Pedro’s pulled hamstring is all my fault.

You see, I picked Pedro for my fantasy baseball team — and any Met on my fantasy team is doomed. I thought it was a silly coincidence that Carlos Delgado was terrible last year, that Cliff Floyd was the one Met who put up poor numbers in 2006, that Carlos Beltran and Mike Piazza were both terrible in 2005, that Jeromy Burnitz was a bust in 2002, and all those guys just happened to be on my fantasy team during those times.

Lesson learned: don’t mess with the baseball gods.

Maybe if I drop Pedro now, the news of his injury will be better than we expect? If it turns out that way, I’ll have to figure out how to use this power for something more useful … like creating peace in the Middle East.

Normally I don’t like to mix politics with this blog, and the few times I do, at least a few of you give me virtual slaps for doing so (and that’s both expected and accepted!).

But I have to point out something that no other media outlet seems to have noticed or reported on.

The single, biggest change in the US financial system in the last 70 years was announced on baseball’s Opening Day, March 31st.

Yes, I know it wasn’t “officially” opening day because of the Nats game and the A’s-Bosox game in Japan. However, March 31 was effectively the first day that every MLB team had a game — and ironically, that was the day that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson chose to unveil his massive overhaul plans.

Coincidence or careful planning?

I am not going to open up the can of worms of whether the financial plan is good or bad — this isn’t the place. I only wish to throw out there the possibility that this incredibly crucial announcement was purposely made at the same time a huge bulk of the population wouldn’t pay much attention to the news because their focus was on their favorite baseball team’s first game.

Call me a conspiracy theorist …

Marlins 5 Mets 4

So much for being undefeated.

Pedro pitched poorly then left in the fourth with a strained hamstring and a 4-1 deficit. He says he heard a “pop”.

The Mets came back to tie the ballgame, and the game remained tied until the bottom of the tenth. Matt Wise struck out the first two batters he faced, then fell behind 2-0 to Robert Andino. Wise threw a “get me over” floater to get strike one, and Keith Hernandez stated,

“you don’t want to throw it up there too often though you can get hurt upstairs.”

The final word had not left Keith’s mouth when Wise floated up another one in the exact same spot, which Andino jumped all over and sent into the leftfield seats.

Not sure whether to blame Keith, Matt Wise, or Brian Schneider.

Bottom line is this: at game time, it was an apparently healthy Pedro Martinez facing Rick Vanden who? and therefore all expectations that the Mets would be 2-0 on the season before the night was over. Unfortunately, they had to play the game and it didn’t work out that way.

Next game pits Oliver Perez vs. Andrew Miller in another 7:10 PM start.

comments please …

Mets 7 Marlins 2

OK, let’s go over that checklist for a typical Mets win …

Ace pitcher Johan Santana pitches a gem … check.

Jose Reyes jumpstarts the offense … check.

David Wright begins his MVP candidacy … check.

Carlos Beltran gives Wright a run for his money … check.

Marlon Anderson gets a pinch-hit … check

Willie Randolph makes all the right moves … check.

Yup … the New York Mets were firing on all cylinders in their initial 2008 contest, with the only part missing a Billy Wagner save. Luckily, Wags wasn’t needed — hope it doesn’t throw off his rhythm.

The Mets offense exploded for six runs in the fourth inning, and Santana was spectacular, striking out eight and allowing only two runs on three hits and two walks in seven full innings. The first hit he gave up was a two-run homerun to Josh Willingham in the bottom of the fourth and immediately after the Mets’ offensive outburst.

Randolph looked like a genius in the final two innings, mixing and matching ROOGYs and LOOGYs to perfection. Of course, Aaron Heilman made an appearance, and in fact closed out the contest, in the first of what will likely be 150 games for the tall righthander.

It was a spectacular game from every angle, and a wonderful way to begin the season. And hey, the Mets are in first place!

Notes

Sorry for the late post, but I was in NYC attending the MetsBlog Opening Day party, which was a blast. It was amazing to be surrounded by people cheering and giving high-fives every time Johan threw a strike; I thought the walls might cave in when something truly exciting occurred, such as a Mets run. Being at Butterfield 8 was as close to being at Shea for a game, except they didn’t stop serving beer after the seventh inning and Cow-Bellman was nowhere to be found.

Hey, how about Luis Castillo laying down a perfect bunt and then running around the bases like the rabbit he was four years ago? He may yet fulfill that four-year contract on those new knees.

And oh, someone forgot to remind Ryan Church that he’s not supposed to hit lefties. He smoked Fish starter Mark Hendrickson a couple times, though only had one hit to show for it.

Nice to see Angel Pagan continue the hot hitting — and he’s another guy who isn’t supposed to hit lefties. Too bad Ruben Gotay wasn’t still around, or he might have proved the “rule” wrong as well.

Next game has Pedro Martinez going against Rick VandenHurk in a 7:10 PM start.