Can the Mets end the negativity surrounding the team?
After blowing late-season leads in 2007 and 2008, it is postseason or bust for the Mets in 2009. Even a new stadium does not offer a honeymoon and getting off to a good start is key. Normally, impatient New York fans are the end of their rope and will be merciless if the team gets off to the kind of poor start that hampered the team last year. That start also cost manager Willie Randolph his job. Put simply, Francisco Rodriguez better not get to a three-ball count when he faces his first hitter at Citi Field. 2. Have the Mets finally solved their bullpen woes? Last year, a Met fan’s worst nightmare was seeing Jerry Manuel pop out of the dugout to put in yet another struggling reliever. The bullpen blew 29 saves in 2008 and was particularly unreliable late in the season. In 2009, the bullpen should be less of a liability with the additions of closer Francisco Rodriguez and setup man J.J. Putz. There have been concerns about K-Rod’s drop in velocity over the last few years and Putz’s inj
