Opinion

San Francisco Giants right fielder Nate Schierholtz had a tough Spring Training and fellow Giants outfielder John Bowker had a fabulous Spring.

But why should anyone care?

Spring Training means absolutely nothing and numerous Giants are currently verifying what should be an obvious notion.

Tim Lincecum had an ERA approaching seven during the exhibition season, while Todd Wellemeyer finished with an ERA in the mid-two's.

But did Lincecum lose his No. 1 spot in the rotation? No.

Did Wellemeyer move up in the rotation? No.

We’re putting our 162-game journey on hold Tuesday night, and instead Fantasy Baseball Insiders Tonight  is covering parts of several games. Here’s everything you need to know from last night’s action around the league:

There comes a point during a long baseball season that a particular game proves to be the turning point of a season. Last June that proved to be the case on the wrong side for the Mets when Luis Castillo stumbled and dropped a Alex Rodriguez pop up in a 9-8 loss to the Yankees.

Even though 2009 was lost, that one moment began a total spiral out of control that left the Mets as a franchise twisting in the wind.

Fast forward to 2010.

After putting the finishing touches on a sweep of the Dodgers in a twi-night double-header on Tuesday night, the Mets (12-9) see themselves tied with the Phillies for first place in the NL East.

The Mets have taken eight of nine games on this current home stand, thanks to solid pitching, timely hitting, and even better pitching.

There are a lot of reasons to like this team. 

They have speed, they have defense, and surprisingly, they have pitching!  The starting rotation and bullpen have both pitched well beyond anyone's wildest expectations thus far.

Oh, the joys of being a Brewers fan...

Watching the Brewers can be quite stressful, especially given their inconsistent pitching, but it definitely has it's positives.

Some of the best hitting performances you'll see all year come from the Brew Crew.

Curt Schilling criticized Javier Vasquez publicly on ESPN Radio for his slow start this season as a member of the Yankees.

He might have already proved himself as a pitcher, but he shouldn't be saying that as a future HOF. When's the last time you saw a loved HOF criticize someone when they can't even do it themselves anymore? Never? Not anymore, thanks to Schilling.

Unlike division-foe Mike Leake , Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton is not a pitcher.

Morton, who has allowed at least five runs per start this season, lacks the mental toughness needed to pitch in Major League Baseball.

One of the best sports movies of all time is "Field of Dreams."

The movie told the story of Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner constructing a baseball diamond on his cornfield in Iowa.

The film did a wonderful job of allowing us to revisit baseball in its infancy and enjoy what it meant to our fathers and grandfathers.

On Monday, the Philadelphia Phillies announced that they had signed first basemen Ryan Howard to a $125 million, five-year contract extension. The deal includes a sixth year club option, that could potentially keep him in Philadelphia until 2017. 

Ryan Howard will be paid $20 million in 2012 and 2013, $25 million from 2014 to 2016, and the club option is for $23 million with a $10 million buyout. 

That, my friends, is a lot of money.

Now in its second season, Citi Field finally feels a little nit more like the home of the Mets. For fans who went to games there last year, it was nice and it had that new ballpark smell, but something was missing.

Mets officials have tried to sort that out for the 2010 season, and all-in-all I think they've done a pretty good job. There are some big changes, like adding a museum charting the clubs' history, and some subtle tweaks, like painting the stairwell walls orange and blue.

Seems obvious, right? Yet this eluded the club 12 months ago.