Palladino: It's Opening Day — Believe It!
By Ernie Palladino
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If spring training was a time for hope, Opening Day is a time for belief.
So go ahead. Believe.
It's OK. Nobody's watching. And everybody's watching.
When the Mets take the field in Washington Monday afternoon, and the Yanks face the Blue Jays at home a few hours later, they will at last set themselves on a path that will end in total satisfaction for the faithful. That's the belief, anyway, and it's no different from the faith that will be exhibited by home and visiting fans alike in 13 other green cathedrals around the nation.
On this day, for the first and last day, everybody has a shot at something good. The picture undoubtedly will look much different two weeks, a month, two months from now. But on this day, everybody starts off even.
So believe.
Believe that Terry Collins and Sandy Alderson haven't just oxygenated the balmy environment of Port St. Lucie with more hot air about a 90-win season and how they have set their team up for its first playoff spot since 2006.
Believe that the top of Joe Girardi's rotation will remain in the Yankees' locker room, and not the surgical waiting room of the Hospital for Special Surgery, the whole year.
This is a day for that kind of faith, even as everybody knows Alderson could have done more in free agency to goose Collins' lineup, or that Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda are not season-ending operations waiting to happen.
Believe that Collins won't have to delve too deeply into his bench at least for the first couple of weeks, since keeping an overload of eight bullpen pitchers means having only four position players to pinch-hit with. Believe that old Bartolo Colon will take his first start deep enough so Collins can slide seamlessly into Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia to offer hope that the young guns -- Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, and maybe even Rafael Montero -- will soon allow the Mets to restructure the roster into a more comfortable array.
Believe that Wilmer Flores will suddenly find some range to help the Mets' middle defense, and that the much slicker Didi Gregorious will put to use the lessons new hitting coach Jeff Pentland imparted and become a reliable offensive tool.
Believe Girardi wasn't kidding when he considered his reluctance to designate Andrew Miller or Dellin Betances as a regular closer no big deal. Still, it would make for a lot less anxiety if he did choose, since closer-by-committee really isn't a great idea. So hang onto the belief that, once past Tanaka's first start, Girardi will settle on the flame-throwing Betances for the ninth inning.
And while we're on Tanaka, believe that his drop in velocity had more to do with his attempt to his trying to develop a sinker to round off his pitching style than any tentativeness his partially torn ulnar ligament is creating. Believe that Pedro Martinez was totally off-base in his assessment that Tanaka's injury ultimately will sink his season.
Believe that young Lucas Duda will have a monster power season filled with pivotal home runs, and that old Alex Rodriguez' productive spring wasn't some mirage. Believe that every part of Mark Teixeira's body will remain intact and allow him to once again become an offensive force, and that David Wright will make good use of the protection Michael Cuddyer offers to resurrect his sinking career.
Most of all, believe that both teams have a real shot, that the Mets can leave the losing behind and challenge the Nationals and pull into the postseason as a wild-card team, and that the Yanks can actually win a watered-down AL East.
Opening Day was made for such thoughts.
The realities of the season will show themselves soon enough. This day is about raising spring hopes to another level.
It's Opening Day.
So go ahead.
Believe!
