Originally posted on Metszilla.com
One of the positives of being a Mets fan is the fact that we follow a club that tends to do well on opening day. After dropping their first six opening day games, the Mets have a franchise record of 34-18. That’s pretty damn impressive when you consider some of the long stretches of futility this franchise has experienced. When you stop and think about it, this is probably the least talked about reason for the cautious and sometimes pessimistic nature of Mets fans.
So what can we take from yesterday’s great start? Jon Niese may have the right attitude to be an ace. It is a small observation that certainly needs the test of time. It is derived from the fact that he looked like he was going to take a swing at Terry Collins when he was initially informed that he wasn’t coming out for the top of the seventh inning. Collins finally compromised and allowed him to face the first two batters of the inning.
Here’s my reaction when they took him out:
I’ve always been a fan of Jon, mainly because he is from Lima, Ohio. The fact that he has been a solid lefty has helped too. His display today took him up a notch. I guess I should expect nothing less from a fellow Midwestropolitan.
Cowgill Caution
Let’s face it; we have been starved for favorites in the lineup over the last few seasons. Colin Cowgill has definitely hit the ground running as a leading contender to join Captain Wright and Ike Davis. All of the comparisons to Lenny Dykstra with regard to his play not his financial wisdom; have definitely thrown gasoline on the fire. At this rate, I am going to be officially sick of the “more Cowgill” references by Wednesday.
I advise you to proceed with extreme caution. There has to be a reason he has averaged 37 games a year at the major league level over his first two seasons. Enjoy the show by all means. However, wait and see how he combats the adjustments pitchers start to make before you anoint him the next superstar in orange and blue.
Midwestropolitan 