Sights and sounds from Sun Life Stadium, a Mets update and Matt Holliday
Man oh man, what a contrast from yesterday's biting cold in the Bronx to this evening't sweat-inducing heat in Miami. This is the first time the schedule affords me the chance to see the openers of both the Yankees and the Mets, so I'm grateful for the opportunity.
The Mets' clubhouse was typically calm; Terry Collins, not surprisingly, seemed like the most wired person. He spoke a great deal about respecting the game, and about applying the fundamental lessons that were taught in spring training. In a bit of actual news, Collins said that Bobby Parnell would be his eighth-inning pitcher if the Mets had a lead.
I chatted briefly with Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, who spoke about his optimism for his club. I think it's justfied. In particular, Loria boasted how strong the team was up the middle, having acquired John Buck to catch and Omar Infante (in the Dan Uggla trade) to play second, switching Chris Coghlan to centerfield and having mainstay Hanley Ramirez at shortstop.
When the Phillies began their ninth-inning rally against Houston, I was in the Mets' clubhouse, watching on TV along with the players. When John Mayberry Jr. finished it off, I was in the Marlins' clubhouse, watching on TV along with the players. Just amazing. The Phillies continue to remind me of the 1996-2001 Yankees, possessing the confidence (and the talent, of course) that comes from having done it so many times before.
--The Mets hope to have a new investor by the end of the month, Steve Marcus reports. Of course, hopes and realities don't always converge. I remain skeptical that anyone will pay $200 million for a non-controlling interest.
--Matt Holliday will undergo an emergency appendectomy, as the Cardinals' rough 2011 continues. Of course, Tony La Russa has managed two Cardinals teams that saw players die during the season (Darryl Kile in 2002, Josh Hancock in 2007), so I can't imagine the manager getting too fazed by an appendectomy.
--Have a great night.
