Saturday, March 24, 2007

Adjustments

New Yorkers can hit anything: Fastballs, curveballs, knuckleballs, forkballs, sinkers, cutters, splitters and changeups.

We can handle the local even when we’re looking for the express.

After waiting for a 2 train, I heard a beautiful rendition of John Coltrane’s My Favorite Things on the 1. The song was interrupted at Chambers Street because of weekend construction.

It was a nice day for a walk.

It’s never nice to hear that Chien-Ming Wang has a hamstring strain, but we’ll get through this just like everything else.

Wang is a favorite around here because he can handle anything. He can give up a leadoff home run and put up zeros the rest of the way. He makes plays on line drives, hot shots and slow dribblers. If the bullpen is worn out, he’ll go nine or grab a save between starts. Back him into a corner with runners on base and he can throw a double play better than anyone.

His always-battle-never-rattle personality will be missed the first few weeks of the season, but we’ll be watching and waiting and winning.

This team is good. It’s good because of Wang and because of his example. He filled a rotation hole in April 2005 and never left. Robinson Cano came up a few days later and has done nothing but shine. Melky Cabrera was a perfect fit last year and Jeff Karstens and Darrell Rasner added to the rotation down the stretch.

Maybe the kids will stick around after Wang’s return and help make this team great.

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