Saturday, February 2, 2010
Reyes running full speed, feels great
After missing most of the 2009 season with persistent leg injuries, New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes is ready and raring to go for 2010.

Reyes, who appeared in only 36 games last season, showed off the progress he's made in regaining his health on Monday, running sprints at a Long Island athletic training facility and pronouncing himself ready for spring training. He said he's been running at full speed without pain for several weeks and feels great.

"I'll be ready in 2010. Be there, it's going to be a show," he said, according to the New York Post. "I can do everything I did before on the field ... I can't wait to hit a triple."

Reyes was hampered last season by what was at first believed to be tendinitis in his right calf, which forced him out of a game against the Atlanta Braves in May. The injury was later diagnosed as a torn right hamstring tendon.

Reyes tried to get back on the field, but pulled his hamstring muscle in August while trying to return and wound up watching most of the Mets' disappointing 2009 season on television. New York, hampered by numerous injuries in stumbling to a 70-92 record, sorely missed Reyes' speed on the bases and run production -- he has averaged 62 steals and 113 runs scored per season.

"It was tough, man," Reyes told SNY, the Mets' television network. "Even when I was in my house watching the games, it made me cry a lot of times because when I'm talking about my leg, it always was in pain last year. The pain really never goes away. It was kind of tough for me and my family."

During the offseason, Reyes had surgery to remove scar tissue from around the hamstring tendon and then worked to get his hamstring muscle back into shape.

The results were on display Monday, as Reyes ran 10-yard and 90-yard sprints at full speed as part of his workout.

"I feel great," Reyes said, according to the Post. "Last year I came back too quickly. Everything is in the past. I don't want to think about it. Now there is no pain. That's the key. There is nothing to worry about. Everything's perfect."

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Sunday, January 31, 2009
"Meet the Mets" Organist Jane Jarvis Dies at 94
Organist Jane Jarvis is still remembered by some long-time New York Mets fans who can recall her playing songs like "Meet the Mets'' during games at Shea Stadium.

Son Brian Jarvis said on Sunday that his mother died at the Lillian Booth Actors' Home in Englewood, N.J. She was 94. She died on Jan. 25.

A classically trained musician and jazz pianist, Jane Jarvis had embarked on a parallel career at Muzak Corporation in the late 1960s.

She started as a receptionist and retired in 1978 after becoming a company executive responsible for programming. She hired jazz musicians to create soothing background tunes.

She was the ballpark organist for the Mets from 1964 to 1979. She contined playing at Manhattan nightclubs into her 80s.

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Saturday, January 30, 2009
Mets sign Catalanotto to minor league contract
Veteran utilityman Frank Catalanotto has signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets that includes an invitation to spring training.

The 35-year-old Catalanotto hit .278 with a homer and nine RBIs in 77 games last season for the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s a career .292 hitter over 13 big league seasons that included stops in Detroit, Texas and Toronto.

Catalanotto has played first, second and third base, as well as both corner outfield spots during his career. That versatility could come in handy for a Mets club that was decimated by injuries last season. Catalanotto represented Italy during the past two World Baseball Classics.

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Tuesday, January 26, 2009
Santana has 1st mound session since surgery
New York Mets ace Johan Santana threw off a mound for the first time since elbow surgery last September and said he felt good.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner threw 24 pitches over six minutes on Tuesday, the second day of the team’s voluntary mini-camp. It was his first time off a mound since Aug. 20.

“I feel pretty good,” Santana said. “The ball was coming out pretty good. I feel like I am doing my mechanics without any problems, so that was big. And I don’t feel anything in my arm, so I think everything should be all right.”

Santana’s excitement showed when he reacted to a changeup that showed the typical action hitters hate. “It had that nice motion, so it’s good to see that this early because that tells me we are way ahead of the game,” Santana said.

Santana was 13-9 with a 3.13 ERA in 25 starts last year, including 6-7 with a 4.02 from June 1 on as the bone chips in his left elbow started to bother him more.

“I wasn’t able to finish up the pitches,” he said. “I wasn’t able to put my leg the way it’s supposed to and I wasn’t able to reach out. Now that’s what I was trying to do. Today, I was actually able to see my leg when I finished the pitch and that’s big.”

Santana recognizes it will take time to regain consistency. He expects to be in the regular rotation by the second week of spring training games and to get five spring training starts. He expects to reach 90 pitches before breaking camp.

“He looked good,” general manager Omar Minaya said. “He’s loose and excited, and we are excited about that.”

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Friday, January 22, 2009
Mets obtain OF Gary Matthews Jr. from Angels
nable to find regular playing time for Gary Matthews Jr., the Los Angeles Angels traded the outfielder to the New York Mets on Friday and agreed to pay $21.5 million as part of the deal.

Los Angeles received right-handed reliever Brian Stokes, a native Californian, in exchange for Matthews, who had slumped for three straight seasons since signing a $50 million, five-year contract.

