Schein: It's Officially Time to Panic About Matt Harvey

Sorry, but I don't buy that it's time to 'panic' about Harvey--not yet anyway. It's still May for chrissakes and the Mets are only 2.5 games out of first place as I write this. I'm more worried about my leadoff hitter batting below .200, David Wright's alarming strikeout rate and why the Mets don't release the awful Eric Campbell and call up Dilson Herrera already. If Harvey's ERA is still above 5 come say mid-July and the Mets are...say more than 7 or 8 out of first place, then I'll start panicking. Till then everyone needs to calm down and let Harvey figure it out.

Curtis Granderson is Killing the Mets

It's a wonder that the Mets are a game out of first place what with the horrific start of their leadoff hitter Curtis Granderson and 2nd place hitter David Wright. Dykstra and Backman they're not as Granderson is barely above the Mendoza line with a .207 batting average (and .296 OBP) and zero stolen bases, while Wright's batting a meek .233, but leading the team with a robust .375 OBP (which alone warrants him staying in the 2nd hole despite his alarming amount of strikeouts.)

Your leadoff guys are supposed to be your table-setters and here we are in mid-May and Granderson especially has been terrible. I realize that Granderson has a big contract and that he tends to be incredibly streaky, but for the sake of the Mets season Terry Collins needs to at least address this issue (the same way he recently addressed Kevin Plawecki not hitting enough) and possibly move Curtis from the leadoff spot and put him down in the order, maybe 6th or 7th in the lineup...till he gets his bat right. If that doesn't happen anytime soon, then screw it, give Juan Lagares and/or Alejandro De Aza a chance to play more.

Bartolo Colon's Home Run Card Shatters Sales Records of Topps Now

ESPN.com:

A baseball card of Bartolo Colon's home run shattered sales records of Topps Now, the card manufacturer's new on-demand printing business.

The company sold 8,826 cards of the 42-year-old pitcher hitting a home run on Saturday. The card went on sale at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday and stopped production exactly 24 hours later.

"This moment was the perfect storm," said Jeff Heckman, director of product development and e-commerce for Topps. "It was the right player in the right market and it happened on a weekend."

So Far, Asdrubal Cabrera Is Proving All the Critics Wrong

NYPost.com:

“I believe scouts. I trust them, [but] I’ve got to tell you something: They’re wrong on this guy. This guy can really play shortstop,” Collins said. “And I think he’s gotten this opportunity because he likes to play shortstop to go out and show people that he still can. That play he made [Friday] night in the hole, no disrespect to the guys who have been here the last few years, we haven’t made that play. So he brings a lot to the table.”

Part of what the two-time American League All-Star brings is the .300 average he fashioned in April. And Cabrera is a switch hitter, another aspect of his game that causes tears of joy for managers.

“He’s dependable, that’s probably the best word,” Walker said of his new double-play pal. “You know when he steps to the plate, he’s going to give good at-bats, put good swings on balls. He understands situations. That’s the sign of a dependable player. And he’s a switch hitter, he uses the whole field and takes his walks when he has them.”

Plus he proves the scouts wrong virtually every time he takes the field. He showed it Friday — and for anybody to rave about one mid-game defensive play on a night when the offense exploded for 12 runs in one inning says something.

The guy has played solid defense, is hitting .300 and seems to be a great teammate. What more can you ask for out of your shortstop?

How Much Do the Mets Really Need Kevin Plawecki to Hit?

So with the injury-prone Travis d'Arnaud back on the DL, the spotlight is back on how much can the Mets expect from Kevin Plawecki as their No. 1 catcher. And I honestly don't think it matters that much. The Mets starting lineup, even without d'Arnaud, is highly potent. Especially with the spectacular show Neil Walker's been putting on since season started. Besides David Wright striking out too much and our leadoff hitter Curtis Granderson being such a streaky hitter, I'm not really worried about the Mets offense. Of course, Plawecki hitting around .250 and getting some clutch RBI's over the season could only help the Mets, when it comes to the overall state of the ballclub I'm much more concerned at what he does behind the plate in regards to throwing out runners and how he handles Mets pitchers. And so far, Plawecki has been doing a pretty sound job with both, throwing out a third of runners attempting to steal on him and Mets starters having a full run less of an ERA with Plawecki behind the plate versus d'Arnaud. If Plawecki continues with those type of numbers defensively and the Mets offense stays formidable, then Plawecki's offense should be the least of our problems moving forward.

