New year. Same shit. The Mets had two dependable starters ... they both went on the disable list before the year started, one (their most dependable) for the long term. Their bullpen is still questionable. And, even when it looks differently, there is no margin of error. First game of the season -- Pedro Martinez gives up a first inning three run homer. He basically strikes out people for the rest of his outing (six innings, bound to be fairly average).
The Mets tie it 3-3 and then (in time to give him a decision) hurt the Reds' relief corps to make it 6-3 in the seventh. The Mets relief corps manage to bridge the gap to the ninth and Looper, the "reliable" one, and give up but one run. Looper blows his first save. And, the game: 7-6. The Yanks, meanwhile, hit David Wells and his Red Sox company* nicely last night, and won handily. After all, it was not until when it was time to close out the playoffs (including the World Series) when the team has blown it ever since winning it all in 2000.
The Mets, however, will have fans biting their fingernails every freakening game. Why not? If the Mets fan cannot trust a two run lead and six runs once the ninth comes along, surely many a game will be even closer, when can they breathe comfortably? And, surely, the Mets bullpen will implode now and again, as will their "walk machine" backend rotation arms. The bats and defense are clearly better, but the ill timed double play grounders hit by David Wright suggests they too will have bad days.
An ill wind blows ... and it is but April 4.
[The dynamics might be different, but the Cubs fan -- with Mark Pryor and their closer starting the season on the DL -- might feel just a twinge of sympathy. That is, if the Cubs fan doesn't recall how the Mets helped put the nail in their season last September.]
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* Fever Pitch, a remake of a British film concerning British soccer, concerns a die hard Red Sox fan. A well timed movie, though the Drew Barrymore and lesser SNL star duo leads one to wonder how good it will be.