a week late

Usually, the MLB season starts this week. This season, it's starting a week later than usual, because of the WBC. I'm a WBC supporter (though I think there's a better time of the year to pay the classic than during spring training), but today I'm sweating that extra week. If holding my breath would make April 6th come sooner, I'd do it. Alexis was wearing her Mets hat when I got home last night, and I wore orange today; baseball season is clearly in the air in Brooklyn.

Like any good Mets fan, I'm a bit concerned about pitching, but like any good baseball fan, I'm dismissing spring training results as any sort of predictor for how even the beginning of the season will unfold. It's simply not predictive.

It's nice to have a manager who thinks the way I do; today in Port St. Lucie, Jerry said this: "The Major Leagues will tell you," Manuel said. "Spring Training just won't."

the last thing I ever thought I'd hear on ESPN

David Wright drove in Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter was the first one out there patting David Wright on the helmet... and Jeter's locker was put between the two so they wouldn't fight!

--Orel Hershiser on D.Wright's walk-off heroics to get the USA to the semi's of the WBC.

That's Our David

this article, from Marty Noble, nearly made me cry.

I'm in the middle of a post about the USA-Puerto Rico game, but I didn't want to delay in expressing how awesome, in the classic sense of the word, it was to see David Wright hit the walk-off single for the USA on Tuesday night. It had never occurred to me that I'd want to root for team USA; I'm far to into Latin baseball to have considered it, really. But that was David Wright, and he's playing 81 games in Queens this year. He's ours... and he was the hero. There was a dog-pile of major-leaguers on the field on top of Wright in March. It was the sort of sight that makes a baseball fan, and a Mets fan, feel all kinds of things we're not used to feeling in March.

I loved every second of it.

Puerto Rico vs. USA

Remember when I said that I'm not watching the WBC?

That ended last night, when USA had a must-win game against Puerto Rico. It was straight up weird watching David Wright up against a team with los Carlos (Beltran and Delgado). Though I found myself rooting for PR for most of the night, I can't help but root for David Wright when he's playing. He's the face of my team, and he had a great night.

More than a great night. Wright had an heroic night. There was a dogpile on the field when he drove in the winning run against Puerto Rico, which is not something one is used to seeing in March. That kind of smile on David's face isn't something one is used to seeing in March. David getting an RBI by getting Jimmy Rollins across the plate and Derek Jeter starting the dogpile on Wright, because they're all playing for the same team? Surreal. Not something one expects to see, ever. In a winter of many inspiring moments, this was definitely among them. Perhaps it has something to do with what happened in our electoral politics this winter, perhaps it doesn't at all. But for me, the outpouring of love from a Yankee and Phillie to a guy who plays for the Mets was another moment when I felt proud of my country. It's a new one. I like it.

a confession

I'm not watching the WBC.

I caught half an inning of Panama v. Puerto Rico on Saturday, and it looked fun, but... I just want it to be MLB time already. Or maybe it's just that the games are being played at inconvenient times for me, or that a game between Italy and Venezuela just isn't going to be interesting; it's going to be Venezuela beating Italy into the ground, which is exactly what happened.

Perhaps in the later rounds, when we're getting some good Republica Dominica vs. Japan action, I'll be more interested. Or maybe I'll still just want it to be time for MLB already.

spring training games

The day before 10 of the Mets' major leaguers left to play in the World Baseball Classic, they shellacked the Astros 13-1 in Port St. Lucie. The day after 10 of the Mets major leaguers went off to play for their countries, St. Louis (including Albert Pujols, who apparently feels no particular national pride in wherever it is he comes from) killed the Mets 15-4, and the lowly Washington Nationals beat the Mets B-Team 6-4 the next day. The Mets, however, managed to beat the Italian WBC 3-2 team on Thursday, and the Cardinals 5-6 on Friday. So maybe it won't be nothing but mis-matches until the guys playing in the WBC get back to Florida.

I hate to say it, but I'm willing to bet that Wright and Putz (both playing for the US) will be the first to return to spring training after they're eliminated from the tournament.

