NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

The Devil · Feb 24, 2007

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez should know next week when he can start throwing.
Martinez, who is recovering from rotator cuff surgery, is likely to miss the first half of the season. He repeated that he's working hard at rehabilitation and expects his right shoulder to heal.
"If it doesn't, then I need to hang it up, hang it and go home because I'm not going to work any harder," he said Friday.
Martinez is due for a checkup with team doctors next week. He has been working out three to four hours a day and has been able to increase the weight that the shoulder can lift and resist.
"I still feel like I can do it like I can help this team get over the hump," he said.
Martinez said the rehabilitation has made him appreciate the baseball career he has had. Martinez, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, is 206-92 with a 2.81 ERA and 2,998 strikeouts. Last season, he was 9-8 with a 4.48 ERA.
"It's something God gave me," Martinez said. "It's a gift. I don't know how long it's going to last, but I did realize something you just never know how long you have baseball with you, so enjoy every moment of it, enjoy every bit of it and when it's time to let it go, let it go. No regrets."
Without him, the Mets' rotation is led by Tom Glavine, who turns 41 next month, and 41-year-old Orlando Hernandez, who has arthritis in his neck and will be sidelined for several days after receiving a cortisone shot. Prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas are competing for starting spots along with veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
El Duque returned to Tradition Field on Friday and is likely to throw on Monday.
"If we stay healthy, I think we should be able to do anything, including win it," Martinez said. "I think this team could win it, and I hope I get back in time to push them to the end."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

The Devil · Feb 24, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Orlando Hernandez left the New York Mets' spring training camp and returned to New York to have his neck examined.
<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Orlando Hernandez</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Starting Pitcher
New York Mets

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2006 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR align=right><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">GM</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">W</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">L</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">BB</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">K</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">ERA</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#ffffff><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">29</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">11</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">11</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">61</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">164</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">4.66</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
El Duque, slated to be the No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine in the Mets' shaky starting rotation, felt discomfort in his neck last season and the soreness returned this spring training, New York general manager Omar Minaya said before Thursday's workout.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. The 41-year-old right-hander missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Philip Humber and Mike Pelfrey, and veterans Jorge Sosa, Chan Ho Park, Jason Vargas, Juan Padilla and Aaron Sele.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

The Devil · Feb 24, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Sandy Alomar Jr. agreed to a minor league contract with the New York Mets on Monday.
The 40-year-old catcher, expected to report to spring training Tuesday, hit .278 with 30 RBIs in 108 at-bats last season with the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, who acquired him July 23. Alomar would get a $700,000, one-year contract if added to the major league roster.
A six-time All-Star, Alomar was the 1990 AL Rookie of the Year. His father is starting his second year as the Mets' third-base coach. His brother, Roberto, struggled with the Mets during the 2002 and 2003 seasons.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

The Devil · Feb 24, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=440><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Duaner counting on coming up North
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<SCRIPT language=JavaScript> </SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1> </SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--if (_version < 11) { document.write('

');}//--></SCRIPT> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>PORT ST. LUCIE - Duaner Sanchez has yet to gain clearance to step on a mound, but the reliever, who had surgery last Aug.1 to repair a separated shoulder, still expects to break camp with the Mets.
Sanchez continued to make progress yesterday, tossing a baseball on flat ground at 130feet. He needs to increase the distance to 150-160 feet before taking a step on a pitching slope. "I'm just working on strength," said Sanchez, who went 5-1 with a 2.60 ERA in 49 games last year with the Mets. Sanchez, 27, won't be ready to pitch when the Grapefruit League season opens Wednesday. But relievers need less time to get ready for the season than starters, so Sanchez isn't concerned about getting enough work to be ready for Opening Day.
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The Devil · Feb 24, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2006 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

The Devil · Feb 24, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

Notes
Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. "Their value is really all over the place," Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. "I love versatility," Randolph said. "I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in."

The Devil · Feb 25, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oliver twists to 1st start

Sunday, February 25th, 2007

PORT ST. LUCIE - Oliver Perez, the Opening Day starter for the Pirates in 2006, will be on the mound when the Mets begin Grapefruit League play here on Wednesday against the Tigers. Alay Soler, Billy Wagner, Aaron Heilman, Jon Adkins and Joe Smith also are scheduled to work that day.
Tom Glavine, lining up for the real Opening Day in St. Louis on April 1, pitches Thursday against the Cardinals in the first of back-to-back games against the world champions. Chan Ho Park starts in Jupiter on Friday. The Mets will tune up with intrasquad games tomorrow and Tuesday at Tradition Field. WAITING GAME: Willie Randolph expects Orlando Hernandez, who received a cortisone injection in the base of his neck to alleviate arthritis-induced spasms, to resume throwing Tuesday. The manager suggested El Duque was "in good spirits" yesterday: "I've known Duque for a long time, and I can usually tell when something is bothering him." ... The Mets haven't identified an emergency catcher should Paul Lo Duca and Ramon Castro both be forced to leave a game, but the early favorite is Jose Valentin. ... Randolph said he felt comfortable using David Newhan at second and third base as well as in the outfield. Damion Easley would be the primary backup shortstop, and also could be used at the other infield positions.
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The Devil · Feb 26, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

Mets show fast friends
BY ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Monday, February 26th, 2007

PORT ST. LUCIE - Jose Reyes, the NL's fastest runner, is the runnerup in his own clubhouse.

"We run together," says Mets prospect Carlos Gomez, Reyes' winter workout partner. "He wins sometimes. Ten times, I win seven."
The Mets appear set in center field with MVP candidate Carlos Beltran, only 29, under contract through 2011. Yet the organization's depth at the position is also in great shape - highlighted by Gomez, who should arrive from Triple-A New Orleans no later than September, even if the 21-year-old must adjust to a corner outfield spot to reach Flushing.
Lumped with Mike Pelfrey and Philip Humber as the top four prospects in the organization are 18-year-old Fernando Martinez and Gomez, both center fielders.
And it's not like Lastings Milledge has been written off - even if Mets insiders project their starting outfield when Citi Field opens in '09 as Beltran flanked by Gomez in left and Martinez in right (Milledge is no longer considered a rookie because he has 166 at-bats and 83 days in the majors.).
Reyes watched in awe Tuesday as Gomez shredded the Mets' physical tests. Gomez measured 37 inches on the vertical jump. "That's good for an NBA prospect," says Humber, Gomez's Double-A Binghamton teammate in '06.
"The big leaguers like Reyes, they said, 'I can't believe you jump like that,'" Gomez says, crediting his teen years playing basketball.
Reyes is exempt from that test to avoid tweaking a quadriceps muscle.
The 6-4, 195-pound Gomez hit .281 with seven homers, 48 RBI and 41 steals in 430 at-bats for the B-Mets after taking a major vertical leap in competition by skipping high-A St. Lucie. His average consistently improved, from .205 in April, to .219 in May, to .250 in June, to a sizzling .406 in July, when he had an 18-game hitting streak.
Like Martinez - who spent most of '06 in low-A Hagerstown before helping lift St. Lucie to the Florida State League title - Gomez began last season leading off. Gomez hit only .203 in 172 at-bats in the top slot and felt uncomfortable after altering his swing trying to put the ball in play, so he may hit lower in the order.
"As long as he's in the lineup, I don't care where he hits," GM Omar Minaya says. "Just because he has speed, that doesn't mean he's a leadoff hitter. He has power potential, too. He can be so many different things."
"His offense is coming," Mets VP Tony Bernazard says. "He has speed. He can play defense. He has a good arm. He can run. He can hit for average. And he's going to be able to hit for power."
Count pitcher Jason Vargas, who played with Gomez in the Dominican Republic, among the admirers. Vargas glows when describing one winter play, which the southpaw labels "probably the best throw I've ever seen in person." Gomez raced to the wall in right-center, spun and fired a one-hopper to third base 275 feet away to stop an attempted triple.
"I saw Bo Jackson make one throw when he was with the White Sox, right when he made a comeback, off his back foot from right field at Angels Stadium," Vargas says. "Other than that, I've never seen a throw that good."
Gomez even sounds quick running around the bases.
"I don't know what he's saying, but every step there's some kind of sound out of his mouth. It makes it sound like he's even faster than he is," Humber says.
"He's faster than me," Reyes volunteers.
This spring, Gomez and Martinez, both Dominicans, have cemented their bond.
"Carlos, he's a little crazy, but he's my friend," the lower-key Martinez says.
"I'm the funny guy," says Gomez, who teases other minor leaguers.
Gomez acts seriously, though, while discussing Flushing's future outfield - especially as he relays his conversations with Martinez. "I talk to him every day. He's my homey," Gomez says. "All the time I say, 'Me and you in the outfield for the Mets.'"

The Devil · Feb 27, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>Milledge throws & grows

Tuesday, February 27th, 2007

PORT ST. LUCIE - The throw was a lightning bolt from right, a reminder that just because Lastings Milledge didn't live up to his phenom status last year, it doesn't mean he still can't be a star.
By itself, Milledge's throw in yesterday's intrasquad game, which nailed Fernando Martinez trying to go from first to third on Shawn Green's single, was impressive enough. But perhaps more significantly, it was a payoff on the extra throwing work he's doing this spring, and perhaps a sign that he is growing up on and off the field.
Certainly Milledge is walking and talking as if he received the message from veteran teammates who thought he was too cocky for a rookie.
Yesterday Milledge didn't blink at talk that he was immature last year.
"At times I was, maybe," he admitted, "but all in all, being barely 21, playing in New York, I thought I handled myself well. It's all growing up, man.
"No matter who you are, you've gotta show that you're mature, with the media, or handling yourself on the field in key situations. I actually feel like a big leaguer now. My approach at the plate is better ... my all-around body action, and the way I carry myself."
Milledge has plenty of proving to do to regain the superstar-in-the-making status of only a year ago, before he hit .241 in 166 at-bats in two call-ups last season. Yesterday was a good start, as he hit the ball hard in three at-bats in addition to his eye-opening throw.
And for what it's worth, Milledge sounded as if he very much understands what's ahead of him now. In fact, for a kid who had a rough initiation as a rookie, he seemed completely at ease with the media yesterday, sitting at his locker and offering opinions about everything from the nuances of his game to the dos and don'ts of locker room etiquette.
Here's a sampling of Milledge Live.
On what he has to do to force his way ahead of Shawn Green in right field this spring:
"I have to show them that I'm a major league hitter. I have to show them, 'OK, if there are runners on second and third, and you've got (Curt) Schilling on the mound, I'm going to think about going to right field, about getting a ball up in the zone.'
"I don't have to show them that I can hit four or five bombs in spring training, or steal four or five bases. They know what I can do. My approach to the game is what really matters. It's the small things you do that win games. That's how you stick.
"My dad always told me that, but when you're in high school and you're leading the state in RBI or home runs, you don't want to hear that stuff. But then you get here, and it's a reality check."
On his clubhouse manner last season that led Met veterans to put a sign in his locker that read, "Know Your Place, Rook":
"You learn what you can and can't say. We do a lot of joking around in the clubhouse, but some guys aren't up for the joking. It doesn't matter if you're a young guy or a veteran guy. If you rub a guy the wrong way, you rub him the wrong way. It's just getting to know everybody that way."
On whether he'll ever again high-five the fans on his way to right field after hitting a home run, a move that teammates and opponents considered grandstanding:
"I won't do it again unless we win the World Series," he said with a laugh. "So if I win the World Series, I will do it. You can write that down. If I hit a game-winning home run at Shea Stadium to win the World Series, I'll do it again."
On surviving another winter of trade rumors:
"I wasn't worried at all. Omar (Minaya, the GM) and I talked all winter. He'd call me once or twice a month to see how I was doing, what I was working on. This is where I want to be.
"I feel like I fit in this organization. That's why I haven't been traded. You can see it. I've been (mentioned in deals) with some big-name guys, and I'm still here."
You never know how such quotes translate to the written page, but Milledge was engaging in person yesterday, hard not to like. He doesn't lack for self-confidence, to be sure, but there aren't many star athletes who do. It's hard to know for sure where the Mets stand on him these days. With young outfielders Fernando Martinez and Carlos Gomez on the rise behind him, Milledge may yet be packaged with Aaron Heilman for a starting pitcher at the trading deadline. Then again, after a winter when A's GM Billy Beane tried to pry Milledge away from the Mets, yesterday was an early reminder that maybe they shouldn't be too quick to give up on him.
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The Devil · Feb 27, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

