ATLANTA – It all starts tonight.
It’s been six months since the New York Mets last played a baseball game. It’s been about nine or 10 since they played one that mattered. But after an offseason of retooling and a rough spring training that saw some of that renewed optimism tempered, the season is finally here.
“We’re ready to get started,” Art Howe said.
The Mets worked out at Turner Field yesterday, but tonight they’ll take the field for real. After last season’s 66-95 catastrophe, the Mets know they need to get off to a good start – even if they’re not exactly characterizing tonight as a must-win.
“[Somebody’s] going to walk away a loser,” Howe said. “It doesn’t mean the season’s over.”
It kind of did last year. If you want to flash back to 2003 opening day, avert your eyes – the Mets were pounded by the Cubs at Shea, 15-2. While they’d rebound to win three of their next four, a lot of the season-long trends were established that afternoon. One was bad defense.
Another was Tom Glavine’s struggles.
Glavine opposes Russ Ortiz tonight, but of less significance is his mound adversary – the real issue here is whether Glavine can finally conquer his Atlanta demons and beat the Braves. Last year he went 0-4 with a 10.35 ERA against his former team.
Tonight, Glavine has a fifth chance for redemption.
“I can think of nothing better at this point in time,” Glavine said.
Glavine admits pitching against the Braves will probably never be like pitching against, say, Houston. How could it be? He spent 19 years in Atlanta’s organization, winning 242 games and a World Series.
But Glavine also believes this year is different. He confessed that when he faced the Braves last season, he felt as if he was “trying to get it over with.” This time, he’s actually looking forward to the start.
“All I can tell you is coming in here this year,” he said, “is not the same as coming in here last year.”
By going 9-14 in 2003, Glavine’s campaign mirrored his team’s. Amidst the struggles came rationalizations – he admitted to feeling “more eyes on me than ever before,” for example.
This year, Glavine knows nobody wants to hear any of that. He knows, “If this team’s going to turn itself around, I’ve got to be a part of that.”
Quite simply, he knows it’s put up or shut up.
“I guess the year of leniency or whatever word you want to use is over. I’m a year removed now.”
Certainly, Glavine has a chance to set the tone for 2004. Not just for himself, but for the Mets as well.
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Atlanta flamed
So much for many happy returns. Tom Glavine faced his ex-mates four times last year, with disastrous results against the Braves each time. Here’s a closer look:
DATEIPHERHRBBSODEC.
May 243 1/3 86220L
May 30795411L
July 95 1/375150L
July 194 1/397132L
TOTALS 20 33 238 1130-4, 10.35 ERA
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OPENING DAY LINEUP
METS
Kaz MatsuiSS
Ricky Gutierrez2B
Cliff FloydLF
Mike PiazzaC
Mike CameronCF
Jason Phillips1B
Karim GarciaRF
Ty Wigginton3B
Tom GlavineP
BRAVES
Rafael FurcalSS
Marcus Giles2B
Chipper JonesLF
Andruw JonesCF
J.D. DrewRF
Julio Franco1B
Johnny EstradaC
Mark DeRosa3B
Russ OrtizP
