Die Hard Sports Fan

The New York Mets are playing Game 11 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Milwaukee Brewers at Shea Stadium.  It’s the rubber game of the three-game series.  The game began at 1:10 p.m., and it was aired on CW11.

Prior to the game, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, and Johan Santana were given their Gold Gloves from 2007.

Brewers Lineup: Weeks, Kapler, Braun, Fielder, Hall, Hart, Hardy, Suppan, Kendall.

Mets Lineup: Pagan, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Church, Easley, Schneider, Perez.

On the Mound

Oliver Perez (1-0) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Perez hit Weeks with the pitch to give the Brewers a leadoff runner.  Kapler lined a no-out, two-run shot near the foul pole in left field which scored Weeks and himself.  Braun grounded out to third.  Fielder flied out to center.  Perez fanned Hall to end the inning.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 2 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Hart lined a leadoff single into center.  Hardy grounded a no-out single through the hole on the left side.  With Suppan in the batters box, Perez threw a passed ball which allowed both runners to advance safely.  Perez caught Suppan swinging at strike three.  Kendall popped up in foul territory along the first base line, and Delgado made the out.  Weeks drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Perez struck out Kapler to get out of a jam.  Perez gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 2 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Perez got the heart of the lineup to fly out.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Hart lined a leadoff single into center.  Hardy drew a no-out walk.  Suppan dropped down a sacrifice bunt towards third, and Wright made the out at first while both runners moved over.  Kendall grounded a one-out 2-Run single up the middle scoring Hart and Hardy.  Perez caught Weeks looking at strike three.  Kapler pulled a two-out double down the third base line.  Braun lined a 2-Run single into left which scored Weeks and Kapler, and Braun advanced to second when the throw came home.  Fielder grounded out to second to end the inning.  Perez gave up 4 Hits, 4 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Hall flied out to center.  Hart lined a one-out single into left.  Hardy drew a one-out walk.  Dillon came in to pinch hit for Suppan, and Randolph came out to make a pitching change.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  Perez left the game after 4.1 Innings allowing 8 Hits, 6 Runs, 6 ER, 3 BBs, and he had 4 SOs.

Randolph replaced Perez with Jorge Sosa with one out in the Top of the 5th.  Dillon popped up in foul ground near first base, and Delgado made the out.  Kendall flied out to center to end the inning.  Sosa allowed 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Weeks led off with a homer to left.  Kapler drew a no-out walk.  With Braun in the batters box, Sosa threw a wild pitch and Kapler advanced to second.  For the second time, Sosa threw a wild pitch and Kapler moved over to third.  Sosa fanned Braun.  Sosa intentionally walked Fielder.  Hall popped up to short.  Hart lined an RBI single into left field which scored Kapler, and Fielder advanced to second.  Hardy flied out to left to end the inning.  Sosa gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 6th Inning.  Sosa left the game after pitching 1.2 Innings allowing 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

Randolph replaced Sosa with Scott Schoeneweis to begin the Top of the 7th.  Iribarren lined out to short.  Schoeneweis left the game after pitching 0.1 Innings allowing 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs.

Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Joe Smith with one out in the Top of the 7th.  Weeks grounded to third, but Delgado (Error on Delgado) dropped the throw from Wright which gave the Brewers a one-out base runner.  With Kapler in the batters box, Weeks stole second.  Kapler grounded an RBI double over the first base bag, and Weeks came around to score.  Smith caught Braun looking at strike three to end the inning.  Smith gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 7th Inning.  Smith left the game after pitching 0.2 Innings allowing 1 Hit, 1 Run (Unearned), 0 BBs, and 1 SO.

Randolph replaced Smith with Pedro Feliciano to begin the Top of the 8th.  Feliciano got Fielder to chase strike three.  Randolph went out to the mound and made a double switch.  Feliciano left the game after pitching 0.1 Innings allowing 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO.

Randolph replaced Feliciano with Aaron Heilman and Clark replaced Church with one out in the Top of the 8th.  Heilman threw strike three right by Hall.  Hart popped up to shallow right field, and Castillo made the out to end the inning.  Heilman gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 8th Inning.  In the Top of the 9th, Heilman hit Kendall with the pitch to give the Brewers a two-out base runner.  Weeks grounded to third, and Wright made the out at first.  Heilman gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 9th Inning.

At the Plate

Jeff Suppan (1-0) was the starting pitcher for the Brewers.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Wright jacked a two-out solo shot to center field, the 100th Home Run of his career, scoring himself.  Beltran grounded out to second to end the inning.  Suppan gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Delgado drew a leadoff walk.  Church lined a no-out double to the right field corner as Delgado went first to third.  Easley grounded to second, and Weeks made the out at first while Delgado came home and Church advanced to third.  Schneider grounded an RBI single under Weeks and into right center as Church came home to score.  Perez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to towards the pitcher, and Suppan made the out at first as Schneider advanced to second.  Pagan grounded out to short to end the inning.  Suppan allowed 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Castillo had a broken bat flair over the head of Hall to lead off the inning with a double.  Wright grounded to short, and Weeks made the out at first as Castillo moved over to third.  Beltran lined a one-out RBI single into right center as Castillo came in to score.  Delgado grounded to first, but Fielder couldn’t field it properly so Beltran advanced to second and the Brewers ended up getting Delgado out at first.  Suppan intentionally walked Church with two outs.  Easley grounded a single up the middle and Weeks ended up fielding the ball, but Easley beat out the throw to load the bases.  Schneider lined a 2-Run single into center field which scored Beltran and Delgado, and Easley went first to third.  Suppan got Perez looking at strike three.  Suppan gave up 3 Hits, 3 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 1 SO in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Pagan led off with a double to the gap in right center.  Castillo grounded up the middle for a no-out single, and Pagan moved over to third.  Wright popped up to shallow center, and the runners held up.  Beltran lined out to first, and Fielder made the force out at first because Castillo was off the bag.  Suppan gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 4th Inning.  Suppan left the game after pitching 4.0 Innings allowing 9 Hits, 6 Runs, 6 ER, 2 BBs, and he had 2 SOs.

