The 25 Man Roster for the 2009 Mets

Here it is folks. For opening day, the Mets players in uniform will be...


Starters= Schneider, Delgado, Castillo, Reyes, Wright, Church, Beltran, & Murphy
Bench = Castro, Tatis, Marlon Anderson, Cora, Nick Evans, & Jeremy Reed
Pitchers = Santana, Pelfrey, Maine & Ollie
Bullpen = Putz, KRod, Parnell, Stokes, Feliciano, Green & O'Day

The plan is for Nick Evans to be sent down to Triple A after four days to bring in Livan Hernandez as the fifth starter. Evidently, Jeremy Reed is seen as a better fit than Evans to start the season. However, if I'm Jerry Manuel, I keep a close eye on Reed & Marlon Anderson to see about bringing Evans back if either of these guys struggle.

So there you have it. The 25 guys who'll be in uniform on opening day. Not the most formidable squad you've ever seen, but the lineup has a balance of speed and power that I think can produce runs.

The pitching on days when a man named Santana is not on the mound will be the question mark.

Mets Broadcaster Ron Darling Talks About New Book

Former Mets pitcher and current SNY broacaster, Ron Darling, sat down the Good Day NY crew to talk about his new book called The Complete Game: Reflections on Baseball, Pitching and Life on the Mound.

I personally love Ron Darling and the insight he brings to the Mets telecast. I think he's arguably one of the most articulate color guys in baseball and has the ability to explain pitchers' mechanics and mentality like few others on TV. Check out this interview he did and you'll see the book highlights the '86 Mets, baseball in general and what are his thoughts on the game he loves.

Citi Field: Menus and Pricing

Some fantastic recon work was done by our friend over at Pick Me Up Some Mets. She actually took photos of various concession stand menus at the new Citi Field so you can see how much you're going to be expected to pay for a hot dog ($5.75 in case you're wondering).

The good news is the food options look really good. The prices are pricey, but not totally extravagant from what you'd expect. $17 for a lobster roll might be a little excessive.

Definitely check out the post over at Pick Me Up Some Mets.

Haven't We Had Enough of Marlon Anderson?

So I'm taking a look at the roster spots this morning and it just troubles me that Marlon Anderson's name is on the roster. Aren't we done with this guy?

Marlon Anderson was a great bench player at one time. In fact, two years ago he was money in clutch pinch hit situations that made him one of the smart mid-season pickups of 2007.

However, last year he bombed. He didn't just bomb, he did something worse than bomb but I can't think of that term should be. That's how bad he was.

Anderson batted .210 for the season and was used sparingly. He's another left handed bat, which is the last thing the Mets need coming off the bench with their starting lineup being full of lefties.

Alex Cora, who we might be talking about next season like we're talking about Anderson this season, is the backup for Castillo if & when Castillo falls apart.

I just don't see why Anderson is needed. I'd much rather let Nick Evans try and succeed at the big league level or give another young kid a shot than keep Marlon around for his shotty fielding in the outfield.

Prove me wrong Marlon Anderson. I'm begging you.

Phillies and Mets Debate: Let's Settle This Now, Part 1

This past week I participated in a Mets/Phillies blogger debate on Bleacher Report with some fellow Mets bloggers and a few Phillies bloggers as well.

The debate focused on pitching and which team's set of arms was positioned for success this season. As expected you'll find logic and reason in some comments and pure wishful thinking in others.

Check out the debate here and feel free to weigh in with your own thoughts as well.

Keith Hernandez Lego Figure

Can you say "coolest Lego ever?" PlanetoftheGeeks.com has put together a Lego Keith Hernandez. Photos and details available at PlanetoftheGeeks.com.

Mom, dad, honey, kids? If you're reading this, father's day is just around the corner.

Video Tour of Citi Field

Thanks to the folks at FOX 5, below is a video tour of our beloved new home of the Mets Citi Field. I can't wait to check it out in person so this video will have to do for now.