5 Thoughts from Opening Day

After a wonderful afternoon at Citi field (and really, it was wonderful until the score went final) here are some thoughts after allowing first impressions to sink in:

1. Hanley has really focused on continuing to improve his defense. His 2009 campaign aimed to end calls for a position switch, yet Hanley maintained in the offseason that he could get even better. After a strong throw in the hole (something he could always get to but seldom complete) and a spectacular diving catch leading to an unassisted double play, I am anxious to see if the defense sticks around.

2. A lot of our starters didn't get enough spring AB's and it showed. Only Gaby Sanchez was consistently working the count, and while it was Johan Santana, perhaps the best in the biz at making hitters look over matched, the Marlins gave away far too many at-bats after working them into hitter's counts. It's axiomatic to say pitching comes in ahead of the hitting, so let's reevaluate in a few weeks.

3. Cameron Maybin still has a lot of growing to do. I'll give him a pass for the 0/4 with 3 K's (all swinging....what appeared to be a garden hose) because it was Santana, but the defense cannot slump like that. Even he knew what kind of trouble he was having because by the end of the game, he was playing so shallow that he was practically playing infield. Have a rough day, that's fine, it happens, but you can't let it alter your game; that's a troubling sign that he'll over compensate to that degree.

4. Gaby Sanchez needs to work on his footwork to stick at 1B. His failure to stretch in the first for what should have been a double play lead immediately to an extra run on the David Wright homer, and he held the bag too much instead of reacting to the ball (on the second overthrow especially). We all know Gaby is a work in progress, but usually that implies some degree of progress actually being made.

5. Citi Field still needs some work. The warning track was whipping sand in the wind all afternoon; I was hoping an outfielder would show up on a camel. This was the first time I sat in the "VIP" seats in the lower level (my third time at Citi overall) and I was amazed by the amenities that go into the section, very neat, too bad no one working knew what to do and it took forever just to get a beer. I never thought I'd say it, but the ability and competence of our humble home field staff laps that of their New York brethren.

And let's not forget, the opener didn't come at home, it was on the road in front of a group of fans that was ready to turn into a lynch mob should the home team fall behind early; they went so far as to loudly boo the coaching staff, and, since they at least have a sense of humor, the training staff. Give the Mets credit for capturing that emotion and playing with a sense of urgency. They struck first, fast, and never looked back. Yes, both teams need a hot start to keep their respective manager's job safe, but the Mets had the added pressure of playing in front of a demanding group of fans that weren't even going to allow for an opening day honeymoon.

It's too bad there isn't a game today to get that awful taste out of our mouths, but when the schedule resumes, Ricky Nolasco will be on the mound to see if his torrid spring can carry over.