Concede 2011 to the Yanks? Not Yet!

Everybody hits. That’s been the theme for this Thursday afternoon Mets game versus the Cards in Port St Lucie. Just to give you an idea, it’s 16-3 Mets in the eighth.

The new second baseman has gone 4 for 4 as has David Wright. Angel Pagan has been having a monster game. But I’ve been really impressed by this centerfielder Dendecker who so far has made an over-the-shoulder catch on the track and, oh yeah, he also smacked a home run.

Jesus!

I’m out of synch again. Everybody else is worried about the 2 basketball games tonight. After all, it is the greatest basketball tournament in the world. Just ask TNT or TBS or TRU. But not me. I’m watching the Mets, listening to Keith throw the baloney with Gary, and just now enjoying watching Bobby Parnell strike out a Cards batter.

It’s really too bad some more of these rookies can’t make the team. Twenty-five man rosters are really difficult to determine. Right now, it looks as if there’ll be 6 outfielders and seven infielders, two catchers and ten pitchers. I know it sounds like a lot (25) but it isn’t. Too many promising rooks go back down.

I’d love to see this Dandecker guy do his thing in the outfield, especially if Carlos Beltran has to be rested about half the time. But I shouldn’t complain, there will be at least a few adds to the roster, from the minors and free agency too. And I like them all. What a surprise, right?

The Mets current depth chart shows Chin Lung Hu backing up Reyes at short, Daniel Murphy backing up Davis at first and Luis Hernandez, the glove guy, backing up a brand new face (and maybe bat) named Brad Emaus (rhymes with Remus they tell me). David Wright appears un-backed up at the corner but Murphy could probably spell him too. One gets the feeling that they’ll all get a lot of playing time.

New in the outfield will be Nick Evans backing up Beltran in right, baseball legacy Scott Hairston spelling Angel Pagan in center and strongman Lucas Duda backing for Jason Bay in left. It’s really a pretty solid outfield.

I wonder about the catching depth behind relative newcomer Josh Thole. Pete Nickeas hasn’t shown a whole lot yet and Ronnie Paulino just got here after some paper issue. If there is an obvious weakness, it’s behind the plate.

Chris Capuano didn’t do anything to hurt his chances today. He pitches like a really experienced fellow, which he is. And all his stuff was down, um, when it did stay down. Along with the other free agent, Chris Young, they’ve been looking more like the two and three guys in the rotation rather than number 5 starters.

My only fear about the pitching is that the current number 1, Mike Pelfrey, isn’t really a number one ace. R.A. Dickey, the knuckleballer, isn’t a number one either despite his great showing so far. Jonathan Niese hasn’t had a great spring either. Most of my hopes will be for the two free agents and Dickey. Niese and Pelfrey will have to show me something. In terms of mental toughness, Pelfrey and Niese don’t really cut it, as talented as they may prove to be.

The relievers look pretty good to me too. Missing is Perpetual Pedro but D.J. Carrasco could be the setup guy the Mets have needed for years. He has experienced good success with the White Sox and Pittsburgh. Bobby Parnell and Manny Acosta looked pretty good last year and one Taylor Bucholz, another experienced pitcher, is now listed as the number 5 reliever. K-Rod of course will continue to be the closer….not too shabby at all.

Everybody says the lineup depends solely on Beltran but I don’t think so. The problem will be yanking him in and out of the lineup. I’m actually wishing the Mets would trade him before his perceived value goes totally in the hole. Any other power hitter would do in his place, especially one with good knees. As much as I sympathize with Beltran’s problems, and he’s always played pretty hard, he’s more of a chronic problem now than he is an asset.

My brother tells me the Mets have no chance, also that the fantasy value of even Mets stars such as Wright and Reyes will be way down because of the weak lineup around them. He’s a Yankee fan though, which is to say the only good players are ones that have done it for years, that players such as Pagan and Jason Bay and Ike Davis have little worth. I disagree. And it’s even easier to disagree on a day like today when the Mets score 16 runs.

We’ll see how his Yankee old guys do this year, especially Arod and Jeter and Posada. On the pitching side, we’ll see if Mariano still has it at 42. (I don’t think so). I anxiously await the demise of the Yankees, who have hung too long with all these players. And this will be the year the Red Sox show them just how old they really are.

The Yanks may still make the playoffs but whether they’ll prevail past the first round is very questionable. The pitching isn’t there and the lineup is old. An old lineup usually looks older in the dog days of August. We’ll see, but the picture isn’t a promising one for the Yankees. One through five as a whole, I’d be happier with the Mets starters.

And so far nobody’s counting on anything from Johan Santana, who’ll return after the All-Star break or thereabouts. How’d that be for a shot in the arm?

Yeah, the Mets are undervalued and the Yanks quite the opposite. What’s new under the sun? Surely that’s been the case lo these many baseball seasons. I may be forced to concede eventually that the best team in New York resides in the Bronx.

But not yet, not yet.