We have just one day until the baseball season arrives. Jeez, I have been waiting so long for this day. I am prepared to wear orange and blue religously for the next 6 months regardless of the Mets record. I just hope that they can put up a fight again like they did the previous season,but this time, I want a world series title. See i am so tired of the Yankee fans even this year and its only been 0 games into the season. Look at what happened to me already, Someone ripped my Mets decal off my car because of their total jealously that my team is better than theirs. I mean, I dont have so much hate for the Yankees, They have only won 6 world series titles since 1973 and we have won 1 and i know they won 4 since 96 but still 0 since 2000, So when you look at them compared to us, Its really not too much of a total difference as the Yankees even though have an amazing lineup, Their pitching staff is so so and look at their opening day starter? I mean cmon. But regardless, Its just something us mets fans always have to put up with, Those hat wearing yankee fans that you can eat dinner off their brim with their shiny gold rings and their shiny cadillacs. But i am going to predict the Yankees finishing second behind the Red Sox since the sox will be the most powerful team in the majors and have the best record in baseball overall in my mind.

    But since we are only one day away from baseball season begining, I just wanted to remind everyone to please turn off the television as i will during the ring ceremony at St Louis. I will be very angry to see them hand out what was supposed to our championship rings and it will really hurt me to see the cardinals recieve their ah you know. But i can only hope that the mets put a beating on the cardinals tomorrow even if it is the first game and things might be a bit rusty . So tomorrow begins the ritual, I brush my teeth with the Mets toothbrush, I shower with the Mets towel and i light mets candles, But tomorrow i figure i would do something different since it hasnt worked ever and i have been doing it since 1994. I am going to pee on a yankees hat outside tomorrow, Maybe that will work good for us and bad for the Yankees. So lets take a brief look at the mets who wore number one in its beautiful history.

    Richie Ashburn 1962 (April 10-Sept. 30)
Cliff Cook 1963 (-July 12)
Duke Carmel 1963 (July 29-)
Charley Smith 1964 (April 23-) 1965 (April 12-Oct. 3)
Ed Bressoud 1966 (April 15-Oct. 2)
Jerry Buchek 1967(April 11-Oct. 1) 1968 (April 10-Sept. 29)
Kevin Collins 1969 (-May 11)
Bobby Pfeil 1969 (June 25-)
Lute Barnes 1972 (Aug. 4-), 1973 (Sept. 10-)
Gene Clines 1975 (April 8-Sept. 28)
Leo Foster 1976 (July 22-); 1977 (April 7-May 22),
Bobby Valentine 1977 (June 15-), 1978 (April 7-Oct. 1)
Sergio Ferrer  1979 (May 18-Sept. 9)
Mookie Wilson 1980 (Sept. 2-), 1981-1989 (-Aug. 1)
Lou Thornton 1990 (-April 30)
Chuck Carr 1990 (Aug. 21-30)
Vince Coleman 1991-1992
Tony Fernandez 1993 (-June 11)
Kevin Baez 1993 (June 12-)
Fernando Vina 1994 (-Aug. 11)
Ricky Otero 1995 (April 26-July 25)
Lance Johnson 1996-1997 (-Aug. 8)
Esix Snead 2004 (May 20-
Anderson Hernandez 2005 (Sept. 17-); 2006 (April 3-18; Aug. 31 

   Well, All i can say is that their is only two days until baseball season and the # 2 listing isnt so great except for Mackey Sasser!!That was a joke, I still remember him when i was younger. He was a decent catcher but i remember his name the best, Mackey! What a name. I remember one of my friends had a dog named Mackey and i said Its Mackey Sasser every time i saw the dog. I even tried to compare his baseball card to the dog and they actually looked pretty close. He was a ugly man so thats the connection with his curly squiggly hair. But what makes him standout is that he was the last miserable catcher for the mets before the good started (Todd Hundley succeeded him).

   The other players who caught my eye are Kevin Elster who i remember somewhat as i was only 2-4 when he was around.