Yoenis Cespedes Should Be Batting Cleanup, Not 3rd In Mets Lineup

As a baseball purist, its always been my opinion that your best average hitter should be batting 3rd and best power hitter 4th. It's really not complicated and it certainly worked for the Mets in '86 when Keith Hernandez consistently batted 3rd in the lineup with Gary Carter right behind him. That being said, why Terry Collins wants Yoenis Cespedes as his 3rd place hitter with David Wright Wright batting second is beyond me. Cespedes is a streaky hitter and the Mets best power hitter. Wright, for all his recent injuries, I feel if he stays healthy, can still hit in the .280 to .300 range, get you about 35 doubles and drive in 80 to 90 runs. Wright also strikes out a lot and is not a what used-to-be-typical 2nd-place hitter: a guy puts the ball in play a lot, can lay down a good bunt every now and again and can slash-one-behind-the-runner when you need him too. Considering too that Collins has gone on record stating how much he despises the new era of sabermetricians (which I loved because I hate it too). leaves me wondering why Collins has Wright batting 2nd and Cespedes 3rd instead of say a Michael Conforto or Asdrubal Cabrera batting second behind Curtis Granderson with Wright and then Cespedes behind them. Of course, it's easy to pick on Cespedes now that he's opened the season in a huge slump. but Collins backing up his ealier opines and going with a traditional lineup, to me, would be the best option for the Mets in the long run.

Why Hasn't Steven Matz Started A Game Yet?

Matz is supposed to be the Mets 4th starter and yet, through 5 games this season, he hasn't appeared in game. Matz was passed over for Bartolo Colon yesterday in what would normally be his spot in the rotation and I haven't seen or heard any word on when exactly Matz will finally appear in a regular season game. I know that Matz didn't pitch too great during spring training...but that's spring training. And when he did pitch last, he pitched pretty well, delivering 5 no-hit innings against the Cubs in the Mets’ final spring training game on April 1st. Matz hasn't appeared in a game since, tho there was some talk of him pitching in relief of Noah Syndregaard against the Royals in Kansas City the other day. I know that Matz has hi share of aches and pains last season, that included a stint on the disable list. But for a guy who's been designated the 4th starter and a huge key to the Mets' chances of winning this year, I just think it's strange that we haven't seen Matz pitch a game yet thin season.

Thanks To Noah Syndergaard, Mets Split Season Opening Series With Royals

NYDailyNews.com:

Noah Syndergaard just laughed as the crowd at Kauffman Stadium tried to shame him. One woman waved a sign that read: “World Champions don’t need ‘tricks,’ ” which everyone in the Mets bullpen found hilarious.

As the young right-hander warmed up, he was introduced on the video board. The sellout crowd booed.

When he took the mound in the bottom of the first, “American Woman,” blared out of the stadium speakers.

“He was cracking up,” said a friend of Syndergaard’s who was in the bullpen Tuesday. “Absolutely cracking up. He loved it.”

With his long locks flowing, Syndergaard certainly was not rattled. Public Enemy No. 1 in Kansas City because of a message pitch he threw in the World Series, just mowed down the Royals in response. He threw six scoreless innings, striking out nine, as the Mets shut out the defending champions, 2-0.

Honestly, I expect Syndergaard to be great all season. His poise on the mound and pitching repertoire are amazing and he's part of the Big Three that the Mets will need in order to repeat as division champs. I'm more excited about Jim Henderson's scoreless 7th yesterday, The Royals showed us last year what a strong bullpen can do for a team and having always been a fan of having closers (or former closers) on your team, I think Henderson along with Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia can be huge all year for the Mets.

Mike Piazza Irked That 9/11 Jersey Is Up For Auction...And Rightly So

ESPN.com:

Former New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza is not happy that the jersey he wore during the first game back after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is scheduled be auctioned off later this month.

Goldin Auctions plans to auction the jersey April 30 in New York City, ESPN's Darren Rovell reported last week.

