All that can be said about NEW YORK is: Sigh. I love the people who run this club, from the ticket takers to the owners. But this year the wheels could fall off even worse - and farther - than last. I think Jason Bay is a legitimate power source, and I thought Jeff Francoeur a steal, but that begs the question of what the Mets now expect from the guy who is still their top offensive prospect, Fernando Martinez. If Bay, Beltran, and Francoeur are to be the outfield for awhile, why is Martinez still there? Plus, the silence about Beltran is ominous. The ominousness of Daniel Murphy's bat is silent. And there is nothing - nothing - dependable in any of the three categories of pitchers, except for Johan Santana, Pedro Feliciano, and Frankie Rodriguez, and the latter is just another closer now. It is absolutely plausible that by June 1 the only questions will be whether or not to give Ike Davis a taste of the majors, whether or not to start screwing up Jenrry Mejia the way the Yankees messed with Joba Chamberlain, and if some Japanese team will take Luis Castillo off their hands. - keithlink
Reyes isn't the only Mets starter who will be watching on TV when the team's first pitch of the new season is thrown on Monday. Daniel Murphy will remain at the minor league complex for the start of rehab on his right knee -- he has a sprained MCL and will miss 2-6 weeks -- and Carlos Beltran continues rehabbing his right knee after having undergone arthroscopic surgery that will keep him sidelined into May. link
When the Mets signed Beltran in 2005, they were buying the services of a complete player. When healthy, he's been probably the best center fielder in the game the past several years. After undergoing some sort of knee surgery (at one point rumored to be microfracture surgery, but seemingly merely arthroscopic in nature) this past season, there are naturally some questions about how much speed he'll still have. Always an extremely savvy base-stealer, he'd seen some decline in stolen base attempts in recent years as his knee pain worsened. However, the bigger reason to wonder about his speed is because of the runs he saves in the field. As spacious as Citi Field's outfield is and with Bay and Francoeur totemically manning left and right field, Beltran's leatherwork is invaluable. A lost step in either direction could see many more doubles for opposing hitters. - HBT
Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh & Bob Weir are embarking on a musical adventure with their new band, Furthur. Fans can expect Lesh & Weir to push the musical envelope with jaw-dropping improvisations and loving renditions of Grateful Dead classics, with an all star band that includes keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and percussionist Jay Lane (RatDog), drummer Joe Russo (Benevento - Russo Duo, Trey Anastasio), and guitarist John Kadlecik (Dark Star Orchestra). New and old fans of the Grateful Dead alike will be entranced as Phil & Bob take the musical journey "furthur", exploring some of the Grateful Dead's most beloved songs in a tour that promises to keep the feet stomping and the bodies shaking. Further will be playing two live shows at MCU Park this summer, on Saturday, June 26 and Sunday,
June 27.
Without Johan Santana, the Mets filing into Port St. Lucie for spring training 2008 would have been reminiscent of the really popular girl who went to the big party and got drunk and puked on the shoes of the big man on campus...and then tried to go to school the next day like nothing happened...but then she's walking through the hallways, all of the other students are by their lockers pairing up to whisper things to one another like "oh look, there's the drunk" or "I can't believe she would show her face here again", or "Oh my God, I think she still has vomit in her hair."
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