[SIZE=+2]DELGADO DRIVE[/SIZE]
By MARK HALE
PORT ST. LUCIE - Carlos Delgado recalled getting a hit off Pedro Feliciano in last spring's first intrasquad game. When he did it again yesterday, Delgado found humor in his home run, talking to his friend and fellow from Puerto Rico as he rounded the bases.
Yesterday's hit off Feliciano, though, should have meant more than last year's, as Delgado is coming off two different offseason surgeries, one on his right wrist, the other on his left elbow. His 2-for-2 effort yesterday in the Mets' first intrasquad game was a fine progress report of his status.
Even if the 34-year-old slugger wasn't sold.
"The elbow feels good. We still need to work on it and keep it strong, but it's nice to go out there and face some live pitching," Delgado said. "I don't think it's any indication of anything on the first day. But it's good to be out there and be healthy."
In the intrasquad game at Tradition Field - the Sandy Alomar Sr. crew topped the Jerry Manuel squad, 7-2 - Delgado smacked a solo homer to right and lined a single to left.
The homer was a high shot off Feliciano in the top of the second inning that landed on the right field beam. Delgado did a congratulatory shake/dance with Jose Reyes afterward.
"He's the choreographer," Delgado said of Reyes. "I just follow his lead."
The single was to the opposite field off righty Jorge Vasquez in the fourth inning. That was noteworthy, since afterward Willie Randolph said that "hitting the ball the other way consistently" was one of "the things that he (Delgado) probably didn't do as well" in 2006.
"He's swinging the bat well and he's doing everything," Carlos Beltran said. "He's not complaining about his elbow bothering him or anything like that. He's just ready to go. He takes care of himself very well."
Delgado said he believes he's "probably like 80 percent, 85." That's a promising estimate, and he believes he'll be fully healthy for the regular season.
"Just the first few days, you're still a little sore and you just try to work through that if I'm just going back out there," he said. "But I don't anticipate having any problems going out there for Opening Day. I'll be ready to go 100 percent."
Delgado indicated that his elbow is the greater issue than his wrist, calling the latter "a lot simpler procedure."
"Knock on wood, it's been great," he said of the wrist. "I'm back to normal doing whatever I do. And that's what the doctor said, that this probably will come back quicker than the elbow."
"You wouldn't even know there were any problems last year,'' Randolph said. "He didn't complain about it. He didn't say anything. We knew that he wasn't quite 100 percent, but with Carlos you just don't even notice stuff like that because he just is always accountable and he doesn't like to make excuses.
"But the main thing now is that he had those little things taken care of, and he feels good right now, and he always looks the same to me, as far as his physical condition. And I'm looking forward to him having a big year."

The Devil · Feb 28, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>Met's delivery is special
By ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Wednesday, February 28th, 2007

PORT ST. LUCIE - Lastings Milledge passed Joe Smith's locker yesterday afternoon, and tapped the reliever on the shoulder to offer congratulations.

Facing the first batter in his first game of his first spring training, the sidearm-throwing Smith had struck out Milledge on three pitches - the final offering a nasty slider that appeared headed for Milledge's legs, until it veered late over the plate for a called strike. The righthander, who turns 23 in three weeks, then completed a 1-2-3 inning during a scoreless intrasquad game by following up the strikeout with groundouts.

"That's nasty stuff, man," Willie Randolph said.

Smith may need a similar late break to crack the Mets' bullpen out of spring training, but Mets officials predict he'll make an impact in Flushing this season.

Regardless, Smith's ascension already has been storybook. He was cut in his freshman year at Wright State University, dropped to sidearm two years later against his will, then became a third-round pick in the 2006 draft and impressed so much that GM Omar Minaya considered promoting him last season.

"If you're a righthanded batter, good luck," said Philip Humber, Smith's Double-A teammate last season.

Smith began his pro career with Brooklyn by allowing two runs in an inning last June 21. He didn't allow an earned run during his other 16 Cyclones appearances, striking out 28 and walking three while notching nine saves there. Smith then jumped to Binghamton, where Minaya watched him and considered bringing him to the majors - as Minaya had done in Montreal with Chad Cordero only two months after drafting him in '03.

"The team was doing well, and we were not in a situation where we needed a guy like that," Minaya said, alluding to the additions of Roberto Hernandez and Guillermo Mota during the second half of '06, plus submariner Chad Bradford's presence. "In Montreal it was done because we had no choice."

If Duaner Sanchez (shoulder) or Juan Padilla (elbow) is ready by Opening Day, and Jorge Sosa is in the bullpen rather than rotation - all of which are predicted by Mets brass - Smith would have difficulty breaking camp as a Met. He has done the math. Still, Smith and Ambiorix Burgos, the reliever obtained for Brian Bannister, are generating the early buzz in camp.

"If they want to bring me to Shea, I'm all for it. Let's go," Smith said. "But if I'm going to the minor leagues, I'll go there, work and get better."

In addition to a late-breaking slider, Smith boasts a fastball with a heavy sink, allowing him to induce mostly grounders. Righty batters hit 7-for-67 (.104) against him in the minors last season. Lefty batters hit 15-for-49 (.306), but Smith believes he has improved. "That's one thing I worked on a lot over the offseason, and one thing they've talked to me a lot about," Smith said. "My biggest problem was getting inside on them. I think I've figured it out."

Considering Smith's transformation at Wright State, retiring lefty batters requires a modest adjustment. Smith had ordinary numbers the year after he was cut when he made the Raiders throwing overhand: 2.75 ERA, .259 opponent batting average, one save. A new coaching staff arrived, and wanted a sidearm reliever to give the pitching staff a different look. It selected Smith, much to his chagrin.

"His dad threw a fit - 'What are you, crazy?'" Wright State pitching coach Greg Lovelady said. "He probably thought I was the worst coach in America."

Lovelady, trying to sell him on the switch, asked Smith if he had ever seen Bradford pitch. Smith had not, but he went home and used Bradford while playing a video game, which helped sell the idea.

"They still had to convince me the whole winter," Smith said. "I'm like, 'I'll do it every once in a while.' They're like, 'No. The whole time.'"

As a sidearm pitcher, Smith gained about five mph on his fastball, to the low 90s. His stats the next two college seasons: 1.03 ERA, .171 opponents' batting average, 21 saves.
When Smith called Lovelady yesterday afternoon to report on his 1-2-3 inning, including the slider that struck out Milledge looking, the pitching coach wasn't surprised.
"I've probably seen that 100 times," Lovelady said.
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roach23 · Feb 28, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

Devil you worried about your squad's rotation? Think the Phillies closed the gap?

The Devil · Mar 1, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>Over and out for Oliver
BY ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Thursday, March 1st, 2007

PORT ST. LUCIE - As Oliver Perez warmed up for his first Grapefruit League inning yesterday, a slider slipped from his hand, plunking a Sports Illustrated photographer shooting near the backstop.
"When he threw it I was like, 'Oh, no,' because I knew there were a bunch of camera guys back there," catcher Paul LoDuca said. "That smoked that guy right on the freaking calf."
Perez, not known for his pinpoint control in recent years, managed a grin. When the game started, the southpaw found the plate - too much of it, in fact, according to LoDuca.
In two innings, Perez surrendered four runs on five hits, including a homer by Ryan Raburn on a first-pitch changeup, in the Tigers' 5-4 victory at Tradition Field.
Still, the Mets were harping on any positives in the southpaw's early spring outing. They might as well, since Perez and John Maine are penciled into the third and fourth slots in the rotation, and will be counted on heavily.
Perez had the most walks per nine innings of any pitcher who tossed 200 innings the past two seasons (5.76), contributing to a 6.22 ERA in '05 and '06. So Perez throwing 27 of 38 pitches for strikes yesterday was a welcome development, LoDuca suggested - a showing that builds on an NLCS performance that allowed the lefty to forget a 3-13 regular-season record with the Pirates and Mets last year.
"I know he might not have liked the results, but I was happy with it," LoDuca said. "I'd rather him throw strikes - it's the first game of spring training - than him just walk guys. When I set up in, the ball was middle. When I set up away, it was middle. He just caught too much of the plate today. That's more getting out on the mound and more of a timing thing."
Mets officials suggest Perez can emerge as the team's ace.
Tigers coach Lloyd McClendon, who managed Perez during his best season, when the southpaw went 12-10 with a 2.98 ERA for the Pirates in 2004, would not necessarily disagree. Still, McClendon thinks it's too much to ask Perez to carry a staff now.
"I certainly think in a few years, if he continues to develop the way he can, that will certainly come for him," McClendon said. "The slider is very deceptive - hard, boring in on righthanders. And the fastball is 95 to 98. I'm not sure he got there last year, but I certainly think it's in him. He's one of my favorite guys. I, for one, am really rooting for him and I hope he does well, because he's a good kid."
LoDuca compared the movement on Perez's pitches to Kaz Ishii's - perhaps not the most encouraging example for Mets fans.
Since Perez arrived with Roberto Hernandez in the July 31 trade for Xavier Nady, pitching coach Rick Peterson has worked with him to make his delivery more consistent, and to keep pitches down in the strike zone, where hitters are less likely to do damage. Perez often gets in trouble when his front (right) shoulder "flies open" - turning toward third base rather than pointing toward home plate.
Three years ago, in his first full major-league season, Perez led all pitchers with 11 strikeouts per nine innings. His .202 opponent's batting average against ranked second in the NL that year to Arizona's Randy Johnson (.197).
Can he get back to the point where opposing batters, not photographers, shudder? "I don't want to put too much pressure, because I know what happened last year and two years ago," Perez said. "I just have to learn and keep working." Said LoDuca: "He's an energy pitcher. Coming to New York is probably the best thing for him. He feeds off that energy. And he grew up a lot in the playoffs last year."
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The Devil · Mar 1, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

roach23 said:
Devil you worried about your squad's rotation? Think the Phillies closed the gap?

NOT REALLY WORRIED.......I THINK THE PEN MAY BE ONE OF THE BEST IN BASEBALL, THE LINEUP WILL SCORE RUNS AND I STILL LIKE MOST OF THE YOUNG ARMS..........

WOULD LOVE TO SEE BURGOS TAKE OVER THE SETUP SPOT, SANCHEZ COME BACK STRONG AND MOVE HEILMANN TO THE STARTERS SPOT.........

ROACH, THIS KID SMITH MAY ALSO HAVE A SHOT..........ALL IN ALL I LIKE THE TEAM.........

