How Many ROD in a ROOD?

We're going to invent some more terminology here, as we've been known to do on occasion, and as Sally Brown once did when she asked her brother Charlie about fictionalized units of measurement, "How many Rods in a Rood."

You may recall that we once referred to home openers that weren't on Opening Day as "HOTWOODS."

A ROD, for our purposes, doesn't stand for any players nickname, but is an abbreviation for "Road Opening Day," and the Mets will have one of those on Monday afternoon in Cincinnati.

* The Mets are 13-9 all-time in RODs, but are 0-2 on them in Cincinnati, having lost in 1984 and 2005.

* In those 22 RODS, the Mets have outscored their opponents, 123-111, meaning you can expect a high-scoring game. The Mets are averaging 5.6 runs per ROD and their opponents are averaging 5.0.

* The Mets have scored at least 6 runs in each of the 5 RODs they've played in this decade. They are 4-1 in those 5, with the only loss coming in Cincinnati.

* Johan Santana is one of seven Mets STARTING pitchers to earn a win in a ROD. He'll try to join Dwight Gooden (3) and Tom Glavine (2) as the only Mets starters with more than one. The other four starters with a ROD win are Pat Zachry, Craig Swan, Tom Seaver, and Randy Jones.

* Dwight Gooden (1986) is your only Mets pitcher with a complete game in a ROD. He threw one against the Pirates in a 4-2 victory. Gooden also holds the Mets record for most runs allowed in a ROD (7, 1994), thanks to the three-homer game from Tuffy Rhodes.

* Four Mets have had a multi-homer game in a ROD: Robin Ventura (2001), Bobby Bonilla (1992), Kevin McReynolds (1988) and Darryl Strawberry (1988).

* The Mets club record for RBI in a ROD is 4, shared by Robin Ventura (2001), Todd Hundley (1995), Richie Hebner (1979), and Ron Swoboda (1968).

* Some of those same names share the club record for hits in a ROD: Todd Hundley (1995), Jeff Kent (1994), Darryl Strawberry (1988), Kevin McReynolds (1988), and Richie Hebner (1979).

* Jose Reyes take note: No Met has ever had more than one stolen base in a ROD, and only one Met (Jose Vizcaino, 1994) has ever had a triple in a ROD.

* Of the 9 ROD losses, 4 have come by walk-off. They were in 2005 against the Reds, 1995 against the Rockies, 1974 against the Phillies, and 1968 against the Giants. The 1974 walk-off loss, on Mike Schmidt's two-run home run off Tug McGraw, came 35 years ago to the day. It was a rather rude (or perhaps ROOD) beginning to the year, wouldn't ya say?

True Metrods know...The Mets, regardless of whether they open at home or on the road, are 4-1 all-time when opening on April 6.