For me the three best days of spring are, in order, the following

Number One: Opening Day- Yeah it’s a bit corny and only one regular season game, but I love opening day. I once stayed up until 4:00 AM in 2000 to watch play the Mets play the Cubs in Japan. Rey Ordonez made an error.

Number Two: Pitchers and Catchers Report to Camp- It’s great to see the guys in uniform after a long winter. I love how David Wright seems to show up in Port St. Lucie around Christmas to play catch with himself until pitchers and Catchers show up. It really is exciting to see the guys in camp…for about five minutes, then it’s a month of exhibition games. Yawn, wake me up for opening day.

Number Three: Video Game Debut Day- This may only apply to my generation so some of you older folks may want to stop reading now. From Micro League Baseball (Seriously, email me if you’ve played that game, I have never met anyone who has) to RBI Baseball, to Bases Loaded, to Triple Play, to MVP Baseball to today’s champ, MLB The Show 2008. (Excuse the cover)

Since I am a big-time internet celebrity, I received MLB the Show 08 early. That and because I am a eagle-eyed and unscrupulous Wal-Mart shopper that talked a confused 90 year old lady that works electronics into selling me the game by convincing her I was the devil offering promises of eternal youth and daily calls from her grandkids. Ok, mostly it’s the latter.

Despite having the second ugliest cover of any video game ever (Roger Clemens Baseball being the first) MLB the Show is the best series out there. If you haven’t purchased a next gen console or haven’t seen what’s new, MLB the Show is greatness. For those of you that haven’t made the leap to PS3 or Xbox 360, rosters are automatically updated so you don’t have to spend hours with a season preview magazine making trades or creating players.

The headset works now, which kind of worries me. I’m pretty sure that it’s a crime to swear at a 14 year old Yankees fan that tried to steal third with two outs. Look for the incitement of a Texas man for 134 counts of using profanity towards a minor.

If you have a Duel shock and I do (jealous?) the vibration works and is the strongest of any game I’ve played to date. Runners in scoring position makes it vibrate slightly, I’m not sure why.

The picture is amazing, in between pitches is fantastic, The Show is just a visually stunning game.

The sound is amazing, if you’re like me and have a surround system hooked up to your PS3 (Hey Girls!) you’ll really appreciate the sound detail. A fouled off pitch behind the plate is echoed in rear speakers.

Mets Gripes

Could they not find a picture of Johan in a Mets hat? I watched the press conference as they gave him his hat and jersey. I’m pretty sure I saw a guy there take a picture. He’s only the best pitcher in the game.

Olmedo Saenz is apparently made the Mets roster and is the team’s DH. Who knew? Maybe they know something we don’t.

The crowd seems to boo lineup slots rather than pitchers. Why would a Shea crowd boo Ryan Howard and not Jimmy Rollins. I don’t see Shea boo birds jeering Lance Berkman and not making a sound for Kaz Matsui.

Mike Pelfrey, Marlon Anderson and Scott Schoenweis are in triple A. Do two wrongs make a right?

Mets Raves

Citi Field is in the background of Shea. I’ll be really impressed if Citi Field’s completion in the game mirrors real life Citi Field.

Pitching with Johan in a Mets uniform. No it has nothing to do with the game, it’s just awesome.