Yost replaced Suppan with Salomon Torres to begin the Bottom of the 5th.  Delgado drew a no-out walk.  Church grounded to second, and the Brewers turned the double play.  Easley lined out to left to end the inning.  Torres gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 5th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Schneider grounded a leadoff single through the hole on the right side.  Chavez is pinch hitting for Sosa, and Chavez grounded into a double play.  Pagan drew a two-out walk.  Castillo also drew a two-out walk.  Wright grounded to third, and Hall made the out at first to end the inning.  Torres gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 6th Inning.  Torres left the game after pitching 2.0 Innings allowing 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 3 BBs, and he had 0 SOs.

Yost replaced Torres with Brian Shouse to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Beltran drew a leadoff walk.  Delgado grounded slowly to second, and Weeks only got the out at second on the double play attempt.  Church grounded a one-out single by Hall and into left field as Delgado advanced to second.  Easley grounded a one-out RBI single by Hardy and into center field as Delgado came around to score.  Schneider grounded to second, and the Brewers turned the inning ending double play.  Shouse gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB, and he had 0 SOs in the 7th Inning.

Yost replaced Shouse with Guillermo Mota to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Clark lined a leadoff single into center.  With Pagan in the batters box, Clark stole second base.  Pagan dinked a no-out single over the head of Hardy in left field which moved Clark over to third.  Castillo grounded to first, and Fielder made the tag at first and then made the out at the plate as Clark was coming home.  With Pagan at second and Wright in the batters box, Mota threw a wild pitch and Pagan moved over to third.  Sosa threw back-to-back two-out walks to Wright and Beltran to load the bases.  Delgado flied out to right to end the inning leaving three Mets on base.  Mota gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 2 BBs, and he had 0 SOs in the 8th Inning.

Yost replaced Mota with Eric Gagne to begin the Bottom of the 9th.  Anderson is pinch hitting for Heilman, and Gagne fanned Anderson.  Easley grounded out to second.  Schneider lined out to short to end the game.  Gagne gave up 0 Hits, Runs, 0 BBs, and he had 1 SO in the 9th Inning.

Final Score: Milwaukee Brewers 9 - New York Mets.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.  Both starting pitcher got a no decision.

Today’s game was poorly played by both sides.  You can tell by the score alone.  Perez got rocked and gave up 6 runs in 4 1/3 which is horrible.  Sosa also got into some trouble in the 6th.  After that, Willie used a bunch of relievers to get through the game.  They did so without giving up any more runs, but it was too much to overcome.  The Mets put 7 on the scoreboard, but there were some lost opportunities.  Especially in the 8th inning with Mota on the mound.

The Amazins’ lost a series that they should’ve won.  When another pitcher wins the first game, and Santana is pitching in the same series then the Metsies should win the series.  But, it didn’t happen.  The Mets are now 5-6 on the season.  They have an off day tomorrow, and then the Nationals show up for a three-game series on Tuesday.

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Injuries are the biggest Mets stories of the day.  We saw that Castillo was replaced with Easley in the 5th Inning of yesterday’s game, Castillo has soreness in his knees, and is listed as day-to-day.  Matt Wise was placed on the DL due to forearm strain.  El Duque is going to be inactive for two weeks due to a strained tendon in his right foot.

The good news is that the Mets have a 5-1 lead over the Phillies right now.  We’ll bring the game summary shortly.

Mets.com:

In last Shea opener, Mets fall to Phillies - Marty Noble summarized yesterday’s game between the Phillies and the Mets.

Pelfrey set to make first start of 2008 - Anthony DiComo put together a pregame analysis for tonight’s game between the Phillies and the Mets.

Wise lands on DL with forearm strain - Marty Noble reported that “The assignment was made on Tuesday, retroactive to April 2, the day after Wise surrendered the walk-off home run to Robert Andino in the Mets’ 5-4 loss to the Marlins. The club recalled right-handed reliever Carlos Muniz from its Triple-A New Orleans affiliate to take Wise’s place. Muniz pitched the ninth inning of the Mets’ 5-2 loss to the Phillies on Tuesday.”

Mets return to past in final Shea opener -  Anthony DiComo wrote about how Bill Shea threw out the first pitch to kick off a year-long celebration.

The future looms large over Shea - Marty Noble describes how far along Citi Field has come.

Castillo leaves with right knee soreness - Anthony DiComo reported that Luis Castillo left Tuesday’s Mets Home Opener against the Phillies after four innings with right knee soreness. Castillo is listed as day-to-day.

Feliciano arrives late to home opener - Anthony DiComo pointed out that Pedro Feliciano had his original flight from Puerto Rico canceled which is why he was unable to pitch in the Home Opener.

Newsday:

Mets’ 9th straight loss to Phils recalls collapse

Rollins loves to fan the fire - Roderick Boone captured the throughts of Jimmy Rollins after yesterday’s game,

I’m almost disappointed - I always expect more. But it’s like the fans aren’t at the game yet. And then when they come in, the game is already going, so it’s like, ‘Ah, well, you missed your chance to do the big boo.’ But it helps you concentrate. It does make the games more interesting because the fans are going to do their best to get under your skin, try to get in your head. So when you smile and give it to them back, then they’ll realize, ‘That’s a pretty good dude. All right, I’ll keep booing him, anyway.’

Randolph critical of Perez’s good outing for Mets

New season, but Phillies still own Mets

Cheer up Mets fans: You can’t collapse in April

Tearing down Shea still unthinkable - Steven Marcus tells us why tearing down Shea Stadium is unthinkable.

