Mets can’t hide behind Citi Field

 

 

One week into the season and Johan Santana already seems as high-strung as Randy Johnson on a Manhattan street corner. Citi Field officially opened last night, but it’s not all feel-good vibes in Mets land. Santana’s lecture on Daniel Murphy’s lackadaisical fly ball approach over the weekend doesn’t scream leadership as much as frustration.

Is it possible to be the best pitcher on the planet and be part of the worst rotation in the majors outside of Washington D.C., Baltimore and Oakland? Santana may just find out this season. What the Mets have done with Santana is the equivalent of constructing a great house, then abandoning it halfway through.

Can you imagine how the Mets brass must laugh/cringe at this renewed Joba Chamberlain  eighth-inning furor with the Yankees ? If Joba was in Queens, there would be no debate. He’d have to be in the rotation. Chamberlain would be the Mets’ second best starter right now.
Heck, don’t be surprised if Mets GM Omar Minaya tries to talk J.J. Putz into trying starting by August.

After all, it doesn’t really matter how much of a pitcher’s park Citi is supposed to be when the unreliable Oliver Perez is on the mound. Yosemite Park might not provide Perez insurance.

Things are off to such a rocky  start that Twins bloggers are already making fun of Santana, noting that even after bolting from Minnesota he still isn’t getting run support. That figures to change, but the slop following him in the rotation probably won’t. Excitement over a park shouldn’t be allowed to hide this.

Sure, Tom Seaver got it over the plate last night. Mike Pelfrey, though, did too — to the first batter of the game. Which do you think deserves more attention?

NEED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT: A Nets’ collapse that is arguably more hideous than the Knicks’ swoon. Mike D’Antoni’s finally getting a little deserved heat for his team’s pathetic stumble to the finish, led by Chris Duhon — D’Antoni’s chosen party boy point guard — but at least D’Antoni is a proven winner.

What about Lawrence Frank? His much-more talented Nets only have two more wins than the Knicks. Playing in New Jersey isn’t the only reason the Nets are irrelevant. GM Rod Thorn’s inexplicable devotion to a bad coach plays no small part.

SICK OF HEARING ABOUT: Phil Mickelson defenders trying to rationalize that back nine gag at Augusta. Mickelson should be the new Johnny Miller, Mr. 63 in the final round of a major. Instead he’s the same old Phil after finding the creek, missing putts and still selecting the wrong club, driver, on 18.

BROADCAST UPSET OF THE WEEK: TBS hired David Wells as a baseball analyst before Fox.
This robs America of the chance to see Boomer take a swing at some fan during one of Fox’s new live on-site pregame shows.