Mets Visiting the Desert a Week from Tonight

The Mets are coming to town early this year.

I really look forward to the brief visits the Mets make to the Valley of the Sun (which I call home). Mostly because when the Mets come to town its a four game series. I don't know why it always happens that way, but I'm not complaining. And secondly because no matter how good the Diamondbacks are (and they looked good the first week of this season) the Mets POUND them when I'm at the games here. The first game we saw at Chase Field with the Mets visiting, the Mets won 14 to 1 (and won by Victor Zambrano). They haven't let up since.

The Mets have played 8 games in the valley since I moved here and they are 8-0 with a ridiculous run differential. (76 to 16 since 2005 at Bank One Ballpark/Chase Field - thank you www.RetroSheet.org) And the games were never that close.

I'm happy to see one former Diamondback regular (Shawn Green), one former Diamondback bench player (Damion Easley - who saved our ASS the other night against Brian Fuentes, thanks Damion), and kind of happy to see one former DBack starter - El Duque Hernandez. When the DBacks signed him, I complained for months. He's washed up, he can't pitch, he sucks, he used to be a Yankee (the most vile of creatures). Then I watched him pitch against the Rockies for the home opener last year at Chase Field. God, he was awful. I think he made it about 4 innings and he walked a bunch (let's see if I'm right, RetroSheet.org says 4.2 and only 2 walks, so I guess I'm half right). Then I had to watch as the Mets traded for him at mid-season. Ugh!

But he's pitched well as a Met so far. That's why I've got mixed feelings. I'm pissed that he managed to hurt himself in time for the playoffs last year (but still blame Trachsel for not picking us up in that game we HAD to win in St. Louis - though the offense apparently had no answer for Jeff Suppan anyway. WTF? Really. I mean, Jeff F'ing Suppan.)

He'll be on the mound (if there's no changes to the rotation) next Thursday when the Mets open their series here. Hopefully, he'll be a little more of the Mets El Duque and little less of the DBacks El Douche when he starts.

Boston's out here in June (8 through the 10th). Maybe my Boston lovin' brother in law Erik will come out for another visit...