Beautiful Citi Field makes switch from Shea easy

Castillo forced out of home opener with sore knee

Strawberry to be joining ‘86 teammates on SNY - Neil Best explains that Darryl Strawberry will be working as a studio analyst with SNY for 15 games beginning April 28.

New York Daily News:

Mets still can’t solve Phillies as final Opening Day at Shea ends in loss

Willie Randolph ignores fans’ sentiment about Scott Schoeneweis - Willie shouldn’t ignore it because Scoeneweis is a steroid user and he sucks.

Never too early to begin booing

Darryl Strawberry joins SNY April 28

Carlos Delgado throws away his good day with error - Christian Red pointed out that Carlos Delgado was having a good day at the plate before the throwing error that costed the Mets two runs.

Jimmy Rollins’ band makes noise 

Billy Wagner throws heat at idea of Mets’ ‘baggage’ - Anthony McCarron wrote that, “Wagner bristled at the suggestion that his team has lost confidence against the team that has beaten the Mets nine straight times. He also griped about some television analysis in which one Daily News reporter said the Mets are bringing psychic baggage into games with the Phils.

Shea patriarch missed at final opener

Mets’ fans wipe tears at last opener in old park, but Phils rain on parade

Pedro Feliciano’s travel woes deprive Mets of relief

New York Post:

PHILS HAVE THEIR SHEA WITH METS

IT COULDN’T START MUCH WORSE THAN THIS

PHILS STILL ROLLIN’ ALONG

BROKEN CLUTCH - Mark Hale pointed out that the Mets are not hitting in the clutch.

FELICIANO ARRIVES IN 7th INNING

DELGADO’S THROW A BACK-BREAKER

IT’S DEJA BOO - Kevin Kernan takes some jabs at the Mets bullpen.

METS DROP FINAL SHEA OPENER

New York Times:

Familiar Bullpen Job Ends in Familiar Way

With Words or His Bat, Rollins Shakes Up Mets

Strawberry Joins SNY as Part-Time Analyst

The Star-Ledger:

Game 7: Phillies at Mets - Jeremy Cothran provided the lineup for today’s game between the Phillies and the Mets.

El Duque shuts it down - Jeremy Cothran reported that, “El Duque has a strained tendon in his right foot and was placed in a protective boot. He’ll be inactive the next two weeks and will then be evaluated.”

Mets suffer 9th-straight loss to Phillies in final Shea Stadium opener

Castillo’s knee forces him out

Company line on Philly needs to be rethought

Even when he’s down, it’s hard to get Rollins out

Final: Phillies 5, Mets 2 - Jeremy Cothran summarized yesterday’s game between the Phillies and the Mets.

I mean, seriously? - Jeremy Cothran wrote a quick blurb about Delgado’s throwing error in yesterday’s game.

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The Mets honored William A. Shea in a pregame ceremony on the field.  The Mets retired the Shea name and hung up the plaque next to the other retired numbers.

The New York Mets are playing Game 6 of the 2008 Regular Season against the Philadelphia Phillies at Shea Stadium.  Today’s game is the 2008 Home Opener for the Mets, and the final Home Opener at Shea Stadium.

Phillies Lineup: Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Burrell, Werth, Feliz, Ruiz, Moyer.

Mets Lineup: Reyes, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Pagan, Church, Schneider, Perez.

On the Mound

Oliver Perez (1-0) was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  In the Top of the 1st, Victorino dropped a one-out single into shallow center field.  Perez hit Utley with the pitch.  Howard popped up to center, and the runners held up.  Perez caught Burrell looking at strike three.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and Struck Out 1 in the 1st Inning.  In the Top of the 2nd, Werth grounded a leadoff single through the hole on the right side.  Feliz grounded out to first, and Werth was off the bag so Delgado got the unassisted double play.  Ruiz popped up to shallow center to retire the side.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Perez sent the Phillies down in order.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 3rd Inning.  In the Top of the 4th, Perez hit Utley with another pitch.  Perez struck Howard out swinging.  Burrell lined out to right.  Werth grounded to short, and Reyes made the out at second to retire the side.  Perez gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he Struck Out 1 in the 4th Inning.  In the Top of the 5th, Ruiz lined a one-out single into right field.  Moyer drew a one-out walk.  Rollins grounded to third, and Wright made the out at second.  Victorino popped up to shallow left field to end the inning.  Perez gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 5th Inning.  In the Top of the 6th, Utley popped up to shallow center field.  Howard also popped up to shallow center.  Burrell drew a two-out walk.  With Werth in the batters box, Perez was called for a balk and Burrell advanced to second.  Perez threw a passed ball on ball four, so Burrell took off for third as Werth was granted first base.  Perez pitched 5.2 Innings giving up 3 Hits, 0 Runs, 3 BBs, and he Struck Out 2.

Randolph replaced Perez with Joe Smith with two outs in the Top of the 6th, Feliz drew a two-out walk to load the bases.  Ruiz grounded out to short to leave three Phillies stranded.  Smith gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 6th Inning.

Randolph replaced Smith with Scott Schoeneweis to begin the Top of the 7th.  Taguchi is pinch hitting for Moyer, and Taguchi grouned out to second.  Rollins lined a one-out single to left.  Victorino grounded a single up the middle, and Rollins moved over to second.  Shoeneweis hit Utley with the pitch to load the bases.  Howard grounded an RBI single to first, and Delgado hit Utley in the back as he was running to second which scored Rollins and Victorino (an Error by Delgado allowed Victorino to score).  Shoeneweis pitched 0.1 Innings giving up 2 Hits, 3 Runs (1 Earned), 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 7th Inning.

Randolph replaced Schoeneweis with Jorge Sosa with one out in the Top of the 7th.  Burrell lined out to right field, and Utley tagged and moved over to third.  Werth grounded an RBI opposite field single through the hole on the right side to score Utley.  Feliz popped up to shallow center to end the inning.  Sosa pitched 0.2 Innings allowing 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 7th Inning.

