Let The Games Begin...

Well it's finally here. The baseball season for the New York Metroplolitans is under way and things have definitely changed since the debacle that was last season. So what's changed? Let's take a look:

• Lastings Milledge and Paul Lo Duca are now with the Nationals. Anyone familiar with this blog knows how much I went to bat for Lasto. I still think he was blamed for the pettiest things and generally misunderstood by the Wilpons. So maybe a change of scenery was needed for both parties. Paul Lo Duca? Well something tells me Omar had a hunch that Do Luca (as Chris "Mad Dog" Russo called him) may have been a "La Juicer." Ryan Church and Brian Schneider should fill in fine for Milledge and Lo Duca.


• Rafael Santana is now officially the SECOND most popular Santana in Mets history. In comes Johan Santana in what has to be the biggest (and best) move that Omar Minaya has made during his tenure. Out goes speedy Carlos Gomez and a few pitching prospects but in comes the most dominate pitcher of the last 5 years. Johan Santana instantly fortifies the pitching and makes everyone else's lives just that much easier. And if early reports on Pedro Martinez are true, look for the Mets pitching staff to have one hell of a year.


• Carlos Beltran has a (gulp) fire inside him? Sure seems so. Looks like the bad taste from not making the playoffs is still on Beltran's mind. How else do you explain him going all Jimmy Rollins on us and basically guaranteeing that the Mets would win the division this year. You know what? If it takes a season like last year's to light a fire under Beltran's tush i'm all for it. Something positive has to come from the W.C.E. (worst collapse ever).


• Questions still remain. Namely with the bullpen and with a few aging bats in the lineup. Will the bullpen be effective with the return of Duaner Sanchez? Is El Duque headed to the pen? Was Delgado's horrible season last year a fluke? Will Alou play more than a 100 games? (seriously the guy is more frail than a sandcastle in a hurricane). What will Pedro have left in the tank? Can the bottom of the lineup produce? Can Willie effectively manage the high expectations placed on this team with the arrival of Santana? Guess we'll find out soon


• And finally... Roger Clemens is a bold-faced liar. I tried to tell you guys last year that Roger Clemens was a suspect juicer and low-and-behold, we find out that the Rocket was fueled by Winstrol and HGH. Throw in Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch and we see that the Yankees had some serious problems with performance enhancing drugs. But in all fairness, so have most teams... they just weren't caught. But finding out Clemens used 'roids really puts the infamous Piazza bat-throwing incedent into perspective don't ya think?

So Spring Training is here and us Mets fans can finally put the W.C.E. behind us. I'm pumped up, or as Barack Obama would say, "I'm fired up... and ready to go!" Or for you Hillary Clinton fans, I'm ready to cheer the Mets from "Day one!" Let the season begin.