The Mets' 2010 season begins much like their 2009 one went -- lots of injuries. Their closer, Francisco Rodriguez, spent much of his spring training battling conjuctivitis. It lasted so long I thought management had dismissed him from camp and used conjuctivitis as a cover. Jose Reyes begins the season on the disabled list because of a hyperactive thyroid, which, a friend said, can only be explained by steroids. Conveniently enough, Reyes was treated for a hamstring injury last year by a Canadian doctor suspected of providing HGH to athletes. Carlos Beltran is also on the disabled list after a knee surgery the Mets didn't know was happening until it did. Huh?
After four years of high hopes for the team, met with epic disappointment, the Mets present little to be excited about this year. The starting rotation, aside from its star, Johan Santana, faces a career-defining year; if the other four don't perform, they likely won't be successful in the future, despite having shown promise. The starting lineup again has stars -- Reyes and Beltran when healthy, plus David Wright and Jason Bay, who I think was a good signing -- but middling players elsewhere. The Opening Day lineup featured, gulp, Rod Barajas, Gary Matthews Jr. (a bonafide former steroids user), Alex Cora and Mike Jacobs, who the Mets traded to the Marlins four years ago after deciding he wasn't an everyday player, though he's had a couple of good seasons.
Then again, the Mets beat the Marlins on Opening Day yesterday, 7-1, with that lineup.
George Vescey has written a string of recent columns about those hapless Mets, lamenting their quick fade and declaring they "have become irrelevant." He also noted fans booed the team's trainers at yesterday's game, which is pretty hilarious. But maybe all the team needs are lowered expectations to succeed. And who can complain so much when there are 161 games to go and such beautiful weather?
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