Heyward, Hanson in Braves’ opener today vs. Mets

Heyward's in lineup against the Mets today. Mother Nature, you don't want to stop this. (AP photo)

Port St. Lucie, Fla. – Well, it ain’t raining up in here in the Lousy. Let’s hope it stays that way.

Braves and Metropolitans have a 1 p.m. televised Grapefruit League lid-lifter on tap here at (not much of a) Tradition Field.

(Lid-lifter is a term we don’t see anymore, so whaddya say we expose a generation to it. I like writing like it’s 1956 – that is, if they had blogs in ‘56. Or the Internet. Or computers.)

The Mets have decided to waste no time disappointing their fans, making the bold move of removing all regulars from their lineup in light of the damp field conditions. I would say wet field, but Bobby Cox just said the field is great, so I’ll not dispute the venerable manager on the morning of the first game of his last spring training in uniform. (But between you and me, it’s wet.)

Look below for the weak-arse Mets lineup, which originally had the likes of Bay, Reyes, Wright, Castillo and some guy named Francoeur, but now has nothing resembling a prominent player, unless you consider Gary Matthews Jr. to be such a player. Which he is not, of course.

The Braves haven’t made any lineup changes, and Bobby didn’t indicate they would. They didn’t schlep some of their lineup regulars down here to have them sit and watch others play ball.

The Braves have most of their projected lineup here, with the exceptions of Chipper Jones, Troy Glaus and Matt Diaz.

Yes, Jason “J-Hey” Heyward is in the house – and in the lineup, batting third and playing right field. I was in the clubhouse at noon, and about half the team was sitting around the one TV hanging from the clubhouse ceiling, watching the MLB Network, which is set to show this game.

Hanson is scheduled to go two innings today against the Metropolitans (AP photo)

While most were watching the tube in uniform, Heyward was over on one side of the clubhouse at his locker stall, gearing up. All I could think of was how he looked like a football player getting ready for a game, probably because he’s so large, but also because he looked pretty intense, bobbing to the tunes on his headphones, strapping on a tight wrap over his left (throwing arm), pulling on his sweatbands, his Nike-issued shirt and shorts beneath his uni (how huge a Nike roster member is this guy going to be?).

Yes, he’s played in Grapefruit League games before. But that was last season, when he was a teen-ager here for the experience. Now he’s 20, the talk of baseball, and here to nail down the right-field job this spring.

Across the clubhouse, sitting in his own locker stall and leaning all the way back against the wall, was Tommy Hanson, also looking focused, wearing headphones and staring intently at something on his Iphone or Ipod (from my vantage point, I couldn’t tell which). A year ago when we were here at Tradition Field, Hanson was the talk of spring training, having created a buzz similar to the one that surrounds Heyward now. New York writers came to the Braves clubhouse a year ago here to talk to the next great, home-grown Braves pitcher.

Hanson met or surpassed all expectations in his rookie season, and the Braves believe that Heyward can do much the same. They’re not worried at all about him buckling under the weight of all the attention and soaring expectations.

“He handled himself great,” Cox recently said of Hanson, “for all the hype that he had in the spring and when he as at Gwinnett because he dominated there so much. He handled it very well, and I think Jason’s the same type, same makeup.”

Asked if he was worried at all about Heyward, about anything – the hype, the pressure, playing in the majors at such a young age (20), Cox said: “No. His outfield play is good. His running is good. His throwing is good. He’s got great makeup. The hype, the media business, is not going to bother him one way or the other. Whether he makes the team, doesn’t make the team. He’s got that kind of makeup. It’s really good.”

Just an hour ago in the Braves’ dugout, I asked Cox if it was good to see them in this game together today, last year’s big spring-training story (Hanson) and this year’s big story (Heyward).

“Yeah, and maybe next year’s big story – Freddie Freeman,” Cox said of Heyward’s pal, the 20-year-old first baseman who is on this trip and will likely replace Eric Hinske after the veteran gets two or three at-bats.

“He’ll be all of 21 next year. Three pretty good ones,” Cox said, referring to Hanson, Heyward and Freeman.

I left the Orlando a little late this morning, thinking there was a chance they might call this game off before we drove down. But I made it down here in only about 95 minutes, doing 80 mph or so through rain much of the way, and that’s with a stop for a big ol’ Red Bull and a crappy cigar (I left my good ones at the condo, and have you seen what they sell at a turnpike gas station? Yikes, that particular sweet cigar smell doesn’t exactly smell like success).

We’re here. Ready. And I’m sure you are. Hopefully we get this thing started and Hanson at least gets in his work before any more rain comes.

It’s good to be at the ballpark with the Braves about to play a game. Now it feels like the regular season isn’t far off. Hang on, folks. We’re about to watch the first of 200 or so Bravos games this year.

Braves lineup

1. Nate McLouth, CF

2. Martin Prado, 2B

3. Jason Heyward, RF

Unlike the Mets, the Braves are using regular starting players today, including Escobar.

4. Brian McCann, C

5. Yunel Escobar, SS

6. Melky Cabrera, LF

7. Eric Hinske, 1B

8. Omar Infante, 3B

9. Mitch Jones, DH

Tommy Hanson pitching

Mets (revamped, diluted, weak) lineup

1. Jesus Feliciano LF

2. Ruben Tejada SS

3. Gary Matthews Jr. CF

4. Mike Jacobs DH

5. Mike Hessman 3B

6. Ike Davis 1B

7. Chris Coste C

8. Jason Pridie RF

9. Luis Hernandez, 2B

RH Nelson Figueroa pitching

“THE RAIN CAME DOWN” by Steve Earle

The old man loaded up everything that he owned

On a wagon and headed out west

The old woman fearlessly faced the unknown

‘Cause she figured he knew what was best

And they settled down hard on a government grant

With six mouths to feed and forty acres to plant

♦

And the rain came down

Like an angel come down from above

And the rain came down

It’ll wash you away and there ain’t never enough

♦

Fall turned to winter another year gone

Over and over again

Some took their lives from their land and moved on

And some stayed on to plow it back in

And the good Lord he giveth and he taketh away

And the restless shall go and the faithful shall stay

♦

Now my grandaddy died in the room he was born in

Twenty-three summers ago

But I could have sworn he was beside me this morning

When the sheriff showed up at my door

So don’t you come around here with your auctioneer man

‘Cause you can have the machines but you ain’t taking my land