Baseball has finally started and we are 1-0, defeating Cincinnati 2 to 1 in what was a cleanly played and reassuring game at Great American Ball Park. Can we keep the streak alive? 2-0 ? 5-0 ?? 10-0 ??? Only time will tell, but the Amazins showed much promise, especially in the bullpen. There was much preseason chatter on the health of Mets ace Johan Santana’s elbow. All negative reports (including the potential for an MRI) seem to have been premature and speculative. Santana practiced and played throughout preseason and frustrated eager batters for the Reds this Monday at the season opener.

With seven strike outs and one earned run over 5.2 innings, Santana has begun paying dividends on his groundbreaking 137.5 (guaranteed) million dollar contract which extends until 2013 with an option for 2014. Lets all pray now that Johan doesn’t turn into a Rick DiPietro, the New York Islanders goalie who signed a record 67.5 million dollar 15 year contract only to play a hand full of games since a string of injuries beginning in March of 08′.

More hope came from J.J. Putz, Sean Green and Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez (K-Rod) who recorded his first save with the Metropolitans. Combined, they pitched for 3 and change no-hit innings to protect the lead and secure this seasons first win.

K-Rod celebrates after closing for first save ever in Mets uniform.

Offensively, Daniel Murphy led the way with a solo home run off of Aaron Harang who started for the Reds to get the Mets on the board. Later on in the sixth, Murphy drove in a run on a ground out to take the lead. On the negative, we left a staggering 12 runners on base. However, being it the first game I will not harp on the subject and hope it will not be a trend.

I could not ask for anything more at this point. We had a solid start and recorded our first W on the season. I mean things could have been much worse, just ask the Philies and Pinstripes about their splendid opening day performances!

Murphy rounds home after solo bomb in fifth.

Without further ado, what you all have been waiting for… the photo gallery! Keep clicking on the photos to enlarge.

Sometime late this Friday afternoon, a Long Island based electric supply house received a frantic order request for wall light switches and bathroom rated (Ground Fault Interruption) electrical outlets. The order was requested for same-day delivery but this was not possible and our source indicates the order will be rushed to the stadium early Saturday morning to meet the waiting electrical contractors. We were able to secure an exclusive copy of the purchase order behind this nuttyfarce, company identifying information has been blacked out to protect our sources. Notice the frantic sounding “VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!!” comment.

Purchase order behind Citi Field bathroom mayhem! (Click to Enlarge)

It seems that without the wall switches and electrical outlets the bathrooms do not meet New York City electrical/building codes and the non-affiliated “toilet tester” volunteers will not be allowed into the bathrooms. Stay tuned for more from the “Citi Field Bathroom Chronicles!”

Citi Field Plumbing Engineers

Planning on computers and calculators is one thing, but before inviting in some 35,000 guests, contractors want to make sure Citi Field can handle the “load,” literally. What is every fans least favorite experience at a ball park? If you’re like me, it’s waiting in line for the bathroom, and what you may find waiting for you inside. If you share this view, I have some good news.

Citi Field will have 78 more toilets and roughly 12,000 less seats than Shea Stadium for a total of 646 waste receptacles. Shea Stadium had one toilet for every 82 fans while Citi Field will have one toilet for every 54 fans. Translation, shorter lines at the bathroom!

Rest assured, top fluids and plumbing engineers at Cardoza Plumbing Corp. have been busily calculating away with their slide ruler and computer models to ensure your excrements are not overflowing in left field to throw off Marlon Anderson’s game. Imagine making a diving “Sports Center worthy” catch across an overflowing cesspool… sorry for the visual! Just because the math and models check out does not necessarily mean the system will work flawlessly.

To ensure all 646 toilets and accompanying plumbing can “handle the job,” Citi Field contractors arranged for 300 volunteers to simulate game day usage. Volunteers gained an all access behind the scenes pass to Citi Field’s fine restroom facilities and were busy running from toilet to toilet flushing away simultaneously. Citi Field received an overwhelming response from fans wanting to volunteer for the sanitation test, sadly many had to be turned away.

All reports point towards a successful test and another green light for Citi Field’s March 29th opening college series. When you find yourself standing in line for the bathroom at Citi Field remember to do us all a favor and flush away!

Niese is the 22 year old southpaw drafted by the Mets in the 7th round (#209 overall) of the 2005 amateur entry draft. He’s been a well regarded prospect for the past several years, having ranked on BA’s Top 10 Mets prospects previously in 2007 (#7 in the organization) and 2008 (#8). This is his first appearance in BA’s Top 100.

Niese was born in Defiance, OH and attended Defiance High School – the same school that produced former major league hurlers Doug Bair and Scott Taylor, and current Dodger standout Chad Billingsley.

Niese was a First Team Ohio All-State selection in 2005, when he led the Bulldogs to a 30-2 record and a District Championship. As a pitcher, he posted a 12-0 record and 0.09 ERA in 13 starts, to go along with 144 K’s and a paltry .100 batting average against (BAA). At the plate, Niese compiled a .554 average (4th highest in school history) and a .661 OBP (2nd best). The 12-0 record tied the school mark for wins in a season, and is the best single-season won/loss percentage in the school’s history. In addition to being selected to the All-State squad, Niese was named the Ohio Division II Player of the Year, and the Pro-Line Player Of The Year.

