Yesterday was one of those days you love hearing about if you’re a baseball fan. Yesterday was Truck Day. There were publicity shots galore of Mr. and Ms. Met loading up the semis for the annual trek to Port St. Lucie. The equipment cases were loaded, the engines revved and the big wheels started a-rollin’ to the Southland. Spring is…soon, all evidence to the contrary. Couple that with the first TV commercials for Ringling Bros. – Barnum & Bailey Circus at Madison Square Garden and you could almost swear you saw a robin on your snow-blanketed front lawn.
This also means that fans and pundits start to rev their engines, as well. There’s been no shortage of predictions from Mets observers – close to the action and far away, alike – of how this 2015 season will proceed. The Mets are coming off a, basically, .500 season. It’s the nature of that kind of beast that the following year can go one way or the other. The middle ground has already been covered by 79 wins. Now – as a burgeoning hashtag goes — #itstime. It’s time to show what all the talk is about. There are those mainly long-time fans who bemoan the fact that Michael Cuddyer and John Mayberry, Jr. are the only prizes to show for a long winter’s worth of “activity.” Your intrepid columnist is among them. We will look closely and see that we’re pinning our hopes on a 32-year-old Face Of The Franchise trying to recover from a major shoulder injury. On a leftfielder who stumbled out of the gate last year – also in his mid-thirties, mind you – who only sporadically showed the form that garnered him a $16 million payday this year. On a marvelous-fielding centerfielder who is still a largely unknown quantity with the bat. On an untested shortstop. On a returning would-be hero. Fans wary of past disappointments will naturally look at this collection of talent a little sideways: same ol’ Mets.
However, there are those with a national platform who see things a little differently. They see a young, exciting team whose potential could outweigh its past. These aren’t the words of people on the “inside.” You would expect some big talk from the team itself and there has been plenty of that. But when glowing words are written by someone who has no dog in the fight – the author of the ESPN piece linked above, David Schoenfield, is purportedly a Mariners’ fan – attention must be paid. Maybe the doomsayers can’t see all the young starting pitching, currently drawing raves. Maybe we older fans are still too scarred by the star-crossed Generation K to put a whole lot of stock in untried moundsmen. PECOTA says the Mets are the second-best team in the division. Mr. Schoenfield says they are a worthy Wild Card team. Who are we to argue? We’re still sitting up here amid snow mountains. Maybe Lucas Duda does have another 30 jacks in him. Maybe Daniel Murphy isn’t mere trade fodder. Maybe post-Vegas Travis d’Arnaud is the real Travis d’Arnaud. We’ll find out once they unload the trucks.
Now, where is that damn robin?
Follow me on Twitter @CharlieHangley.
I’m pumped, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, and if we will win it all!
I’m excited for this season. Obviously there are a bunch of “ifs” about the team, but I think that is the case with every team. I’m glad Flores will get a chance to start at shortstop. The main core of the team is young, and who knows how much they can improve off last season. Should be an exciting season, and I’m glad that the team will be putting out a competitive pitcher everyday.
Someone should start handing out posters at the games that just say “When.”
I may not have seen that damn Robin, but the Dark Knight of Gotham has made an appearance already!