“He voiced his frustration to us because of his desire to play every day,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. New York wanted another outfielder after Carlos Beltran had knee surgery last week. Beltran, sidelined for much of last season, is not expected back until May, and Matthews will compete with Angel Pagan to play center field while Beltran is on the disabled list.

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Thursday, January 14, 2009
Beltran has knee surgery, will miss Mets’ opener
New York Mets’ All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran will miss the start of the upcoming Major League Baseball season due to knee surgery.

Beltran had an operation on his troublesome right knee Wednesday, sparking a dispute about whether he had received permission from the team, and whether the surgery was needed.

A person with knowledge of the situation said Beltran did not obtain advance written consent from the club to have the surgery, which was performed by his personal physician, Dr. Richard Steadman, in Colorado. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Mets didn’t discuss the matter publicly.

Beltran’s agent, Scott Boras, said the guarantee language in the slugger’s contract requires advance written permission only for elective operations.

“This was necessary surgery, necessary surgery to work,” Boras told The Associated Press.

Boras said Steadman spoke with Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek on Monday and again after Beltran was examined in Colorado on Tuesday, and that Steadman obtained Altchek’s consent for the surgery.

Boras also said he called Mets executives Monday to tell them Beltran was going to see Steadman and that they should keep in touch with Altchek.

The person with knowledge of the situation said Altchek was not authorized to give consent because he is not a Mets official.

The team said Beltran is expected to resume baseball activities in 12 weeks, a timetable that likely would keep him out for at least most of April.

In a statement released Wednesday night, the Mets said Beltran’s osteoarthritis worsened during the offseason and he decided to have arthroscopic surgery to clean out the arthritic area of his knee.

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Saturday, January 9, 2009
Mets have their eye on John Smoltz
The Mets are considering adding free-agent P John Smoltz to their rotation, according to the New York Daily News.

A source told the newspaper that the 42-year-old righthander is "in the pool" of pitchers the team is interested in signing.

Smoltz went 2-5 with an 8.32 ERA in eight starts for the Red Sox last season before being released. He found new life after signing with the Cardinals, however, posting a 4.26 ERA in seven starts. He struck out 40 in 38 innings with St. Louis.

The Daily News listed free-agent starters Joel Pineiro, Doug Davis and Jon Garland as other possibilities for the Mets. Meanwhile, talks between the team and free-agent catcher Bengie Molina remain stalled.

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Friday, January 8, 2009
LHP Marshall claimed on waivers by Mets from A’s
Reliever Jay Marshall has been claimed by the New York Mets off waivers from the Oakland Athletics.

The 26-year-old left-hander was 0-2 with a 14.73 ERA in 10 relief appearances last season for the A’s and 5-3 with seven saves and a 3.20 ERA in 50 games with Triple-A Sacramento.

A 25th-round draft pick of the Chicago White Sox in 2002, he made his major league debut with Oakland in 2007 and is 1-4 with a 7.66 ERA in his major league career.

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Thursday, January 7, 2009
Alomar falls just short in Hall vote
Second baseman Roberto Alomar, considered a shoo-in by some, fell eight votes short of the 75 percent needed. He received 397 votes (73.7 percent), the most of any first-year candidate not elected. It marked the first time in BBWAA balloting that two players fell fewer than 10 votes shy in one year.

“I feel disappointed, but next year hopefully I make it in,” Alomar said at his home in New York, where his son cried. “At least I was close. … I’m glad that this is over.”

Andre Dawson was the lone player elected, getting in on his ninth attempt. He was chosen on 420 of 539 ballots (77.9 percent), 15 more votes than he needed after falling 44 short last year.

Alomar led Toronto to consecutive World Series titles in 1992-93. The 12-time All-Star finished with a .300 career batting average, 2,724 hits, 210 homers, 474 steals and 10 Gold Gloves.

Former Met, 3B Robin Ventura received 7 votes while pitcher Kevin Appier and 1B David Segui each received one vote. Who in the hell voted for these two guys? Todd Zeile did not get a vote.

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Wednesday, January 6, 2009
Some Former Mets on the Hall of Fame Ballot
Second baseman Roberto Alomar and shortstop Barry Larkin, both eligible for the first time, are the top candidates on this year's ballot. Outfielder Andre Dawson and right-handed ace Bert Blyleven are the only possibilities among the returnees.

Alomar, the 12-time All Star and 10-time Gold Glove recipient is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time and seems the most likely of the newcomers to be elected when the results are announced that day. Alomar's final line of 2,724 hits, 210 homers, 1,134 RBIs, 474 stolen bases and a career .300 average in 2,379 games makes him a hot prospect to be selected as a first-timer, particularly as a second baseman.