       Then thats really all. But i have a picture for all of you columnists who i read daily saying that the mets are going to be in 3rd place in the NL EAST! 3RD PLACE! What are we the 2001 mets or 2002 mets. I can name a bunch of differences between that team and this team, **** i can name differences that this team and last years team have and some are bad and some are good differences. Its like how can you put a team who has knocked around so many teams last year behind the Braves in the standings this season.  Okay, so its the pitching staff i guess, But i really see some problems but not as many as the people think. John Maine is a starting pitcher who is normally a good pitcher and im not saying great but good. Duque, even though being 87, Can still pitch and do good for the Mets this season.  Perez, i am still not into it no matter what. His control is whacko sometimes and somtimes he looks like a younger version of Johan Santana ( Okay, maybe thats a stretch). Lastly, Mike Pelfrey will need to step up but what do you really expect out of a 5th starter? If we went around the league and checked, All 5th starters are not good at all, Just enough to get them by and i predict that Pelfrey will win at least 10 games with that lineup in front of him.

    Before i go, I have a prediction to make. Moises Alou will swing at the first pitch only 50 percent of the time. As if any of you have been watching ST, You can see he is a little mad that it is spring training and just wanted to get back to playing meaningful games and just wanted the games to end.

Marv Throneberry 1962 (May 9-) — 1963 (-May 9)
Jimmy Piersall 1963 (May 23-24 ONLY)
George Altman 1964
Chuck Hiller 1965 (May 12-) — 1967 (-July 11)
Phil Linz  1967 (July 11-) — 1968
Bob Aspromonte 1971
Jim Fregosi 1972-1973 (-July 11)
Brock Pemberton 1974 (-Sept. 1-); 1975 (Sept. 9-)
Roy Staiger 1976-1977
Tom Grieve 1978
Phil Mankowski 1980 (-April 29; Sept. 23-)
Jose Oquendo 1983 (May 2-)-1984
Larry Bowa 1985 (Aug. 20-)
Kevin Elster 1986 (Aug. 30-)
Bill Almon 1987 (May 29-)
Mackey Sasser 1988-1992
Wayne Housie 1993 (-June 11)
Doug Saunders 1993 (June 13-)
Damon Buford 1995 (July 28-)

   Not much to say about this list as the only one i can even talk about was Bud Harrelson as being a great met. But we only have 3 days to go until the baseball season begins. I know alot of predictions for the Mets have been bad throughout columnists but in my mind, I feel as if the Mets should win their division even with a fight from the phils in a tough division race.

Gus Bell 1962 (-May 21)
Ed Bouchee 1962 (July 19-31)
Tim Harkness 1963, 1964 (-July 29)
Billy Cowan 1965 (-Aug. 5)
Bud Harrelson 1965 (Sept. 2-), 1966 (Aug. 12-)-1977
Sergio Ferrer 1978
Richie Hebner 1979
Mario Ramirez 1980 (April 10-May 22; July 1-11; Aug. 21-Oct. 5
Mike Cubbage 1981
Rafael Santana 1984 (July 11-)-1987
Junior Noboa 1992 (-July 26 )
Darrin Jackson 1993 (June 11-July 24; Sept. 1-)
Luis Rivera 1994 (-Aug 11)
Carl Everett 1995 (April 26-)-1997
Vance Wilson 1998 (July 31-DNP); 1999 (April 16-May 1, June 2-3, Sept.1-), 2000 (Sep.1 -); 2001 (June 30-), 2002-2004 (-June 15; July 7-Sept. 14)
Miguel Cairo 2005 (April 4-June 17; July 2-

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     Now we move onto just 4 days left until baseball season begins with the Mets playing in St Louis vs the World….Well, i dont like to remember what they are called so here are the number 4′s in Met history. Number 4 is a great number in Mets history. We can start off with The Duke, and im not talking about el duque, Im talking about one of the greatest players in Brooklyn, metro history Duke Snider. I wasnt alive when he played for Brooklyn but my Father always tells me good stories of him playing and i have his autographed baseball somewhere around my room. I guess my 97 David Wright autographs took its place but hey what are you gonna do.  Alot of all time mets greats on this list. Ron Swoboda was a great player in my opinion from what i read about him playing in the 60′s and 70′s. Rusty Staub was also another mets great with his flaming red hair lol.  Another one of my fav’s was Lenny " Nails" Dykstra. He was one of my favirote and i tend to play the field like he did, With reckless abandon.

