New York Mets

The New York Mets are currently 24 - 21 on the season. Most people would look at their record and say that it was decent and nothing to be over happy about. I don't look at it that way though. I look at their winning percentage which is .533, or 53%. If you take that number and multiply it by the 162 game season, that will put the Mets at a final record of 87 - 75. I would gladly take almost 90 wins from a team that was expected to be the door mat of the National League East.

My expectations for the Mets this season was for them to compete and have a chance at beating each team that they played. I didn't expect them to come out and win the division running away. All I wanted was for them to compete, which is exactly what they are doing right now. I give a majority of the credit to Terry Collins, David Wright, and Johan Santana. Collins has brought in a winning mentallity to their locker room. I love the fact that he is realistic as well and he himeself admitted that all he wanted to do this season was compete. David Wright pushed his batting average over .400 with three more hits last night against the San Diego Padres. I also expected Johan to be effective. I was not going to be one of those fans who exepected him to come back and win the Cy Young award coming off shoulder surgery. I was going to be happy if his ERA ended around 3.50 or lower. Right now, his ERA is sitting at 3.24, which is more than I expected. I can't ask for much more out of him.

The encouraging part is that the New York Metropolitans win on both the road and at home. They are 12 - 9 at home and they are 12 - 12 on the road. The only concern I have for them is their run differential. They are -35 in that category, which is never a good sign. Either way, this season has been a success this far and I hope they can continue playing and winning. Go Mets.

Opening Day!

Its is finally here: Opening Day of 2012. Everyone starts out with hope and the promise of a fresh start. Fans get to see their old favorites return, young players grow and develop, the new faces in the lineup, the team chemistry. All of it comes out of this one day.

Its the one time of the year where the Pirates have the same record as the Yankees. Neither team is superior to one another on this day. Speaking of the Pirates, they start the season off by playing their in state rival, the Phillies. Jim Thome of the Phillies will be playing his first game at first base in numerous years after serving as a designated hitter in the American League.

The Mets get Johan Santana back after rehabing for a year and a half to recover from shoulder sugery. Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw are setting out to defend their Cy Young award. Prince Fielder gets to hit behind Miguel Cabrera and the two of them could be the most powerful duo in the game today.

No matter who you root for, their is nothing to dislike about the Opening Day in baseball.



Johan Santana



Johan Santana threw two good innings in a spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals yesterday. In the two innings of work, he allowed one hit, no runs, and one base on balls. The encouraging sign was put into perspective by Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina when he said, "He threw me one, I just didn't see it. He had me fooled." Referring to Santana's changeup.

That is the most encouraging part of yesterday's outing in my perspective. Santana has always been known to have the best changeup in baseball when he is healthy. That is the main reason why he has been successful. Or in the past few season, what has been his achilles heel. In his dominanat seasons, his changeup is unhittable. When he has had his down year's, it has been because his changeup is not fooling batters.

In recent years, the gap between his fastball and changeup has grown closer. Which makes the pitch easier to hit. When he is healthy, the difference between the two pitches can be 10 MPH, if not more. Mets fans can't expect Santana to perform like a Cy Young candidate, even though that would be nice, but they can expect an ERA around 3.50 or lower and about 25 starts from him. The Mets will win a lot more games if Johan Santana can be affective this upcoming season.