The Devil · Mar 1, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>Mets have aces up sleeve

Thursday, March 1st, 2007

PORT ST. LUCIE - You could almost hear the zinger coming. The more Oliver Perez struggled in the Mets' spring training opener yesterday, the louder the grumbling among the paying customers grew.
Finally, as Perez completed a less-than-sparkling outing, a heckler called over to GM Omar Minaya, seated behind home plate, from a couple of sections away at Tradition Field:
"You should have signed Zito, Omar."
The tone was more playful than mean-spirited, but no doubt the sentiment was real. Judging by the absence of outrage when Barry Zito signed with the Giants, the majority of fans could understand the Mets' unwillingness to go anywhere near the seven-year, $126 million it took to sign him, but that doesn't mean they're happy about it.
David Wright admits that most encounters with Mets fans during his winter living in New York inevitably included questions about why their team wasn't out there signing big names to fill the holes in the rotation.
"People were hearing about Dice-K (Daisuke Matsuzaka) and Zito all the time on ESPN," Wright said yesterday. "From a fan's perspective, they were looking to add pitchers with those kind of names.
"But from our perspective, we know what we have with some of our young guys. We've got guys with electric stuff and great potential who just don't have much experience. We definitely have more pitching depth here than people give us credit for."
Wright said this in the Mets' clubhouse before Perez had a rough start, giving up four runs in two innings in yesterday's 5-4 loss to the Tigers. Not that a pitcher's first outing of the spring is necessarily an indicator of what lies ahead. But considering all the skepticism over a rotation that features only Tom Glavine and El Duque Hernandez as proven starters, the Mets surely could have used a couple of dominant innings to set a tone for the spring and give weight to Wright's analysis.
Of course, you hear similar optimistic talk throughout the Mets clubhouse, and after a few days observing here, it's not hard to see why. This team does have its share of exceptional pitching prospects, both starters and relievers with the kind of live arms that produce spirited reactions.
Sitting among Mets executives and scouts behind the plate during their two intrasquad games on Monday and Tuesday, you couldn't help notice the exchange of knowing glances and the occasional gasps of disbelief, once when John Maine struck out Carlos Delgado with a high fastball that seemed to explode in the strike zone.
Maine, in fact, has looked so good in camp that one Mets person, who didn't want to be identified, insisted, "He could be better than (Mike) Pelfrey and (Philip) Humber. He's got that live fastball, and his changeup has come a long way. He's coming fast."
Yes, you know some of the names by now, from Maine to Pelfrey to Humber. But there are others such as Joe Smith, a righthanded relief prospect, who broke off the nastiest sidearm breaking ball imaginable to strike out Lastings Milledge looking, and made bench coach Jerry Manuel jump out of his seat in excitement.
Of course, that's what spring training is all about, optimism and prospects. Only things sometimes have a way of changing as the games begin.
Which brings us to Perez.
The 25-year-old lefthander could be something of a wild card for the Mets this season. If he can reclaim the form that made him a winner with the Pirates a few years ago, the form he flashed for the Mets last October, a lot of things could fall into place for the starting rotation.
But yesterday he looked more like the Perez who struggled enough in recent years that the Pirates gave up on him. He left too many pitches up in the strike zone, in the middle of the plate, and the Tigers made him pay.
Perez said it was an old problem, rushing his delivery and flying open with his front shoulder, making it difficult to get his ball down. It's a problem he has worked hard with Rick Peterson to correct, but he insisted he wasn't discouraged.
Most everyone connected with the Mets shrugged it off as insignificant, preferring to dwell on the life on his fastball and the fact that he threw 27 strikes among his 38 pitches over two innings.
For a pitcher notorious for control problems, that could be a good sign. But not if too many of his strikes are fat ones, as was the case yesterday. With so many questions about starting pitching hovering over a team with high expectations, this wasn't the way to start answering them. One fan made sure to let Minaya know about it. Chances are he won't be the last.
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The Devil · Mar 1, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

By MARK HALE

March 1, 2007 -- PORT ST. LUCIE - Billy Wagner has said that spring training doesn't usually produce impressive results for him. He didn't have impressive results yesterday in his 2007 debut, either, but said he was pleased.
"Down in the zone, ground balls, pop-ups, take it all day long," Wagner said after surrendering a run on two hits in one inning against the Tigers in the Mets' 5-4 loss. "I think for a first outing, about usual for spring training, couple hits, couple runs. . . . That's where you want to be because that's the only place I've ever been when we get to spring training."
Wagner has been trying to use a new pitch, which is something like a split-finger fastball and a changeup. He tried one yesterday. Wagner said he threw the pitch in the right area, and the pitch was taken. The closer said that would be typical "until they started seeing more of it."

The Devil · Mar 2, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

ON THE FAST TRACK

FIRE-BALLING BURGOS AIMS FOR METS' BULLPEN

By MARK HALE

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XImageTransform.Microsoft.Fade()" alt="ARMED & DANGEROUS:Ambiorix Burgos (left) hit the mid-90s on the radar gun consistently yesterday, earning the save in the Mets' 4-3 exhibition victory over the Cardinals at Tradition Field." src="http://www.nypost.com/seven/03022007/photos/metsa.jpg" width=223 border=0 name=SLIDESIMG>
ARMED & DANGEROUS:Ambiorix Burgos (left) hit the mid-90s on the radar gun consistently yesterday, earning the save in the Mets' 4-3 exhibition victory over the Cardinals at Tradition Field.

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March 2, 2007 -- PORT ST. LUCIE - Miguel Negron wasn't able to hit it fair or foul it off. Ambiorix Burgos fired the fastball past him.
It came in at 96 mph, the game-ending pitch yesterday in the Mets' 4-3 win over the Cardinals at Tradition Field. Burgos, the Mets' new flame-throwing reliever, made his spring debut, picking up the save and flashing eye-opening velocity.
Burgos, who was acquired in a trade from Kansas City, pitched a scoreless ninth inning against St. Louis, striking out one, allowing a single, and breaking two bats (one of which he shattered). The 22-year-old (he turns 23 next month) is competing for a spot in the Mets' bullpen, and is an alluring option. Mets VP of player development Tony Bernazard said Burgos possesses "an unbelievable arm."
Billy Wagner had pitched in Wednesday's game, which ensured he was not going to handle the ninth inning yesterday. Willie Randolph said he had zero hesitation choosing Burgos to take the hill for the final frame, and in the top of the eighth inning with the Mets up a run, the right-hander was warming up.
Burgos, who threw his first pitch 95 mph, allowed a broken-bat single to Tagg Bozied to start the inning, then got Travis Hanson on a 95 mph pitch he grounded to first. Hanson took second on an errant throw, however, and after Burgos shattered Rick Ankiel's bat on a 94 mph pitch that became a fly ball to right, Burgos tossed a wild pitch that sent Hanson to third. But the reliever blew away Negron on a 2-2 pitch to end the game.
"He had good stuff today," Randolph said. "That last pitch really moved down low in the zone, and that's a place where he needs to be."
Burgos said he believes he will be leaving those figures in the dust soon enough. In 2005, Burgos said he threw a pitch that was 103 mph, and said last season he reached 102.
"He's got better stuff than what his stats would indicate," one MLB team executive said yesterday.
Burgos' career ERA in his two seasons is 4.81 (last year it was 5.52), and last year he blew 12 of his 30 save chances. In the winter, he was traded to the Mets for Brian Bannister, and said he was elated with the deal.
"I feel like I just got called up to the big leagues," he said when asked what his reaction was about getting dealt to New York. "I feel in Kansas City that I was in Triple-A."
Omar Minaya said yesterday Burgos is "not a lock" to make the Mets' roster for Opening Day, but it's clear he will be one of the contenders. The Mets have four locks in their bullpen right now: Wagner, Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis and Pedro Feliciano. Duaner Sanchez is rehabbing from a separated shoulder, and he may not be ready.
Minaya, asked whether he thought Sanchez would be ready for Opening Day, said, "Today? Yes. Today. That being said, the question is, is he going to be ready to our liking?" Of that, Minaya said, "It's too early to tell."
Burgos, who said his nickname is "Amby," said he is more confident now than he was last season (though the Mets may want to see him with even more of a strut). He also said he and Rick Peterson are "working on mechanics to be more loose with the rhythm."
Mets 4 Cardinals 3 mark.hale@nypost.com

The Devil · Mar 2, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>Mets built for the long haul

Friday, March 2nd, 2007

PORT ST. LUCIE - The slights keep coming for the Mets. It was one thing for Jimmy Rollins to declare his Phillies, those perennial underachievers, as the team to beat in the National League East this season. Now Steve Phillips, the former Mets GM, is all over ESPN in his gig as baseball analyst picking the Mets to finish third in their division.
Has a team that won 97 games and ran away with the division title ever been shown less respect? The reason is obvious, after a winter in which the Mets failed to make a deal to stabilize a starting rotation that is old at the front end, young and unproven at the back end and without Pedro Martinez for at least the first half of the season.
Fans know the hows and whys of it by now, but yesterday Jeff Wilpon, the chief operating officer and son of team owner Fred, explained his thinking behind a plan he wasn't able to pull off, while shrugging off all the talk that the Mets are headed for a disappointing season.
Noting that he is friendly with Phillips, the GM the Mets fired four years ago, Wilpon said he didn't take Phillips' prediction of doom for the Mets personally.
"Let Steve have his opinion," Wilpon said. "Let everybody have their opinion, but we feel good about what we have here. The talk doesn't bother me. We definitely have something to prove. We need to get back to the playoffs, but beyond that, my whole goal for the organization is, I want us to be the team everybody looks at and says, 'I want to be like the New York Mets.'
"Right now people say that about the Atlanta Braves, the Minnesota Twins. Those are the teams that have been built on long runs. We're building from within around pitching and defense. Everybody questions our pitching, but we've got young guys with great arms who are going to step up at some point."
As he spoke yesterday, Wilpon was practically beaming after watching John Maine, Mike Pelfrey and Philip Humber, the club's top young pitchers, throw consecutive bullpen sessions under the watch of pitching coach Rick Peterson. "From where they were last year to this year, it's night and day," Wilpon said. "They haven't done it in the big leagues yet, but maybe all they need is a chance."
That being said, Wilpon admitted the Mets' winter plan, formulated by GM Omar Minaya, was built around trying to acquire Daisuke Matsuzaka. Wilpon was stunned when the Mets' $39 million posting bid for the Japanese pitcher was topped by Boston's bid of $51 million.
"I thought we bid $10million over the market," he said. "I was crying and moaning that we were bidding too high. There was no way of knowing what other teams were doing, and when we bid (nearly) $40 million, it took a little bit of a gulp to do it.
"And the thing I was scared of was not getting beat by $10 million or $12 million. I was more scared we were going to beat everybody else by $10 million (and thus overpay). Believe me, we had a whole package, we had a plan. The Red Sox got themselves a hell of a pitcher."
When the Mets lost out on Matsuzaka, Wilpon said they turned to Barry Zito, but agreed internally that any deal beyond five years was too much of a gamble. So when the Giants offered seven years, $126 million, Wilpon said he wasn't tempted.
"In negotiations you have to be able to walk away," he said. "That's my job. If Omar says he wants a guy, OK, fine, I'll go all out after him, but we have to have parameters. We have to have a box we're playing within, and I don't want to break the box. I wish Zito well. I hope he does great - it'll be great for baseball. But I don't want to be the guy sitting there, three years in, if he blows out his arm and is out for more than a year.
"So when you look at the way things went during the winter, I don't have any regrets. We believe in our young arms, and with (Tom) Glavine and El Duque (Orlando Hernandez) as veterans, we feel we have the right mix, supported by a strong bullpen."
Finally, Wilpon all but guarantees the Mets will be in the hunt, if necessary, should quality pitching be made available at the in-season trading deadline. "We've got payroll flexibility," was the way he put it. "That's something we're always going to try to have. That and numbers (of tradeable young players). We're building something here. The goal is to make it a long run, not a short run." So, says Wilpon, let people take their shots. His ballclub goes into the new season armed with the best lineup in the National League, all that highly touted young pitching and loads of unspent cash. Phillips should have had such problems when he was the GM.
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The Devil · Mar 3, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

JUPITER, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez can start throwing Saturday as part of his recuperation from October rotator cuff surgery.