Randolph replaced Sosa with Aaron Heilman to begin the Top of the 8th.  Ruiz drew a leadoff walk.  Taguchi laid down a sacrifice bunt towards first, and Heilman made the out at first.  Rollins pulled an RBI single into right field scoring Ruiz.  With Victorino in the batters box, Heilman threw a passed ball which moved Rollins to second.  Victorino drew a one-out walk.  Utley pulled an RBI double into right that one-hopped the wall and scored Rollins.  Heilman intentionally walked Howard to load the bases.  Jenkins is pinch hitting for Burrell, and Jenkins popped up to first.  Werth lined out to right to end the inning.  Heilman gave up 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 3 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 8th Inning.

Randolph replaced Heilman with Carlos Muniz to begin the Top of the 9th.  Ruiz retired the side in order.  Ruiz gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 9th Inning.

At the Plate

Jamie Moyer (0-0) was the starting pitcher for the Phillies.  In the Bottom of the 1st, Castillo drew a one-out walk.  Wright flied out to the warning track in center field.  Beltran grounded out to third to end the inning.  Moyer gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 1st Inning.  In the Bottom of the 2nd, Delgado belted a leadoff home run off the scoreboard in right center.  Pagan flied out to deep left center.  Moyer hit Church with a pitch.  Schneider grounded into a double play to end the inning.  Moyer gave up 1 Hit, 1 Run, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 2nd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 3rd, Moyer got all three batters he faced to ground out.  Moyer gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 3rd Inning.  In the Bottom of the 4th, Wright flied out to deep right center, and Victorino collided into Werth but held onto the ball.  Beltran drew a one-out walk.  Delgado softly hit an opposite field single into left as Beltran advanced to second.  Pagan grounded hard to second and beat out the play at first to load the bases.  Church grounded out slowly to first which scored Beltran, and the runners advanced to second and third.  Moyer intentionally walked Schneider to load the bases.  Moyer struck out Perez swining to limit the damage.  Moyer gave up 2 Hits, 1 Run, 2 BBs, and he Struck Out 1 in the 4th Inning.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Wright pulled a two-out double into the left field corner.  Beltran lined out to deep center to end the inning.  Moyer gave up 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he did’t Strike Out anybody.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Moyer sent the Mets down 1-2-3.  Moyer gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 6th Inning.  Moyer pitched 6.0 Innings and gave up 4 Hits, 2 Runs, 3 BBs, and he Struck Out 1.

Manuel replaced Moyer Chad Durbin with to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Church led off with a ground ball up the middle.  Chavez replaced Pagan, and Chavez grounded to short and the Phillies turned the double play.  Reyes grounded a two-out single up the middle.  Easley replaced Castillo, and Easley flied out to the warning track in left field to end the inning.  Durbin gave up 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he didn’t Strike Out anybody in the 7th Inning.

Manuel replaced Durbin with J.C. Romero to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Beltran pulled a line drive down into the left field corner for a one-out double.  Delgado grounded out to second as Beltran moved over to third.  Clark is pinch hitting for Chavez, and Clark drew a two-out walk.  Church grounded out to second to end the inning.  Romero gaveup 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 1 BB, and he Struck Out 1 in the 8th Inning.

Manuel replaced Romero with Tom Gordon to begin the Bottom of the 9th.  Gordon struck Schneider out swining.  Chavez grounded out to the pitcher.  Reyes flied out to the warning track in right to end the game.  Gordon gave up 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs, and he Struck Out 1 in the 9th Inning.

Final Score: Philadelphia Phillies 5 - New York Mets 2.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.

Oli pitched shutout ball through 5 2/3 innings before the Bullpen gave another game away.  It was a good thing that the Mets beat the Marlins in the 2008 Season Opener because they were unable to win their final Home Opener at Shea.  The Bullpen gave away 3 straight games to the NL East contenders which is really bad.  The Mets need to win the final two games of this series so Pelfrey needs to step up big tomorrow night.  Even more than that, the Bullpen needs to resolve their issues so the Mets can win some games.

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The final home opener at Shea Stadium will take place tomorrow at 1:10 p.m.  The game will be aired on SNY.  Who better to come to Flushing for the final home opener than the Phillies?  The NL East has long been dominated by the Braves, but the Mets ended the Braves reign of the division in 2006.  Prior to the 2007 season, Jimmy Rollins declared the Phillies as the “team to beat”.  After an epic collapse by the Mets, it turned out that Rollins was correct.  Prior to the 2008 season, Carlos Beltran declared the Mets as the “team to beat”.  Now that the Braves have been out of the mix for two years and the Mets and the Phillies are the new sheriffs in town, why not make this divisional rivalry better by having the Mets host the Phillies for the final home opener at Shea?  After both teams talked trash all offseason, let’s see what they can do on the field in ‘08.

The Phillies will be in Queens for a three-game series against the Mets.  Here’s a look at the expected pitching matchups:

• 04/08/2008 - Jamie Moyer (0-0) vs. Oliver Perez (1-0)
• 04/09/2008 - Kyle Kendrick (1-0) vs. Mike Pelfrey (0-0)
• 04/10/2008 - Adam Eaton (0-0) vs. John Maine (0-1)

These probable pitching matchups are from MLB.com.  Perez is getting to start the home opener because of Pedro being placed on the DL.  Hopefully, Oli will take advantage of the opportunity that has been given to him.  Pelfrey’s ‘08 debut is a question mark after a poor Spring Training.  Hopefully, Maine will let us Mets fans know that his 2008 debut was nothing more than trying to do to much and all will be fine the rest of the year.

Mets.com:

Mets ready to open Shea one last time - Marty Noble says both new and old members of the Mets are expecting a warm welcome from the fans.

