So the Mets elected to try a novel new experiment last night.  They're going to try to go 162 games with just two starting pitchers.  Apparently it's more prestigious to win the National League East with a degree of difficulty.  (In Omar Minaya's defense, I wouldn't have shelled out umpteen million dollars for Gil Meche or a zillion quadrillion for Barry Zito, either.  It'd just be nice if we had somebody...)

Anyway, thanks to the wonder of televised baseball, I get to have thoughts on last night's game, even though it would be physically impossible for me to have been in Busch Stadium and guzzling diet soda on my couch at the same time.  To wit:

* Tommy Glavine looks good.  Nine more outings like that one and we can call it a career.  And there will so be another 300 game winner, by the way.  It'll be harder now, but I don't believe in saying records can't be acheived, especially since people were saying the same things before the last wave of 300-game winners hit.

* The defense was surprisingly effective last night; a couple of nice double plays, a runner thrown out at the plate, and a diving catch from Moises Alou, who apparently hasn't fossilized yet.  I still remember him whaling on the ball in the 1994 All-Star Game, back in the Pre-Cambrian Era...

* Joe Smith is probably The Most Anonymous Player in Major League History, joining an elite group that also includes The Most Anonymous Number-One Pick Ever, basketball player Joe Smith.  I hope our Joe is planning to get people out at some point.

* My mother, a fellow Mets fan, rooted for Carlos Delgado last night.  She's always been anti-Delgado (long story), and part of me wants to be glad she's coming around.  On the other hand, we went to the NLCS last year with her rooting for everybody on the team but him.  Now I'm afraid she's jinxed us.  Stay tuned...

All in all, an encouraging (if slightly less-than-thrilling) way to open the season.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to lobbying Major League Baseball to adopt a football schedule so that Glavine can pitch every week...