5 4 4-9: - Maine, Why They Won't Win, Luis Castillo, Beltran Update... and April 9, 1913

John Maine:

The guy who should have been pitching the second game of the season for the Mets was pitching up in Boston last night for the Red Sox. The Mets can tell us all they want that John Maine is the same Maine who excelled in 2007 before he was hit with shoulder woes, but I Remember the Maine who pitched back then. The velocity is not the same. The command is not the same. The results are not the same.   nypost.

Why They Won’t Win:

Too many ifs in the lineup. Who is going to follow Santana in the rotation? There are no can’t miss starters here. Expect a large number of pitchers to rotate through here. Carlos Beltran being out for more than a month will have an impact. It will be interesting to see how long it takes him to find his bat and how his speed is impacted by the knee surgery. The Mets may be forced to move him to left field to protect his knees. Daniel Murphy does not hit for the power or production that is traditional for the position. He starts the year on the DL. The catching is going to rotate with a number of under .250 hitters that play good defense. Luis Castillo will continue to hit a soft .300 and not steal bases. The Mets will struggle to find a bridge to K-Rod. Gary Mathews has filled a lot of team’s rosters for a reason. He looks good in short spurts, but over the long haul he tires on you. - mwob

Luis Castillo:

Mets manager Jerry Manuel announced Thursday that Luis Castillo has a calf injury and won't play on Friday. Alex Cora will start at second base and Ruben Tejada will get another look at shortstop as the Mets kick off a three-game series with the Nationals. Castillo is considered day-to-day and may return this weekend. - rotoworld.

Beltran Update:

"Carlos Beltran should be able to resume running this weekend as scheduled, according to ESPN.com. Beltran, who is recovering from offseason knee surgery, on April 1 said he would be able to run again within 10 days. "I am not going to predict anything," Beltran said when asked about a possible return to the lineup. "Right now I'm following the program and when I get to the stage of running I can see what I need to get to the stage of playing games.""  - prosportsdaily

On April 9, 1913, the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies play the first game in the history of Ebbets Field. A crowd of 10,000 watches the Phillies win, 1-0. The new ballpark is named after Brooklyn owner Charles Ebbets.On April 9, 1913, the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies play the first game in the history of Ebbets Field. A crowd of 10,000 watches the Phillies win, 1-0. The new ballpark is named after Brooklyn owner Charles Ebbets. - link