MLB 2026 preview, part 1: The Mets

 In two weeks, it all begins for reals.

Now, it really isn't fair to take a look at any baseball forecasts with a week remaining in the World Baseball Classic, but it is time to begin looking ahead, and we'll start with the Mets.

After a 2nd half fade-out in 2025, GM David Stearns began overhauling the team. Popular utilityman Jeff McNeil was shipped off to Sacramento, and Brandon Nimmo was reunited with Jacob deGrom in Texas. Scott Boras Badenov leveraged Pete Alonso out of town, and the "Polar Bear" is sure to haunt the Mets when they meet Baltimore this season. Closer Edwin Diaz chased the money, and went back west to the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who just weren't satisfied that Roki Sasaki, as a temporary closer, was a key component to their World Series win over Toronto. They'd prefer Sasaki to be a starter, hence the need for someone like Diaz. Thus, "Narco", Diaz's theme song, will no longer play at Citi Field.

The Mets got bad news to start the pre-season when shortstop Francisco Lindor went down with a broken hand. However, it appears he is on track to return for the opener vs. Pittsburgh in 2 weeks. The Nimmo trade netted the Mets veteran infielder Marcus Semien, and Vidal Brujan, who finished last season in Atlanta, was brought in for infield insurance. The plan seems to be to find someone to play first until Ryan Clifford is major league ready, and while Mark Vientos has experience at the position, he's also rumored to be trade bait. The Mets signed Jorge Polanco (Seattle), and he's learning how to play first base, as he, like Vientos, is mostly a third baseman. Bo Bichette (Toronto) is being groomed at third, while Brett Baty will continue to shuttle between second & third.

In the outfield, the Mets picked up MJ Melendez (Kansas City) and Luis Robert, Jr. (Chicago White Sox). Robert will be the regular center fielder, with Juan Soto moving to left, where he'd played in Washington & San Diego, and Tyrone Taylor is likely platooning with Melendez in right. Behind the plate, the Mets are 4 deep at the moment, though non-roster invite Austin Barnes (Dodgers) makes it five deep, with returnees Francisco Alvarez, Luis Torrens, and Hayden Senger now joined by ex-Yankee Ben Rortvedt (Dodgers), who's been passed around waiver wires like a collection plate at church. Depending on how many catchers Carlos Mendoza wants to bring with him to Pittsburgh in 2 weeks, either Rortvedt or Barnes, or both, could be gone-ski, and Senger could start the season in Syracuse.

And, then, there's the pitching.

Clay Holmes & Nolan McLean are pitching for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic. McLean was roughed up by Italy on Tuesday, after Holmes pitched three solid innings on Sunday. Stearns brought in a couple of old friends from Milwaukee in Freddy Peralta, who will be the opening day starter vs. the Pirates, and Tobias Myers, who will help the revamped bullpen. The Mets heisted two more pitchers from the Yankees in closer Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. 

The rotation figures to be Peralta, followed by any combination of Holmes, David Peterson, Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, & McLean, provided McLean doesn't get sent to Syracuse. Christian Scott didn't pitch last year due to Tommy John surgery, and could wind up in the rotation.

After a lot of criticism, Eric Chavez was sacked as batting coach, so the Mets brought in Troy Snitker (Houston), son of former Atlanta manager Brian Snitker, with Jeff Albert as his assistant. How much of a difference that makes will remain to be seen in the long term.

While some of the bigger stars (i.e. Soto) are in the WBC, the minor leaguers are doing their part to help during Grapefruit League play. What that says is that the Mets will have plenty of depth to work with in case of injury. What I'm more concerned with is the mix & match infield. Will that work? I have my doubts.

Prediction: 2nd place again.

Wartime Mondays: The Captain's Mission (McHale's Navy, 1962)

 Time to scope the lighter side of war, with this season 1 episode of McHale's Navy:

Series star Ernest Borgnine is reduced to a cameo, as the focus is on Captain Binghamton (Joe Flynn, ex-The Joey Bishop Show), who takes over the PT73 for a mission while McHale is on leave. Via flashbacks, Ensign Parker (Tim Conway) explains to McHale exactly what happened. Seems Binghamton was bored being at his desk.......