How can i not say anything about this guy for the short time he was on the mets. Robin " I was Mike Piazza’s Batman" Ventura.  Robin was one of my favirote players of all time since i was born. He played third base almost as better than our boy D Dub.  But honestly, Ventura was amazing defensivly and formed the best infield of all time in my opinion alongside Super Rey, Fonzie, Mr Helmet wearing Olerud. But Ventura wasnt known for that with his tenure of the Mets. He was remembered for the grand slam single and we ( I know i will) Remember that for the rest of my life. But i dont remember him for that. I remember him for sliding in the rain during a rained out Mets Yankees game with the fake Mike Piazza Mustache on. What great times in my life. Then the next day, or so a little after, Mike Piazza crushed a grand slam off Clemens at Yankee Stadium, and then Roger couldnt stop him so he had to hit him in the face. O Roger, I hope you have a 17 era this season. 

    Now we have Chris Woodward, Who defected to the Braves. I really used to like him but now you went to the enemy thusfore you are my enemy. Good Riddance.

Charlie Neal 1962-1963 (-July 1)
Duke Snider 1963 (July 2-)
Wayne Graham 1964 (Aug 7-)
Ron Swoboda 1966-1970
Rusty Staub 1972-1974;
Bruce Boisclair 1976-1979 (-July 9)
Jose Moreno 1980 (May 24-)
Bob Bailor 1981-1983
Lenny Dykstra 1985 (May 3-)-1989 (-June 18)
Lou Thornton 1989 (Sept. 1-)
Robin Ventura 1999-2001
John Valentin 2002
Chris Woodward 2005 (April 4-); 2006 (April 3-

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  Here is a slightly customized picture of David as i do not like the person who is on the regular cover. And we have now five days to go until baseball season starts. I cannot wait until the night when our boys come back to bash the competition around baseball. Now i wont even get into what members of the mets wore # 5 because the only one that matters is David wearing it now. I am so happy to see that he is maturing monthly,weekly,hourly with the mets and will keep on pushing until the mets become the best team in baseball and win a world series title. David has played his heart out and will continue as he sees more ab’s and more pitchers. So heres to you mets fans as we are now going to have hopeful back to back nl east titles.

      One more thing. My predictions. Mets World Series Champs.

  Not much to say here. Just 6 days until baseball season.And 1 day until the best number on the list. On a side note, Come join the Wrightoholics by clicking the section in the left side ( Yahoo Group) and join. We are almost officially David’s fan club, so come join before its too late!

Jim Marshall 1962 (-May 7) 
Cliff Cook 1962 (May 7-July 19)
Rick Herrscher 1962 (July 31-)
Larry Burright 1963, 1964 (-April 23)
Bobby Klaus 1964 (July 29-), 1965
Lou Klimchock 1966 (-May 11)
Jim Hickman 1966 (~Aug. 2-)
Bart Shirley 1967 (-May 18)
Bob W. Johnson 1967 (May 19-)
Al Weis 1968-1971 (-June 25)
Greg Harts 1973 (Sept. 11-)
Rich Puig 1974 (Sept. 9-)
Mike Vail 1976 (June 15-), 1977
Jose Cardenal 1979 (Aug. 3-), 1980 (April 10-Aug. 4)
Wally Backman 1981 (-June 7), 1982-88)
Mike Marshall 1990 (-July 16)
Alex Trevino 1990 (Aug 3-31)
Darren Reed 1990 (~Sept 1-?)
Daryl Boston 1991-92
Joe Orsulak 1993-95
Carlos Baerga 1996 (July 29-)
Manny Alexander 1997 (-Aug. 1)
Carlos Mendoza  1997 (Sept. 1-)
Rich Becker 1998 (March 31-June 10)
Tony Phillips 1998 (July 31-)
Melvin Mora 1999, 2000 (April 29-July 28)
Timo Perez 2000 (Aug. 30-), 2001– 2003 (-May 26; June 10-)
Ricky Gutierrez 2004 (April 6-May 14)
Gerald Williams 2004 (June 9 only)
Tom Wilson 2004 (June 16-19; June 26-July 6)
Jeff Keppinger 2004 (Aug. 20-)
Mike DiFelice 2006

