Jose Reyes

(Author's note: This article was originally posted here at www.aarontorres-sports.com)

Growing up in central Connecticut, the start of baseball season was as exciting as any time of year. 

I like to think of myself as a realistic Mets fan.

This offseason, while many of my fellow Mets fans were picking the Amazins to finally overtake the Phillies and win the division, I was quietly optimistic while still taking a wait-and-see approach.

I even picked the Phillies to win the division in my National League East season preview article on Bleacher Report.

With that even-keel mentality in mind, I think it may be a long season for us Mets fans.

A little more than two weeks into the season and the Mets are 6-9 and were just swept by the St Louis Cardinals, and there is serious talk about firing coaches and demoting pitchers to the minor leagues.

The Mets are now starting a home stand against the Nationals and Marlins, it is crucial that the Mets get their legs under them soon or else there will be major consequences.

Jerry Manuel is on a short leash, no question, but I for one am not positive firing the coaches and sending pitchers down to the minors will solve the team's problems.

Over the first 12 games of the season the New York Mets compiled a record of 6-6. That means that the Mets are .500, that's not bad for most teams.

For the Mets it apparently is. I don't know the reasoning for that, maybe because they are favored to win their division. 

Whatever it is, "Don't Worry 'Bout It". I say that because all the Mets have to do to get in good shape is at least take two out of three from the St. Louis Cardinals in their upcoming series.

On Saturday, April 4, the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Mets 9-3 in the second and final exhibition in Citi Field.  Not only this, but I received my first opportunity to check out the ballpark, which at about nine months ago I praised as the best of the two New York ballparks.  Was I correct? Let’s take a look, report card style.

Ballpark Exterior: A

Mets fans, here is yet another screw up by the Mets brass in the face of history.

Tomorrow night at 7:10, a New York Met will toe the rubber and fire the first ever regular season pitch to the Padres' leadoff hitter. Wouldn't you think that the $157 million arm of Johan Santana should be making that pitch?

Well, he isn't.

Where would you rank this player for fantasy baseball?

Player A: .297, 56 HR, 68 RBI, 113 R, 16 SB

This is a five-star player. He would have been the league leader in HR last season, and he can steal a base.

The only knock might be that RBI total; let's just say he believes in the Alfonso Soriano school of lineup construction.

Would he be better than this guy?

Player B: .301, 33 HR, 67 RBI, 125 R, 35 SB

Whoops, I guess this is the danger of writing for public consumption—you run the risk of looking like an utter jackass. Even when you think you're taking the necessary precautions, every now and then, risk yanks your card.

Today is apparently 'every now and then.'

Jose Reyes is at it again. Already back from an early exit in the World Baseball Classic, he has resumed his support for the Mets to re-sign Pedro Martinez. Martinez, 37, is coming off a season to forget with the Mets. The right-handed Dominican player pitch just 109 innings last season and posted a dismal 5.61 E.R.A. "Unbelievable, unbelievable," said Reyes of Pedro. "He's fantastic. He's loose, comfortable on the mound. He threw a lot of strikes, bro. He throws hard, too. He looked great."

The Dominican Republic was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic last night after the team from the Netherlands, who clearly took everyone by surprise, pulled off an upset victory in the 11th inning.

The Netherlands won both of the contests against the Dominican Republic, who admitted after the first game that they took the team from the Netherlands too lightly.  The second and final victory was considered by many to be more of a managerial and executional failure than game approach.