That way, if you have a rainout, you push everybody back one day. Given that, had there been no rainout on Friday, Santana would start. But once you go with five this early and you have a rainout, it screws everything up. Originally, Randolph said he would push everybody back one day. Why is it so hard for him to say something and follow through with it?

I would rather have Pelfrey pitch against a team he’s had success against than the Phillies, which have lefty-hitting Utley and Howard.

If you’re the Mets why make things more difficult for the guy who can least afford the distraction?

My point WAS to keep on Santana on schedule, which would have been last Monday, today, and next Thursday.-JD

I look forward to seeing Maine continue from ST and following Ollie’s stellar performance.

You make a very good point that Mike Pelfrey’s “routine,” which has been basically to walk the ballpark and get hammered, is less important than the hot dog vendors’ “routine.” Those guys need to stay on schedule!

You juggle with Pelfrey because he has sucked, he’s the 6th man in a 5 man rotation. If you’re lucky rain outs and off days will push him off until he’s in the minors where he belongs.

With Pedro in the rotation I have no problem with the way they set it up to start the year. They play from April 15th to 30th with no off day, so expecting Pedro to make 7 or 8 starts in a row all on 4 days rest just isnt a good idea.

Now that Pedro is out, Santana Maine & Perez should be pitching as soon as possible with Pelfrey and whoever #5 is slotting in around them. Until Pedro comes back and they shift back to the other plan.

You are essentially questioning the wisdom of using a 5-man rotation when the Mets didn’t have to, and there may be some merit to that argument. Personally, I think the #1 reason the Mets chose to go w/ a 5-man rotation was to give Pedro more rest b/w starts b/c 1) historically, he pitches better w/ an extra day’s rest; and 2) to give his body more time to recuperate and thereby avoid injury (now a moot point). But that said, once the Mets decided to go w/ a 5-man rotation – a decision made weeks ago – Santana knew that he’d start Monday against the Fish, and then Sunday against the Bravos. So presumably, he has been preparing himself based on this schedule. So I say again: YOU DO NOT MESS WITH YOUR ACE, particularly when the team has invested $140M into his success, and when his left arm may stand as the only thing b/w the Mets and nauseating mediocrity.