For his career, Niese won a total of 22 games (6th most in school history), with 6 shutouts (tied for 2nd behind Billingsley’s 11), and also saved 6 games (tied for the career lead). He holds the Defiance High School career records for lowest ERA (1.09) and BAA (.146).

Niese began his pro career at rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League at the ripe old age of 18. In 7 games (5 starts) he posted a 1-0 record and a 3.65 ERA. He spent the bulk of the 2006 season at A ball in the South Atlantic League, going 11-9 in 25 starts. He yielded less than a hit per inning (8.8/9IP) and averaged more than a strikeout per inning over 123 2/3 IP. His ERA at Hagerstown that season was a serviceable 3.93.

2007 was a subpar year for the 6′-3″, 190 lb. lefty. He went 11-7 at Hi A St. Lucie in the Florida State League, but his ERA climbed to 4.19 over 28 appearances - all starts - and he yielded over 10 hits per 9 innings. On the positive side, his K/BB ratio improved from 2/1 in 2006 to around 3.5/1 in 2007.

Things took a turn for the better in 2008, with Niese showing signs of blossoming. To start with, he handled himself quite nicely in his first experience at AA (Binghamton in the Eastern League). Though his record was just 6-7, his ERA was an impressive 3.04 over 22 games and 124+ innings. He was back under a hit per inning pitched (WHIP of 1.30), and struck out 112 against just 44 walks (about a 2.5/1 ratio). After moving up to AAA New Orleans, the youngster proceeded to notch a 5-1 record with a 3.40 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP and an opponent’s BAA of just .231.

Pressed into service in ‘The Show’ last September, Niese made 3 starts for the Mets with mixed results. In two of his outings he lasted just 3 innings and gave up 7 hits and 5 or more runs. To be fair, one of those starts was against the Cubs - one of the best hitting teams against lefthanders. Sandwiched between those two short outings was an 8 inning gem during which he yielded just 6 hits and 2 walks against the Braves, striking out 7 while guiding the Mets to a 5-0 victory - in a game which at the time was a critical win for the New Yorkers’ playoff hopes.

After all was said and done, Niese’s major league stats were hardly impressive - 14 IP, 20 hits and 8 walks allowed, and a 7.07 ERA. But he did earn his first major league victory, and undoubtedly gained some valuable experience that he should be able to draw on in the future.

Rotoworld.com reports that Niese is likely headed to AAA Buffalo and will not start the season as the Mets’ fifth starter… I tend to agree with that prediction, although not necessarily because he was unimpressive last season or in Grapefruit League play this spring (0-2, 6.75 ERA, 7 walks in 8 IP). It’s more a fact of Niese’s age and the fact that he can log consistent innings at AAA. He’s also pitched only a total of 164 innings above Hi-A which would suggest at least another half year of seasoning in the minors is in order.

What do you think of Jon Niese and the rest of the Mets farm system? Share your thoughts with us… post your comments or send us an email… Scott can be reached at… scott@citifieldblog.com

Courtesy of MetsMinorLeagueBlog.com

Flores is the 5th highest ranked shortstop on the 2009 list, behind only Alcides Escobar (#19/Milwaukee), Gordon Beckham (#20/White Sox), Tim Beckham (#28/Tampa), and Elvis Andrus (#37/Texas). That’s an amazing fact given that Wilmer just turned 17 in August. That made him the youngest player in all of full-season professional baseball.

The Valencia, Venezuela native had a solid campaign for Kingsport in the Appalachian League (rookie level). He batted .309 over 59 games, with 36 runs and 41 RBI’s. He slugged .490, with 12 doubles, 4 triples, and 8 home runs. His OPS was a solid .842. In recognition of his accomplishments, Flores was named an Appalachian League Post-Season All-Star in August… Flores also had short stints at both Savannah (A) and Brooklyn (Short Season), and for the year hit a combined .307.

Flores was signed for $750,000 as a non-drafted free agent on Aug. 6, 2007.

Given his age and lack of professional experience, it would make sense that Flores would start the season at Brooklyn (SS) or Savannah (A). He would seem to have nothing left to prove in Rookie ball. With Jose Reyes and David Wright both locked up long-term, look for the Mets to explore options for Flores including at 2B.

What do you think of Wilmer Flores and the rest of the Mets farm system? Share your thoughts with us… post your comments or send us an email… Scott can be reached at… scott@citifieldblog.com

The Mets farm system is pretty well represented with 4 players on that list: OF Fernando Martinez (#30), SS Wilmer Flores (#47), LHP Jonathon Niese (#77), and RHP Brad Holt (#94). Over the next couple of days we’ll take a look at each of these prospects in more detail.

