Don’t read anything into opening day. Just don’t even think about it. But somethings just aren’t possible for the average sports fan. Yankee fans have the luxury of being very lax about their opening day loss to the hated Red Sox. Met fans however don’t. This may be the last time we relish a victory like this. In what were pristine conditions outdoors, summer came a few weeks early and the smells and sounds of the old ballpark seemed to shine through all the clutter of confusion that the Mets fed its fans this past spring. Who’s our 8th inning set up guy? Why didn’t we get a competent second starter instead of praying that starters two through five can keep us in games? When’s Jose Reyes coming back? What’s REALLY wrong with him?*
*= that’s a very relevant question for us Met fans.
These were the lingering stains on a 18 month stretch that would rather be forgotten for Met fans. Opening day came and it was beautiful. David Wright was hitting home runs to the opposite field* and we were stealing bases. Johan was on the mound and performing, like an ace. Our bullpen** came in and shut down the opposition for three innings. K-Rod in old school goggles*** came in and shut the door on the Marlins with a perfect ninth.
*= Just a year late on the strategy Tony Bernazzard. Its finally clicking for David.
**= Well, just one guy. Fernando Nieve. My theory on bullpens is that its a crapshoot. You hope and pray that the mix of guys you have will hold up. I think what the Mets are doing is relying not on specialists but plugging in starters in reliever roles so that they have guys who can go two or three innings whenever called upon. Thus guys like Nieve and Takahashi get the nod over Calero and others. It might work, it might not but for one day, it did and thus I’m ok with it.
***= I agree with Matt Cerrone of Metsblog.com (what a guy I am, plugging another blog); K-Rod is just more intimidating with the goggles on, even if they are orange.
It was so perfect that the Marlins were making the errors that are usually reserved for the Mets. Through it all the Mets capitalized. They hit the ball hard on many occasions* and defeated Josh Johnson who prior to yesterday’s start was undefeated against them. Yes, Opening Day. It can cure many wounds and make you over think many things but consider that the Mets have the best Opening Day Wining percentage of any team in the majors and have won 31 of their last 40. So read into one win what you may. But do so at your own risk. I won’t. I’ve promised myself that I wont get caught up in a winning streak or a losing streak. I will try to remain as even keel as possible although my fan-dom may only allow that until the first Ollie Perez meltdown.
But know that I won’t allow myself to be washed up in the negativity surrounding this team this year either. I’m still a believer in this team and the talent it has in its clubhouse. If things go right and break a certain way* then the Mets can be in contention all year long. No team is unbeatable and no team is less susceptible to injuries. All we need is for our front office to have learned from their mistakes and hope they fix any lingering mistakes they have.
*= you know, have good luck, the kind the Mets have been lacking the last ohhh 4 and a half years. I mean with all the messed up stuff that happened to the Mets it had to have built up a certain amount of goodwill with lady luck right? RIGHT?
So its ridding myself of the negativity. Its ignoring that Halladay in Philly had 9 K’s in 7 innings in a dominant first performance for the Phils or Jason Heyward’s immediate impact with a three run monster shot in Atlanta or the fact that the Marlins will be in contention this year and that the Nationals are a quickly improving team. Its an opportunity to relish that on an impossibly beautiful opening day, the first in a few years the Mets won and won in every facet of the game against a very good team. Its focusing on what the Mets are doing and not on what others are. Its on believing. Its about Opening Day and what it promises and suggests and what Opening Day represents: resetting our battery for the long haul of a major league season. Hopefully every day is as beautiful as Opening Day.
acebook
witter
The Lazy Eye of Sports 