David Rubin: Mets (& Baseball) News & Notes

Good morning, Mets fans wherever you are - and wherever you are, I hope it's in your home, well-stocked with water and toilet paper. About that- last I looked, the Corona-Virus had NOTHING to do with problematic bowels, so I guess it's still that "end-of-the-world" panic...

...and baseball has acted appropriately in this time of great concern by postponing it's season 2 weeks. Kind of a tease, getting used to hearing Gary, Keith & Ron a few times a week and then back to waiting, again. As someone who had a number of team members from work who were almost trapped in Spain, I can tell you firsthand that the MLB, and most of what's happening in the US right now regarding cancellations and postponements, are reactionary rather than precautionary. We needed to get out ahead of this pandemic and we didn't, and sadly things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. I've heard we are 2 weeks behind Italy, which currently has their borders shut, and that will mean more panic and probably the full deployment of our National Guard in primary cities. So where does baseball sit in this?

Baseball is supposed to be our big, spring through fall distraction. It's our mistress...our unrequited love...the thing that has been with us through break-ups, deaths, marriage, birth, the one constant in our lives that are drowned out in other noise. When we see that green, mowed grass, stretch out under that beautiful, blue sky, hunker down to an $8 hot dog and $12 beer, we want to hear that bat cracking, stand when our team gets a hit, cheer when our pitcher gets 2 strikes on their clean-up hitter, and, for three hours, get our minds out of our everyday lives and lose them to the smell of peanuts and cracker jacks. So, with the postponement of the season, all that's left is the WWE, Netflix, Hulu and Network TV (and wouldn't NOW be a great time for The Mandalorian Season 2? Just sayin'...)

Will we see baseball again this season? In 2 weeks? A month? I don't know, but I know that when it comes back, I'll be here, like I was during the strike of 1972, like I was when the World Series was canceled, like I will be until my life is over and my grand-kids have taken up my baseball-loving mantle...I just pray it's sooner rather than later, that lives lost stay to a bare minimum, that we all are reminded about caring for one another actually looks like, that common courtesies are not lost forever, and that somehow, some way, Mr. Lowrie will find his way onto a baseball field and somehow miraculously be cured of whatever secret knee injury avails him. Hmmmmmm...was he in China last year?

Quick Notes:

~Glad to see that Jacob looked unhittable in his first broadcast appearance - he's going to be gunning for that 3rd CY in a row.

~The new Mets batting practice hats are my favorite ones yet - and I own almost every one of them in my 80+ Met-hat collection.

~It's funny how Kilome went from the Phils' top pitching prospect to an also-ran with us after his TJ surgery; he was pitching far better once he was traded to us, and then after his surgery he's not even being considered by the so-called experts as a top pitching prospect for us. Mark my words- keep an eye on him as he progresses to full health as he has surprisingly good stuff.

~Very happy to see the return of Rob Whalen to the org and getting to watch him pitch in our unis again. Here's hoping he matches the potential he showed before we traded him. Good luck, Rob!

~I'll have a lot more Mets-specific things next week. But until then, please be careful, stay safe, and watch reruns of the '86 play-offs and World Series; at least we know the outcome of THAT!