Beltran, Rollins linked by leadership - Anthony DiComo believes that the bold statements made by Carlos Beltran and Jimmy Rollins about their own team led to getting the rivals’ attention.

Perez to open final season at Shea - Marty Noble assembled a pregame analysis of the Mets home opener against the Phillies.  Oliver Perez will get the start against Jamie Moyer.

Newsday:

Mets can’t help Santana, lose again to Braves - David Lennon summarized yesterday’s game between the Mets and the Braves.

For openers, Mets fans: forgive, forget, forward - Shaun Powell discusses the final home opener at Shea Stadium.

Mets’ Church thought he would haul in home run - According to David Lennon, Ryan Church thought he was going to catch Mark Teixeira’s two-run homer in the 8th Inning.  Church was very close, but no cigar.

New York Daily News:

Carlos Beltran will Shea it again: Mets are No. 1

No stolen moments for Mets - Adam Rubin asks, “What’s happened to Jose Reyes as a base-stealing threat?”  I want to know what happened to Jose Reyes as a baseball player?

New York Post:

JOHAN CAN’T DO IT ALONE

HAPPY TO FINALLY BE BACK IN NY

SILVER LINING FROM DELGADO - George Willis critiques the play of Mets through 5 games into the season, but he only has positive things to say about Carlos Delgado.

SANTANA CAN’T SAVE METS FROM 3-1 BRAVES LOSS

25 GREATEST MOMENTS IN SHEA STADIUM

The Star-Ledger:

Randolph taking cautious steps after Wise MRI

Santana sharp but Mets’ bats go dull

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Hello Mets fans. Winning two out of three against Florida isnt bad at all. I would like to see the Mets sweep a team with a 17 million dollar payroll but I was very happy to see an offensive explosion after a heartbreaking 10 inning loss. I posted earlier this week about Angel Pagan and Ryan Church. Both players played great with Church getting his first homerun as a Met. Pagan had another rbi and is swinging the bat real well. David Wright looks focused on proving that he can be a dominant player both at the plate and in the field. Oliver Perez pitched a great game and the bullpen besides the homerun the other night has looked strong. I feel that Carlos Beltran is going to have a monster year. He was robbed out of a homerun last night and has been crushing the ball almost every at bat. It seems as if Carlos Delgado is starting to go the other way more. He needs to in order to have a bounce back year. Im looking forward to this weekend series coming up against Atlanta. John Maine goes tomorrow night and if he can pitch like he did during spring training, us Mets fans are going to be very happy. Lets Go Mets.

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Like I said before the season began, the Mets have 9 games against NL East opponents to begin the season.  I was hoping that the Metropolitans would have swept the Marlins and win each series against the Braves and the Phillies.  Well, the Mets didn’t sweep the Marlins.  Wise gave up the game winning home run in the middle game, but the Mets looked pretty impressive otherwise.  We lost Pedro, but I haven’t expected him to do anything for years already.

I want to see how dominant the Mets are against the Braves and the Phillies.  There are some good pitching matchups this weekend that I’m looking forward to, and this is the first time in like a decade that the Amazins’ won’t have to face the Jones’ tandem in the lineup because there’s only one left.  I want the Mets to quickly move into first place and stomp the National League all season long.  They need to have more than a 7 game cushion in ‘08.

Mets.com:

Perez, Mets cruise in finale in Miami - Charlie Nobles summarized Oliver Perez’s outing last night against the Marlins.

Hamstring strain sends Pedro to DL - Marty Noble reported that the Mets placed Pedro Martinez on the DL for 4-6 weeks.

Maine tries to duplicate spring success - Charlie Nobles pointed out how dominant John Maine was in Spring Training and hopes that it carries over to the Regular Season.

Schneider aims to capitalize on tweaks - Charlie Nobles stated that Brian Schneider hopes to improve upon his hitting after making changes in his stance.

Newsday:

Perez shines as Mets bounce back, rout Marlins

Mets’ Martinez out for at least four to six weeks

Perez lights out for Mets

This day at the old ballpark: April 3 - Newsday pointed out what took place at Shea Stadium and at Yankee Stadium on April 3 of another year.

New York Daily News:

Oliver Perez, Mets’ bats roast Marlins

Pedro Martinez on DL, out 4-6 weeks

Oliver Perez throws life into Mets

Beltran on lost HR: Replay it again! - Adam Rubin found out that Carlos Beltran was adamant about his home run that became a Ground Rule Double in the 5th Inning.  Beltran suggests that each team gets one challenge per game to get these types of issues corrected.  Wright and Beltran were crushing the ball last night, and there were 3 balls near the top of the wall that could’ve been looked at if there were some type of instant replay allowed.  However, this one by Beltran was clearly a home run.

In rout, SNY lets fans phone it in - Bob Raissman reminded us that last night was the first time that SNY allowed fans to call in during the game, and he expresses his thoughts on how it went.

New York Post:

‘O’ WHAT A NIGHT! - Bart Hubbuch loved the Mets offense last night in Miami.

CHURCH PROVIDES AN AMAZIN’ LEFT - Mike Vaccaro lets you know what he thought of Ryan Church in the batters box last night.

METS BEAT MARLINS 13-0

PEDRO OUT 4-6 WEEKS

PEREZ FREE TO BE GREAT

New York Times:

The Mets Bounce Back in a Big Way Behind Pérez

Martínez Could Miss Six Weeks

The Star-Ledger:

David Wright and Bill James - According to Dan Graziano, Bill James, the pioneering baseball statistician, stated on 60 Minutes that he would choose David Wright out of any baseball player to build his team around.

Mets find blueprint to follow - Jeremy Cothran thinks the Mets should follow last night’s blueprint each time they face mediocre pitching.

Perez keeps cool at right time

Blown call has Beltran calling for replay

Pedro out at least a month

Smells like fish - Dan Graziano explains why he thinks the Marlins are not going to be a contender in ‘08.