<TABLE class=tableheadFixWidth cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right><TBODY><TR class=stathead><TD class=whitelink colSpan=2>Pedro Martinez</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow align=right><TD align=left>

Starting Pitcher
New York Mets

Profile</TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD align=middle><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width=190 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR class=stathead align=middle><TD align=middle colSpan=6>2006 SEASON STATISTICS</TD></TR><TR align=right><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">GM</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">W</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">L</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">BB</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">K</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #bcbcb4" width="17%">ERA</TD></TR><TR align=right bgColor=#ffffff><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">23</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">9</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">8</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">39</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">137</TD><TD style="BACKGROUND: #999999">4.48</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Team physician Dr. David Altchek gave the approval for Martinez's next step, general manager Omar Minaya said Friday. Minaya said the most realistic expectation is for the three-time Cy Young Award to return by August.

"We're probably being very conservative with him," Minaya said. "A lot of it has to do with, psychologically, where is he at?"

Martinez was not available for comment. He went 9-8 with a 4.48 ERA last season and missed the playoffs. Notes:
The Mets renewed the contract of RHP Aaron Heilman.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

The Devil · Mar 3, 2007

Re:JOE SMITH

Re:JOE SMITH

HE'S NO AVERAGE JOE

METS' SMITH MAKES MARK

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WHAT A RELIEF! Mets reliever Joe Smith has been opening eyes during spring training with his side-arm delivery and his knack for fooling hitters.

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March 3, 2007 -- JUPITER, Fla. - So I walk up to side-arming Joe Smith, and playing the part of the wise guy, say, "Joe Smith. That's the most common name in America."
"I've heard that my whole life, but I've never met another one," the Mets reliever answers with a smile, although he did admit to collecting all the Joe Smith basketball cards he could get his hands on and wore the jersey of the 6-foot-10 NBA forward when he was a kid .
Baseball's Joe Smith continues to make a name for himself. He had another strong outing yesterday in the Mets' 6-5 win over the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. The Mets are taking it slow with the rehabbing reliever Duaner Sanchez and Smith's stock continues to rise as the come-from-nowhere story of the spring.
A year ago at this time Smith, 22, was playing college ball at Wright State. Now he is the right man in the right place. The right-hander throws first-pitch strikes, and, here's the key, pounds the strike zone low and gets batters to swing and miss at pitches that are in the strike zone.
That is a huge measuring stick for the Mets.
Not all strikes are created equal.
It's one thing for a batter to swing at a pitch out of the strike zone. You see that a lot in the minor leagues; that's why minor league strikeout statistics can be so misleading.
"Major league hitters don't swing at those pitches," explained Mets bullpen coach Guy Conti, Rick Peterson's right-hand man.
It's quite another for a batter to swing and miss at a strike. That is something the Mets watch closely.
"He looks to me that he is not intimidated at all being here," Conti said of Smith. "He throws the ball over the plate and he starts throwing ground ball after ground ball, that's what we need. I look at three things: swing-and-miss pitches in the strike zone, ground ball to fly ball ratio and a put-away pitch."
Smith has shown all three. He pitched the seventh inning yesterday and got a grounder to short, a strikeout looking, gave up a two-strike single on a high changeup and then froze Preston Wilson for strike three on a slider, his put-away pitch to right-handers. Smith's changeup is his put-away pitch to left-handers.
As Smith came to the dugout, Willie Randolph was the first to greet him with a congratulatory fist pound. It's too early for Randolph to get excited about any minor league pitcher, but the manager did say: "If he can attack the bottom of the [strike] zone he will get those ground balls naturally. I like what I see."
"Pound it, and ground it," is how Smith put it.
Here is your key statistic of the day, courtesy of Conti: "Major league hitters hit .190 at the bottom of the strike zone. That's why we want to keep that ball where they have the most trouble with it. We have a better chance of getting them out."
Smith is not intimidated, but sometimes he looks around and can't believe he's in the same clubhouse as Tom Glavine, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, David Wright and Carlos Delgado. This is the same Joe Smith who was having a few chicken wings and a beer with friends, watching the Mets play the Cardinals last October in the NLCS. He gave up only one earned run in 20 innings last year with the Brooklyn Cyclones.
"It's crazy," Smith said. "Especially when I first got here, it was like, 'What am I doing?' I just tried to stay out of the big boys' way and stay low key."
On the mound, though, he attacks the hitters.
"It's hard to pick up his arm slot, and he gets ahead of you," Mets outfielder Ben Johnson said. "Then he throws that slider. He's got good stuff and he's a good kid, too."
Smith lives in Cincinnati. His pitching hero is Greg Maddux and he grew up a Cubs fan. He came up with the sidearm angle at Wright State, "goofing around in the bullpen one day" in 2004.
Now he's got a major league career in front of him. kevin.kernan@nypost.com

The Devil · Mar 3, 2007

Re: DONT LIKE HOW THEY ARE TREATING AARON HEILMANN

Re: DONT LIKE HOW THEY ARE TREATING AARON HEILMANN

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>Visa problems keep Chan Ho out of park
BY ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Saturday, March 3rd, 2007

JUPITER, Fla. - Chan Ho Park, scheduled to face the Cardinals yesterday, instead was left behind to pitch to Mets minor leaguers in Port St. Lucie because he had yet to obtain a work visa.
Park signed with the Mets on Feb.9 and was unable to return to South Korea to complete the application process before pitchers and catchers reported six days later. The Mets have been working for two weeks, but have not yet secured the required documents. Park hopes the matter will be resolved before his next scheduled start on Wednesday.
Facing minor leaguers in a simulated game, Park tossed 35 pitches and allowed one run on two hits, striking out four and walking one in two-plus innings.
"It was a different intensity than the normal major-league games, but I was focusing on my work instead of hitters," Park said. "I was happy with what I did."
Omar Minaya suggested it wasn't a major setback that Park was unable to face the Cardinals. "As long as he got his innings in, it's no big deal," said the GM, who complimented the break on Park's curveball. "The visa should be approved, we hope, sometime next week."
Aaron Sele, competing with Park for a slot in the rotation, instead started against St. Louis. He allowed one run on three hits, one walk and one strikeout in two innings.

LOW ON HEILMAN: The Mets, who have steadfastly refused to allow Aaron Heilman to start, had another difference of opinion with the pitcher - this one over salary. Minaya announced the organization had come to terms on contracts with 13 of its 14 players on the 40-man roster who are not yet eligible for arbitration. The exception: Heilman, who had no leverage and will be forced to accept the Mets' offer of $453,000 - a raise of $94,000. The new major-league minimum is $380,000.
Heilman, the team's union rep, will be arbitration-eligible for the first time next winter and won't be a free agent until after the 2010 season. Heilman actually missed the cutoff by seven days for being arbitration-eligible this winter. "This isn't personal," agent Mark Rodgers said. "It's a business decision by Aaron Heilman and a business decision by the Mets."
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The Devil · Mar 4, 2007

Re: MIKE PELFREY

Re: MIKE PELFREY

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>Pelfrey looks nice to start
BY ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Sunday, March 4th, 2007

PORT ST. LUCIE - Mike Pelfrey, a leading contender with Chan Ho Park for the final slot in the rotation, tossed two scoreless innings yesterday in the Mets' 5-2 loss to the Dodgers. He erased the lone hit he surrendered by getting Matt Kemp on an inning-ending double play in the second. Pelfrey, who must prove he can throw his breaking ball for strikes, relied on fastballs during this start (18 of his 21 pitches), though both sliders he threw resulted in groundouts.
"The first couple of outings, I think the main thing is to work on my fastball command," Pelfrey said. As for his slider, Pelfrey added: "It's a lot better than the curveball last year. That's for sure."
"It's just exciting to see this young kid get out there and pitch," Willie Randolph said. "He had good stuff. The ball was coming out of his hand real nice today."
Jon Adkins surrendered four runs in the ninth as the Dodgers rallied for the victory.
Jose Reyes delivered his second homer this spring, this one a line drive over the left-field wall off Eric Stults. David Newhan had given the Mets a 2-1 lead with a seventh-inning RBI. Newhan has a team-leading six RBI, four ahead of second-ranked Julio Franco and Reyes.
Aaron Heilman allowed one run in two innings, stranding the bases loaded in the seventh by getting Chin-Lung Hu on an inning-ending double play. "I started nibbling and aiming the ball instead of letting the ball go and being aggressive," Heilman said about the difficulty in his second inning of work, as he began to tire.
Jose Valentin, playing for the first time since twisting his right ankle Monday, went 0-for-2. Lastings Milledge also returned from a bruised right hand. He went 0-for-2, but drove the first pitch he saw to the wall in right.

PERSONAL TOM: Tom Glavine left camp for what Mets brass labeled a personal matter. He should be away for a couple of days, but was not expected to miss his next start, scheduled for Tuesday against the Astros, a team official said. Glavine is not facing any health difficulties such as a recurrence of the finger coldness that caused a scare last season, according to the official. PADILLA PROGRESS: Juan Padilla tossed a 30-pitch batting practice session and pronounced himself ready to enter a Grapefruit League game this week. "I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'll be there soon enough," said Padilla, who had Tommy John elbow surgery last March 14. ... Dave Williams arrived at camp yesterday having finally shed the neck brace he's worn since Jan. 31 surgery to repair a herniated disk. Williams still won't begin throwing until May. ... RHP Marcos Carvajal, who was claimed off waivers Feb.16, resolved his visa issue and arrived in camp. ... John Maine, Philip Humber, Pedro Feliciano and Ambiorix Burgos face the Orioles today. Jaret Wright starts for Baltimore.
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The Devil · Mar 4, 2007

Re: BELTRAN CREDITS JULIO FRANCO

Re: BELTRAN CREDITS JULIO FRANCO

STROKE OF GENIUS

SWING TIP FROM FRANCO MADE BELTRAN A BIG HIT

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BALANCING ACT: By setting up on the balls of his feet, Carlos Beltan's hands are in a more relaxed position, allowing him to zero in and watch the pitch longer.

