I know, I know.  The season is still young and hitters are just beginning to find their way.  You don’t want to over-react to trends both positive and negative.  But SU is happy to jump the gun and tell it like it is:

• First off, what non-starting player already has two 4-hit games this year?  If you guessed Eduardo Nunez on the Twins, you are a winner.  He’s hitting about .460 and even Paul Molitor can’t keep him on the bench in order to start his .170 hitters.  Nunez has been getting more playing time of late and is taking advantage of his chance.  Long-time SU fave.  Good for him.
• The Yankees are as boring as SU predicted during the winter and spring training.  It is truly painful to watch them.  The CIA should consider Yankee telecasts as another form of torture when they interrogate terrorists.  Surely they would give up vital information by the 5th or 6th inning.  Now with A-Rod possibly down with an oblique injury, they are even more unwatchable.  SU predicts that they will bring up Nick Swisher now (did you know he is playing for them in Scranton?) and that will help to spice things up a little.  Any deficit is too great to overcome.  Girardi is limited in what he can do offensively.  It’s up to Cashman to make a statement: maybe bench Chase Headley or release him?  Guys are too comfortable going through the motions.  Same old story.
• The Mets have had the easiest schedule in MLB history.  It’s time for them to play a team with a record above .500.  Phillies, Marlins, Indians, Braves – cannot get any easier.  But they are starting to hit and you have to be optimistic as a Met fan.
• There will be a lot of parity this year in baseball and thus no poor start is a deal breaker.  The AL East is particularly mediocre.  But SU needs to be entertained.

Tough break for Stephen Curry yesterday.  That fall did not look good and the results of today’s MRI will no doubt be bad news.  But their roster is still excellent and they will not be an easy out.  SU sees them making it to the Conference Finals just the same.

The Atlanta Hawks assistant coach, Atkinson, who has been named the new coach of the Brooklyn Nets is a big Jeremy Lin fan.  SU would be very excited to see Lin go there as a free agent with a chance to start next year.  Until then, check out the Hornets – Heat series.  Spirited games.  Kyrie Irving of the Cavs is just really, really good.  If LeBron allows him to carry more of the offensive load, they will be tough to beat now – especially if Curry is done.  Could be the Cavs year.

SU often criticized for no NHL talk.  Well, the Rangers are out but the Islanders move on.  Feel free to weigh in hockey fans.

SU awoke this morning to read the news of Kobe Bryant going for 60 points on 50 shot attempts in his last NBA game.  Unlike virtually the rest of the world, I thought that was terrible.  No doubt, Kobe has had a storied career: multiple rings; 2 Finals MVP awards; 20 years as a top flight player and one of the all-time scoring leaders.  Unafraid to take the big shot and an intense competitor.  He is also an (alleged) rapist (I guess only 2 people know the full truth on that) but somehow all if forgiven on that front.  I think he has also inspired a generation of me-first, ball hog type players in the NBA (see James Harden) who don’t play the game the right way.  SU did not watch the game but he took 50 of the team’s 85 shots.  Whatever.  It’s like having A-Rod get to hit 27 times in his finale for the Yankees next season.

SU says better to go out like Peyton Manning playing a limited role in a team championship effort than doing it this way.  But I also know that I am likely alone in my thinking here about Kobe.

Lots of video tributes for Bryant before the game.  SU was hoping they would do one of long-time teammate Derek Fisher.  Of course, his would have to be in motion with Fisher running down the street talking being chased by Matt Barnes.  That would have been perfect.

More impressive was Golden State getting the record for most wins in a season.  Team effort reflecting sustained high performance all year long.  SU equates that with the 1998 Yankees 114-win season.  The Golden State record will never be broken – especially in this era where coaches are always resting players.

Met fans are in from the ledge – at least for one day – as the team got a W against the Marlins last night.  Look: they aren’t hitting, it’s cold, it’s early, it’s April.  You need to calm down.  Long-time SU subscriber S. Goldman was right in his comment from yesterday in that they will be playing some horrible teams this year 19 times each.  Baseball is such a long season and the pitching will be solid over the long term.  Even SU is not panicking yet about the Yankees’ uneven offense.  I have plenty of time to go negative!

SU is not a huge golf fan but I do enjoy watching the majors.  Jordan Spieth is only 22 years old and he will rebound nicely – more than likely at the next major tournament.  If he was 45 and this was his last shot, you would probably feel worse for him.  I was impressed how he handled the media.  Rather than talk in the LeBron “3rd person”, it’s interesting that it’s always “we” this and “we” that.  The guy is well-grounded and will process this failure and use it to fuel his next run of tournament wins.