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The Mets announced the Pedro is on the DL and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.  Due to this, the Mets activated Nelson Figueroa Jr. to fill in for Pedro.  The Marlins are hosting the Mets in the rubber game of the opening series of 2008.

Mets Lineup: Perez, Castillo, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, Pagan, Church, Schneider, Perez.

Marlins Lineup: Ramirez, Uggla, Jacobs, Willingham, Cantu, Ross, Carroll, Hoover, Miller.

At the Plate

Andrew Miller was the starting pitcher for the Marlins.  Miller gave up 1 Hit and 0 Runs in the Top of the 1st.  In the Top of the 2nd, Beltran hit a leadoff double to the gap in left center.  Delgado followed by hitting an opposite field RBI single to bring Beltran home.  With one out, Church pulled a 2-run homer to the right field corner which scored Delgado and himself.  Miller was able to get out of the 2nd Inning leaving two Mets stranded.  Miller gave up 3 Hits and 3 Runs in the 2nd Inning.  In the Top of the 3rd, Wright hit a leadoff opposite field single into right field.  Beltran rocketed a double off the wall in left field, but the Marlins threw Wright out at home plate while Beltran advanced to third.  With two outs, Pagan lined an RBI double into the left field corner scoring Beltran.  Miller gave up 3 Hits and 1 Run in the 3rd Inning.  Miller retired the side in order in the Bottom of the 4th.  In the Top of the 5th, Wright crushed a 1-out double off the wall in left center.

Gonzalez made a pitching change during the Top of the 5th by replacing Miller with Matt Lindstrom.  With Beltran in the batters box, Lindstrom threw a wild pitch and Wright advanced to third.  Beltran hit an RBI Ground Rule Double to right field which scored Wright.  (The Umpires cannot call the plays accurately because that’s the third time the Mets hit the top of the wall).  Lindstrom gave up 1 Hit and 1 Run (But the 1 Run is charged to Miller) in the 5th.

Gonzalez replaced Lindstrom with Lee Gardner to begin the Top of the 6th.  Church blooped a leadoff single into shallow left.  Gardner walked Schneider.  Perez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners.  Reyes lined an RBI double into the right field corner scoring Church and Schneider.  Castillo lined a single up the middle to advance Reyes to third.  Wright belted a 3-Run shot to left field scoring Reyes, Castillo, and himself.  Gardner was able to get out of the 6th Inning after giving up 4 Hits and 5 Runs.

Gonzalez replaced Gardner with Taylor Tankersly to begin the Top of the 7th.  Pagan popped up along the right field line, but Carroll dropped the ball so Pagan had a leadoff single.  Church grounded the ball to the pitcher, and Tankersly made the out at first as Pagan advanced to second.  Schneider lined an RBI single into right field to score Pagan.  Clark is pinch hitting for Perez, and Clark grounded into a double play.  Tankersly gave up 2 Hits and 1 Run in the Top of the 7th. 

Gonzalez replaced Tankersly with Justin Miller in the Top of the 8th.  Miller sent the Mets down in order.

Gonzalez replaced Miller with Kevin Gregg in the Top of the 9th.  Delgado lined a 1-out hit to right field.  Gregg walked Pagan.  With Church in the batters box, Gregg threw a wild pitch and both runners advanced.  Church grounded to second, and Uggla couldn’t make the play so Church arrived safely at first while Delgado scored and Pagan advanced to third.  Scheider line a sacrifice fly to left field which scored Pagan.  Anderson is pinch hitting for Feliciano, and Anderson flied out to left to end the inning.  Gregg gave up 2 Hits and 2 Runs in the inning.

On the Mound

Oliver Perez was the starting pitcher for the Mets.  Perez gave up 2 Hits and 0 Runs in the Bottom of the 1st.  Perez retired the side in order in the Bottom of the 2nd.  Perez gave up 1 Hit and 0 Runs in the Bottom of the 3rd, and he racked up 5 K’s so far.  Perez gave up 1 Hit and 0 Runs in the Bottom of the 4th, and he got 1 more K to put him at 6.  In the Bottom of the 5th, Ross hit a leadoff single through the hole on the left side.  Carroll lined out to Castillo, and the hitter was out, but the ball came out of Castillo’s glove so Castillo thought it wasn’t a catch and flipped it to second, but it went over Reyes’ head, and Ross advanced to second.  The Error was charged to Castillo.  Hoover grounded out to short, and Reyes made the out at first while Ross advanced to third.  Wood is pinch hitting for Lindstrom, and Perez walked Wood to put runners at the corners.  Perez gave up 1 Hit and got out of the inning without any damage by Striking Out Ramirez for his 7th K.  In the Bottom of the 6th, Perez gave up 0 Hit and 0 Runs and Struck Out 1 to get his total up to 8.

Randolph replaced Perez with Nelson Figueroa Jr. to begin the Bottom of the 7th.  Figueroa retired the side in order.

Randolph replaced Figueroa with Pedro Feliciano to begin the Bottom of the 8th.  Feliciano gave up 1 Hit and 0 Runs in the inning.

Randolph replaced Feliciano with Billy Wagner to begin the Bottom of the 9th.  Wagner sent down the Marlins in order.

Final Score: New York Mets 13 - Florida Marlins 0.  The MLB.com Box Score is attached.

Mets.com:

Mets awaiting word on Pedro’s status - Marty Noble figures the Mets are looking into alternative options to fill the void in the rotation.

Pedro on teammates’ minds after game - Charlie Nobles captured the thoughts of Pedro Martinez’s teammates after Pedro had to leave the game due to a hamstring injury.

Mets hope Church has solved lefties - Marty Noble explains how the Mets will monitor Ryan Church’s at-bats against lefties.

Injury KOs Pedro in first Mets start - Marty Noble says that Martinez went to New York to get an MRI to determine the extent of the left hamstring strain.