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March 4, 2007 -- PORT ST. LUCIE - You can marvel at the picture-perfect swing, but the truth is, Carlos Beltran is only going to go as far as his legs take him. That could be all the way to the MVP this season.
Beltran believes he never has been better as a hitter. Sure, it helps having the batting cage in his home in Puerto Rico, where he worked each day to perfect his swing. But the days of worrying about hand placement - if his hands were too high or too low - are past.
He is free as a hitter and is quick to credit Julio Franco for the advice that has taken him to this special place. It has taken time to get it right, but here is the key difference in his swing.
"I learned something with Julio last year that I never did in my past," Beltran tells me in a quiet voice. "It got me to be a more consistent hitter."
Here's Julio's secret.
"Julio said to me, 'Sometimes when you struggle at the plate, you worry about your hands, you worry about your legs, you worry about your timing,'" Beltran explains. "When you are thinking about all those things, you can't react to the ball. You are thinking and that is why you swing at bad pitches. You don't even see the ball.'"
Franco identified the problem, and more importantly, offered a solution. Explains Beltran, "He said, 'Let's block all that other stuff, as soon as you get to the plate, just look for your balance.'"
Beltran then demonstrated what he was talking about, bending his knees as he got in his stance and getting more on the balls of his feet.
"Julio said, 'As soon as you get to the plate, just look for your balance. As soon as you have your balance, just look at the pitcher. That's it.'
"He said when you have balance, everything else will come. Hands will come, everything will come. As soon as you feel your legs, you don't have to worry about your hands.' It worked. I was seeing the ball better, taking my walks and everything.
"I wasn't swinging at bad pitches. I've been working every day on my balance, try to stay inside the ball, try to simplify the game, I just think about making contact."
For his part, Franco said, "I was just trying to get him balanced, so he could have his weight in the right place and stay back."
Beltran is thankful.
"I started working on it in spring training last year and everything improved," Beltran explains.
Beltran has talked about the possibility of winning the MVP this season. That's how confident he is and how far he has come since his first year as a Met in 2005 when he hit just .266 with only 16 home runs and 78 RBIs. Beltran's swing was long that season; he never seemed comfortable at the plate.
Last season, once he got his legs under him, and his balance, his average moved up to .275 with 41 home runs and 116 RBIs. His walks also increased from 56 to 95. He became balanced as a hitter.
"Hitting is from the ground up," explains Rick Down, the Mets' hitting coach.
The strength of Beltran's maturity can be seen in how he handles questions about that final strikeout against the Cardinals. Adam Wainwright got ahead with a change-up and then finished him off with a remarkable curve ball.
Beltran has quickly moved on, essentially tipping his cap to Wainwright for that breaking ball. That's all in the past; Beltran is looking ahead now.
"Being able to win an award like MVP, that would be a great feeling, just to be able to be the best player in the league," he says. "I know to get there you need to work hard. Things need to go well for you. My main goal this year is to stay healthy. If I stay healthy, I know that I will work hard and try to get to that point. I don't know if I will be MVP or not, but I will give it my best and we will see how this season goes."
The advice Beltran has received from Franco, as well as his own experiences, are already being passed along to the Mets' Next Generation of Outfielders, Fernando Martinez and Carlos Gomez.
"Oh man, those guys, they have so much talent; they are unbelievable," says Beltran, who will hit the Big 3-0 next month. "For as young as they are, they are impressive."
Maybe someday as impressive as Beltran. It's all about balance. kevin.kernan@nypost.com

The Devil · Mar 5, 2007

Re: BAD OUTING FOR HUMBER

Re: BAD OUTING FOR HUMBER

HUMBERSTRUCK

METS PROSPECT HAS AW-PHIL OUTING

By MARK HALE

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COLLISION COURSE: Mets pitcher Philip Humber gets run over by the Orioles' Corey Patterson at first base during yesterday's 6-3 loss. Humber pitched one inning and allowed five runs.

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March 5, 2007 -- FORT LAUDERDALE - Facing Ramon Hernandez yesterday, Philip Humber threw a wild pitch. Later in the same at-bat, Humber hit Hernandez.
Humber - the Mets' second-best pitching prospect - was pretty dismal in his spring debut, a 6-3 loss to the Orioles.
Suffering from poor control, Humber only lasted one inning and posted an ugly line. He faced 10 hitters and allowed five earned runs, three hits, two walks, one hit-by-pitch and one wild pitch.
"Everything was up," Humber said. "Just one of those days, man. I didn't do a very good job of making pitches today, and it's something that I have to come back and work on in the bullpen and for the next time out, it'll be a lot better."
Humber is contending for a spot in the Mets' rotation, but he isn't a leading candidate for the job. The 24-year-old was much less impressive and notable than his fellow prospect, Mike Pelfrey, was on Saturday against the Dodgers, though Humber didn't think yesterday's 38-pitch outing set him back severely.
"There's going to be outings like this," he said. "I was just talking to coach [Rick] Peterson and there's going to be guys that have big contracts, guys that have been around for a long time in spring training, things like that happen. That's what spring training's for, is to get that out of the way so hopefully it doesn't happen during the season."
Humber's velocity on his fastball hit 92 mph yesterday (he threw many pitches at 91), and early on in his inning on the mound he threw fastballs exclusively. He said it was due to not being ahead of hitters often.
To begin his outing - Humber pitched the third inning, coming in after John Maine hurled the first two - Corey Patterson reached on an infield single off first baseman Mike Carp's glove (a makeable play), and Chris Gomez reached on a fielder's choice (which probably should have been a throwing error on third baseman David Newhan). Humber then fell behind 3-1 to Val Majewski before allowing an RBI single to center.
A four-pitch walk to Brian Roberts put runners at every base, and Melvin Mora drilled a three-run double into the left-centerfield gap. Jay Gibbons then walked, Miguel Tejada hit an RBI groundout and Hernandez was hit by a pitch before Humber got the final two outs of the inning.
"He's a young, strong kid that looked like he was overthrowing the ball a little bit," Willie Randolph said. "And he needs just to settle in."
Humber said that he wasn't nervous knowing that he's competing for a rotation spot ("I wish I could say that had something to do with it") and said he "was excited to get out there and show them what I can do."
"Next time will be better," Humber said. "I've had days like this before and bounced back." mark.hale@nypost.com

The Devil · Mar 5, 2007

Re: WRIGHT WOULD MOVE FOR A-ROD........

Re: WRIGHT WOULD MOVE FOR A-ROD........

WRIGHT: I'D MOVE OVER FOR A-ROD

By MARK HALE

March 5, 2007 -- FORT LAUDERDALE - When the Yankees traded for Alex Rodriguez, he switched positions. If the Mets get A-Rod after this year, David Wright wouldn't mind doing it himself.
A-Rod has an option to escape his Yankees contract after this season, and yesterday Wright confirmed a report that said he would be fine with abandoning third base and allowing Rodriguez to play the hot corner if A-Rod came to the Mets.
"For Alex Rodriguez? Yeah," Wright said when asked if he could see himself playing another position. "He's Alex Rodriguez. He's a Hall of Famer. He does everything in the game exceptionally well. I still think it's a little premature to be . . . testing the waters, but he's a great player, and you're talking about a player that makes any team instantly better.
"It's not about necessarily moving. It's about if Omar [Minaya] or someone from the front office approaches me and says, 'Hey, we're looking, Alex has an interest in coming to Queens,' I'd be the first one to offer to play anywhere they want me to because like I said, a guy like that just makes a team completely just better from the get-go."
Having A-Rod come to the Mets, of course, is a huge longshot. Minaya said, "We love David Wright at third base."
*
Steve Trachsel is now with the Orioles, and the former Mets right-hander admitted he was "a little bit" taken aback with the fact that he had such a tepid offseason as a free agent when it came to being pursued.
"I had a pretty good year," Trachsel said. "I know what happened, but I'm not talking about that. It's out of my control."
The 36-year-old Trachsel - who now has blond highlights in his hair - went 15-8 with a 4.97 ERA last year for the Mets, but he had a dreary postseason. In the NLCS, he surrendered five runs in one-plus inning, allowing 10 of 12 hitters to reach base and leaving with a right thigh contusion. Willie Randolph said later in the series that Trachsel had pulled himself out of the game (Trachsel said it "was mutual").
Yesterday Minaya praised Trachsel for his Mets tenure and said of his exit, "We were going to move on. The way we saw [John] Maine and Oliver Perez pitch in the playoffs, we made a decision that . . . the dollars were going to be invested in position players."
* Orlando Hernandez may make his spring debut on Wednesday or Thursday, according to Randolph. El Duque has been dealing with neck arthritis. . . . The Mets fell to 2-3, dropping yesterday's contest to Baltimore, 6-3. No Mets starting position players made the trip.

The Devil · Mar 5, 2007

ReIFFERENT NEWPAPER STORY ON WRIGHT/A-ROD

Re

IFFERENT NEWPAPER STORY ON WRIGHT/A-ROD

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>A-Rod? He'd fit Wright in
BY PETER BOTTE
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Monday, March 5th, 2007

PORT ST. LUCIE - Alex Rodriguez had to switch positions to become a Yankee because of Derek Jeter's presence at shortstop. But the matinee-idol star on the other side of town would be willing to make a similar move on the minuscule chance A-Rod lands in Flushing next season.
If Rodriguez exercises his right to opt out of his mega-contract after 2007, David Wright said he'd "absolutely" vacate third base and switch to the outfield or second base if the Mets decide to pursue A-Rod as a free agent.
"For Alex Rodriguez? Yeah. He's Alex Rodriguez," Wright said yesterday at Tradition Field. "He's a Hall of Famer. He does everything in the game extremely well. I still think it's a little premature to be testing the waters. But he's a great player. You're talking about a player who makes any team instantly better.
"You're talking about, at the end of his career, someone who could be one of the greatest players of all time. The point is not to court A-Rod, because who knows if A-Rod is going to opt out or stay with the Yankees. But if it's something serious, then I'd love to sit down and talk about it."
Wright's willingness to shift positions remains a longshot and, if nothing else, interesting back-page fodder.
GM Omar Minaya laughed when asked about the possibility yesterday, jokingly leaning on the rule that he's unable to comment on players under contract to another team. "We love David Wright at third base," Minaya said.
So much so that the Mets signed Wright to a five-year, $55 million contract extension last season. Additionally, there's the small matter of what it would take to sign Rodriguez, whose agent Scott Boras clearly will seek something comparable to A-Rod's current $25 million annual salary if they opt out of the final three years and $75 million remaining on his existing deal after this season.
"Besides loving the Yankees, I love the American League. It's where I've played my whole career," Rodriguez said Saturday when asked about suggestions he might like to play for Lou Piniella and the Cubs next season. "So whoever writes that couldn't be more wrong."
Still, Wright entertained the possibilities of a potential switch anyway, even saying catcher is "probably the one position I'm not going to play." According to Wright, he's never played the outfield aside from one time when his father coached him in Little League and "wanted to teach me a lesson" - and occasionally shagging flies. "But I don't see why not," he added.
He also offered a "we'll see" about shifting to second to form a marquee double-play combo with Reyes, joking, "We'd have to come up with a double-play handshake."
At least Wright and Reyes, who was moved from shortstop to second base three seasons ago for Kaz Matsui, have a friendlier relationship than Jeter and Rodriguez. "I really do hate (Reyes)," Wright joked.
The Mets' All-Star third baseman said he and A-Rod have become casual acquaintances through various charity appearances and by "running into each other" at restaurants.
"The thing about Alex, he's always gone out of his way to say hello and thank me for the kind words I say about him. And I do the same," Wright said. "It's not something where I'm very close to Alex. I think we both have respect for each other, especially me for him, knowing what he goes through on a daily basis." Asked if there are other third basemen he'd consider switching positions for, Wright mentioned St. Louis All-Star Scott Rolen, but then tried to downplay the likelihood of such a possibility arising. "It's not about necessarily moving. It's about if Omar or someone in the front office approaches me and says, 'Hey, Alex has an interest in coming to Queens.' I'd be the first one to offer to play anywhere they wanted me to," Wright said. "A guy like that makes a team completely better from the get-go."
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The Devil · Mar 6, 2007

Re: JOSE JOSE

Re: JOSE JOSE

COSMIC REY

JOSE OUT OF THIS WORLD

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THRILL OF DE FEET: Jose Reyes was a human highlight reel during yesterday's 2-1 loss to the Indians. He had a bunt single in the first inning, and was clocked by two scouts as reaching first base in 3.72 seconds.

