Squawker Lisa, you will be pleased to know who is considered the Mets’ biggest offseason acquisition, if you go by who was talked up the most at the start of Friday’s telecast. Yes, it was new hitting coach Kevin Long. The Mets scored only 629 runs in 2014, and they are hoping Long can bring some of that Bronx Bombers magic over to Queens. (Last season the Yankees scored 633 runs).
Of course, the real reason I tuned in to the game was to see the return of Matt Harvey. Lisa, it turns out that not all big-name players who miss a year are required to go on an apology tour upon their return, particularly when they can dial it up to 99 MPH in their first game back. I know it’s only early March, and the Tigers’ lineup wasn’t exactly Murderers’ Row and Cano, but it’s hard not to be excited after Harvey’s great debut.
Yes, it’s only two innings, but so far, so good for the Mets’ rehab strategy with Harvey. Meanwhile, the Yankees certainly have some unusual strategies with their starters, keeping Masahiro Tanaka active with a partially torn UCL and signing off on CC Sabathia gaining weight even though he is pitching on a surgically-repaired knee. At least Sabathia could get a TLC show out of it – “My 300-pound Pitching Life.”
Brian Cashman wants to honor Derek Jeter by having no captain, and during the offseason Sandy Alderson appeared to be honoring Jeter by having no shortstop, but Wilmer Flores had two hits yesterday, so maybe there’s hope there as well.
Speaking of Cashman, remember when he didn’t want to give up a pitching prospect for Alfonso Soriano a couple of years ago? On Thursday, that pitching prospect, Corey Black, broke Hunter Pence’s forearm with a HBP.
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