        Just 7 days until the baseball season is here and 7 is the number of our favirote shortstop and # 1 fantasy baseball player in my mind JOSE JOSE JOSE JOSE REYES. Jose is a jolt of offense and provides flare for a team with great charecter/personality. The mets bring their spirit or drive/determination to the field once again in a week and i really am planning on turning the tv off while the cards recieve their world series rings. I just hope the players from the mets can look at that and push their determination a bit more and try to be the ones the following April to get the rings in front of whoever that team may be on opening day. I know we can say last year is in the past but it still stings to see highlights from game 7 as i  ( and many other mets fans) can see that they should have won the series and won the world series last fall. But back onto the numbers because i am very angry with thinking about it. The number 7 is better than the # 8 for a few reasons and i am basing it on one of the best players in N.Y and the world and that is Jose Reyes. He has an amazing chant in Shea and flys around the bases in less than 16 seconds flat. Pretty remarkable for a guy a few years back was considered a bust and will never make if thanks to injuries. But thanks to advancements now a days, he is seen as the best pure player on the mets offensivly and defensively. He has a canon on the infield and all i can hope for is that the mets are smart enough to allow Professor Reyes segments to continue at shea. I learned half of my Spanish through his lessons on the big screen at shea alot this summer. Such as YO TENGO EL CANON. Which translates into i have a canon which Jose truly has in the infield.  I just pray they let the vignettes keep going this Summer as its my favirote and allows me to see the funnier side of Jose and watching him make fun of people who cant speak Spanish good, Well its sort of like watching Anderson Hernandez hit, watching people try and replicate how Jose speaks spanish on the screen,Its just good fun laughs.

   As for the other people on the list. A few more people jump out at me and i remember Kevin Mitchell coming cold off the bench and continuing the rally in game 6 of the 1986 world series with a single to center. Another name that pops up is Todd " Tank" Pratt who even though is a Yankee now, I still have fond memories of him hitting a home run off of Matt Mantei who Steve Finley, thought had the ball in his glove and was in amazement of missing it and Pratt Jumping around the bases like he just opened a Range Rover for his birthday. I still remember that day, I was up in Pennsylvania at my summer house and was ripping apart a Shed and heard the call on WFAN and went nuts. See that made me realize that i should never be in my Summer house unless its on off days or road trips because i need to watch this team, They are extremely exciting and a great thing to sit down and think of. This team has more heart than any team in N.Y combined. If we combined the Rangers,Knicks, Giants, Yankees and then looked at the Mets, The Mets would be outscoring them in heart in every way. All of those New York teams i just named just look stricly for pay checks and not for the fans mostly. Now i will go change the number in my Bathroom to 7 to get ready for opening day. I sometimes think of myself as Ben from Fever Pitch.

Elio Chacon 1962
Chico Fernandez 1963 (May 8-July 11)
Amado Samuel 1964 (-July 13)
Ed Kranepool 1965-1979 see also 21
Hubie Brooks 1981-1984, 1991 (-Aug. 20)
John Christensen 1985 (April 27-July 16; Sept. 16-Oct. 6)
Kevin Mitchell 1986
Clint Hurdle 1987 (-July 1)
Juan Samuel 1989 (June 18-)
Chuck Carr 1990 (April 25-30)
Daryl Boston 1990 (April 30-)
D.J. Dozier 1992 (May 23-27, Sept.
Jeff McKnight 1993 (-May 21)
Charlie Greene 1996 (Sept.
Todd Pratt 1998 (May 5-); 1999-2001 (-July 23)
Gary Bennett 2001 (July 23-)
Jason Phillips 2002 (Sept. 1-)
Jose Reyes 2003 (June 10-Aug. 31); 2004 (June 19-Aug. 13; Sept. 24-); 2005 (April 4-; 2006