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March 6, 2007 -- PORT ST. LUCIE - The play was never in doubt. The combination of baseball geometry and physics assured that. Indians starter Jake Westbrook had too far to go to reach Jose Reyes' exquisitely placed bunt to open the bottom of the first yesterday, and Reyes simply moves too quickly.
So there was no consideration that Westbrook could actually win the race to retrieve this ball 30 feet down the third-base line, whirl and peg out Reyes. That was more futile than being Britney Spears' current hair stylist.
The only true race on this windy, sunny afternoon was Reyes against time. As he crossed first base, a bunch of stopwatches in scouts row at Tradition Field clicked and two officials showed each other the identical results and chuckled: 3.72 seconds, or almost as fast as you can say, "boy, it is fun to watch Jose Reyes play."
"I have not seen a player as exciting on an everyday basis in my 30 years of professional baseball as Jose Reyes," said Jerry Manuel, the Mets' bench coach. Even on March 5, even before just a few thousand folks in the Mets' sixth exhibition game, Reyes' tool shed was both magnetic and magnificent. He had the bunt hit in the first, moving quicker than anyone in the sport except, perhaps, Joey Gathright. In the third inning, he fell behind 0-2 to Paul Byrd, an offspeed maestro. Byrd threw a changeup and curve, both dipped late into the dirt. Reyes flinched each time, but held his swing. The reward for staying alive was to single up the middle on a 2-2 count before stealing second. </B></I>

The Devil · Mar 6, 2007

Re: AND MORE JOSE

Re: AND MORE JOSE

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>Reyes' Golden age
BY PETER BOTTE
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Tuesday, March 6th, 2007

PORT ST. LUCIE - That Jose Reyes made a diving backhanded stab of Jason Michaels' smash in the fourth inning wasn't particularly eye-opening. That the Mets' electrifying shortstop somehow hurled the ball to first base before his prone body even hit the ground certainly was.
Carlos Delgado's foot came off the bag because the throw from deep in the hole came up just a little short, but Reyes had found another way to wow the crowd - including his manager - during yesterday's 2-1 loss to Cleveland.
"That was pretty amazing," Willie Randolph said. "I was talking to (coach) Jerry (Manuel) and I was wondering how Jose got rid of that ball. Delgado came off the base assuming there was no play, but how did he do that? That just shows how great an athlete he is. I think we all talk about his offense, but I think (Reyes) is going to win a Gold Glove this year. "
Reyes had left the clubhouse before Randolph offered that bold prediction, but it's not far-fetched to believe the 23-year-old rising star soon will join three-time winner Derek Jeter as Gold Glove shortstops in New York.
San Francisco's Omar Vizquel has copped the last two Gold Gloves at the position in the National League - giving him 11 for his career, two behind Ozzie Smith for the most all-time as a shortstop. But Vizquel, who made only four errors in 152 games last season, will turn 40 on April 24 and doesn't possess the range he once did.
Reyes committed 17 errors in 149 games last season, but as David Wright said, he "probably has the best arm in the infield in the game" and "he gets to a lot of balls that nobody else gets to."
"Jose has the skills to be able to do that," Randolph said of winning the Gold Glove. "The more he learns to play hitters and anticipate, he'll get even better. It's something that you know is going to happen. He has the arm, the range and great hands. So it's something that will eventually come for him. ... That's a safe bet to throw that out there."
Reyes, of course, also kickstarts the Mets' lineup, and Randolph believes he already "looks like he's ready for the season" with four hits, including two homers, and two stolen bases in four spring appearances. Reyes singled in his first two at-bats yesterday, including a bunt down the third-base line leading off the first inning that prompted Randolph to say it made him "start dreaming about what Jose's going to be this year."
Asked then when he knew Reyes would beat out the bunt, Randolph deadpanned, "Uh, when he touched it. That was a beautiful bunt. Once he understands there's a lot of hits down there, he'll hit .340 one day, too."
Of course, his maturation into a Gold-Glove-caliber shortstop only will enhance Reyes' budding status as a multiple-threat and future MVP candidate. "He never ceases to amaze me. He does spectacular things on a baseball field," Wright said. "I've seen so much from him that he actually can't amaze me anymore, everything he does is kind of expected now. "A lot of guys have played a little longer and have quite a few Gold Gloves, but as far as deserving, I get a chance to see (Reyes) every day and see how good he is defensively. ... I said early on in spring that I expect him win a Gold Glove this year. That's my prediction for '07."
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The Devil · Mar 7, 2007

Re:MOISES

Re:MOISES

MOISES SEES METS IN PROMISED LAND

By MARK HALE

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MOISES ALOU

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March 7, 2007 -- KISSIMMEE - Typically, Moises Alou says his spring trainings aren't very productive.
"I usually have good Aprils, though," he said.
If you have to pick a month to get going, April works. Through the first week of games this year, Alou's spring has been normal for him - he had struggled as the Mets' new left fielder. But yesterday he began to have some success.
In the fourth inning of yesterday's 7-2 win over the Astros, Carlos Beltran was on first base and Alou was facing right-hander Dave Borkowski. The 40-year-old Alou, who was 0-for-11 this spring at that point and had grounded out softly to third in his first at-bat, grounded a double down the left-field line, scoring Beltran to put the Mets up 1-0.
Alou later scored on Mike Carp's three-run double, and he finished 1-for-3 on the day, making him 1-for-13 this spring. As Alou noted, though, he is a terrific hitter in April. He's batted .330 in his career in April, which is his best month statistically (other than October, where he's hit .364 in only 55 career at-bats).
Alou said yesterday that while "right now I'm not feeling good at all," he isn't concerned.
Alou, who has some gray in his hair, admitted how impressed he is with his Mets teammates personally ("great guys") and how impressed he is with the club, period ("great team").
In the offseason, when he was trying to determine which team he should sign with - other teams who attempted to land the six-time All-Star included the Indians and Rangers - he did some research.
Alou headed to MLB.com and checked out the rosters and realized the Mets were his best option.
"'Cause it was a great team, a team that had the best chance that I think, that I feel, and I hope I'm right, I think I'm right, to make it to the playoffs and go to the World Series," Alou said.
"And the human beings that were on this team that I know, that I played against, that I played with and coaches that were my coaches on other teams. And I saw the playoffs last year and I was excited about this team."
Regarding the team chemistry, Alou said, "It's like I played with these guys already and that really helps a lot."
Last year with the Giants, Alou batted .301 with 22 homers, 74 RBIs and had a .352 on-base percentage in 98 games. He inked a one-year deal that pays him $7.5 million this season and has a 2008 team option.
"So far it hasn't been that great for me. I just got my first hit right now," Alou said of his Met spring training so far. "But it's early in the spring. But just looking around at what we have, I'm very confident with this team.
"We've got some good young players, we've got some good veteran players and that's the main thing that I see. There's good communication among players and coaches, and players-manager and the rest is there. We just have to pray for us to stay healthy and do the things that they did last year." mark.hale@nypost.com

The Devil · Mar 7, 2007

Re: GLAVINE

Re: GLAVINE

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>Tom takes lead
right from start
BY PETER BOTTE
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Wednesday, March 7th, 2007

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - In a state where residents only a few years older already are worried about early-bird specials, the Mets' starting nine yesterday contained four 40-something members.
Moises Alou is the key offseason addition. Julio Franco is the timeless bench sage. Sandy Alomar Jr. is just trying to hold on to his career.
Tom Glavine? All he is trying to do is prepare for a season that should be about his pursuit of a rare milestone. But in his case, the 40-year-old lefthander with 290 career victories is expected to lead - and hold together - a question-filled starting rotation until Pedro Martinez returns from shoulder surgery late in the summer.
"Obviously for me, there's a certain amount of extra pressure that goes along with that simply because of who I am and what I've accomplished. There's no question about that," Glavine said yesterday after navigating through three shutout innings in a 7-2 exhibition victory over the Astros. "At the same time, I don't think the responsibility falls solely on me, and I don't expect it to. I think we're going to be a much more talented rotation probably than people think we are.
"But there's no question at certain times I'll have that mentality. Believe me, I want nothing more than for guys to look forward to the day I'm pitching, because they know I'm going to go out there and pitch deep into the game and we're going to win. That's the feeling you always want to try to establish with your teammates."
Glavine, who left camp over the weekend to tend to personal business, was all business in his second spring start. He allowed two hits each in the first and third innings, but was scored upon in neither, twice stranding a runner at third to escape trouble.
Saying the "best gauge" of his spring progress is his ability to locate his fastball and cutter inside against righthanded batters, Glavine fought back from a 3-0 hole to strike out Morgan Ensberg in the first inning and induced Carlos Lee on a check-swing popup to first for the final out of the third.
"I always like pitching," Willie Randolph said.
Of course, where that pitching will come from with Martinez sidelined is the biggest question mark of the spring for the Mets, with no proven starters after Glavine and Orlando Hernandez.
"I think all of our innings are (more important)," Glavine said. "It's the kind of thing, sitting here today, whether Pedro's here or not, my goal is to go out and make every one of my starts and hopefully pitch over 200 innings. If I do that, I'm going to have a good year and that's going to be good for our team.
"There are times when all of us as starting pitchers are asked to suck up some innings on a certain day. ... But I don't think I'm at the stage of my career anymore when I can say I think I'll pitch 250 innings to make up for Pedro not being here. I can't do that." The other elder Mets who played yesterday also are dealing with limitations, although Franco, Alou and Alomar all crossed the plate on a bases-loaded double by minor-leaguer Mike Carp in the fourth inning. "I just knew there was about 180 years out there," Alou joked. Franco, 48, started at third base and handled every ball hit to him, including a double-play grounder by Craig Biggio in the third. Franco also went 2-for-3, while the 40-year-old Alou notched his first hit of the spring (1-for-13), a double in the fourth.
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The Devil · Mar 8, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

CALL IT PORT SAINT PEDRO

A DAY TO DREAM FOR MARTINEZ

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IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK: Mets ace Pedro Martinez was all smiles yesterday in Port St. Lucie.

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March 8, 2007 -- PORT ST. LUCIE - It is spring training, the perfect time to dream. So in the sun-splashed moments late yesterday morning when Pedro Martinez was throwing a baseball on a field for the first time since his Oct. 5 shoulder surgery, it was fine for Met fans to begin dreaming because Martinez was dreaming the same way.
He was envisioning these as the first throws toward a July when the Mets will be making the best trade-deadline deal of all by re-acquiring an ace named Martinez.
"That's what I'm hoping for," said Martinez, whose face was aglow with sweat and a smile. "I'm hoping to be ready when the team really, really needs me."
Oh yes, there is so much between playing catch for seven minutes and July vs. the National League, so many minefields, so many challenges. But, again, this is March at Tradition Field. And if you can't have baseball dreams here, when will you ever have them?
This is the moment, therefore, if you are among the Met faithful, to believe that Martinez and, say, Mike Pelfrey will be installed into a starting five at some juncture, and the Met rotation will no longer be a problem. It will become a late-season asset, an October boon. On a day like this, when a grown man who already is assured a spot in the Hall of Fame can be giddy about just playing catch, then why not dream?
"It is a beautiful day," he said. "It is a blessing for my career."
It was such a quiet day at Tradition Field. About half the players were 140 miles away in Fort Myers, ironically enough, playing the Red Sox, the team Martinez helped make a champion on his way out. Now Martinez was maybe on the way back in, hoping to build up his arm and his repertoire to make the Mets champions in 2007.
The remaining Mets who are part of major league camp and did not go to Fort Myers trained on the front diamonds. Martinez was on the field furthest away from the main diamond at Tradition Field, Diamond No. 5. On the infield of Diamond No. 5, youngsters in the Mets' minor league camp were taking groundballs. In the outfield, farmhands were tracking down fungo-hit flyballs.
Nestled all the way down the left-field line, though, was the most important Met prospect of all for the 2007 season.
Martinez wore black shorts, black socks pulled up nearly to his knees and a black, long sleeve sweatshirt beneath a white Met T-shirt. His glove was a phosphorescent-y orange. Martinez finished his stretching, changed from sneakers into cleats and waited as his personal trainer, Chris Correnti, moved 20 feet away. It was shortly after 11 a.m. and Martinez was about to begin where we all begin, with a simple game of catch.
But, of course, this one was different. This one was full of meaning, maybe October meaning. On this day, however, what was most meaningful - and encouraging - was that Martinez did not lob the ball as if tentatively trying out a new piece of equipment. Instead, he went into an overhead motion and hurled the ball on a line with some pace.
Reasoning that baseball is not forever, Martinez said, "I let go full of confidence. Whatever happens is God's will."
Midway through the session, during a short break to rectify form, Martinez told minor-league pitching rehab coordinator Randy Niemann, "I feel good." When the throwing was complete, Martinez offered fist bumps to the coaches and trainers who had eyeballed the event, and then proclaimed "no pain, no soreness, not anything whatsoever. That is a great feeling."
A great feeling on a great day. Pedro Martinez was throwing a baseball again, feeling optimistic, smiling broadly and pointing toward the pennant race. It was a day to dream. joel.sherman@nypost.com

