The particular suggestion is problematic because it reflects something akin to an underpants-gnome approach to sports analysis. David Wright and Jose Reyes are the best players on the Mets this year. The Mets will not win a World Series this year. Thus, the Mets will not win a World Series with David Wright and Jose Reyes as their best players.

That’s a quote by Ted Berg, the guy who broke the story on Tommy Hanson of the Atlanta Braves being related to the band Hanson, in relation to stories suggesting the Mets should break up their core and blow up the entire team for next year.

I could go on for pages about why it’s a poor idea, but that quote from Ted pretty much sums it up.  David Wright and Jose Reyes are great players, but even great players can’t win on their own in baseball.  Baseball is great because it’s a team sport, and requires a team effort over a long period of time to succeed.  The Mets are not doomed for 2011 and the best way to succeed is not to blow it up and hope you get lucky replacing two virtually irreplaceable players but to figure out talented, healthy players to add to them to make a team.  Then find a good leader and set of coaches that are capable of guiding the team over a 162 game season and keeping them focused and level-headed enough to win.

Center Field Camera

There was this interesting thing out above the Apple, that seems to report wind speed and direction.

Checking wind speed at Citi Field

I enjoyed the vantage point from the outfield.  Being in the first, or first handful, of rows keeps any obstructions to a minimum and you get a view point you never really got at Shea.  There was a deep fly ball by a Marlin that the crowd gasped on, but from my seat I could tell it had no shot at reaching the fence.  The Sanchez home run was probably a no doubter from everywhere, but from the outfield it was clear that there was no way it would fall short.

Dickey Delivers

From the right angle, you can actually see into the Mets bullpen bathroom.  Good to know right? If you’re bored during a game, I guess you could see which bullpen player drinks the most coffee.

Yes, That's the bathroom for the Mets bullpen

They burnt my knish.  Felt like I was at Shea.

I used to get these at Shea

I went in the Bullpen Gate for the first time.  Just to be different.  I still kind of like that area of the park.  And you walk up the stairs and Boom! Shea Bridge!

The Shea Bridge

It was a fun game.  I enjoyed myself, and the Left Field Landing seats weren’t as bad as I suspected.  I still wouldn’t recommend them if you’re not in the first 6-7 rows (just like I wouldn’t recommend the back of the Loge at Shea if you weren’t in the first 5 or 6 rows.  And even if you were in those seats, remember how annoying it was that people were constantly streaming past you?) but it was a nice change of perspective out there and they’re one of the cheaper sections in the park.

Castillo with the walk-off single!

Will the lines at Shake Shack be short?  Or will they be longer as more people are willing to walk away from watching the game for a great burger?

Will the crowd get into the game if it’s a good game?  Or will they mostly be disinterested and focus on booing guys like Castillo?

Will people leave early, even if it’s a close game?  If the score is 6-2 can I expect the stands to be virtually empty by the 9^th?  Will they be mostly empty even if it’s 4-3?

Personally I’ll be looking forward to a good pitching matchup (Johnson vs. Dickey) and looking forward to Dickey reaching the minimum innings required to qualify for the ERA list, on which he’d be in the top 10.

I’m watching the game from section 337, row 4.  That’s Left Field Landing, and somewhere I’ve never sat before.  Always enjoy the new vantage points, and row 4 probably isn’t overly obscured like the back rows of that section are.  I’ll also probably roam at random taking pictures of everything.  If you see a guy with a camera pointing at odd things wearing a Mets Hall of Fame cap and a Wright last season at Shea jersey…probably me.

From Now On, I'm sticking to the story that Fred Wilpon bought me pizza

Reyes Tosses

I didn’t interview any players.  I was just awestruck and honored just being there up close, watching them prepare for a game.  Walked up to the edge of the grass, watching the Mets take infield practice, batting practice, play catch, and chat and joke with each other.  I could see the players, hear the players clearly, and make out individual blades of grass.  I saw Angel Pagan take throws from Ike Davis at second base.  I saw Albert Pujols swing at BP pitches.  I saw Tony LaRussa play first base. (yes I did!) I was within inches of Jose Reyes and other such players as they walked by me into the dugout.  It was a surreal and wonderful experience.

Cardinals first base depth chart is real weak

I met (or re-met) a lot of fellow bloggers, and that was also a very cool experience.  I had a beer with Rustyjr of The Real Dirty Mets Blog, and Kerel Cooper of On the Black at McFadden’s before we went in and I ate “dinner” with Kerel, Shannon of Mets Police and Joe Janish of Mets Today in the Caesar’s Club.  I had conversations with a half dozen other fellow bloggers and I don’t even remember them all!

Ed Coleman Interviews Jerry Manuel while bloggers mingle in the background

Watching the game next to and in front of half my Twitter feed was a lot of fun, even if I felt in the 20^th century for not having a data plan to tweet live as many of them were doing. Sometimes they were even tweeting back and forth to each other from five feet away.  Why yes, we’re all basically baseball nerds.  I just enjoyed the level of understanding and knowledge of the game going on around me, the discussions about bullpens and usage and over managing.  It’s nice to watch a game with people that truly understand what’s going on more than the average shouting half-drunk fan.  Although we did have plenty of that, as one rather vocal fan to the left of us wouldn’t shut up the entire game.  Anthony De Rosa of Hot Foot dubbed him Will Ferrell.

The game itself was a roller coaster.  It was fun to see the Mets fight back, and if they hadn’t been struggling and weren’t falling too far behind the Braves, it’s a game you’d shrug off as a tough loss but one with a lot of plusses.  We’re past “moral victories” at this point in the season however, I’ll take a “should’ve lost” game like the one in San Francisco over this any day at this point.

Full Album

I know most people don’t want to read another Spring Training story anyway, so when I get back, I’m going to go picture happy and post some odd or interesting pictures I take. If I don’t have anything good, I’ll just post a picture of my lunch or something.

For those of you that know what I look like (roughly, none of you). I’ll be in section 120 row A, which is roughly the third to last section down the line, right behind the Mets bullpen on Saturday.

Here is my itinerary.

Thursday: MIN @ PIT. Ho hum right?

Friday: NYM @ DET. Yah Mets!

Saturday: Port St. Lucie. WAS @ NYM. Behind the dugout as I said, if I don’t get a ball at this game, I’m pathetic.

Saturday night: Miami. WBC. Puerto Rico vs. Netherlands winner against the loser of the USA vs Venezuela game today.

Sunday: NYM @ FLA. Then I fly home.

http://optimisticmetsfan.ceetar.com

I totally butchered the template for the blog in doing this, so I’ll have to mess with that.

I also somehow lost part of my blog list..I don’t know If I saved that anywhere. If I missed/lost your blog, it wasn’t intentional. (except in one case) Contact me and I’ll add it back.