Bobby Ojeda On WFAN: 'Terry's Mantra' Is Key For Mets
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Mets baseball is back at Citi Field, and nobody is more excited than 1986 hero and SNY analyst Bobby Ojeda.
"It's a lot of fun," he told WFAN's Boomer & Carton on Friday morning. "For me, I'm around the game, I'm talking about something that I really love. And I don't have to deal with the anxiety I used to have as a player, I mean, that was the hardest thing for me."
A former pitcher himself, Ojeda has some insight into Mike Pelfrey's early-season struggles.
"Obviously I think he's truly struggling with that ace status that was hung on him," said Ojeda. "I think it's weighing him down. I think he's trying to be Mike Pelfrey the ace rather than Mike Pelfrey the pitcher."
LISTEN: Bobby Ojeda with Boomer & Carton | Download
R.A. Dickey, meanwhile, started 2011 right where he left off in 2010.
"He's fantastic ... he looks like he really enjoys it," Ojeda said. "There's another guy who had it taken away from him, and he's back out there reinventing himself.
"And I saw that 80-mph knuckleball up close. It is impressive."
According to Ojeda, the Mets' disappointing series in Philadelphia won't hamper their home opener. It all boils down to new manager Terry Collins.
"I don't think yesterday's game is going to enter into their mind today," said the analyst. "They're going to play 100 percent the right way. Terry's mantra: Play the game the right way, bust your butt every day, pressure the defense. And that's what I look for from this ballclub, a style of play which, in my opinion, will translate into a lot of wins."
What's the bottom line?
"I like what I'm seeing. I'm not predicting them to go to the World Series, but this is a fun team to watch, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart."
What do you expect from the Mets this season? Let us know in the comments below!