The Devil · Mar 8, 2007

Re: CHAN HO PARK

Re: CHAN HO PARK

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>Chan can Park it right here
BY PETER BOTTE
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Thursday, March 8th, 2007

FORT MYERS - Chan-Ho Park's visa issues were resolved Tuesday, which meant the Red Sox were allowed to charge customers admission to watch him attempt to retire their best hitters in his Mets debut yesterday.
It also meant there were actual fans in attendance, and legitimate major-league hitters across from Park, whose only previous action this spring came in game simulations last week against Mets minor-leaguers.
"It's a big difference .. . and I feel like it's been a long time since I pitched in a game," said Park, who allowed one run in the first three innings of the Mets' 9-5 loss. "This was not like throwing batting practice or a simulation game, this was a real game facing good hitters."
Park, one of several candidates vying for the final three spots in the Mets' starting rotation, believes he "overpitched" in a spotty 30-pitch first inning in which he went to a full count on four of the five batters he faced. He walked two and allowed a single to David Ortiz to load the bases, with one run scoring on a rare 6-4-5 double play. But the Korean righty allowed only one hit over his following two innings, prompting Willie Randolph to say, "It was about what I expected" for an initial spring outing.
"To come back the second inning and the third inning, that's what I feel good about," said Park, who went 7-7 with a 4.81 ERA in 24 games (21 starts) for San Diego last season. "It's the first game and I feel very good that I can come back. I feel very good this past offseason, especially after surgery last year, I've been working a lot trying to get stronger. It's a new team, and trying to get a spot (in the starting rotation), I want to show myself I can do it better than the (last) couple of years."
Due to a variety of back and arm problems, the 33-year-old Park hasn't reached 200 innings in any season since signing a $65 million contract with Texas after going 15-11 for the Dodgers in 2001. He also underwent intestinal surgery last August, but returned in time to throw two scoreless innings of relief for the Padres in the division series against St. Louis.
Park, whom the Mets signed to a $600,000 one-year contract with performance bonuses that could earn him another $2.4 million based on innings pitched, is considered the most viable veteran fallback option if neither of the team's top two pitching prospects - Mike Pelfrey and Phil Humber - impresses enough to earn the No.5 starter job. John Maine and Oliver Perez are the heavy favorites to land the third and fourth slots behind veterans Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez.
Aaron Sele, another experienced starter brought in to compete for the No.5 assignment, didn't fare well in relief of Park. The Red Sox tagged the veteran righthander for four runs on five hits in his two innings, and Sele sports an ERA of 11.25 after his first two spring appearances. "He got some balls up in the zone and he got hit. He has to locate his pitches to get the results he wants," Randolph said. "That was a typical spring training game," said Sele, who has 145 wins in his 14-year career with six teams. "I threw some good pitches, and some that weren't so good."
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The Devil · Mar 9, 2007

Re: OH DUANER

Re: OH DUANER

SHELF DISCIPLINE

REHABBING SANCHEZ SENT HOME FOR DAY, FINED FOR TARDINESS, WORK ETHIC

By MARK HALE and JOEL SHERMAN

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DUANER SANCHEZ

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March 9, 2007 -- PORT ST. LUCIE - Duaner Sanchez' poor work ethic and attitude this spring have irritated Mets players and officials, and Willie Randolph reacted yesterday by issuing a strong message that it will no longer be tolerated.
Upset at what he felt was Sanchez's pattern of lateness for rehabilitation, Randolph evicted the reliever from the Tradition Field complex shortly after Sanchez arrived yesterday morning. Sanchez also was assessed a fine. He was told he can return to camp today.
When he returns, Sanchez not only might have to mend his relationship with Randolph, but also with teammates. Sanchez recently admitted he arrived to camp about 15 pounds over his target weight. One Met said teammates have become annoyed because they don't believe Sanchez is working as hard as he should be.
Sanchez was banished before yesterday's workout, which preceded an exhibition game against the Orioles at Tradition Field. Randolph announced the news following Baltimore's 8-7 victory. Randolph normally tries to keep such punitive measures in-house. So his announcement strongly suggests he was frustrated with Sanchez and wanted to make the subject public as an additional punishment. The Mets player, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said others in the organization, not just Randolph, were frustrated by the lack of seriousness Sanchez has exhibited this spring.
"He's gotten a little tardy for a couple days,'' Randolph said. "We have a rule with being on time, and so I sent him home.''
Randolph said Sanchez had "been warned" previously this spring about being late.
"To me, spring training schedule means be early," Randolph said. "To me, it was as simple as, 'You're late. You get fined for that.'"
At about 9:30 a.m., Sanchez left the clubhouse wearing the same clothes he arrived in. He told The Post the reason he was leaving was "personal stuff.''
"The simple fact is that you disrespect the organization and your teammates when you don't show up on time," said a Mets teammate. "We're all out here trying to do something special, and when you don't come and sacrifice like the rest of us, you lose a lot of respect and sometimes you have to kind of have your eyes opened.''
The player said Sanchez has been spoken to about his work ethic with his rehab multiple times by Randolph and Omar Minaya, with several teammates speaking to him as well.
In an interview with The Post on Wednesday, Sanchez confirmed he has been told that he should lose weight.
"I hear it a little bit,'' he said, adding that he was "doing some extra conditioning.''
Sanchez said he wants to be at 200 pounds but said he came to camp at 215.
"I was a little bit overweight,'' he said.
Asked if he thought yesterday would wake Sanchez up, the teammate said "only time will tell.'' Sanchez is questionable for Opening Day with the Mets. He has been throwing on flat ground, and on Wednesday he said that he had thrown from a distance of 200-210 feet. He has not been on a mound in spring training, however.

The Devil · Mar 9, 2007

Re: GREEN AND PELFREY

Re: GREEN AND PELFREY

<TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD>New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com</TD></TR><TR><TD>Pelfrey pops, Green drops

Friday, March 9th, 2007

PORT ST. LUCIE - Quite a study in spring contrasts yesterday at Camp Willie - the exuberance of the rookie phenom Mike Pelfrey who, options or not, looks to be gradually pitching himself onto the starting rotation, offset by the frustration of the fading veteran Shawn Green, who, $6.5 million or not, could find himself out of the starting lineup.
There's still a long way to go this spring before these decisions have to be made and that's precisely what Green, especially, is telling himself in the face of 1-for-17 with five strikeouts from his revised batting stance. In his third at-bat yesterday, he got his first hit of the spring, pulling a single through the right side off Orioles rookie lefthander Kurt Birkens. And while that was a relief, the process, he said, continues to be a tad frustrating.
"The first couple of at-bats were especially so," he said. "There's no way you can be thinking of all the things you're supposed to be doing during a game. By the third at-bat, I decided to just see the ball and hit it. It's hard not to get down and start questioning things, but I'm a streak hitter and that's somewhat reassuring. I've had slumps like this before. Last year I started out the season 1-for-19 and by the end of April I was up to .350."
These, however, are slightly different circumstances in that Green is no longer regarded as a main cog in the lineup as he was in Arizona. Even though the Mets will be paying approximately $6.5 million of his $9.5 million salary this year, they are under no delusions and know that his drastic reduction of power over the past two seasons may be telltale to the end being near. It is not likely they would eat that money, at least not this soon, but they may not be so inclined to pay it, either, especially if Lastings Milledge happens to put together a solid spring.
And speaking of the infusion of youth, Willie Randolph and pitching coach Rick Peterson could not contain their enthusiasm over Pelfrey's latest outing, in which he limited the Orioles to three hits and two unearned runs over three innings while recording eight ground-ball outs. According to Pelfrey, the success in pounding the bottom of the strike zone could be attributed to a "slight tweak" in his mechanics that enabled him to "get on top of everything."
"It was much more comfortable," he said. "I felt in control and I feel my arm getting stronger."
"That," said Peterson, "was a major golf clap. He was the whole package today and he showed an awareness of what he wants to do."
Added Randolph: "He's adapting real well to everything we're trying to get him to do, attacking the bottom of the zone."
Earlier, however, Peterson was making the point about this being not even the midpoint of spring. Pelfrey will be getting at least three or four more longer outings and will probably have to continue to outpitch Chan Ho Park, who has been signed as an insurance policy for the uncertain rotation. The plan, said Peterson, has always been to figure on using multiple starters as the season goes on - maybe even as many as the 13 the Mets used last year. Stuff happens.
But at the same time, you get the feeling the Mets' high command really wants to Pelfrey to crack the rotation out of spring training. With all the jokes about age and retread pitchers, Pelfrey offers further validation of the organization's turnabout in player development these past two years. While it was felt he needed to refine his secondary pitches, particularly his slider, in that respect he appears to be doing all right here.
As for Green, the hitch he discovered in his swing looking at videos led to an extensive session with hitting coach Rick Down, Carlos Beltran and the venerable Julio Franco on Wednesday from which he emerged feeling a new sense of confidence. Yesterday, however, it seemed that had been replaced by confusion.
"It's a process for him," Down said. "He's got to get used to the changes and if the results aren't what he wants, then he may have to go back to what he's comfortable with. The main thing is, he's still got plenty of time." That's sort of what Green was saying to himself as he left the clubhouse yesterday. "It is a process," he said, "and I know who I am. It would be nice to be Albert Pujols and hit .325 every month."
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The Devil · Mar 10, 2007

