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This is my first KTE so grade on a curve.
The Mets make their first appearance at Nationals Park on April 23 and 24 to face the Washington Nationals. Nationals Park does not have a corporate sponsor yet as the team states that it is seeking an appropriate party to have a long-term relationship with. In other words, nobody’s ponied up enough dough. Nationals Park is very nice, with the feel of Citizen’s Bank Park with two exceptions: not every fly ball is a homerun and it’s not filled with dopey Phillies fans. The scoreboard is enormous but they still aren’t sure what information to put there.
The Nationals fans are only now realizing that their team is bad. As a DC area resident and partial Nationals season ticket holder, I monitor a Nationals board. Throughout spring training, I was amazed to see that their fans were not concerned with the composition of the team. The fans were only concerned with the new park, what food would be served, where their seats were, and how they would get there. Only lately have the fans starting to bemoan the fact that their team is made up primarily of prospects and castoffs. Egomaniac and blowhard GM Jim Bowden has called the team out for underperforming but he’s the one that assembled them. Of course, as we so painfully learned last September, even prospects and castoffs can beat our team.
I will be at Wednesday’s game (113U, AA, 1) and will be joined by a noted Mets blogger. I hope to see the rest of the DC crew at the game. Nats fans will be glad to welcome Brian Schneider home. He remains very popular (the woman that owns the tickets I share refers to him as her boyfriend). Church isn’t as popular. The locals noted his post-trade joy at the deal and will probably boo him (DC booing isn’t like NY booing—in comparison, it’s almost polite). The Nats fans seem to like Lastings Milledge but are bewildered by his inconsistency. I tell them to get used to it.
Johan Santana (2-2, 3.25, 0.87 WHIP) will pitch on Wednesday for the Mets. As a Twin, he lost to Washington last June, giving up 2 ER in 7 IP. Dimitri Young probably won’t start but he’s 5 for 18 against Johan with a HR. Cristian Guzman is 3 for 3.
The Nationals will pitch righty Tim Redding (3-1, 3.27, 1.18, from Rochester, NY). Against Redding, Luis Castillo is 4-13 with 2 RBI; Jose Reyes is 4 for 8, 2 RBI; Carlos Beltran is 2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, and David Wright is 2-4 with a homerun. Redding started the disastrous “Brian Lawrence game” on September 17. He gave up 4 runs in 4 innings but the Mets lost 12-4. Last July 28th, he was not involved in the decision, a 3-1 Mets win. Redding pitched well, giving up only one ER in six IP.
On Thursday, the Hubie Blake High School JV Baseball team will face rival Paint Branch in a night game at Blake HS. The Blake JV features a very talented first baseman—my son. He is slumping but fielding very well. That combination, plus the fact that he wears number 16, made me think of Doug Mientkiewicz (shutter). Wait, that’s not the KTE I’m supposed to be doing. Back to the Mets and Nats.
Thursday’s game will be started for the Mets by Oliver Perez (2-0, 2.49, 1.48). Last August, O-Perez got the win in Washington but only pitched 5.2, giving up 3 ER and 7 hits. That was the game when Willie went to the mound and yelled at Perez but left him in the game (it also was the game when Damion Easley got hurt). Several Nationals have gaudy numbers against Perez: Willy Mo Pena is 9 for 25 with 2 doubles, 2 HR and 4 RBI. Austin Kerns is 7 for 21 with 3 HR, 7 RBI and 4 BBs; Felipe Lopez is 6 for 20 with 1 HR.
Shawn Hill, RHP, will make his 2nd start of the season for Washington. He is 0-0 with a 7.20 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP. He lost to the Mets last August 19th but pitched well—7 IP, 2 ER. Against Hill, Jose Reyes is 0 for 7 but David Wright is 3 for 6 and Carlos Beltran is 2 for 5 with 1 HR and 2 RBI.
The HR lead for Washington is shared by several with two. On paper, their lineup is better than last year. David Wright’s friend Ryan Zimmerman isn’t hitting yet (.225, 2 HR, 9 RBI). My neighbor Jeff thinks that Zimmerman is as good as Wright. Nevertheless, we’re still friends. Milledge is hitting .284 with a homerun. Paul Lo Duca is on the DL. Beloved ex-Met Johnny Estrada is hitting .208 (0 HR, 2 RBI) while former Mets minor leaguer Jesus Flores returned when LoDuca went on the DL and is hitting .364 with a homerun. My neighbor Jeff has a $20 bet with a Phillies fan that Willy Mo Pena will hit 30 homeruns. So far—zero. When Jeff told me about his prediction, I said “over one season?”
Lastly, some Nats fans are calling for the firing of somebody, even Manny Acta. Finally, DC feels like home!
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