IS THE beginning of May too early to worry? Or, conversely, is it too early to boast and rest on your laurels?
The answer is “yes” to both questions. Too many baseball things can happen between now and the end of the season: injuries, trades, steroid suspensions.
So don’t fret if you’re in last place, and don’t run your mouth too much if you’re in first. (Although why else play the game if you’re not going to talk trash?) The dog days of August will come around soon enough, and much will change.
For instance:
* The Mets will collapse when Cliff Floyd and Jose Reyes crumble. The worst is bound to happen with these two. Make sure to keep Victor Diaz and Miguel Cairo at the ready. Also, do you see Mike Cameron in a Mets uni in September? Neither do we.
* More pitchers will test positive for steroids. Juan Rincon is only the beginning.
* The Yankees will take on more salary. Ben Sheets was the hot name last season, but his name has evaporated from the “Fit-for-Pinstripes” list since he signed a four-year extension with the Brewers. Now, who knows? Roger Clemens has been rumored.
* Todd Helton could move. This is the most intriguing of all trade rumors. The Rockies don’t want to deal him, but realize he’s wasting his career in Colorado and they could spread his money around elsewhere. Plus, if Helton does move, how much will his numbers plummet, if at all? Something to think about.
* Oliver Perez will get back on track. Perez rarely threw this offseason, opting to rest his overworked arm. The lack of work may be the cause of his miserable start. Perez may be one of the rare players who can’t wait for the dog days.
* The Orioles starting staff dominance will . . . continue. At the beginning of the season, we would never have uttered those words, but we’ll buy O’s pitching coach Ray Miller’s brilliance. What he’s done with Rodrigo Lopez, Eric Bedard, Bruce Chen and, to a lesser extent, Daniel Cabrera and head-case Sidney Ponson, is stunning. No solid reason to think it’ll end. Plus the Baltimore lineup will give them wins even if they’re mediocre.
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Quick Tips: Bust Woody Williams landed on the disabled list last week with a strained left oblique. Ex-Royal Darrell May will replace him in the rotation. May showed signs of promise last season and should be helped by mammoth PETCO Park . . . More closer disruptions: Todd Jones fills in for an injured Guillermo Mota in Florida, and Dustin Hermanson looks as if he’ll be the White Sox closer sooner than later . . . Ryan Howard is filling in for the DL’d Jim Thome as Phillies first baseman. Not worth much.
E-mail: mforde@gmail.com
