Terry Collins’ Most Telling Move of the Game

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Joe Janish

It’s not fair to nitpick Terry Collins’ strategical decisions in the first game of the year, and his first game managing in the bigs in a dozen years. And in fact, I’m not sure he made any poor choices during the contest, but there was one move that was particularly “telling”. Continue reading →

Posted in Opinion and Analysis | Tagged , , | 22 Comments

Mets Game 1: Loss to Marlins

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Joe Janish

So much for the longest-running Opening Day winning streak … not even Terry Collins’ speech could inspire the Mets to win. Continue reading →

Posted in Mets 2011 Games | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

A Perfect Cocktail for Opening Day

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Joe Janish

You know Terry Collins. You might have heard of a “Tom Collins” — a cocktail made from gin, lemon juice, and club soda. Well now there’s a “Frank Collins”, which is essentially a twist on the Tom Collins, and it’s perfect for Opening Day. Continue reading →

Posted in Off Topic, Shea What? | 2 Comments

Sandy Alderson States 2011 Goal

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Joe Janish

He’s been successfully maneuvering the subject for months, but finally, Mets GM Sandy Alderson has stated his goal for the team in 2011. Continue reading →

Posted in Latest Mets News | Tagged | 2 Comments

Mike Pelfrey Pitched with Rotator Cuff Strain

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Joe Janish

A little tidbit in the Daily News:

“I had a strained rotator cuff and a strained posterior capsule almost the whole season,” Pelfrey told the Daily News Thursday

Further …

Pelfrey said the Mets did not pressure him into pitching through the injury, and that he did not consider it a risk. So he took a pain-killing injection in his shoulder before every start, and pushed through.

Remember his slump last year, which he described as a “dead arm phase”?

We challenged that here at MetsToday, mainly because Continue reading →

Posted in Mets Injuries, Pitching Mechanics | Tagged | 5 Comments

Why Mets Must Start Strong

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Joe Janish

There is an obvious reason the Mets must start the season with a bang — the team is desperate to sell tickets and generate revenues. But there is another factor that comes into play, and it has nothing to do with money. Continue reading →

Posted in Opinion and Analysis | 1 Comment

Why Injuries May Not Hurt Phillies

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Joe Janish

The Philadelphia Phillies look pretty fearsome with that foursome in the starting rotation. Most pundits picked them to be the NL East champs based on the fact they have Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, and Hamels on the mound four out of every five days. However, injuries to Chase Utley, Brad Lidge, and Placido Polanco have caused the pundits to knock the Phillies down a peg — some are even thinking that the Braves are the favorite in the division.

Will the injuries have a significant impact on the Phillies’ chances this year? There’s one reason why they might not: Continue reading →

Posted in Opinion and Analysis | 4 Comments

Opening Day Lineup: 2010 vs. 2011

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Joe Janish

MetsToday reader “NormE” had this to say in the comments section:

Joe, if your looking for perspective, how about comparing 2010?s opening day roster with this year’s roster? There’s been quite a bit of housecleaning and, in the field, position- by-position the Mets look better off (except left field). The bullpen, on paper looks sounder. Starting pitching is a big
question mark.

I won’t do the entire roster, but let’s look at the Opening Day lineup of one year ago vs. today:

[TABLE=55]

Wow. I mean, I know the team was much different a year ago, but, wow — David Wright is the only repeat in the lineup.

When the 2010 lineup was announced, I immediately assumed it was a belated April Fools Day joke. Additionally, there was no place in the universe that would have accepted Mike Jacobs as a cleanup hitter except for on Planet Manuel; still, I had further evidence proving it was a bad idea. Let’s not even get into the inanity of placing Alex Cora in the leadoff spot, or Gary Matthews Jr. in place of Angel Pagan.

This year, on paper, the lineup looks much improved in many ways, thankfully. Yes, it would be great to have Santana in the 9-hole, but Big Pelf is up to the task. And the lineup would look a lot deeper (as well as Harrisless) if not for the last-minute injury to Jason Bay, but what can you do?

What do you think? Does this year’s Opening Day lineup look better than last year’s? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Posted in Latest Post | 11 Comments