The Yankees and Mets have each played six games to date, which equates to roughly 3.7 percent of the season.  That’s the equivalent of:

  • the first half of the first game of an NFL season
  • the third quarter of the second game of an NBA season
  • the first two minutes of the third game of the NHL season

Which basically means, no one in their right mind would base an entire season outlook on that small a sample size.

But we’re not talking about people in their right mind, we’re talking about baseball fans.  Worse, New York baseball fans and media, who Brian Cashman colorfully described as “forensic scientists” in their dissection of every decision in every game.

I had to listen as Seth Everett complained on 1050 ESPN Radio that Marcus Thames played left field instead of Brett Gardner or Randy Winn against Jon Lester.

Just imagine the uproar if C.C. Sabathia had entered the ninth inning yesterday with a no-hitter intact and Joe Girardi had taken him out.  Some have already questioned Javier Vazquez’s ability to pitch in New York (never mind that the game was in Tampa) and don’t even visit any Mets forums or comment pages, it’s not a pretty sight.

Here are my takeaways from the first week of the New York baseball season.

* Winning four of six on the road against your biggest division rivals is a great start, but more important is that Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson have made contributions right away.  Granderson is going to be a huge fan favorite, and even though Johnson doesn’t have the hitting stroke down yet, he’s been keeping the line moving with walks.

  • The Yankees relievers are a big improvement over this time last year.  David Robertson, Chan Ho Park and/or Damaso Marte, to Joba Chamberlain to Mo Rivera might be the best sixth-inning-on combo in the game (Jose Veras, Jonathan Albaladejo and Brett Tomko filled three of those roles to begin 2009).
  • Mets fans have been in a panic since pitchers and catcher reported, and losing four of six at home didn’t help.  But they showed they can hit home runs at CitiField, and when Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran – and even Daniel Murphy — return full-time the lineup will suddenly look a lot better.
  • Joe West might not like it, but those Yankees – Red Sox games were a great way to start the season.  More on that here.

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