Mike Wilks' Blog

Photo from Metsblog

Photo from Metsblog

Being a Baseball fan who lives in the UK MLB.TV is where I watch most of my games. In the UK we also have ESPN America but they show a minority of Mets games so MLB.TV is important.

In the past I’ve had very little issue with MLB.TV and happily pay the subscription. For live games it seems ok this year but for archived games it is completely broken. The archived games either don’t appear or don’t seem to wotk when they do. I was looking forwards to watching the Mets Reds game from Thursday 9th (despite the Mets loss) but I cannot get it to work. In fact I can only get one game from Thursday to play. There doesn’t seem to be much wrong with my setup as games on Wednesday seem ok.

I really hope they fix this. I watch the majority of Mets games on archive because of the time difference so this is important to me. (Admittedly I missed the day game yesterday because I was at the Cinema!).

It’s the first Mets’ game of the season later today, I thought Spring Training would never end. Really looking forwards to seeing games at Citi Field but we have the Reds and Marlin’s away first.
Today’s is a day game which is great for those of us on the other side of the Atlantic. The game is also televised on ESPN America here in the UK. There are pros and cons to ESPN America, on the one hand you get to see a game on the TV not the laptop but on the downside it will be ESPN not SNY coverage.

Anyway, Let’s go Mets!

It has been a long winter but the start of Spring Training is here and I have to say I have missed baseball. As a UK based Mets fan the only contact with baseball is via the internet or via the newly renamed ESPN American – this is especially hard in the winter. That said the Internet is a  great source of various blogs and forums I just miss out on the New York media, to an extent.

Anyway a handful of games into Spring Training there is good and bad so far. Things will no doubt change after a few more games and it’s slightly different this year because of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) interrupting Spring Training:

Johan Santana - Injury worries are not what any Mets fan wants to see from our Ace and arguably the best pitcher in baseball.

Luis Castillo – coming of a nightmare year when he was clearly hurt he looks a different player now. It’s only been a few games but he looks lighter and much more sharp – long may it continue.

5th starter - So far the job appears to be Livan’s but it is early yet. Garcia was just awful on Friday.

Jerry Manuel - It’s Jerry’s first Spring Training as manager with the Mets and there have clearly been changes from last year. Players seem to be more relaxed but I am not sure anyone is thanking him for the 80 pitch in 6 minute drills.

Well it’s taken me a week to get over it and post this (partly because I have been so busy at work). Another final day loss and another year of no post-season for the Mets. Well there’s always next year.

Well the Mets still have something to play for. The division is gone but a wildcard place is still up for grabs. Johan Santana was awesome last night pitching a complete game shutout on 3 days rest, that is why he got a $137m deal.

Lets go Mets.