"I'm very disappointed with the situation regarding my game jersey from Sept. 21, 2001," Piazza told the New York Post. "I've expressed my feelings to [chief operating officer] Jeff [Wilpon] and the Mets. And while it never should have left Citi Field, they have assured me that contact with the seller has been made and they are making a concerted effort to get the jersey back. I'm hopeful that an agreement can be reached and we can give back to the fans and all New Yorkers a piece of that evening that was more than just a game."

Goldin has said the jersey was consigned to the auction by the world's biggest Mets memorabilia collector, who lent it to the team for its museum but recently got it back to put it in the auction.

"We made a mistake in selling the jersey, and Jeff called Mike to express our regret in so doing," a Mets spokesperson said in a statement to the Post. "We have dedicated a section in the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum to celebrate Mike's achievements and his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and are exploring memorabilia to display in that area. We can't verify the item being auctioned, but can confirm that our memorabilia group sold a jersey that meets this description, which was not authenticated with respect to game use."

Smh. Did Mets management really need to be told that this was a bad idea to begin with? Citi Field has a Hall of Fame section for a reason. The jersey belongs there.

ESPN First Take Today - Mets vs Royals: Who will win the World Series this year?

Bobby Valentine Rates Mets Pitching Staff as Best Ever

Gotta disagree with Bobby here, as that mid to late 90's Braves staff had 3 Hall of Famers.

Noah Syndergaard Says Purpose Pitch in World Series Doesn't Warrant Retaliation

NJ.com:

Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard said Wednesday that he doesn't believe the purpose pitch he hurled at Alcides Escobar in Game 3 of the World Series justifies retaliation from the Kansas City Royals during their upcoming rematch on Opening Night at Kauffman Stadium. 

Syndergaard rankled the Royals last fall by throwing a 98-mph fastball up and in to Escobar to open Game 3, the only meeting the Mets won. A Newsday story published Tuesday reported that the Royals were still upset by the incident and "have been quietly signaling their intent to seek retribution" against the Mets on Sunday. 

"I don't think they're too fond of me, but as far as retaliation goes, I really don't know what they're going to retaliate against," Syndergaard said following the Mets' 12-1 loss to the Washington Nationals. "All I did was establish the inner part of the plate. So I don't know what this whole retaliation talk is all about. But it's going to be an interesting time.

"I simply threw a pitch on the inside corner. Elevated. A purpose pitch. I don't really see how any retaliation could be made."

This shouldn't even be news, But hey, it's still spring training so the media is desperate for headlines and thanks to the stupidity of interleague play, the Royals and Mets are facing each other to start off the season. Bottom line, Syndergaard did nothing wrong but establish the inside of the plate with that pitch which asa pitcher is something he's probably long been taught to do. He didn't hit anyone and he certainly didn't show anybody up, which would've really dumb when you consider that the Mets were down two games to nothing at the time. Instead he made a statement with that pitch and went on to pitch a great game to get his team back in the series, which in case any Royal is really thinking about retaliating by the way...Kansas City went on to win. So there's your payback right there. Now it's time to move on.

Matt Harvey Won't Miss Opening Day Despite Bladder Infection

Matt Harvey Has Non-baseball Medical Issue, Could Miss Opening Day

ESPN.com:

New York Mets right-hander Matt Harvey is dealing with an undisclosed medical issue that may place his Opening Day start on Sunday in jeopardy.

General manager Sandy Alderson declined to specify the issue, other than to say it was not related to an elbow or shoulder or anything else orthopedic. Harvey reported the issue to Mets personnel early Monday after a symptom unexpectedly arose, Alderson added.

"It's a non-baseball medical issue that we have to address," Alderson said after Monday's 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. "It came up this morning as far as I know. There will be some follow-up tests and consultation that will take place over the next couple of days."

Asked if there is any gravity to the undisclosed issue, Alderson added: "I think it's a little early to attach any level of concern. ... I think we need to wait for more medical information before we decide it's of concern, or great concern, or no concern."

Harvey will be scratched from Tuesday's Grapefruit League start against the Miami Marlins. That had been slated to be his final tuneup for Opening Day opposite Kansas City Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez at Kauffman Stadium in a rematch of Game Nos. 1 and 5 of the World Series.

The fact that Harvey could miss his Opening Day start and the Mets aren't saying why is a really bad sign.

Yoenis Cespedes & Noah Syndergaard Ride Horses to Mets Camp