Re: sanchez

Re: sanchez

SANCHEZ SUMMIT

TEAM MEETING TODAY WITH TARDY RELIEVER

By MARK HALE

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DUANER SANCHEZ

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March 10, 2007 -- PORT ST. LUCIE -Duaner Sanchez will meet with Willie Randolph and Omar Minaya this morning to see if the Mets reliever, who has essentially been suspended, has learned what his "priorities" should be.
After being evicted from camp Thursday because the Mets were upset with his repeated tardiness, Sanchez was instructed not to come to camp yesterday as well, according to his agent, Bean Stringfellow.
For the summit today, Sanchez should make sure he answers his wake-up call and sets his alarm.
"It wouldn't be a good idea to be late," Randolph said, speaking dryly. "That's for sure.
"He'll come in [today], we'll sit down and talk and we'll go from there. Hope he had a couple days to think about where his priorities are, and we'll talk [today] when Omar gets back and we'll go from there."
Sanchez has been rehabbing from a separated right shoulder. In addition to being late, he also reported to camp about 15 pounds heavier than he intended.
"He wasn't in the best shape," Randolph said yesterday. The Mets have told Sanchez to lose weight.
In yesterday's Post, a Mets player said teammates are irritated with Sanchez because they don't believe his work ethic has been good enough.
Randolph, who announced Thursday he had ordered Sanchez to leave, said Sanchez hasn't been suspended. But Stringfellow considers it that.
Asked whether he believed Sanchez will be in camp today for the day, Stringfellow replied, "I'm hopeful. Because at least from where ***** I ***** sit, if - and it's hard for me to fight something until I know what I'm fighting - but at least in ***** my ***** mind is that they ***** have ***** suspended him already. He's missed two days. So he's wanted to be here for these two days, and he's been suspended for two days."
Stringfellow speculated a suspension is a possible punishment that could be levied today. On a conference call with Minaya on Thursday, Stringfellow said the GM expressed the team was "disappointed" with Sanchez and that the reliever "had been late a couple times."
"He knows he's supposed to be on time," the agent said.
Asked if Sanchez had an excuse for being late, Stringfellow said, "Late is late."
"The thing is, is that he's anxious to work out," said Stringfellow, who had lunch with Sanchez yesterday. "It's one thing to do this, but as he told me, he said it's two days of throwing he hasn't been able to throw."
Thursday, Randolph, who said he hasn't had contact with Sanchez since telling him to leave, told The Post Sanchez would be fined. Stringfellow said yesterday he had not been notified about a fine. As for his response or Sanchez's reaction to the situation, Stringfellow said, "It's hard for me to say because it hasn't reached a conclusion yet." mark.hale@nypost.com

The Devil · Mar 10, 2007

Re: GREEN AT FIRST

Re: GREEN AT FIRST

PORT ST. LUCIE - The daily question this week at Mets camp has become a classic case of "Who's on first?"
With Carlos Delgado (neck) and Julio Franco (wrist) unavailable yesterday, Shawn Green started at first base for the first time this spring in a 9-5 loss to Detroit. The right fielder has made 125 career appearances at first, including 111 with the Dodgers in 2004 and two with the Mets late last season, and likely would be the long-term fill-in if Delgado were sidelined for a while.
"He's a guy we'll use as an option over there," Willie Randolph said of Green, who went 2-for-4 and has three hits in the last two games after starting 0-for-15.
Delgado took batting practice for the first time since he began experiencing neck stiffness Tuesday, but missed his fourth straight game. "It feels pretty good, and we'll see how it feels (today)," he said. Franco was sent for an MRI for what was diagnosed as a bruised left wrist, which he injured in Thursday's loss to the Orioles.
HO-HUM: John Maine (0.00 ERA) worked three more scoreless innings as he steamrolls toward locking up a rotation spot, but prized rookie Philip Humber endured another rough outing while working through a few mechanical alterations involving his hand positioning made by pitching coach Rick Peterson. The former first-round pick was tagged for a three-run homer by Mike Hessman and committed an error in the fourth, before completing a 1-2-3 fifth. Humber has allowed eight runs in three spring innings (24.00 ERA).
HAIR TODAY: Comparing himself to Britney Spears, Lastings Milledge had his trademark cornrows shaved down, saying, "I've got to get my grown man on." ... Aaron Heilman (four runs in the seventh) and Jon Adkins combined to allow six runs in the final three innings.

Moldoveanu · Mar 10, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

how do u feel about the mets winning about 90 games this year!!

The Devil · Mar 11, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

MOLD,

I WOULD BET THE OVER.....THE HITTING AND THE PEN WILL CARRY THEM AND THE STARTERS WILL GET THE JOB DONE....

I SEE 96 WINS.............

The Devil · Mar 11, 2007

Re: BATTING WRIGHT SECOND

Re: BATTING WRIGHT SECOND

SECOND BEST

PUTTING DAVID AT NO. 2 SPOT IN ORDER THE WRIGHT MOVE

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MET-AMORPHOSIS: David Wright, who usually hit fifth last season, should be moved up to the No. 2 spot this year instead of Paul Lo Duca.

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March 11, 2007 -- PORT ST. LUCIE - There are many reasons why David Wright should bat second for the Mets rather than Paul Lo Duca - and we will get to those. But here is the biggest reason:
Wright is a better, more dangerous hitter than Lo Duca, and should bat more often and in more critical situations. Period.
Three times already this spring Wright has hit second. Willie Randolph says he is just tinkering and "nothing is etched in stone." But this is more than a tinker. Randolph is seriously considering batting Wright behind Jose Reyes and in front of Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Moises Alou.
The presence of Alou's righty production to protect Delgado liberates Wright to move. And move up he should.
There was a time when Randolph himself was a prototype No. 2 hitter. But the notion that you need a guy who can handle the bat - i.e., hit-and-run and sacrifice - in that slot is Jurassic. The game, even in the National League, is played differently now with a premium on scoring in bunches. Besides, Reyes does not need a No. 2 hitter's assistance to reach scoring position.
According to Stats Inc., Reyes and his kindred spirit, Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez, became the first major leaguers in 19 years to reach scoring position 100 times by themselves via double, triple or steal of second. Nevertheless, though Reyes was constantly in scoring position, Lo Duca managed just 49 RBIs. Dan Uggla, the Marlins' No. 2 hitter, had a major league-best 86 RBIs from the two-hole, in part because he hit 26 homers (Lo Duca hit four).
A power-hitting No. 2 batter is so attractive. An opposing pitcher must worry about Reyes' speed when he is on base and not walking the No. 2 hitter in front of elite RBI men Beltran, Delgado and Alou. Thus, the Mets' No. 2 batter can expect plenty of fastballs to try to negate Reyes' speed, and fewer filthy sliders late in the count to attempt to avoid walks.
So whom do you think would do more damage with hittable fastballs and breaking pitches: Lo Duca or Wright? In the Mets' lineup, the No. 2 hitter is an RBI man. Wright is an RBI man. Lo Duca is not.
Wright also is more patient, a virtue to give Reyes opportunities to steal. Of the 27 players who had at least 275 plate appearances in the No. 2 hole last year, only Detroit's Placido Polanco saw fewer pitches per plate appearance (3.24) than Lo Duca (3.44). Wright saw 3.93 pitches per plate appearance, which was second best on the Mets to Beltran (4.20), who was third in the NL. Thus, the Mets would be assured of having their two most patient hitters bat in the first inning, improving the chance of both exhausting the opposing pitcher quickly and also scoring early. And with worries about their own starting pitching, the Mets will want to build leads more than ever to reduce the pressure on their rotation.
Wright, who regularly hit fifth last season, pledged that if he hits second he would not alter his style, and he shouldn't. A scout who watched Wright struggle last August said it was because Wright tried to pull too much. If having Reyes held on at first makes Wright more conscious of using the whole field, all the better.
In Reyes-Wright-Beltran, the Mets also have their three fastest everyday players atop the lineup, adding further stress on the opposing pitcher. Also, at best, Lo Duca will start about 120 games, which means if he is your regular No. 2 hitter, you are reshuffling the top of the lineup one-quarter of the time, anyway. So why not just have stability?
Could the length of the Mets' lineup be more dubious? Yes, especially if Shawn Green does not rebound and/or Jose Valentin's 2006 season was a fluke. Still, the difference between batting Wright second or fifth is about two plate appearances a week. Again, who do you want batting more frequently? The guy with more patience, more impact and a greater ability to get on base - or Lo Duca?
The Wright lineup for the Mets has their third baseman hitting second. joel.sherman@nypost.com

The Devil · Mar 11, 2007

Re: NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

Time for Mets to dump troubled reliever

<HR>BY BILL MADDEN
DAILY NEWS COLUMNIST
Sunday, March 11th 2007, 3:25 AM
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PORT ST. LUCIE - Duaner Sanchez, the fat and tardy Mets reliever, arrived at camp at 6:45 a.m. yesterday, a full hour and 15 minutes before he was scheduled to sit down with Willie Randolph and Omar Minaya to explain why he has taken such a cavalier approach toward getting himself ready for Opening Day.
According to Randolph, Sanchez showed true remorse - to the point where he actually got a tad misty-eyed - for his repeated tardiness, which had prompted the Mets' manager to kick him out of camp for a couple of days. Sanchez apparently will extend that remorse in a public apology to his teammates today when he returns to camp for some actual work after three days of inactivity.
But even if this little tempest in the otherwise business-like Mets camp has been put to rest, it has raised serious questions about Sanchez and whether he is worth keeping around once the separated shoulder he suffered in that taxi-cab accident last July is finally rehabilitated. It was, after all, supposed to be pretty much healed and pitching-ready by the time spring training commenced. That was what Randolph and Minaya expected - and they had every right to be dismayed at the sight of Sanchez arriving in camp some 15 pounds overweight.
When, on top of that, he started showing up late and taking a less-than-vigorous approach in his workouts, Randolph had had enough. There is too much at stake: Randolph knows he cannot allow the hard work-and-hustle clubhouse culture he's instilled to be eroded by one recalcitrant player who can't seem to bring himself to get with the program.
"After missing these three days and with everything else it's going to very tough for him to be there (Opening Day) now," Minaya conceded yesterday. "But in this case it was not about just one incident. It was a couple and I give Willie credit for addressing it the way he did."
What Randolph and Minaya didn't mention yesterday was the disturbing behavior pattern being set by Sanchez. There is a reason that Sanchez, despite being only 27, already has been with four organizations. According to Dodger sources, he was twice disciplined by L.A. in 2005 before being traded to the Mets. Both times it was for late arrivals to the ballpark, and on one of those occasions, he reportedly appeared to be intoxicated. Before that, he exhibited the same behavior in Pittsburgh with the Pirates, who put him on waivers despite his respectable season in Triple-A in 2003.
"The Mets knew what his story was," a Dodger source said. "But they were intrigued with his talent and I guess they figured they could straighten him out. Obviously, that hasn't happened, and whether they want to believe it or not, he's going to continue to be a distraction there."
Even the taxi-cab incident, though not Sanchez's fault, occurred at 1:30 in the morning, with his excuse for being out that late that he was looking for Dominican food in Miami. That might explain why he has been perpetually out of shape, but did anyone really believe he was merely going out for a bite to eat at that time of night?
The fact is, yesterday was not the first time Minaya has had to call Sanchez on the carpet for his behavior. You may remember an incident last summer in which it was reported that Minaya had reprimanded reliever Jorge Julio and Mets coach Manny Acta for being involved in some loud activity in a Manhattan bar in which photos had begun to surface. It turns out Sanchez also was involved in that incident, which gave Mets brass sufficient cause to doubt his "late night snack" explanation in the Miami taxicab debacle, which ended his season and forced Minaya to make the emergency trade of Xavier Nady to Pittsburgh for 42-year-old Roberto Hernandez to replace Sanchez in the bullpen.
And still, Sanchez is nowhere close to being ready to resume pitching for the Mets. In the workouts he has participated in this spring, he's been limited to long tossing - a result of not being in shape.
"It is embarrassing for me," he said to reporters after emerging from his meeting with Randolph and Minaya. "I should be a little more responsible for that. I'm just trying to move forward from here."
At least Minaya has taken measures to give the Mets options to move forward without him. Despite assurances that Sanchez would be fully recovered from the shoulder separation for the start of 2007, Minaya sought to fortify the Met bullpen by trading for Ambiorix Burgos, another hard-throwing righty. And the impressive relief work this spring by 2006 third-round draft pick Joe Smith has been additionally reassuring to the Mets.
When will Sanchez be ready? Before Guillermo Mota's 50-game suspension is up? It doesn't matter. Whenever he is ready, the Mets should just get rid of him. The big picture - the work ethic and professionalism Randolph has instilled here - is what really matters.
bmadden@nydailynews.com

NEW YORK METS SEASON LONG THREAD

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