My First Grapefruit League Game of the Year

That first hot dog and beer has to accompany my first game of the year.  Conversely, I never eat hot dogs during the off season. They just seem out of place in the middle of a cold, grey winter.  
Yesterday at Port St. Lucie, I caught the Mets hosting the Cardinals.  Perfect weather was just the start at Clover Park.
Mets fans have to be thrilled seeing Starling Marte in the lineup, after injuries wrecked his 2023 season.

Slugging 1st baseman Pete Alonso enters his walk year hoping to land a contract extension and stay in Flushing.  Miles Mikolas — last year’s NL leader in hits and earned runs allowed — was the Cardinals starting pitcher -- and tossed a pair of shutout innings.

(Above:) Right in front of my seat in Section 4, a nice close-up of Alonso in the field... (Below) St. Louis outfielder Dylan Carlson takes a big cut at a Reid Garrett pitch.

Finally, a look at a pair of long-shots to make the Mets roster: (above) If DNA mattered as much as OPS or WAR, Trayce Thompson would be one of the game's brightest stars.  Keep in mind, his father Mychal played in the NBA; his brother  Klay is one of the best players on the Warriors.  Maybe, he’s just a late bloomer: Trayce, after bouncing beteeen the minors and majors the past seven years, has belted a pair of home runs in the first week of exhibition games. 

(Below:) Luke Voit, MLB 2020's home run champ, has struggled the past three seasons.  He flashed power last summer while with the Mets AAA club in Syracuse, and hopes it gives him a leg up while trying to becomes one of the Mets DH's.



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