Spring Training Thoughts!

So with spring training under way, the media has taken a huge interest in Yoenis Cespedes and all the horse power he has off the field, including two horses. I thought the tricycle he received was a very nice touch and shows just how much the team has accepted him in the clubhouse.

Building a team is tough. The team that always comes to mind is the 2003 Mets when they compiled what looked like a really good team on paper with names like Roberto Alomar, Mo Vaughn, Jeromy Burnitz and Mike Piazza. They looked like their offense would be able to help carry them to victory. They even had Tom Glavine to lead the pitching staff. But at 66-95 the only thing they found themselves was in fifth place wondering how they could flip the roster. They had the stats on paper but not the chemistry in the clubhouse. Granted chemistry is helped by winning but even before you step on the field it's important to build a foundation that can overcome a losing streak. With a pitching staff like the Mets have this year, it's going to be tough to go on long losing streaks.

I like that Cespedes has taken it upon himself to be the guy that the media is drawn to. He has taken all of the pressure so everyone else can focus on the tasks at hand, even if it was only for a few days. He has tried to become accepted into the Mets clubhouse even more than he was after the historic second half of the regular season.

After all of that media attention, I liked what Terry Collins did. He put down the hammer on Cespedes and said it's time to start focusing on baseball and not how he gets to work. Time to start focusing on the 25 guys that will make up the opening day roster and how they will become the New York Mets.

I'm excited for this upcoming year. I still they have a few question marks, like how will Conforto take to a full season? Can Granderson come close to repeating last year? What happens with Lagares, who has come to camp looking in great shape, to keep him sharp? How will the middle infielders produce, defensively and offensively? How many games can David Wright play this year, because even his presence in the clubhouse is uplifting. Can Lucas Duda help provide the pop with Cespedes? Starters stopped going nine innings and it's looking like seven is the new nine for starters. With that being said, there's been more emphasis on the back end of the pen. Can the Mets bullpen slam the door shut when they need a big out in the seventh and eighth inning and the starter is out of the game?

I'm excited to see the season begin but these questions have been floating around. I'm excited to be seeing baseball again.

Lets go Mets!!!