Baseball is Back!

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I can finally say those words: "baseball is back." After many cold and uninteresting months the world's best sport is back-in-town (or wherever your team decides to take refuge from mother nature). Pretty soon the snow will melt, the mitts will come off the shelves and fingers will once-again grace those wonderful red seams.

Spring Training has begun with teams holding practices for players and invitees in the sunny states of Florida and Arizona. Mets pitchers and catchers will be officially required to report on February 15th but most of them are already there. As for the position players--who aren't required to report until the 20th--many players including Josh Satin, Ike Davis and David Wright have already arrived. Though there are still 2 1/2 months until the season will really begin, the fact that there are baseballs being thrown by professional players wearing professional team gear has got me excited.

I believe that die-hard baseball fans experience their own form of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Web MD describes the disorder as "a type of depression that affects a person at the same time each year. If you get depressed in the winter but feel much better in spring and summer, you may have SAD." First of all, it sounds like the acronym for this disorder was created by a five-year-old, but second, I think we baseball fans can learn something here.

I think that a particular "strand" of SAD exists out there and it should be called "BSAD" or "Baseball Seasonal Affective Disorder". Regardless of treatment options, (suggestions: Mets Classics re-runs on SNY or lashing out at other fans on Twitter) the struggle is real but it will soon be gone. Have faith, fans--baseball is back!

Why the Mets Should NOT Put Duda in the Outfield

Earlier today Adam Rubin of ESPN reportedly spoke with GM Sandy Alderson, who told Rubin he expects Lucas Duda to continue getting playing-time in the outfield (ESPN New York). Duda played 58 games in the outfield last year--all in left field (Baseball Reference).

I, for one, am shocked they would put him there; Duda doesn't play well in the outfield and has expressed his distaste for the position in the past. The lefty's fielding percentage has been consistently lower in the outfield throughout his time in the majors. Plus, it has been below average there and on-par with MLB positional averages at first base.

credit: Newsday

According to Baseball Reference, Duda's "Rdrs/yr" has been severely below average in the outfield and right around average at first base. They explain the statistic to measure "the number of runs above or below average the fielder was worth per 1,200 innings (approximately 135 games)."Duda's career Rdrs/yr in the outfield stands at -27 while its at 1 when he's on first. For anyone who watches him play, looks at his stats or even listens to him, it's obvious he shouldn't be playing the outfield.

Much debate has ensued this winter about who should play first for the Mets, i.e. Duda or Ike Davis. GM Alderson clearly preferred to hand Duda the job after attempting to trade Davis all offseason. After no deal could be reached, the trade talks stopped and consensus is Davis will be at Spring Training (competing with Duda for first-base).

I don't see any good reason to keep Duda on the club if he won't play first base. Alderson's comments concern me because it is clear he doesn't perform well or comfortably in the outfield. If Davis will have the starting job in April, the two productive things to do with Duda options would be either to demote or trade him. If he doesn't get the job and the Mets could get something good for him--like a backup infielder or reliever--then they will have every reason to do it.


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5 Reasons Mets Fans WANT Ike Davis at Spring Training

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1. To see if him or Lucas Duda has a better spring.



credit: AP

2. To see if (or pray that) Ike can somehow fix his swing. 

   

   credit: northjersey.com

3. Provided he produces, to show other teams he can. 

   

   credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

4. So he can lean over a dugout railing to make a catch. 

   

   credit: Left, Ray Stubblebine/Reuters; Kathy Willens/Associated Press

5. To see how far Ike can hit BP into the right field swamp. 

   

   credit: John Krohn

Davis and Santana Injury Updates

Ike Davis

As many may have forgotten at this point, Ike collided with David Wright when both players went for the same infield pop-up on May 10^th of last year in Colorado. Doctors originally told Davis that his ankle would be healed by the time he was eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list. In those two weeks the presumed sprained ankle had been in a boot, however it turned out to have cartilage damage. Inevitably, Ike’s conditioned worsened--enough to currently leave speculation as to whether he’ll make it through spring training.

Ike has said that he feels great and is completely ready to go, but some aren’t satisfied. Adam Rubin of ESPN deemed Ike’s treatment one more medical gaffe in a long string dating back at least the Mets days of Billy Wagner and Brian Schneider.

Johan Santana

By far the largest player on the Mets’ payroll (due for $24 million this year), the ace missed all of last season recovering from left shoulder surgery. Johan is already in Port St. Lucie, the spring training home of the Mets, and has been throwing successfully. Pitchers and catchers aren’t due to report for spring training until February 13^th, but Santana has been testing his shoulder strength and working it back to full pitching form.

He's been long tossing and is preparing to being pitching very soon; Terry Collins (Mets manager) will soon join him and assess his progress. Johan insists he’s ready, but similar to Davis, many question his ability to have a fully healthy spring.

For both players only time will tell of their readiness. Of the two Davis is definitely in better condition, but both clearly have their obstacles to overcome this spring.