly fighting for the basement of this division.

Why? This team has entirely too many issues so I’m going to start at the top:

Management – A clown of a GM, two straight collapses, a ballpark dedicated to another team, a manager fired in the middle of the night, a beat writer blamed for the team’s troubles, not to mention the Madoff mess where the Wilpons may, or may not have, lost significant money – Mets Management has one debacle after another to their credit and, yes, we will get more of the same this year. I just don’t trust this management team with making any decision bigger that deciding if “Frankie should go back to glasses.”

From managing the media, to managing injuries to managing the farm system, the Mets have failed miserably at all three. The newest instances with Reyes’ and Beltran’s most recent injuries just reaffirms that management and the medical staff are still not on the same page. Expect more bad decisions by management regarding injuries. I just hope they don’t ruin any careers.

Having solid management from top to bottom is the foundation of a successful franchise. Another losing season and Omar’s gotta go. We’re stuck with the Wilpons because I really don’t think they will ever sell the team. The Mets need a new blueprint for success. Paying top dollar for free agents and plugging all your holes with retread players is a formula that Omar has proven does not work. Let’s cut our losses early this year. No waiting till 2012 when Omar’s contract expires. The Wilpons should have a replacement for him ready to go by the July trading deadline or there will be many empty seats after July. Except me. I enjoy buying $.99 seats on Stubhub. Really!

Continue reading “Highest Payroll in National League Should Be Good For Fourth Place”

Video: Mets’ Johan Santana Spring 2010 Bullpen

There’s a lot of good video coming from Port St. Lucie over the last few days. This one is from Brian Costa of the Star-Ledger featuring Johan Santana throwing a bullpen session to Rod Barajas.

Johan Santana
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