16 players

That's the number of men who left camp this week to go play in the World Baseball Classic. Though many-- six, to be exact--are minor-leaguers, pretty much every guy who really hits for the Mets has gone: Wright, Reyes, Delgado, and Beltran are playing for the USA, Republica Dominica and Puerto Rico, respectively. Both our closers, Putz and KRod, will also be playing for their countries in the Classic.

I'm a WBC supporter, and one of the things I love about the current incarnation of the Mets is how well it represents the diversity of the floor, neighborhood, building, and city I grew up in. The city has changed a lot, but my parents' building has not, and so as I said in an earlier post, it would feel totally natural to me to root either for the Dominican, Puerto Rican or Puerto Rican teams in the classic.

Funny, I never considered rooting for Team USA.

Never the less, the Mets have sent more men to the Classic than any other team in Baseball, and more with major league contracts, guaranteed to make the team, than any other team by far. The Red Sox, who are sending fifteen players to the WBC (the closest number to the Mets' sixteen), only 5 of them have major league contracts.

It follows that the Mets have more on the line in the WBC than any other team in baseball.

Pray to the deity of your choice for no injuries.

yet more WBC fun

It's pretty unusual for most of the regular starters to play full (or close to full) games this early in spring training. But because of the Classic, Manuel wants the guys who are going off to play for their teams as much work as possible before they go. Which means that in the first three games of the exhibition season, we've seen a very close approximation of the opening day lineup (or, at least the opening day fielding lineup-- I'm still betting that come April, Reyes will be back hitting lead-off).

Which just makes the exhibition games even more fun to watch.

When is the best time to play the World Baseball Classic?

According to MLB, I guess, in the middle of spring training.

I've written before about the hazards of playing the classic before the season starts, so I won't re-hash them here, except to say that I can't find a rational explanation for it on the internet. If you can, I'd appreciate the help with my terrible internet-searching skills.

Gary Cohen suggested on today's broadcast that perhaps a better time would be in the middle of the season; to lengthen the All-Star break to 8 days or so, and play the Classic then.

Keith pointed out the problem with that proposal: managers already don't want their best players playing for more than a few innings in the All-Star game, in particular they don't want their best pitchers to go more than 60 pitches (and would prefer fewer). This managerial position makes plenty of sense, given that there's still half a season to go after the break, and who wants to risk their best players in the middle of the season? Moreover, if it were the WBC rather than the All-Star game in the middle of the season, national pride is likely to make the players push themselves even harder than they would for the All-Star game. Johan Santana would never pitch more than two innings in an All-Star game, but for Venezuela? He'd go longer, and it would be silly to pretend otherwise.

The only thing I really like about the idea of playing the Classic instead of the All-Star game is that it would put an end to the utterly stupid practice of having the winner of the All-Star game gain home field advantage in the World Series.

Keith Hernandez thinks the best time would be right after the World Series, in October. Of course, there are drawbacks to this plan, too; guys who played in the playoffs will be, to put it mildly, tired. Guys who didn't get to participate in the post-season will be much more ready to play after the World Series than the guys who did when it comes time to play for their country.

Never the less, as is so often the case, I think Kieth's proposal is the best. After the World Series is the only time of the year when the Classic would have no effect on the season, which is obviously the way everyone with a financial stake in MLB would prefer it be, as would most fans.

Plus, more competitive baseball in October! Yay!

What do you think?

more WBC fun

Guess who's the batting coach for the Italian team?

Mike Piazza, who was at Tradition Field yesterday when the Mets played the Italian WBC team in the morning. Pelfrey pitched brilliantly during that game, by the way.

Guess who knew they played baseball in Italy?

Not me.

Mets Baseball! On Television!

They've got the full broadcast team working today's spring training game, and I am loving every second. So much, it's inspired me to clean the living room, just to stay in earshot of the game.

I'd jump up and down and squeal with excitement, but not only wouldn't that translate to the blog, I'm a little embarrassed by how thrilled I am to be watching baseball, even exhibition games.

Its 6-0 Mets against Florida, and Nelson Figeroa just threw a 1-2-3 inning to end the 6th which is always a good thing. I also notice that Delgado is playing first (and just hit a nice double), and that Reyes is in the game (not just in the game, he just hit his second home run of the game), as are Wright and Beltran (who just hit his second homer of the day). This must be because these are the guys who are going to play in the WBC, and Jerry Manuel wants to send them off in as best shape as possible.

