In preparation for Kirk Nieuwenhuis' impending call up...

Expecting a call up for Kirk Nieuwenhuis to replace Andres Torres on the Mets roster, I had to add Kirk's last name to my iPhone keyboard.

I had to look it up three times just writing this post.

Just remember, "i-before-e-after-n-before-wen-then-h-u-is."

MLB's Gameday updates outfield walls at Citi

Click for big

Those walls are blue.

Can't confirm if they also removed the drop shadow from the uniforms, but it looks like they may have.

2012 Mets Opening Day lineup

We guessed at it earlier, but here is the real 2012 Opening Day lineup...

1. Andres Torres, CF
2. Daniel Murphy, 2B
3. David Wright, 3B
4. Ike Davis, 1B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Lucas Duda, RF
7. Ruben Tejada, SS
8. Josh Thole, C
9. Johan Santana, P

Video: Should I Pujols or Cano (Ike Davis cameo!)

Ike Davis gets a cameo, unfortunately wearing a Dallas Cowboys shirt.

Link: Paul DePodesta Q&A

Q&A with Mets Vice President of Player Development and Amateur Scouting Paul DePodesta on Baseball Prospectus

Looks like we can safely assume the Mets Opening Day lineup now

With the lineup set for today's game against the Yankees, I think it's pretty safe to assume it's roughly the same lineup that will go into Opening Day for the Mets on Thursday.

Here's the lineup today...

1. Andres Torres, CF
2. Daniel Murphy, 2B
3. David Wright, 3B
4. Ike Davis, 1B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Lucas Duda, RF
7. Scott Hairston, DH
8. Josh Thole, C
9. Ruben Tejada, SS

Now, obviously there won't be a DH in Citi Field come Thursday, and we know Johan Santana will be on the mound, so scratch Hairston and add Santana to the bottom and you've got your OD lineup.

1. Torres, CF
2. Murphy, 2B
3. Wright, 3B
4. Davis, 1B
5. Bay, LF
6. Duda, RF
7. Thole, C
8. Tejada, SS
9. Santana, P

Eventually, my thinking is Duda will flip with Bay to protect Davis more. What do you think about this lineup?

Report: Wilpons look to bring back Omar Minaya and Steve Phillips as Co-GMs

This is an April Fools post.

Here's how I'm hearing it. It looks like the Wilpons want to bring back Omar Minaya and Steve Phillips as additions to Sandy Alderson.

Against Alderson's wishes, of course.

Possibly the strangest move the Wilpons could do.

Past-GM Minaya was working for the Padres organization, and Phillips was most recently working for ESPN.

Your guess is as good as mine as to why this is going down, and now of all times of the year.

Apparently, the Wilpons realize they have some cash to spend and want to bring in Minaya and Wilpon to make some big signings.

Please tell me how this will work out well for the team.

Really, do they have any common sense at all?!

I truly cannot believe that Alderson, Wilpon and Minaya could work together as a three-team GM squad.

Lots of ways this can get screwed up, and fast.

Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if Alderson quits in the coming days.

Obviously, he'd be totally in the right to do so.

Once Minaya and Phillips join, how can one GM make any decisions? By putting it to a vote?

Literally, this is the worst news ever.

Seriously.

...

Just kidding!

Happy April Fools.

For previous April Fools posts, here's one from '08 and '09.

The best worst movie ever, Troll 2, has Mets pennants on the walls

If you've never seen Troll 2 (and the documentary that chronicles it, The Best Worst Move), fire up your Netflix and watch it now.

It is an film so bad it is so good. It has a 0 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It has a 2.4 rating on IMDB and is No. 85 on the Bottom 100 films of all time.

But that's not why I'm writing this post. It is a Mets blog, after all. While I watched it, I noticed in the son's room, there were sports banners all over the walls. A Darryl Strawberry pennant hung near Joshuas's bed and a New York Mets banner over his mirror by the door.

Grandpa Seth, The Grandpa

So, why are there Mets banners on the wall? Why is there an Expos lamp next to Joshua's bed? Cincinnati Reds and Oakland A's pennants hanging above Strawberry's?

Well, the movie was filmed in Utah in the late '80s and was released in 1990. It was written and directed by an Italian couple, with an entirely Italian crew for a just hundreds of thousands of dollars - quite a small amount for a "feature" film.

Diana Waits, The Mom

So, an Italian crew, filming in Utah from 1988-1990, how exactly did all these random sports items find their way into this home and into the film?

I even tweeted to one of the film's actors to ask...

@AndrewVazzano That's a damn good question. No idea

— Jason Steadman (@jasonsteadman) March 31, 2012

We may never know the answer to this question. We may never know how such a terrible movie was made. And we may never know why so many people - including myself - have come to love this film for just how bad it is.

But, please, go watch this movie. It's the best worst thing I've ever seen.

David Lennon leaving Mets beat

Newsday's Mets beat reporter, David Lennon, is leaving the Mets beat to become Newsday's Major League Baseball columnist.

I've always thought Lennon was one of the best reporters on the beat. He's been the reporter for Newsday for as long as I've been blogging and the only one to stay at the same outlet the whole time. Adam Rubin is the only other reporter to still be on the Mets beat since I've been writing.

Lennon is taking over for Ken Davidoff, who is moving over to the New York Post to be their baseball columnist.

Currently, the new Newsday reporter is "TBD," says Lennon.

I love media movements!

SI: Excerpt from R.A. Dickey's memoir

R.A. Dickey's book comes out in a few days, but Sports Illustrated has a few excerpts up now.

Dickey covers finding a syringe in the Ranger's clubhouse, being sexually abused as a child by his babysitter and contemplating suicide.

This will be a fascinating read.