Opportune Opening

The first storm of the Spring signaled April showers are on the way last night. Wonderful is the word to describe one week from today. Opening Day of the 2009 Major League Baseball season will be wonderful. Rain delays are bound to happen in the beginning of the baseball year, but let’s hope next Monday’s skies are clear and friendly.
The New York Yankees are putting together the finishing touches on Spring training and finalizing their roster spots. The cross-town Mets are figuring out what they have in their returning pitching prowess and on the mend position players. Both New York managers are still toying with their team’s loaded lineups.
The Yankees five starting pitchers will go about their final tune-ups before the season officially begins. C.C. Sabathia is slated to sling his first strike in pinstripes when the game starts at 4:05 in Baltimore April 6th. Sabathia will also get the call for the home opener. The centerfield job is no longer up in the air now that field boss, Joe Giradi, named Brett Gardner his guy. Joe is intent on shaking things up this year and doing away with the old order. Gardner beat out Melky Cabrera by hitting well and running down routine fly balls with great speed and excellent accuracy in Tampa. Cabrera has a better arm but Gardner earned the chance and opportunity to begin April as the starting centerfielder in the new Yankee stadium. Gardner represents the Yankees’ speed. He runs better than any other player on this team and he very well could steal 50 bases this season.
Melky can play any outfield position and will make a menace of himself coming off the bench. The switch hitting Cabrera and fellow pine rider, Nick Swisher, provide an upgrade to the pinstripe bench this year. Gardner will light up the bottom of the order without Arod present as long as he continues to shine his hefty bat. Melky played 109 games at the position he no longer can claim his in 2009. His offense was very underwelming however. He was even demoted to Triple A in the middle of August. Melky is still learning but I feel he won’t be the megastar New York once believed he could turn into. He does give the Bombers security on the bench if Gardner loses his preseason prowess and touch.
The Yankees had an open competition for the final long reliever and the field was narrowed to three. Brett Tomko, Alfredo Aceves, and Dan Giese were all being considered this weekend. Girardi’s decision is leaning towards Jonathan Albaladejo now. Albaladejo is not equipped to be a long reliever. The 26 year old right-hander joins a sufficient bullpen of Mariano Rivera, Phil Coke, Brian Bruney, Jose Veras, Damaso Marte and Edwar Ramirez. Girardi could go with Coke and Albaladejo in shorter relief roles when the starters are pulled. Both pitchers will be crucial when the Yankees limit the innings of starter, Joba Chamberlain. Tomko has shown he can still pitch effectively this Spring. If Girardi ultimately decides to keep a long reliever, Brett is the leading candidate. It’s hard to project how elbow surgery will affect Tomko in the long run. Brett’s ERA is good but it might be a gamble for Giradi to put faith and trust in him. I was never completely sold on Albaladejo’s ability either though.
Twenty-two year old, Ramiro Pena, and veteran Angel Berrora, are also hoping to earn a roster position this summer. Pena is the heir apparent to Derek Jeter if all goes well for the youngster. Playing time in the majors would help him but Pena would see more at-bats and in the minors. Berrora has had a good Spring and might be the better choice with Rodriguez on the mend. Cody Ransom is slotted to fill in for Arod for the majority of the MVP’s downtime.
Jeter’s decreased range at shortstop isn’t he only concern about the captain’s skills heading into Opening Day. His on-base-percentage went down in 2008, and now Girardi is considering moving him to the leadoff spot. That would spell a swap of Damon for Jeter. Damon is ideally suited for the one hole because he can get to first off his left-handed swing quicker than Derek. But the move might be okay. Yankee fans should be grateful they have flexibility in their lineup varieties.
I know you shouldn’t put a lot of stock in Spring training numbers, but Amazin’ fans have to be concerned about their pitching staff. Most notably, the performances of Mike Pelfrey, health of John Maine, and overall attitude of Oliver Perez, are discerning. Pelfrey has all the tools and an upbeat persona to perform at this level. But his Spring numbers have not been suitable. Everyone recalls his string of seven straight wins beginning last June and ending in July. He looked on his way to ace status. Now it’s possible he may not even be the Mets’ fifth starter come Opening Day. Perez signed a brand spanking new bloated contract to return to the Mets rotation. His conditioning was called into question recently and his work habits were scrutinized. Crazy Ollie has a tendency to beat great teams and flop when facing feeble ones. Changes are needed in all aspects of his dispassionate and unconcerned mindset. John Maine’s inconsistency and inability to remain strong and healthy are creating red flags around the Mets camp. Maine has to be able to give the team solid starts every five days. John was on his way to winning anywhere in the range of 12-20 games a season ago. Something happened to his form late in the summer and he never recovered completely. After Johan Santana, the New York rotation could be very, very good or just plain morbid.
Luis Castillo and Ryan Church are players praying for profiting play. Castillo was re-signed and assigned the second base position after the worst year of any second baseman in my Mets recent memory. Luis has creaky veteran knees that Mets fans are hoping will hold up all year. I think fans are willing to give him a second chance but the minute he goes into a slump, the boobirds will come out. It does not help that Manuel is considering moving him to the leadoff spot. Castillo does not make things happen the way Jose Reyes does and increasing his workload is not astute. An intelligent idea would be have Reyes remain the force he is and stop trying to turn the shortstop into something he is not: a power hitter. Church had a terrific Spring, only to be knocked out, literally, by mid-summer. He never rebounded and wasn’t the same player the rest of 2008. Church will be manager, Jerry Manuel’s, Opening Day outfielder.
I am personally looking forward to one fresh face in camp for the Mets. Daniel Murphy looks like a real player who could have a breakout year. His impact was felt late in 2008 and most fans are suspecting a seismographic season for young Murphy. Comparisons are being made to Don Mattingly. Even though Murphy was born on April Fools’ Day, let’s not be a fool. He has a long way to go before he reaches Donnie Baseball status. While I am not about to put the horse before the cart, I do think Daniel will deliver in his first test as the Mets’ left fielder. Perhaps the forgotten man in all of this is Nick Evans, who also produced some highlights last year. Evans is being overshadowed and lost in the shuffle because of Murphy hogging the spotlight. Nick and Daniel should give Mets fans reasons to purchase their tickets to the new Citi Field.
Manuel’s leadership and influence provide the backbone of the 2009 New York Mets. He is well-respected in a clubhouse of men who must redeem their team from consecutive September collapses. Jerry is a player’s manager and that works in the Mets system. It might not suffice in the Bronx. Girardi is too much an intellectual coach who manages by the book. This should be the year the Mets return to the playoffs. The Phillies are still the division and league favorites, and rightly so. Next week when the Mets open play against the Reds, their stud Santana will show why New York still shines.
Here’s hoping both New York teams start the new season with a storming statement game next week.

Parting points: Happy Birthday to Ian Ziering