Star Power

This is how you know it's spring training:

When you check the boxscore and you see "A Hathaway" in the catcher slot, and you immediately think of the star of "The Princess Diaries".

Then you think: "Who the heck is A Hathaway, anyway?"
Then you think: "Well this is a good excuse to put a picture of Anne Hathaway on my blog."

Then you think: "Can they custom make a chest protector?"

But when you start thinking where Anne Hathaway would bat in the Mets lineup, how the rigors of catching would cost her some meaty movie roles after the surgery scars form on both knees, whether Omar has anything left in the budget to build a separate shower at Shea Stadium (although he probably already built one in anticipation of Manny Ramirez coming to town), and who would protect her in the lineup, then your next thought should be "man, when do these games start already?!?"

By the way, his name is Aaron Hathaway. He's a non-roster invitee, there's no link to a bio on the Mets website, and he wears number 93. This means that Anne Hathaway probably has a slightly better chance of making the Mets roster. Is this good news?

***

I use to worry about Omar Minaya's aversion to young players. But after Adam Loewen's masterpiece against the United States in the World Baseball Tournament, I don't worry anymore.

You see, Loewen is the pitcher that Minaya wanted the Orioles to give up along with Jorge Julio in the Kris Benson trade. Instead, Omar settled for John Maine. After seeing Loewen mow down the Yankees (which is basically who Team USA is to me), I thought not only how nice it would have been to have Loewen in the fold, but how ironic it would have been to dupe Jim Duquette into giving up two prize lefties in his general managerial career. Of course, Duquette picked a great time to realize that you don't give up on young pitching...after he leaves!

I'll just have to settle for the security in knowing that a steady hand is at the helm...Captain Omar.

***

A question for you:

If one leg is longer than the other, and you need to add small padding to even yourself out, would you add it to the shoe of the shorter leg, or the longer leg?

Seems like a simple question to me, and I don't have a medical degree. But Mike Venafro saw a doctor that actually screwed that question up and came up with the wrong answer!

So if Mets reliever Mike Venafro had come to me, instead of the doctor that he went to, he wouldn't have back problems today.

I love this quote from Venafro:

"I was furious, but what can you do?"

Here's an idea Mike: Sue for medical malpractice!!!

Then again, I can't expect that someone who's been hobbling around like Captain Ahab for years on end without realizing that something might be amiss with his legs to figure it out. So consider that piece of advice free.