Weather Watching...

Rainouts suck. The disappointment is palpable. I feel like I used to feel when our opponent in intramural football would forfeit. You get excited to play, then nuttin. Such a letdown. If they don’t play today, we’ll enter the “Chevy Chase Show” zone of disapointment. It’s best not to think of such things. Some quick hits while we wait for the series to begin:

* The weather is supposed to clear up in NY. Cool tonight, though, with temperatures in the upper 50’s by mid-game. Yes, I’ve added weather.com to my list of sites. I’m going to be fired.

* Weaver is traditionally bad in April, though it’s hard to say if that is the cold weather, or the fact that the season had just begun. It also might be that he’s just not a good pitcher.

* Floyd is apparently ready to go tonight. His numbers against Weaver are 2 for 9 with 2 2B’s. Given the fact that Weaver has reinvented himself more times than Hulk Hogan, and Floyd’s injury history, a sample of 9 ab’s probably doesn’t mean much.

* When it comes to stewed prunes; are three enough? Four too many? This is what we come to when we’re cheering for high pressure systems. (Those are the red lines on the map, right?)

* We’re supposed to have a few showers here Sunday, with rain Monday and Tuesday. It’s supposed to be nice Saturday. So long as Carpenter pitches before Sunday, he’ll be able to come back on regular rest to pitch again in this series.

* Did you know that weather.com has baseball stats???!?!?!?! According to the site, “the most favorable weather conditions for the St. Louis Cardinals are Night [sic] games, temperatures between 74 and 83 and winds cross-field right to left.” Amazingly, the Mets have the exact same quote on their site. They both even have the improperly capitalized ‘N’ in night. So if the wind is just right, and the temperature warms to the mid-70’s, we’ll have the veritable imovable force v. irresistable object. Something’s gotta give. This is what happens when scientists get involved in baseball.

* Speculation is rampant on whether Carp will pitch tomorrow. TLR has not ruled it out. In fact, Bernie seems to think TLR is leaning toward keeping Carp on regular rest. TLR says he’ll go with his gut. I think most Cardinal fans’s guts are churning simply because TLR has a decision to make.

* I’d wait on Carp. The Ace battled an inconsistent strike zone on Sunday by simply rearing back and giving the Padres the gas. I like the idea of an extra day’s rest after that 107 pitch performance. The extra rest before Game 1 against the Pads didn’t seem to hurt.

* On the flip side, Suppan is better at home. One thing that isn’t ever mentioned is who the umpire will be and what their strikezone is. I’ve googled the umps for our series, but find only the following: Tim Welke calls basestealers out more than any ump in baseball save one. If Welke follows a typical crew chief, he’ll start at home, go to an OF spot, then rotate. IF, and I’m merely speculating, he rotates per normal, he’d be at second for Game 4. We have Reyes, who is slow to the plate, pitching that game. So that’s something to think about…I hate rainouts. Forces me to google umpires. You have to know these thing if you’re going to be King.

* I like the fact that the game 1 starters have to pitch on 3 days rest. Glavine is 40, and threw more innings than the 30 year old Weaver. Plus, Weaver is a sinkerball pitcher with a rubber arm, so he should be himself on three days rest. Now, don’t get me wrong; Weaver stinks, and could be worse on 3 days rest. But Glavine is the Mets Ace; and now they only get him on regular rest once in the series…or they go with a bullpen game.

* The Mets included Anderson Hernandez, and infielder, on the roster at the expense of reliever Royce Ring. Would have been fun to listen to McCarver try to say, “reliever Royce Ring.” More practically, it means the Mets have 11 pitchers (same as the Birds), which could be big if Maine and Trachsel can’t get past the fifth inning.

* Well, that’s about all of the irrelevant stuff I can think of. If you have a weird stat, let’s see it.