Newsday:

Pedro hurts hamstring as Mets lose to Marlins

Pedro hurt immediately, and who’s surprised?

Even if Pedro is out indefinitely, Mets can cope - Wallace Matthews reminds us what the Mets have done without Pedro the past few seasons to help us understand that it isn’t as big of a deal as it seems.  Matthews is correct because Pedro is well past his prime, and I thought he should be the 4th starter anyway because he’s old and injury prone.  Since Martinez hasn’t pitched in so long, I had no expectations.  Pedro said how healthy he felt, but like I said, “Will he walk the talk?”.  I said the same thing about El Duque who is on the DL.  I’m more upset that the Mets bought into what Pedro told them and didn’t bring in more inning eaters.

Mets’ El Duque feeling good, but not ready to return

New York Daily News:

Pedro Martinez’s status in doubt after hamstring injury, Mets fall in extras

Pedro Martinez’s injured leg puts season on shaky ground

El Duque to start for St. Lucie

New York Post:

‘DRO, NO!

OLLIE KEYING ON SEASON, NOT PAYDAY - Bart Hubbuch pointed out that Oliver Perez may be pitching in his first game in his final season as a Met tonight.

GOOD FEELINGS GO POP! - Mike Vaccaro takes us through Martinez’s injury.

New York Times:

Martínez and the Mets Are Left Limping in Miami

Martínez Makes Early Exit on an Injured Leg

The Star-Ledger:

When words lose their meaning…

Breaking (if not surprising) news: Pedro to DL

Update, Big Willie Style

Look, Watson — a clue! - Dan Graziana tells us why Nelson Figueroa could be a good replacement for Martinez.

Last day at The Beach - Dan Graziano expresses his thoughts about Pedro from South Beach.

Fly, fly away - Dan Graziano also has suggestions for the Mets to get by without Martinez.

A new day, hopefully, for the Mets - This morning, Jeremy Cothran jotted down some suggestions for the Mets to get by until Pedro returns.

Pedro Martinez injured in Mets loss

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I apologize for not writing the past two days.  One of our Giants Bloggers on Die Hard Giants Fan, Phessional, came up from Jacksonville, FL and stayed at my place for two days.  He moved down there about a year and a half ago and barely comes up here.  We partied like rock stars for two days.  He has to go to an engagement party tonight which is the reason he is here.  Anyway, I went back and got all of the news that I missed in case you haven’t heard it already.

The Mets won their final Spring Training game today and beat the White Sox 3-2.  The Mets will play for real on Monday…finally.

Mets.com:

Mets edge Sox in Civil Rights Game - Justice B. Hill recapped the Civil Rights Game between the White Sox and the Mets.  New York beat Chicago 3-2.  John Maine got the start.

Fans enjoy being part of history - Justice B. Hill gathered the thoughts of baseball fans who attended the Civil Rights Game.

Mets Opening Day outlook - Marty Noble tells us what he thinks about the Mets as they get ready to begin the 2008 season.

Aaron headlines roundtable discussion - On the eve of the Civil Rights Game, a dinner was held to discuss why black athletes are not playing Major League Baseball as much as they used to.

Johan has low-key take on hyped debut - Marty Noble found out that Johan Santana excited, but not nervous, about pitching on Opening Day.

Reyes scores pair of runs for Mets - Spencer Fordin summarized yesterday’s game between the Mets and the Orioles.  Baltimore beat the Mets by a score of 4-3.  Orlando Hernandez was the starting pitcher.

El Duque’s right foot a wild card - After yesterday’s game, Marty Noble believes that El Duque has the edge over Mike Pelfrey for the final spot in the rotation.

Mets announce three roster moves - Marty Noble reported that the Mets optioned Anderson Hernandez to Triple-A New Orleans, Steven Register was returned to the Rockies, and Ruben Gotay was claimed off waivers by the Braves.

All ends well with Mets’ limo ride - Marty Noble tells us about a voyage that Billy Wagner, Matt Wise, and Jorge Sosa took.

Mets represent diversity - Anthony DiComo discusses the diversity of the Mets as they are about to play in the Civil Rights Game.

Going down to the wire - Anthony DiComo points out that the Mets still have to decide who the bench players will be and who will win the bullpen spots after the next two games.

Perez looks sharp in final spring start - Mark Bowman summarized Thursday’s game between the Mets and the Braves.  New York stomped Atlanta 9-4.  Oliver Perez got the start.

Civil Rights Game special to Randolph - Anthony DiComo explains how Willie Randolph feels about the Mets participating in the Civil Rights Game.

Perez gives Mets a brief scare - Anthony DiComo describes that fall that Perez took on Thursday.

Gotay’s Mets career nearing an end - Anthony DiComo reported that the Mets placed Gotay on outright waivers on Thursday which may be a hint that his tenure as a Met is coming to an end.  DiComo pointed out that the final bench spot may go to Brady Clark or Fernando Tatis.

New parks pay tribute to the past - Marty Noble compliments the Mets and the Yankees for the stadiums that they are building in New York.

Newsday:

Mets’ El Duque scrubs new windup, looks better

Mets cut Gotay, guess who picks him up? Braves

METS SCOUTING REPORT - David Lennon analyzes every aspect of the 2008 Mets.

Randolph’s high-wire act - Johnette Howard believes that Willie is on a short-leash this season.

Yankee Stadium, Shea make their final turns for home in 2008

PRESSURE FROM DAY 1 - David Lennon talks about the expectations of the Mets as they head into the ‘08 season.

CATCHING ON QUICK - Anthony Rieber explains how Brian Schneider is quickly getting used to the fast pace of New York.

ACE OF ACES - David Lennon had a Q&A with Santana.

Pelfrey vs. El Duque for Mets’ fifth spot

WRIGHT ATTITUDE - Jim Baumbach discusses David Wright’s career with Wright.

