Let’s talk about pitching…

There are some pitchers you worry about after a bad spring start and there are others you simply don’t. Johan Santana falls into the latter category.

Who cares if he got knocked around by the Astros and taken deep by KazMat of all people? When the bell rings Johan will be the warrior we all know. There is no questioning that Johan is an elite pitcher who has proven he can and will get the job done.

This is in GREAT contrast to Oliver Perez whose crappy outing is cause for concern on numerous levels:

• He’s gotta prove he’s healthy

• He’s gotta show us he has the ability to throw strikes w/o the ball leaving the yard

• He’s gotta show us he has the mental fortitude not to become a puddle on the mound during a rough patch

Unfortunately I have zero faith Ollie will do any of the above. In fact anything other than complete catastrophe will be a pleasant surprise to BMF.

I was shocked at how many people were down on Maine on yesterday’s boards. The guy hasn’t been healthy in 2 years yet he came out and not only threw strikes but struck people out. Granted it was against a watered down, late in game, spring lineup but it was enough to have General Manuel raving about his stuff and location.

To me USS looks well on his way to a bounce back season… at least I hope with all my might…

Big Pelf has essentially been MIA since taking that ball off his knee so we’re gonna have to wait for a larger sample size.

And You gotta figure Johnny Niese will hold down the 5th starter role. This is great because as much as I like Figgy he’s not the future. Niese needs to take the ball every 5th day in the bigs to continue his maturation process.

Meanwhile it looks like Jenrry Mejia is being stretched out for use as a starter – he’s slated to go 4 innings next outing. I can’t help but think how dominant he might be in the pen but we’re gonna need another arm once the team finally gives up on Perez.

So I think it’s the right call to send young Jenrry to start in AA until he gets promoted later this summer…?

***

Quick Hits:

• Ike Davis hit another HR…

• Great to see Wright jack his second of the spring – too bad neither would’ve been out of CityField

Remember the Maine… From 2007? 

Well that’s the warrior we need back in the ‘10 because if there’s one player, who in my estimation, can make or break our season it’s Johnny Maine. 

I guess I should refine that last statement to include the word “pitcher”   because I think everyone agrees Reyes holds our fate in his hands.

But the unassuming Maine definitely has the stuff to be a legit #2 starter… or at least he used to have it. The question is will he ever deliver at that level again? 

Luckily if Monday’s outing is any indicator he’s healthy and headed in the right direction. USS posted a line of 1.2 IP, 1R, 2H and 1BB and 4K’s.

He was yanked after 39 pitches and it was great to hear Jerry raving about the way Maine threw.

As psyched as BMF is about Ike Davis, F-Mart and Mejia (who zipped thrub3 scoreless innings) John Maine’s performance has to be the most encouraging performance of the Met spring so far.  

Izzit possible Ike Davis, Jennry Mejia, John Neise and Fernando Martinez have been sent by the baseball Gods to ressurect our embattled GM’s reputation?

BMF thinks the answer may be yes.

A bumper crop of blossoming prospects would quickly buy Omar some much needed credit with ownership and fans. In fact if he’s suddenly sitting on 3-4 legitimately bright young stars he’ll get more leeway with the big club. 

Of course if the Mets are a catastrophe O will be gone regardless of what the minor league system looks like. But…

If the Mets even have just a decent season (above .500 and in the WC hunt) but the kids are all blowing up individually I think O might be OK.

The truth is we Met fans just need a reason to believe. The last few seasons we believed winning it all was a possibility. But this year all we want is to believe were getting better and developing young talent.

Minaya has always been thought of as a talent evaluator and was brought here for exactly that reason. Yet with all the resources and hype our farm system has produced very meager talent.

We don’t have to win the WS or even the WC for Minaya to experience a rebirth but what we do need is for Mejia, Davis, F-Mart and Niese to make their marks… Because there’s nothing like young talent to reinvigorate a fanbase.        

**WEEKEND POST**

Dammit there goes Jose’s running game again — the guy is never gonna steal any bases if his upper leg is infected with hyper thigh-roidism = AAARRGGGHHHH!!!!

And everyone is acting so nonchalant about it…

Sometime’s I’m amazed at how stoooopid people be!

In case young Daniel Murphy wasn’t aware, younger Ike Davis just reminded him that first base will be his before too long.

2 walks and a grand slam pushed Ike into the early lead of Met Spring MVP.  It’s easy to say the Salami was the most impressive but a kid like Ike who is patient enough to walk twice in his second game speaks volumes too.

That said the Granny was a monster blast!!!  

I don’t think he’ll be at NewShea in April but he’s a comin’…. 

Quick Hits:

• Great to see Bay standing in the box in full Met uniform. I’m convinced he’ll make a big impact on this team

• McGwire apparently snuck into the stadium late which was an obvious attempt to avoid the NY media. He’s such a coward is but the funny thing is he’s making it worse for himself because if he ducks everyone all spring the heat will only be turned up when the Cards visit New Shea.

• Re: RA Dickey, i’ve never been a big fan of knucklers. Gotta tip yer hat to Wakefield and I loved Kent Tekulve but I feel like knuckleballers always averge out to .500… at best. But it’s early in spring and sometimes they can be a good change of pace so I’ll keep an open mind.   

• Love seeing Straw in the dugout and working with Met players. Darryl discussed working with guys like Wright and Frenchy and ya gotta believe his superstar presence rubs off

• Gotta shout out Brooklyn product and Cardinals pitcher Adam Ottovino. The tall righty went to Berkely Carroll a tiny private school a dog walk away from BMF’s crib. With Ottovino and Julio Lugo the Cards must lead baseball with 2 Brooklynites in camp.

How bout Billy Da Kid giving Angel Pagan TONS of love by proclaiming he could be a “superstar”?!?

Wags also said Barajas was a great acquisition for the Mets and Bay would be fine so long as he hit .325 with 40HR  - Hah! That’s so accurate is depressing.

But the Pagan comment surprised me. I like Pagan a lot - a real lot. I think he’s been fantastic in all aspects of the game aside from those all too frequent baserunning mistakes. 

Luckily baserunning is probably the easiest skill to learn - at least when you’re talking about hitting and defense.

Solid, very good, maybe even great … but superstar seems like a bit of a reach. 

But I’m confident he’ll do a great job filling in for Beltran and he’ll probably prove himself worthy of a starting job by the time Carlos gets back.

Too bad for him he’ll need an injury to start on the Mets beyond May. But a 4th OF who should be starting is a good problem to have.