'The Anti-Shea'

Great article in the New York Times today by Ken Belson and Richard Sandomir. They were given an in-depth tour of the new stadium by Jeff Wilpon on Wednesday, and they give probably the most thorough explanation of Citi Field I've read so far.

The seats throughout the stadium are angled toward the center of the infield, reducing the need for fans, particularly on the field level, to crane their necks toward home plate.

Sitting in their seats, few fans will see the chop shops in Willets Point, the cars roaring past on the Van Wyck Expressway, the subway yards to the south or the U-Haul sign. They will still get a crystal-clear view of the planes on their final approach to La Guardia Airport. Some things never change.

No U-Haul sign?? I'm bummed.

Honestly, I'm very excited for the new ballpark. I'm not sure if it's the novelty of a new place to explore or trying to shake off the last two years of dissapointment, but I can't wait to see Citi Field with my own eyes.

Heck, why else would I buy tickets to a college baseball game? I doubt that 90 percent of the people attending that game will have any idea what the score is. They'll just be wandering and exploring the new park.

The Manny Saga: See ya next year

Manny Ramirez finally signed a two-year, $45 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The deal is structured so that after one year, Ramirez can opt-out and hit the free agent market again.

That means even though he's signed for two-years, there is no doubt in my mind we'll be going through the same shenanigans again in 2010.

That means we'll have to hear all about if...

• Daniel Murphy performed well enough in left field to justify another year there.
• The Wilpons are willing to spend the money to sign him.
• They even have enough money to sign him.
• The Mets even need him.
• Anyone will still want him.

So even though we've all made it through the Ramirez show of 2009, we just have to buck up and prepare for it all over again in one year.

Game Recap: Nationals 6 -- Mets 4

It's only spring.

On The Mound

Mike Pelfrey started the game for the Mets, and struggled in the first inning. He allowed three runs on four hits in the first, but limited the damage from there. He ended up throwing three innings, striking out two.

Livan Hernandez was next on the mound. He let up two runs in 2 2-3 innings. He was pulled in the sixth inning because five straight Nationals reached base, and he had just walked the sixth to load the bases.

Darren O'Day relieved Hernandez, and ended the threat. O'Day also pitched the seventh inning, allowing only one hit.

Duaner Sanchez finished out the game with a hitless inning.

At The Plate

Only five hits for the Mets today, two of them were home runs though, accounting for all the runs scored.

Fernando Tatis hit a solo home run in the fifth inning off of Collin Balester. Two batters later, both reached base, Ramon Castro hit a three-run home run, also off of Balester.

In The Field

Jose Valentin, making the start at shortstop, and Nick Evans combined for the Mets sole double play.

Next Up

The Mets will take on Team Italy on Thursday at 2:05 p.m. That game will not be televised.

Pelfrey struggles early

Mike Pelfrey was on the mound for the start of today's Mets / Nationals match.

In the first inning, Pelfrey allowed three earned runs to score on four hits. Ryan Zimmerman doubled home Christian Guzman for the first run of the game. Nick Johnson then hit a two-run home run to drive in Zimmerman.

Through two innings, likely all Pelfrey will pitch today, he allowed three runs on four hits while striking out one.

Update - 1:54 p.m.: Pelfrey is still in for the third inning. He allowed one hit and a walk, but struck out two in his third inning of work.

For three innings, Pelfrey struck out three and allowed three runs on five hits.

Starting squad against Nats

Here is today's starting line up as the Mets take on the Washing Nationals.

Angel Pagan -- CF
Daniel Murphy -- LF
Nick Evans -- 1B
Ryan Church -- RF
Fernando Tatis -- 3B
Mike Pelfrey -- RHP
Jose Valentin -- SS
Ramon Castro -- C
Andy Green -- 2B

If you thought the pitcher batting second in the order was weird...Jerry Manuel likes to keep people on their toes.

The game is not available on TV.

46 pitches

Johan Santana and his fateful left elbow threw 46 pitches in a bullpen session early today. Santana maintains that he could still be on track for Opening Day.

Who cares, Johan? If you don't start until mid-April, but you still make 30+ healthy starts all year, that's all I want. Opening Day means nothing, especially against an non-division team like the Reds.

Just sit on the bench for a few games and make your first start at Citi Field's opening day. It'll mean more to you and the team.

Santana not going to make Opening Day start

David Lennon breaks the news that Johan Santana will not be the Opening Day starter for the New York Mets.

Pitching coach Dan Warthen just explained that Santana is not likely to get into a Grapefruit League game until March 18 and that pretty much wipes out any chance of him being ready for Opening Day.

Is this a shrewd move by the Mets to have him start the first game at Citi Field? I doubt it, but it's something to think about.

As long as he's healthy to make 30+ starts in 2009, I don't care when he pitches. Still, not a good sign.

Game Recap: Cardinals 15 -- Mets 4

It seems no one wants that fifth spot of the rotation.

On The Mound

Freddy Garcia made the start for the Mets trying to rebound from a poor outing the first time around. It did not go well. Two innings, three hits and two home runs later, the Cardinals had the lead 4-0. Garcia did strike out three batters and walked one, but the two homers really looked bad. Chris Duncan's three-run shot was crushed.