Devastated Ruben Gotay is put on waivers by Mets

Mets’ Pedro avoids collision, then throws perfectly

Hopeful singers audition to sing anthem at Shea

Late-arrival Tatis may have right timing for Mets - David Lennon believes that Tatis can make the team.

New York Daily News:

El Duque brings back high leg kick

Memories hit Tom Glavine hard

Keith not dialed in on SNY’s plan

Mets might bid Ruben Gotay goodbye

Pedro Martinez to start final home opener at Shea Stadium

Nelson Figueroa is following his dream of being a pro ball player - Vic Ziegel wrote up a Bio on Nelson Figueroa.

Hundreds line up for chance to sing national anthem at Mets game

Mike Pelfrey, El Duque still battling for 5th spot in rotation

New York Post:

KICK BACK - Bart Hubbuch pointed out that El Duque went back to his old form.

GOTAY GOES TO BRAVES

TATIS HAS SHOT AT REDEMPTION

DUQUE CAN NAIL DOWN FIVE SPOT

METS ARE READY FOR REAL THING

RADIO GIG WILL MAKE WAGNER A SHOCK JOCK - Phil Mushnick found out that, “ESPN 1050 Radio has signed Billy Wagner to a weekly say-for-pay spot on Michael Kay’s late-afternoon show, and that, by no later than Aug. 15, is going to cause a problem. Or two.”

THE HUMAN ERASER - Justin Terranova believes that Johan will help the Mets forget about the collapse.

FINAL 25 WON’T BE RUSH JOB

PEDRO’S GOING TO SPEAK UP - According to Bart Hubbuch, Pedro vows to be the vocal leader that the Mets lacked down the stretch during the collapse in ‘07.

IT AIN’T OVER … - Jay Greenberg discusses the glory days.

IF IT’S ‘08, IT’S CUBS’ YEAR - Kevin Kernan wrote up an National League preview.

The New York Times:

Glavine Says He Retains Emotional Bond With the Mets

A Break From the Game for an Inspiring Lesson - Ben Shpigel discusses other aspects of the Civil Rights Game.

Shea in ’64: The Planes Above, the Mets Below

You Can’t Just Blow Up History - Richard Sandomir doesn’t want to see Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium get blown up.

The Star-Ledger:

Walking (and shivering) in Memphis

Pelfrey v. Hernandez: Deciding Round

El Duque looks sharp

Braves scoop up Gotay off waivers

El Duque, Pelfrey to get final look

Gotay placed on waivers

Final decision would be a relief - Jeremy Cothran explains who can fill the last spot in the Bullpen.

Pedro aces stint, vows to be more vocal

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The Mets are currently trailing the Cardinals 7-3 in the bottom of the 6th.  We can hope for some late inning heroics which was the theme of the Amazins’ just a few weeks ago.  Die Hard Mets Fan would like to wish all of you a Happy Easter if you celebrate it, of course.

Mets.com:

Schneider returns to Mets’ lineup - Anthony DiComo said that Brian Schneider’s hamstring feels good after playing in a game.

El Duque set to make Grapefruit debut - Anthony DiComo talks about how Orlando Hernandez is still competing for fifth spot in the rotation.

Newsday:

Catcher Schneider finally feels healthy; looks forward to work as spring training concludes

NOTEBOOK: Long (ball) day for wild Perez - Jim Baumbach describes Oliver Perez’s last night’s outing.

New York Daily News:

Brian Schneider returns from right hamstring injury for Mets

El Duque set to debut new windup

New York Post:

PLEADING THE 5TH - Bart Hubbuch explains that final spot in the rotation from Mike Pelfrey’s perspective.

OLLIE TAKEN DOWNTOWN BY INDIANS

The Star-Ledger:

Game 24: Mets vs Cardinals - Lisa Kennelly provided the lineup for today’s game between the Cardinals and the Mets.

Pelfrey v. Hernandez: For All the Marbles - Matthew Artus talks about El Duque and Pelfrey.

Interest in medicine is Pedro’s tonic - The Star-Ledger lets you know why Pedro Martinez developed an interest in medicine.

Schneider is looking to catch up with the bat

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The Mets finally lost a game after another winning streak.  The theme of the day is that the Mets are bored of Spring Training and ready to take on the 2008 season.  Also, even some of the media has stated the same.  I have to agree with all of these parties because the season and the postseason is what matters.  I’m getting really excited about what ’08 could be.  So let the games begin!

Mets.com:

Homers sting Perez in loss to Tribe - Anthony Castrovince summarized today’s game between the Mets and the Indians.  The Tribe beat the Mets 5-2.  Oliver Perez got the start.  The Mets are 16-8-1 in the Grapefruit League standings.

Church feeling better about swing - Marty Noble found out that Ryan Church sees progress after work with hitting coach Howard Johnson.

Schneider set to return to Mets - Marty Noble reported that Brian Schneider is ready to play today.

Mets ready for end of Spring Training - Marty Noble says that the Mets‘ players are fighting boredom as Opening Day approaches.  The last word I want to hear the Mets say is ‘bored’.

Newsday:

Pedro says he won’t bug Mets for extension - I have no idea why this topic keeps coming up.

New York Daily News:

Pedro Martinez can toss aside concerns

New York Post:

PEDRO UNLEASHED

SCHNEIDER WILL RETURN TO LINEUP

New York Times:

Memphis Trip Is Revisiting Inspiration for Randolph - Ben Shpigel got Willie Randolph’s thoughts about staying in the hotel that Martin Luther King Jr. slept in the night before he was assassinated.

The Star-Ledger:

Rained out in Winter Haven - Lisa Kennelly lets us know that the game between the Mets and the Indians ended early due to rain.  Kennelly also offered some other thoughts about the game.

Is There Still Joy in Mudville? - Matthew Artus says he’s ready for the regular season as much as the players are.

Pedro eager for ‘real’ deal

Schneider making progress

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