Greetings from sunny Clearwater. It's nearly 10:30 a.m., and already, it's 70 degrees. Walked into the clubhouse at about 8:30 and saw a group of TV reporters and cameramen clustered around Ryan Howard's locker for no apparent reason except that he's the MVP. Something tells me the Big Guy is going to have to get used to that. Had a nice conversation with Joe Bisenius, a young reliever who may work his way into the bullpen. Also talked to Jamie Moyer, and as usual, it was an education. I always learn something new about baseball when I talk to the 44-year-old lefty.For now, though, I'd like to offer up these leftovers from yesterday's session with Jimmy Rollins (above, clowning around with Charlie Manuel). I ran out of space before I could cram them into the newspaper, but I found them interesting, nonetheless.
* On his expectations for 2007: "Anything short of a ring is not a failure, but I wouldn't consider it a great season. You play this game to be a champion, and we definitely have the team to do it."
* On his "team to beat" comment putting a bull's-eye on his teammates: "I'm just putting that exclamation point on it. If you are afraid, I really don't want you on this team anyway. I want to put that pressure on them and myself."
* On the Mets' failure to sign free-agent LHP Barry Zito: "Am I glad Zito is in San Francisco instead of New York? Definitely. He wins. Regardless if you think he is good or that he is just OK, he wins. You can't argue that point. To put him on that [Mets] staff, we'd have to think a little harder about thinking we're the team to beat because they would be more of a handful. Their staff is getting a little older. It's going to be a battle, no doubt, but I think we have the edge."
Consider the gauntlet dropped. ... OK, time to go watch the workout. More later.
2 comments:
I like Jimmy's confidence. But I'm wondering how condident he'll be in the eighth inning when Manuel turns to Alfonseca to hold a one-run lead. Or Geary. Or Madson. Oy anyone else.
They've got good enough starting pitching, but it's the bullpen these days that matters most.
Spoken like a true Mets fan, Geoff.
Actually, the Mets-Phillies battle will be an interesting study in the new-school vs. old-school philosophies on pitching. Pat Gillick, an old-school GM, is doing it the old-fashioned way: with a deep and talented starting rotation that's expected to log innings and go far into games. Mets GM Omar Minaya, a newer-school GM, is putting greater emphasis on the bullpen and hoping to get five good innings from his patchwork rotation. We'll see who wins out.
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