It's Pedro's World Now, We'll Just Be Living In It

Yes, of course, before the world gets too giddy, Pedro's still gotta pass the Mets physical with what's rumoured to be a torn labrum.

There's nice commentary and history on the pesky torn labrum at Mets Daily:

"Remember Rob Nen? In 2002, Nen underwent surgery in an effort to clean up particles in his shoulder. Doctors discovered Nen had a torn labrum. The one-time closer with a 97-mph fastball is still in recovery. He hasn't throw a baseball since surgery. Nen's torn labrum has put his career in limbo. The torn labrum is still a mystery to doctors. Those medical specialists concentrated on sports-related injuries are unsure how to treat it, repair it, even the diagnosis is in question."

As I always say, an event isn't really an event until you've performed a google search about it and searching "Pedro MRI" nets this:

"Which brings us to that physical exam. Question is, will the team and the Great Pedro each be happy after that? Because there are more miles on Martinez's labrum and rotator cuff than on a '73 Gremlin, and if they take MRI pictures of that labrum, they could reveal more stretch marks than anything this side of Kirstie Alley. Not to mention possible fraying, tearing, bending, wiggling, looseness, Spaghetti-O's, gummi worms and goodness knows what else."

Even the bloody Nats Blog is playing it cynical on this one.

Well, I'm not going to get hysterical and pull out the worry beads just yet. No, suh. This is a problem Pedro has had for a while and his history suggests he's learned how to manage it. That doesn't mean it couldn't go at any minute but let's face it, if Pedro were in perfect condition, the Red Sox wouldn't be letting him go, would they? The risk is still worth the giddiness, no question.

Of course a deal for Pedro wouldn't be a deal for Pedro without Peter Gammons weighing in. Not to mention the other ESPN-famous Red Sox fan, Bill Simmons lamenting Pedro's final punchado in Farewell Petey.

I don't really care because I'm still hoping Piazza isn't long for the Mets, but there is always the issue of Pedro being a problem for Piazza. I don't see why. After all, Piazza layed down like a lamb for Clemens and Clemens almost killed him. I also recall Pedro making some comments a few spring trainings ago when Piazza went Nicholson on the Dodger's Guillermo Mota after getting plunked twice which at the time, I thought were out of control but lately, given Piazza's selfishness, may not have been so far out of line after all.

Let's just be happy Don Zimmer ain't the Mets bench coach, via The Metropolitans.

I suppose it's safe now to have a look at Obey Pedro - at least until the sting is gone.

Not everyone is taking the Pedro Happy Pills, like East Coast Agony, who notes:

"After a momentary lapse of rational thought in which I made the unforgivable mistake of associating the Pedro Martinez of the present day with the Pedro Martinez of five years ago, I began to get critical and realized that there is only one conclusion to be drawn from the rumored contract parameters: this is an unequivocally bad deal for the Mets."

I'm still sticking with my theory that Omar Minaya, by the time he is finished, will have rescued the Mets from last four seasons of the three glaring evils of the Wilpon Idiot Collective: lethargy, sappy sentimentalism and letting non-baseball people make baseball decisions. This is about faith. Anyone who can jerk the franchise back away from the Wilpons (see the extra cash to lure Pedro, see the unceremonious dumping of Leiter as examples), deserves our faith and patience.

But that's today. Tomorrow, or Opening Day, if Pedro's arm is hanging by a thread, we might just wonder if the winter wishful thinking got the better of us in the end.