The one blemish on Alomar's record occurred near the end of his first year with the Orioles on Sept. 27, 1996, in Toronto when, during an escalating argument about a called third strike, he spat on umpire John Hirschbeck. Alomar was suspended for five games, although he claimed at the time that Hirschbeck called him a derogatory name that caused the instant reaction.

Kevin Appier: Through his 16-year career, the right-hander won 169 games and posted a 3.74 ERA, but only made the All-Star team once -- in 1995, when he finished 15-10 with a 3.89 ERA. But that wasn't his best season. Appier's finest campaign probably came in '93, when he finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting after going 18-8 with a league-leading 2.56 ERA.

David Segui: He didn't have the power of a prototypical first baseman, but Segui could still hit, as evidenced by his .291 career batting average in 15 seasons in the big leagues. Segui hit for .300-plus clips several times in his career and had a very productive stretch from 1995-2001, when he hit .307 while averaging 15 homers and 68 RBIs a season. During that span, he played for the Mets, Expos, Mariners, Blue Jays, Rangers, Indians and Orioles. Segui, however, was also named on the Mitchell Report for alleged use of performance-enhancing substances in 2007.

Robin Ventura:A great defensive third baseman with an impact bat, Ventura compiled six Gold Glove Awards and was named to two All-Star Games in his 16-year career. The left-handed hitter spent his first 10 years with the White Sox and finished his career with a .267 batting average, 294 homers and 1,182 RBIs. Ventura had nine 20-homer seasons, three with triple-digit RBIs and six campaigns that saw him hit for at least a .280 batting average. His best season came in the first of three with the Mets in '99, when he hit .301 with 32 homers and 120 RBIs, while finishing sixth in NL MVP voting and winning his final Gold Glove.

Todd Zeile: The journeyman corner infielder played for 11 teams throughout the course of a 16-year career, compiling a .265 batting average and 253 home runs. Originally drafted as a catcher, Zeile hit more than 20 homers in four different seasons, topping out at 31 in 1997 with the Dodgers. In 29 career postseason games, he hit .292 with four home runs and 14 RBIs.

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Tuesday, January 5, 2009
Bay, Mets agree to four-year deal
Jason Bay happily put on his Mets jersey after two team executives fumbled with the buttons, then said there were no issues with his shoulder or desire to play in New York.

With brilliant sunlight pouring through big picture windows in one of Citi Field's exclusive club rooms, the Mets new slugging left fielder saw only the upside for a ballclub that went an embarrassing 70-92 last season after a string of injuries wrecked their first season in their new ballpark.

"I wouldn't've signed the contract if I didn't want to be here or I wasn't happy. This is one of the biggest days of my life," Bay said. "You look at the players on this team; it's a very good team."

The $66 million, four-year deal that returns Bay to the team that had him for several months in 2002 could be worth $80 million including an option for a fifth season. The 2014 option for $17 million would become guaranteed if Bay has 600 plate appearances in 2013 or 500 plate appearances in both the 2012 and 2013 seasons, something he's done in each of his six full seasons except 2004, when he was NL Rookie of the Year with the Pirates.

Bay passed his physical Monday, no small hurdle for the Mets, who had a roster of All-Stars miss significant time, including Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, J.J. Putz, David Wright and Johan Santana.

Bay and the Mets had reached a tentative deal around Christmas and the wait until it was finalized led to clamoring by fans and talk radio that he didn't really want to come to New York and that there were issues with his shoulder, which was surgically repaired in 2003.

But Mets general manager Omar Minaya said Bay was always the team's priority and the contract took a little longer to finalize because of travel around the holidays.

"When we started this winter, we felt that one of these areas that we needed to improve on we felt that we had to slug more, to be able to have a power hitter, to be able to have a guy that would fit into the middle of our lineup," Minaya said. "We said to the fans be patient but we will eventually get to achieving our goals. I think today, having Jason up here, we achieved one of our goals this winter."

The 31-year-old three-time All-Star set career highs of 36 homers and 119 RBI last season for the Red Sox, and the Mets hope he will help revive an anemic offense that hit a major league-low 95 homers.

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Sunday, January 3, 2009
Delgado goes 1-for-4 in 1st game since hip surgery
Carlos Delgado went 1-for-4 Sunday night in his first game since undergoing hip surgery in May, an injury that ended his season with the New York Mets.

The free agent slugger batted cleanup as the designated hitter for the Carolina Giants in Puerto Rico’s winter league. His single came on a fly ball to short left field in the sixth inning.

“I felt better than I expected, for the time I spent without playing. I hadn’t seen live pitching since May,” he said. “The most important thing is this was a step in the right direction.”

“I’m not afraid of sliding. I’ve done it as part of my rehabilitation process,” he said.

The 37-year-old first baseman played in only 26 games during the last season of his contract with the Mets before he was sidelined by a hip injury. He was batting .298 with four homers and 23 RBIs when he went on the disabled list on May 11. He had surgery on May 19.

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