Uncle Tom Goes For Number 276

"Mercifully, whatever faint Opening Day optimism might have been allowed to germinate was quickly killed when Glavine gave up enough runs to lose within the first ten minutes of the game. Some people say he didn't sound, after the game, like a man making excuses so much as a man who knew exactly why and how he failed. So cheer up fans. Glavine isn't washed up. The reason he just looks like he is was because yesterday was cold and windy. He couldn't feel his fingers to feel his change up he says. So let's remember that when it's sunny and 90 degrees outside and Glavine is throwing no-hitters every afternoon."

Ah yes, the self-referential quotes and memories of Tom Glavine's inaugural Opening Day start for the Mets in 2003.

Actually, there shouldn't be much to fear this time around. Ideally of course, Pedro is 100% fit and starts Opening Day with a bang and this time around the closer doesn't blow it. But Tom Glavine isn't necessarily the worst guy to have slinging on Day One.



Just imagine Tom Glavine the Tom Waits of 40 year old starting pitchers and the season will seem infinately more interesting.

At least more than this:



And look on another bright side - the soon-to-be-40 Glavine won 9 games in his first season with the Mets, 11 in his second and 13 last year. Perhaps that means in an improbable world of consistency, Glavine might win 15 for the Mets this season. Then again, if Pedro's Toe delivers a might blow to the Mets, Glavine would have to win 25 for it to matter.

*****

Admittedly, I'm not an ultra fan of überstatistical output but Hardtimes does have some statistical tidbits in their Five questions about the Mets that trickled down the mind this afternoon, to whit:

On Pedro's success in the NL:

"Pedro faced 75 pitchers or pinch hitters in 2005. He struck out 33 of them, walked just one and gave up zero home runs."

On 1B production:

"Mets first basemen have been downright woeful at the plate. In fact, they've been below the NL average for first basemen for the last six years in a row."

On Jose Reyes getting on base this season:

"Various commentators are talking about Henderson helping Reyes learn the ropes with regards to base stealing, pointing out the positive effect that Henderson had on Roger Cedeno when the two played together on the 1999 Mets. But does that really make a lot of sense? Reyes led the NL with 60 stolen bases last season and had a fine success rate of 80%. No, what Rickey is going to be preaching to Reyes is the gospel of on-base percentage. Reyes, as you probably know, does not excel at getting on base; he had a .300 OBP last season."

*****

Imagine a season with half-a-Pedro.

"Pedro's Toe delivered
a mighty blow
to Met hope early in the season.

The Toe was the show
and all we had left
was half-a-Pedro to
crow about against the legions.

Pedro's Toe delivered
a mighty blow
to men and women believing in Shea Stadium.

The Toe was our home
and all we had
was the Pedro flag
flying sadly at half-mast."

--by Arturo Semontologo, Sad Toes and Sour Grapes, Devondale Publishing Warlords, 2006.