Opinion

Scott Podsednik batting .457 and on pace to steal 94 bases? A fluke.

Livan Hernandez’s 16 scoreless innings and 2-0 record? A fluke.

The Pirates’ 7-5 record? Definitely a fluke.

However, there are some other early season trends around baseball that are more than just a stroke of good luck. Let’s take a look at Five Early MLB Trends that are No Fluke.

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It is always hard to watch a player that was once at the top of his game not know when to call it a career.

I understand, and fully respect, the fact that these guys love the game of baseball and want to play as long as they can.

I was originally going to title this piece, “Five Reasons Houston Astros Fans Should Be Happy Right Now,” but during that momentary lapse of reason I guess I forgot the team is still 3-9 (regardless of playing well lately).

However, there are reasons to be optimistic, and we’re now going to quickly count down five positives as Houston heads back to Minute Maid Park for their April 20 series opener against the Florida Marlins.

Brett Myers, boasting an impressive 3.46 ERA, will take the hill on Tuesday as Houston aims to begin their home-stand on the winning track.

If the As

The picture shown here could very well be the last time that Prince Fielder greets his teammates on Opening Day in a Milwaukee Brewers jersey.

There, I wrote it.

This is not a reality that I look forward to.

In fact, Fielder playing Major League Baseball in a uniform other than the Brewers is probably the thing I'm least looking forward to as it relates to the Brewers since Robin Yount's retirement.

I'm not quite sure what Giants GM Brian Sabean was thinking he would get when he signed pitcher Todd Wellemeyer in the off-season. If he was expecting a quality starter, then he made a big mistake.

The only time Wellemeyer was successful as a starter was in  St. Louis under the tutelage of pitching coach Dave Duncan and he barely managed a 4.31 ERA and a 23-21 record. Being away from the best pitching coach in the business has not been good for Wellemeyer in the past (never posting an ERA below 5.00 away from St. Louis) and is not working so "well" in San Fransisco.

If you tune into any one of the Cubs' four upcoming games against the New York Mets, you may get the impression that the umpires misread the calendar and bumped up the first pitch.

But, no fear, Cubs fans, the umps did indeed start the game on time, and, no, they aren’t playing any tricks on you.

That job is left for Lou Piniella, whose latest tinkering of the Cubs lineup may leave you experiencing a slight bout of déjà vu and a sudden onset of nausea.
 

The New York Mets selected Ike Davis with the 18th overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft.  Davis was a first baseman for Arizona State.  Scouts loved Davis' raw power and so did the Mets.

Big things were expected from this kid.  Despite Davis' high expectations he struggled mightily in his first year for the Mets.  He played with the Brooklyn Cyclones and couldn't manage to hit one home run.

Get ready for things to turn around Mets Fans!

The chosen one, Ike Davis, will finally be rejoining the Mets tonight when they take on the Chicago Cubs, tonight at 7:10 p.m. at Citi Field.

So...what should we expect from Davis’ promotion?

Well, clearly the Mets will respond to Davis’ presence in the dugout, and score 14 runs on 22 hits to topple the lowly Cubs.

Boston has long since had a reputation for jumping the gun when it comes to burying its sports teams. Historically speaking, patience in the Hub has been anything but a virtue.

So when the media vultures starting circling David Ortiz after exactly two games this spring, I was quick to defend the veteran slugger, asking for everyone to hold their horses before rioting in the streets.

But now? Hit the panic button. This team's in trouble.

For every Phil Mickelson Masters moment that fuels our optimism and confirms that the sporting fates have a firm sense of morality, there are at least as many examples of the contrary. Episodes where Lady Luck jilts the White Knight, and instead shacks up with the leather-clad Lothario that plays by nobody's rules.

Not even his own.

(Bonus points if you recognize that bit of hybrid pilferage).

Case in point of this latter blight would be the San Francisco Giants' three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers that just concluded on Sunday.