The Marlins will break in their new ballpark tonight when they host the Cardinals and the regular season gets started in earnest. Here are some links from the NL East…
- The Mets "have taken a step backward in the short term" Mike Puma of the New York Post writes in his season preview. Puma points out that David Wright will look to prove himself worthy of an extension and suggests pitching prospect Matt Harvey could be called up by July.
- Mets VP of player development and amateur scouting Paul DePodesta took questions in a Baseball Prospectus chat yesterday and explained that he'll be thrilled if Harvey and Zack Wheeler become dependable starters in the Major Leagues. "If they do, we'll be happy with the results in the long run," DePodesta added.
- Commissioner Bud Selig told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that the Nationals are generating lots of buzz this spring. "In terms of people talking about a club that is clearly coming on, it’s the Nationals,” Selig said. The commissioner credits Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg for providing fans with "hope and faith.”
“we are the talk of the industry right now”
-Rizzo after last years huge draft
Looks like we’ve been at it again this spring, especially with the Lannan demotion.
Are “hope and faith” related to “mystique and aura?”
It’s good for baseball to have the Nats generate this kind of buzz. What Selig didn’t say was that the Nationals signed both for outrageous amounts of money and wouldn’t “be coming on” and the fans wouldn’t have “hope and faith” if the new CBA rules had been in effect a few years ago.
“The Mets ‘have taken a step backward in the short term’ ” since what? 2008?