Down the line, we'll feature Combat!, and other war-centric programs.

You are supposed to remove your hat at a funeral. Guess who thinks he doesn't have to.........

 This pretty much speaks for itself......

A "dignified transfer" of six slain soldiers turns into a debacle just because President Huckster just had to wear a USA cap he's selling online for $55 a pop. Remember, this is a shallow, insecure old man who once disrespected dead soldiers as "suckers & losers", and mocked the late Senator John McCain, who was a prisoner of war at one time, by stating, "I like people who weren't captured.".

Donald Trump is about one thing, and one thing only, and that is, of course, himself, and how much he can profit off his tenure as president. While Trump and VP JD Vance saluted the soldiers, First Lady Melania Trump held her hand over her heart

Melania gets it. Donald doesn't. Gee, what a surprise. Equally unsurprising is that Donald gets another Dunce Cap.

Celebrity Rock: Fever (1972)

 From season 5 of Here's Lucy:

Jim Bailey guest stars in an episode in which he is asked to step in for Phyllis Diller when the latter comes down with laryngitis.

Here, however, is Jim, as himself, with Kim (Lucie Arnaz) for a duet cover of "Fever", made famous by Peggy Lee.

Best known for his impersonations of Judy Garland (who was his mentor, and he'd later tour with Liza Minelli) and Barbra Streisand, in addition to Diller, Bailey did release a live concert album, which is likely a collector's item. Bailey passed away in 2015.

Insight Sundays: A Slight Change in Plans (1979)

 A salesman (Howard McGillin) experiences an epiphany while on a business trip, and begins to reconsider his career options. Co-starring Andrew Duggan (ex-Lancer).

When Icons Meet: Adam West on The Rifleman (1961)

 From season 3 of The Rifleman:

The ice storm that hit Texas a few winters ago reminds us that the Southwest is not immune to winter weather. In the episode, "Stopover", Lucas (Chuck Connors) welcomes a group of stagecoach passengers seeking shelter in the midst of a snowstorm in North Fork.

Adam West, Bethel Leslie, & Gordon Jones (ex-The Abbott & Costello Show) are among the guest stars. Joe Higgins appears as Scotty, instead of his more familiar role as a blacksmith on the series.

Adam West impressed the show's producers, Arnold Laven, Jules Levy, & Arthur Gardner, such that he joined the cast of their other series, The Detectives, the following fall.

An attorney faces disbarment, a magazine depicts the president getting what he deserves, or, just another day

 Ah, the sad story of Lindsey Halligan just took a turn for the worse.

We're learning that Halligan, fraudulently appointed as a US Attorney in Virginia, is facing disbarment in Florida as the state bar there is looking into allegations of ethics violations against the telegenic Halligan, who was an insurance lawyer before hooking up with president Trump.

Even though Florida is a "deep red" state, meaning heavily leaning Republican, the state bar likely won't turn a blind eye at the end to Halligan's inexperience and incompetence. Trump sent her to Virginia because she is eye candy for him to see on TV. If they do, it'll be because sycophants like Rusty Gaetz and Ron DeStupid will go to bat for Halligan in order to win points with President Pampers.

The meltdown from Washington will be glorious, to be sure.

But, Halligan's troubles are only part of what would trigger a meltdown today.

That's because The Week's latest issue came out, with an artist's depiction of Chief Justice John Roberts giving Trump something he didn't get enough of as a child. Discipline.

This was in response to the Supreme Court's recent ruling that the tariffs Trump imposed on other countries-----even though Americans would feel the effects----were, in fact, illegal. Proving once again to be dumber than a case of hammers, Trump imposed a new set of tariffs, as much as 15 percent as of last weekend, defying the Supreme Court, all because he thinks he can do what he wants without consequence.

At least Beavis & Butt-Head try to learn from their mistakes. Trump? The Archduke of Affluenza? Fuhgeddaboutit!!! His mindset is SO last century.

The crying will come from the White House before the morning is over. 

Update, 6:20 pm (ET): Now, the Florida bar says there's no "investigation", as they made a mistake, and are "monitoring" Halligan. Hmmmmmmm.