The Building Of A Foundation

The Mets are in fact the team to beat oh my goodness i can't beleive it!!!!!!!!. We got into the head of that dreadfully dillusional man Jimmy "bobbles' Rollins, and he literally and figuratively dropped the ball in the drama that unfolded opening day. It is going to be an absolute thrillride for the Met fan and the baseball fan to watch the maturation of Jose Reyes. He doesn't run his mouth but he definitely runs the bases, and there are times when you feel you are let down by him but only when he is trying to teach you spanish which you frustratingly can not pronounce. The Mets are most definitely a prominent force in the National League to which every team will try to compare. They are trying to build their sucess on young arms that are still being developed. They are the young arms of Oliver Perez, John Maine, and Mike Pelfrey. Oliver Perez was aquired in an emergency trade that was the result of a nasty post-all-star break car crash involving set-up releif pitcher Duaner Sanchez. The story is that Duaner who is originally from the D.R. was with family in Miami the morning prior to a Marlins series looking for food of his native country. Pretty unconvenient if you ask me as he was missed in the postsesason especially in big spots for big outs and when Billy Wagner served meatballs for So Tuguchi wearing a football jersey(99!). Sanchez was a pivotal part of the 1-2 punch with Aaron Heilman leading up to Billy Wagner. In the trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates the Mets got releif man Roberto Hernandez who they had on their 2005 squad and Perez for a depressed right-fielder Xavier Nady. Nady who was in Floride actually enjoying the waves when he returned to his cellphone only to learn he had messages and had been traded. Perez at first glance seemed to me doofy and awkward, but he had sliders that made you look a mid-90's fastball he could dial up and a change -up to compliment among others. Scouts had mixed feelings about the kid he was at times wild, through high in the zone and threw at the heart of the plate when fatigued. He can sure enough handle pressure situations however, and was asked by Willie Randolph and Mets Nation to at least keep us in the game in game 7 of the NLCS. He held the Cardinals to one run but couldn't help the inevitable. One tubby Yadier Molina shot later Perez is set to do it all over again. He was the Opening Day starting pitcher for Pittsburgh for two years and in 2005 had a 13-3 record. There is no doubt he's got the stuff but he nneds to keep his foot pointed home, and elbow down two things being corrected by pitching coach Rick Peterson(who's # is 51 by the way only because he never takes off his jacket but did in Spring Training) who is tring to return him to 05' form. As for John Maine the young Virginian fireballer was aqured in the offseason from the Orioles along with long-gone pitcher Jorge Julio for Kris/Anna Benson. Maybe Omar Minaya couldn't stand the sight of the two or maybe it was a distraction Anna was for the team. Anyway you cut it another trade has paid dividends for the Mets as Maine was put to work mid-late season, and came out of the box with somerough starts followed by 27 scoreless innings. He then started in the postseason as a rookie making history, and showing toughness all at the same time. He was as you say thee Maine Event? The Mets however got the last laugh on the Orioles when they got this young man who looks to have a bright future , and already has the velocity but needs to keep his HR total down and slide that slider instead of keeping it flat and fat all at the same time over the plate. Mike Pelfrey is also a work in process and I've got alot on him as he will pitch Friday but I will save that for another RAMBLING!