Time to Panic?

Is it time to panic?  Not about the Mets losing 13-2 to the Pirates, necessarily, but rather the listlessness that has continued into this early season.  The Phillies continue to struggle, all indicators are that the Marlins can't continue at their blistering pace, the Braves are 0-9 in one run games and the Nats are a quadruple-A ball club.  And yet, and yet, the Mets have failed to gain any type of momentum in the month of April.  When there's pitching, the bats have fallen flat more often than not and vice versa.  Which, I should add, is a mark of a mediocre team.  Mediocre teams do not have payrolls within the top five of baseball, nor do they stay mediocre teams long.  Either something is done to raise them up from mediocrity, or those middling players drop off to such a degree that the team ends up in the second division.  

Meanwhile, the Yankees are playing even more poorly than the Mets, and yet I'm don't think I'm as happy as they should be.  It seems as if the Yankees (during the regular season at least) always find a way to make things happen.  Then again, maybe that is the magic of Joe Torre.  And without Brian Bruney ... what will the mighty Highlanders do?

News Item: Sources: Braves' banned prospect didn't test positive for HGH

Turns out, according to espn.com, Braves prospect Jordan Schaefer did not actually test positive (because there isn't a test to give him).  Instead, he is being suspended because of circumstantial evidence.  The Mitchell Report suggested more robust enforcement.  Is tagging a guy a "user" because of circumstantial evidence really progress? 

It will be interesting to see now that we are trying to close the "steroid era" whether the MLB and Bud Selig will swing wildly to a state of panic where innuendo and dubious pretense are enough to besmirch careers for the sake of keeping things "clean."

One would hope not.

Posted by Jersey Matt