It does make you appreciate how Tiger Woods has (or had) that incredible record of when he leads a tournament after the 3rd round, he almost never loses.  The best front-runner.  Perhaps Spieth will learn to channel his inner Tiger going forward (including banging porn stars after the 3rd round which apparently also helps).  SU hopes Woods can make a comeback because he always makes the majors more interesting.

SU is ready for the NBA playoffs.  My new favorite team, the Charlotte Hornets, picked up a nice win in Boston last night as Jeremy Lin had 25 points including 19 points and 5 steals in the 2nd quarter alone on Asian Night in Boston (as he went to Harvard, they had a big crowd cheering for him).  Apparently, he is a free agent after this year (might be his option) and if Carmelo opts out of NY, the Knicks should bring him back.

SU caught the Golden State win over San Antonio on Sunday night.  They are just a fun team to watch.  Check out the number of touches on any possession or the number of passes.  The ball swings from one side of the court to the other and players are in constant motion.  The beauty is that they will continue to play this way come playoff time.  You can contrast that with the Cavs who will slow it down and feature an amazing number of LeBron isolations.  There was a time that LeBron also played more of a free-wheeling team style but he has become much more of a one-on-one player – I assume at the coach’s direction.  I would love to see Cleveland get tripped up along the way (still unhappy that they fired the coach) but a rematch of Cavs – Warriors would be entertaining.  But don’t sleep on OKC as if they can find a way to stop losing close games down the stretch, have the personnel to challenge Golden State.

Finally, a note to MLB.  Schedule as many early April games out west and down south as possible.  It is painful watching players wearing sweatshirts and hats, and no-one in the stands.  And a note to managers: the Twins are 0-7.  SU fave Eduardo Nunez finally gets to play on Sunday and goes 4 for 4 and then sits the next game.  Look, it’s not that hard.  If a guy is hot, play him the next game.  I will make myself available for managerial fill-ins as necessary as the season unfolds.

I know, I know: the season has already started.  How can these predictions now be valid?  Well, I didn’t have the Mets going undefeated so I think I am ok.

Let’s start with the National League.  SU can barely find room on the Mets’ bandwagon.  Way too crowded and everyone is picking them to win the NL East.  SU is not so sure.  Some teams play better under the radar and have a harder time coping with expectations.  On paper, the young pitchers have more experience under their belts and the young hitters should be that much better.  But….sometimes young players take a step back before they are ready to make the big step forward.  SU believes the Nationals will be a worthy adversary in the East but of course, having Stephen Drew on the roster will ultimately bring them down.  He is a difference maker.  The Mets will win the East but it will go into September and be closer than you think.

Lots of love out there for the Cubs to take the next step and win it all.  SU will agree on that one but the SF Giants win their world championships in the even years and last time I checked, it’s 2016.  Giants win the West, Cubs in the Central and the Nationals and Cardinals take the wild cards.

In the American League, the AL East is a toss-up.  Many predict the Toronto Blue Jays will win the division and the World Series this year.  SU disagrees.  The Jose Bautista contract will become a bigger and bigger distraction as the season unfolds and if any of their starters goes down, they are just a good hitting team with limited pitching.  They may win the East but they won’t make it to the World Series.  Btw, former Yankee phenom Jesus Montero is now in their farm system.  How the mighty have fallen.

The Yankees will contend but YES ratings will be way down along with attendance.  This roster is a snoozefest.  All 5 starters will find their way to the DL during the course of the year.  Texeiria is in his walk year (and he will walk with Greg Bird ready to assume 1st base next season) and he should be motivated for that reason.  Expect harder outs into the shift this year as opposed to softer outs in the past.  Castro will be a guy to watch along with Hicks in the outfield.  He is going to take at bats away from both Ellsbury and Gardner.  The Yankees will make one of the Wild Cards.  The Royals are still in good shape but getting to the World Series 3 years in a row is very hard.  Texas wins the West and the Royals and  Yankees are the Wild Cards. Watch out for Detroit to make a comeback this year and get to the World Series where they lose to the Giants in 6 games.

As always, SU is interested in what the subscriber base is thinking.  Feel free to weigh in.

Finally, great NCAA championship game last night with such a high quality last 10 minutes.  Look for a lot of college coaches incorporating Villanova’s last second full court play into their playbook next season.  That was executed perfectly.  It wasn’t a great tourney and a lousy Final Four but exciting finale.