Closer to home are the questions facing the Mets.  In the big picture of the those teams that have been anointed as the upper echelon, the Mets are ignored.  Fans are different, our team is more interesting and certainly more important than any of the other 29. 
Much as the NY Giants fans at this point last year had low expectations for the 2011 season, that holds true for Mets fans.  But sometimes we get a gift that wasn't expected.  The Giants gave us one and I truely expect the Mets to fill 162 games with growing expectations.  2012 at Citi Field will be a baseball season and all the nay sayers will be spending that money for tickets and standing in the lines at the Shake Shack.

I have not posted a blog in awhile but here goes nothing...

Welcome back to the blogosphere. I will attempt to give my answers/opinions to the questions that you posed.

Will the 2012 be the baseball powerhouse that some predict or will they be the new version of the Bronx Zoo?

It will be a zoo. I really think that Hanley Ramirez is going to become a true malcontent in that clubhouse because he got moved from shortstop to third base by Jose Reyes.

Can the hope to excel in the NL Central when they lost their manager, pitching coach, and the best player in the game?

No. I actually think that the division is ripe for the picking for the Pittsburgh Pirates to take.

Can the absorb the loss of Fielder forever and Braun for the first 50 games if he is suspended?

No. That is just too much loss of offensive power and Aramis Ramirez is not the answer at filling that void. He (Aramis) might miss 50 games on his own due to injuries.

What will the do with and Kendry Morales now that Albert is aboard?

I believe the plan is for Mark Trumbo to move to third base. As far as Kendrys Morales goes I have not heard anymore news on his injury so I am assuming he is still trying to recover from it.

How good can be after Nolan Ryan gets his hands on him this spring?

If it is like the rest of the pitchers Nolan has gotten his hands on recently then the answer is really good.

Where will the really end up in the standings if their large crop of young players...Espinosa, Ramos, Strasburg, Zimmerman, Desmond and Morse were one year wonders...and is Jason Werth up for a rebound?

I say as low as fourth and as high as second. They will not win the division, nor will they finish in the basement.

How do the stack up when three fifths of their starting rotation are questionable due to injury and they can't seem to hit?

I honestly do not know but despite all that you have said, they just seem to be in the thick of things each and every year.

Can the go into the season with confidence when the left side of their infield is a combined 75 years old with injury history and no one to back them up?

The answer is yes. Eduardo Nunez did an excellent job of filling in for both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez when they were both out with injuries last year so this is really not an issue. Furthermore with Jorge Posada retiring the New York Yankees are planning to use the Designated Hitter's spot to give Jeter and Rodriguez many days off in the field to keep them as fresh as possible.

Can Don Mattingly push the to greater heights when two of his three blue chips...Loney, Ethier...have lost their sparkle and their rotation after Kershaw has no sparkle at all?

Interesting question. I wondered last season if guys on their team were really putting forth their best efforts because of the whole McCourt divorce mess and the fact that there were a few times during last season where it looked like payroll would not be met. I know that there are such things as professionalism and pride, however that does not pay the bills and if I am not getting compensated for services that I already rendered to you that is a problem.

These questions and 100 more should make for a great season...

Where are these questions at? I was on such a roll .

I am sure there will be tons of surprises in the standings and I will bet you will see some big names continue to be moved as the season goes on...

That is all pretty much a given in any Major League Baseball season.

Hold on for the ride!!!...

I am looking forward to it. Good 5 star blog.