F. Martinez - Photo from the NY Post

The 20 year old Martinez enters the season as the top rated prospect in the Mets farm system for the second straight year, according to Baseball America.  He is the 7th highest ranked outfielder on the 2009 list, behind only Colby Rasmus (#3/St. Louis), Jason Heyward (#5/Atlanta), Travis Snider (#6/Toronto), Cameron Maybin (#8/Florida), Dexter Fowler (#15/Colorado), and Mike Stanton (#16/Florida). The first 5 names on that list are all likely to begin the 2009 campaign with their parent clubs, while Stanton is not far behind.

The Dominican Republic native was the youngest player in all of AA last year, when he played in 86 games for Binghamton in the Eastern League.  He compiled a respectable .287 average, with an equally respectable .340 OBP. His power numbers were not overwhelming – not surprising given his age – leading to a .432 SLG and OPS of just .772. He did slug 19 doubles and 4 triples to go along with his 8 dingers. He was highly regarded enough to be named the starting center fielder in the 2008 All-Star Futures Game in July.

It’s also important to note that Martinez was on the disabled list from May 17-June 26 with a strained hamstring. It’s hard to estimate what kind of impact that type of injury would have on a young (and valuable) player, given that it happened in the middle of the campaign. It certainly safe to assume that the Mets would have been careful with him after he returned.

Mets fans will also point to Martinez’ showing in winter ball, where he batted .314 in 41 games, and pounded out 18 extra base hits - 6 of them roundtrippers - to finish with a healthy .542 slugging percentage and a .919 OPS. He also smacked a two run homer in his only at-bat in the Winter Caribbean Series, before he was sidelined by a sore right elbow - an injury that caused the Mets to shut him down for three weeks.

The Mets invited Martinez to their major league camp this spring, although he was limited to DH duties because of lingering concerns about his elbow. He hit .333, with 2 hits and a walk in 7 trips to the plate, before being reassigned to the team’s minor league camp last Friday.

With 146 games at the AA level over two years, it will be interesting to see whether the Mets slate Martinez to play at AAA this season, or as is usually more common, that he begins the year back at Binghamton and moves up later.

What do you think of Fernando Martinez and the rest of the Mets farm system? Share your thoughts with us… post your comments or send us an email… Scott can be reached at… scott@citifieldblog.com

As I am sure you may have noticed, the blog has been down for the past few days. We were forced to undergo server maintenance without warning but are now back and better than ever. We have upgraded to newer and faster servers, meaning a better experience for our readers. We apologize that there was no warning and will do our best to avoid all such situations in the future.

I have notified our writers and you can expect new posts soon. Check back for updates!

Thanks,

-The Citi Field Blogger’s

If you can’t make it to the Big East matchup, you can still take in one of two exhibition games between the Mets and the Boston Red Sox later that same week.  Tickets for the April 3rd and 4th games (that’s Friday and Saturday) go on sale this Friday, March 6th, at 10 AM.  First pitch on the 3rd (a Friday) is scheduled for 610PM, and the teams will square off at 110PM on Saturday the 4th.

Through the miracle that is the Internet - along with the folks at StubHub! - I’m proud to say that I’m already (in theory) the proud owner of two tickets for the Mets-Sox game on April 3rd…  bought the pair in time to give to my son for Christmas, in fact.  I grew up with Shea Stadium, and while the past 35 years or so have been wonderful, I’m dying to see Citi Field in action.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not a Shea-hater like so many of you out there.  I’ve heard all the criticisms, how it was a ’sterile’ place, ‘cookie-cutter’, and so on.  I never bought any of that, and never will.  Like so many others, I grew up at Shea (not only on baseball, but on football too)…  those were the days when the Jets actually had a place to play in New York.

I saw Rusty, and King Kong, and the spectacular defense of Rey Ordonez.  I saw Randall K punch out Bonds and Bonilla and Van Slyke in succession.  Watched The Kid smack an extra inning home run on a freezing day in April.  Damn near caught a foul ball off the bat of Doug Flynn.  And hung around during rain delays in the hopes of sliding down to the ‘good’ seats when the tarp came off.  It was with an immense sense of fulfillment that I took my son to his first Mets game at Shea a couple of years back.  But I’m looking forward to seeing the new digs.

Baseball is a game of tremendous history;  so much more so than football or hockey.  And what could be more historic than watching the first Mets game ever at their new stadium, as they host their rivals from the ‘86 World Series?  My son will be able to tell his son (or daughter) that he was there for the first game the Mets ever played at Citi Field - even before Opening Day.  Maybe even tell his children, “I went to the first game back in 2009, the year the Mets finally won the World Series again!”

When do you plan to visit Citi Field for the first time?  Share your thoughts with us…  post your comments or send us an email…  Scott can be reached at…  scott@citifieldblog.com

Anyone else going to the game feel free to send us any photos from Citi Field’s inaugural night. We will be creating an opening night photo gallery and would like to feature some of our readers in it.

VS.

Say tuned for information regarding the Boston Red Sox - Mets exhibition series at Citi Field. The games will be Friday April 3rd and Saturday April 4th. Mets.com claims they will be annoucing the sale date for tickets sometime soon.