Mets' spring ends better than it started
Ike Davis hits a three-run home run off Yankees starting pitcher Freddy Garcia during the third inning. (April 4, 2012) Credit: AP
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Mets happily left Florida behind Wednesday after an 8-3 loss to the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field.
A spring training that began in mid-February with financial uncertainty surrounding the franchise and question marks about the roster ended on mostly positive notes in both areas. Ownership reached a settlement with the trustee in the Bernie Madoff case and welcomed an infusion of cash from minority investors.
The Mets are not expected to contend for a playoff spot, even with the addition of a wild-card team. But at least they came out of spring training with most of their injured or recovering players ready for Thursday's season opener against the Braves at the reconfigured Citi Field, where the fences have been moved in to encourage home-run hitting.
"It's a great feeling," Terry Collins said. "Certainly it's not the ideal situation going in -- we got a lot of at-bats for a lot of guys late. We're as ready as we can possibly be right now."
Chief among those who have returned to good health is Opening Day starter Johan Santana, who hasn't pitched in a big-league game since Sept. 2, 2010, after major shoulder surgery.
"We've got the big boy going and that means a lot," Collins said. "That's an exciting time for everybody to see him on the mound again. It's Opening Day. It's going to be a lot of fun."
Santana, who will be on an 85-90 pitch count, was the one Met not in Tampa Wednesday; he went back to New York a day early. Santana was announced as the Opening Day starter on Sunday. He will face Atlanta's Tommy Hanson and said Sunday he was "excited about it."
Also excited to be in the lineup Thursday: first baseman Ike Davis, who missed most of last season with an ankle injury and was diagnosed this spring with what is believed to be a case of Valley Fever; second baseman Daniel Murphy, whose 2011 season ended in early August with a knee injury; Andres Torres, the speedy centerfielder who had to rush at the end of spring training to recover from a calf injury; and third baseman and de facto team captain David Wright, who didn't play in a spring game until March 26 because of a torn left abdominal muscle.
The Mets also got positive injury news in the last few days on closer Frank Francisco and lefthanded reliever Tim Byrdak, who have recovered sufficiently from knee problems to make the Opening Day roster. Also earning a spot on the roster instead of the DL: backup outfielder Scott Hairston, who missed most of spring training with a strained oblique muscle.
Are the Mets finally having some good luck?
"I don't buy into that whole 'We need a break' thing," Wright said. "People get hurt. We're not the only team in baseball to have guys injured. Our training staff, our medical staff deserve a lot of credit. I think it's easy to point fingers when guys get hurt, but they got everybody back on the field and we're pretty much going in with the roster we expected to have. So that's a good thing."
Is it? At least the Mets quickly will have an idea of where they stand in the improved NL East: 15 of their first 19 games are against division rivals.