Following Garcia, Jon Switzer took the mound for one inning. He allowed two earned runs on two hits, paired with a walk and a strikeout.

Dillon Gee fared the worst of the pitchers, but was hurt by a pair of errors. Gee allowed seven runs (two earned) in one inning on five hits.

Rocky Cherry and Victor De Los Santos each pitched one inning of no-hit baseball, with Cherry tallying one strike out.

Carlos Muniz and Kyle Snyder each allowed one run in their inning of work, sandwiched around a hitless inning from Tom Martin.

At The Plate

Robinson Cancel and Marlon Anderson were the only Mets with multiple hits. Cancel had a single, double and one RBI. Anderson doubled twice and picked up a RBI.

Angel Pagan continued his hot spring, going 1-1 with a walk and driving in two runs with his single in the seventh inning.

In The Field

Jose Coronado and Gee each committed one error. Luis Castillo, Coronado and Marlon Anderson also completed one double play.

Next Up

The Mets will take on their NL East rivals Washington Nationals tomorrow, but won't grace your television screens again until Saturday.

The sun shines on this gloomy SNY viewer

I thought today was going to be a bad day. Seems I was way wrong as SNY has brightened my day significantly.

First thing to note: Scott Ferrall, or as I like to call him "The Reason No One Watches 'The Wheelhouse,'" is gone for good. Neil Best notes that his contract was up, and SNY wisely chose to set him to pasture. Maybe I'll actually watch that show (or at least not scramble for the mute button when the commercial comes on).

Secondly, SNY is going to make watching Mets baseball a lot more interesting. According to Multichannel (via Retire 31), SNY will be one of the first channels to embrace the new MVP Enhancement system.

This new system will allow SNY and its on-air team to enhance the game story with post-production capabilities in real time. With this new technology, SNY will incorporate five new features into its 2009 Mets telecasts: SNY magnify, flow motion, pitch differential and speed and distance trackers.

SNY magnify will not only hyper-zoom over the magnified area, but it will move with the player or object as the clip is played. SNY will be able to use this enhancement for plays at any base, a hit batsman, a ball near the foul pole or outfield wall. For example, on a close pickoff play at first base, the ball, glove and foot or hand of the runner can be magnified and followed into the bag.

With flow motion, SNY analysts Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez can dissect a pitcher's motion or batter's swing through overlays on repeated plays that will identify patters over the course of a ballgame.

The regional's pitch differential feature will illustrate a sequence by zooming in to where a catcher sets up, where the ball finishes and the point of contact with the bat.

As for the speed and distance trackers, SNY will be able to trace the speeds and distances of players on the base paths or in the outfield, as well as on balls that are pitched, hit or thrown by the fielders.

The article notes that SNY will also debut a new graphics package.

Oh, how exciting. I can't wait to listen to Keith Hernandez gush over all his new technology. I want to be a fly on the wall during that training session...

"Wait...so now we not only have the Coors Light Freeze Frame...but...HYPER ZOOM?!? I don't even know what that means, but I like it!"

Yes, Keith. You're going to have too much fun this season.

Well done, SNY. I'm very proud of you.

Gasp! I agree will Wallace Matthews

In my life long love/hate relationship with Wallace Matthews, I usually find myself shaking my head and pounding my fist when I finish up reading his columns. Only once in a blue moon do I sit here and nod "Why yes, Wally...you're actually right!"

Well today is one of those days (it's also Square Root Day, which only happens nine times a century -- coincidence? I think not).

Matthews column today focuses on Johan Santana's elbow and how the Mets magically declared him fit as a fiddle after zero medical tests and 31 pitches on a mound.

Yet based on one bullpen session, in which Warthen acknowledged Santana threw at about 80 percent velocity, not only did the Mets proclaim him recovered from whatever elbow woe caused him to be scratched from starts Friday and today, but they canceled plans to fly him back to New York for an MRI.

I'll concede them the weather yesterday, which made flying home iffy at best, but how can they possibly declare Santana healed when no one more qualified than a pitching coach has even looked at him? One with glasses, no less?

He's so right it hurts.

The Mets better be taking the utmost caution with their prized possession. He is the single most valuable person to the franchise, both monetarily and talent wise.

My train of thought here is that he will hang around in Florida a little while longer before heading back to New York for tests once the weather is a bit nicer. There is no reason not to heed caution and get him tested no matter what. Haven't they heard "Better Safe Than Sorry"?

Santana is a gamer. He pitched through the pain of a torn meniscus last year -- what makes them think he's going to proclaim himself injured now?

I would also like to know why he has to go to New York. The Mets have been hosting spring training in Florida from their inception, first in St. Petersburg and now in Port St. Lucie. Could it have occurred to them in that time that maybe the better thing to do is to find a doctor in Florida whom they trust instead of shipping every injury back to New York for "tests."

I'm sure there are plenty of MRI machines in the state of Florida with all the old people escaping to warmer weather. They break their hips a lot, if you hadn't heard.

The Mets need to get Santana tested, be it in Florida, New York or Kalamazoo. He's too important to the team and there is no need to make assumptions about his arm without taking a good, hard look at it.

Because you know what they say about assumptions...