Have I mentioned recently that I love Manuel?

P.S. We won on a three-hit shutout. I'm a happy girl.

Which team am I going to root for in the World Baseball Classic?

I've been struggling with this question since I realized the second WBC was happening this year. Given the floor I grew up on, the building and neighborhood I grew up in, I would be equally comfortable rooting for the Puerto Rican, Cuban and Dominican Republic teams. Which one to go with has never been an obvious choice.

But then this week it came out that Edgardo Alfanso, our beloved Fonzie, is going to play for Venezuela. That sealed the deal for me, even without Santana pitching for the team.

I'm rooting for Venezuela, and am very much looking forward to the WBC, which starts in 12 days. I've come around to the idea that the WBC is nothing but good for baseball as an entity, and I hope it promotes the fandom around the world that is it's intent.

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

Jerry Manuel is talking about moving Reyes down to the 3rd position, presumably ahead of Wright and Delgado (depending on Carlos' performance) and behind Beltran in the 2 slot. I can't decide if I think this is a good idea; I think it depends too much on the performance of Castillo, which isn't a performance I feel comfortable relying on. This strikes me a little too much like the behavior of Willie Randolph constantly changing the #2 hitter, with little success. That said, this is the only thing Jerry Manuel has ever done that has reminded me of Willie, and I was never a Willie-hater to begin with. I've been impressed with Manuel, and I think he can have real success with this team; I'd just hate to see a constant revolution of players hitting first this season, for reasons I can't yet fully express. It just feels a bit like throwing stuff on the wall to see if it sticks, a strategy I can appreciate in business but not much in baseball.

Things seem to be looking good down in Port St. Lucie; it's weird to think that in a short time, many of the most important guys to the team will leave to play in the WBC. I wonder, given Manuel's stated goal of making this year about the team rather than individual performances, how this can do anything but harm Manuel's project. I can see getting really pumped up to play for your country (or Puerto Rico), and then having a hard time getting pumped to play for a random assemblage of major league players with nothing in common other than being paid by the Wilpons, having just left the camaraderie of one's countrymen while doing your favorite thing (playing baseball). I hope I'm wrong about that, and that playing in the WBC will hurt the Mets neither physically (I'm praying, along with every Major League owner and GM in baseball, for no injuries) nor emotionally.

a relief and a small concern

Santana isn't playing in the World Baseball Classic (officially) because he's still rehabbing his knee and needs to be extra careful. I hope the latter is more an excuse than the truth, but I'm relieved that our ace pitcher won't be risking any of his season by playing in the Classic. Never the less, it does not instill confidence to hear that your star pitcher is still rehabbing a knee when he's already at training camp and the decision was made after a session on the mound.

The World Baseball Classic

I'm of two minds with respect to the World Baseball Classic (WBC).



Reasons I like/love it:

1. Because of the timing of the summer olympics, the best baseball players in the world have little chance to play for their own countries. The WBC offers all MLB players a chance to play for their country, which is an honor and an opportunity that I think world class payers should have the opportinity to do, should they so choose.
2. Professional ballplayers playing competitive ball in the beginning of March, a full month before we normally get to see professional ballplayers playing competitive ball.
   
3. I'm all for spreading the popularity of baseball all over the globe, and I think the WBC is a good first step towards that goal.
   

Reasons I'm frightened by the WBC:

1. There is a very long list of Mets who currently plan to play in the Classic.
2. The classic takes place during March, when these players would normally be in spring training. Since it's the beginning of the season, the risk of injury is great.
   
3. That list of Mets playing in the tournament include our best pitcher, as well as a bullpen that actually features two closers.three quearters of our infield, and our most gifted outfielder. If a single one of these guys gets injured, it will have seriously deleterious effects on the team once the season starts:
   

Santana, Johan

Feliciano, Pedro

Figueroa, Nelson

Delgado, Carlos

Beltran, Carlos

Wright, David

Rodriguez, Francisco

Putz, J.J.