'Excited' Piazza married in Miami
January 31, 2005 - Mike Piazza's celebrated bachelor days came to an end Saturday evening in Miami as he wed actress Alicia Rickter in a candlelight ceremony at St. Jude's Catholic Church.

Why is she marrying this gay guy?

The former "Baywatch" star and Piazza said their "I do's" in an intimate ceremony before about 120 guests. Former Mets Al Leiter, John Franco and Todd Zeile were on hand, as was Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez and Piazza's unofficial godfather, Tommy Lasorda. The couple and their guests headed to nearby Fisher Island via luxury boats for a nighttime reception.

Rickter, 32, wore a white satin Vera Wang gown and was joined by five bridesmaids, including maid-of-honor Angelica Bridges, a "Baywatch" co-star. Piazza, 36 and in the final year of a $91 million contract with the Mets, had his younger brother Tony, a Mets farmhand, serve as his best man.

Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Catanello of the Diocese of Brooklyn performed the ceremony. He said Piazza was nervous "like a regular groom, but he's OK." Last week prior to the services, Piazza told the New York media on a conference call that he "was excited" about the prospects of getting married. 

Mets' former radio host Brown remembered
January 27, 2005 - The "big three" of Bob Murphy, Ralph Kiner and Lindsey Nelson has long been associated with Mets broadcasting throughout the four decades the club has been in existence.

Even casual fans are familiar with Murphy, Kiner and Nelson, but Bob Brown played an important role in Mets broadcasts during their early years. So when Brown, 79, died of lung cancer on Wednesday, the old-time, hardcore Met fans were the ones who felt the loss the most.

Brown did the pre- and postgame shows for the Mets in the late 1960s and early 1970s, helping to capture the magic of the 1969 season. Howie Rose, currently half of New York's radio team, along with Gary Cohen, fondly remembered Brown as someone who'd helped him when he was breaking into the business some three decades ago. 

Mets acquire Mientkiewicz from Sox
January 26, 2005 - The Mets moved quickly after learning that Carlos Delgado would not be coming to Queens, completing a trade for 2001 Gold Glove winner Doug Mientkiewicz on Wednesday afternoon.

The Mets gave up first-base prospect Ian Bladergroen to land Mientkiewicz.

Discussions between New York and the Red Sox had been ongoing as a contingency plan in the event Delgado opted for Florida or Baltimore over the Mets. So when he announced on Tuesday that he was signing with the Marlins, New York general manager Omar Minaya wasted little time implementing his Plan B, which was to bring in a defensive specialist to stabilize the Mets' young infield.

"I'm excited," Mientkiewicz said. "I understand they were in the running for Delgado and I'm honored that I was the second or third option. That says a lot. Carlos is a heck of a player, but there are a lot of things I bring to the table that he doesn't."

The Mets gave up first-base prospect Ian Bladergroen to land Mientkiewicz. Bladergroen was a South Atlantic League All-Star last season, hitting .342 with 13 homers and 74 RBIs in 72 games for Class A Capital City before going down with a season-ending wrist injury in July. Bladergroen was impressive before getting hurt, but was far enough down on New York's depth chart of prospects to not have an impact on the club's immediate and mid-range future.

That the Mets didn't have to give up outfielder Lastings Milledge or pitcher Yusmeiro Petit was significant, allowing them to land a quality first baseman at much lower cost than what it would have taken to bring in Delgado. Mientkiewicz will make $3.75 million this season and is scheduled to make $4 million in 2006, though there is a $450,000 buyout that the Red Sox would cover if New York doesn't pick up the option. 

Done in the Delgado derby?
January 24, 2005 - Carlos Delgado's agent said late Sunday that the Mets were no longer in the running for the free agent first baseman's services. That came as news to the Mets, who still are awaiting further word from David Sloane.

In an e-mail to MLB.com, Sloane said the Mets had dropped out of the bidding for the 32-year-old slugger. Sloane did not give specifics, and told the same thing to ESPN.

However, Mets general manager Omar Minaya issued a statement just after midnight giving the impression that he and COO Jeff Wilpon still are in negotiations.

"Jeff [Wilpon] and I spoke with Mr. Sloane and let him know our desire to try and get a resolution to this matter [last night]," Minaya said. "He said he would convey that to Carlos and that he would call us back after speaking with Carlos. We have yet to receive that call back." 

Minaya dismisses Cameron rumors
Flushing, January 12, 2005 - The potential comings and goings regarding the Mets these days seem to change almost by minute. So, as Carlos Beltran was touring the Tradition Field complex on Wednesday, there was already a buzz as to what general manager Omar Minaya would be doing now that he has already brought in the biggest free agent prize of the winter.

For starters, Minaya spent part of the afternoon putting out a fire that cropped up in the New York papers, where sources reported that Mike Cameron wanted out of the Big Apple, preferring to play center field elsewhere rather than play right field for the Mets. When asked if the reports were erroneous, Minaya was fairly definitive.

"His agent hasn't told me that, and Mike hasn't told me that," Minaya said. "I spoke to Mike just last week about what we're planning on doing. I think it's been on record that Mike has said that he would do it [move to right field] for him [Beltran]. But you never know in these types of situations. I'm sensitive to any feelings that Mike may feel, so I'll probably have another conversation with him."  

Mets to introduce Beltran today
January 11, 2005 - Carlos Beltran will make his New York debut this morning, when he will be introduced by the Mets in what is expected to be a lavish press conference at Shea Stadium's Diamond Club.

Beltran's press conference will take place some three hours before Randy Johnson is expected to be introduced across town in the Bronx, marking the first time in 20 years the two clubs have each added players of such magnitude in the same offseason. The Mets traded for eventual Hall of Famer Gary Carter after the 1984 season, while the Yanks signed Rickey Henderson, the premier leadoff hitter in the history of the game.

The Mets are hopeful that Beltran's signing will have the same kind of impact as the Carter trade, a deal that eventually helped the club win its second World Series crown. It all begins at 11 a.m. ET in Queens in a press conference that could eclipse the electric atmosphere that surrounded the Pedro Martinez introduction last month.

Beltran flew into New York on Monday afternoon for his physical, which he passed, as expected, making his deal official. The $119 million pact was the richest in club history and only one of 10 $100 million deals signed in Major League history.

The Mets reached an agreement early Sunday morning after some quick and hard negotiating with agent, Scott Boras. New York was already serious, and probably the only other contender for Beltran's services when he decided late Saturday night that he wouldn't be returning to Houston. That the Astros didn't include a no-trade clause in the deal -- something New York did -- weighed heavily in his decision.

Boras also tried to get the Yankees involved, talking with them several times on Saturday, even proposing that his client sign there for six years at slightly less than $100 million, according to several published reports. But the Bombers, having inked Randy Johnson to a $32 million extension, balked at the offer, meaning the five-tool star was headed for Queens.

"Wow," manager Willie Randolph said during Monday's opening day of the club's minicamp. "To think about adding someone of that caliber to the club is awesome. What's so intriguing about a guy like him is that he has tremendous skills and he's young. You know he's going to get better. It's nice to see a young kid who is so dedicated when he's as multi-talented as Beltran is. He's a special player and is going to be one of the best around."

Beltran hit .267 with 38 homers, 104 RBIs and 42 stolen bases with the Royals and Astros last season, which was impressive enough. But he had a monster playoff, during which he hit .435 with eight homers, 14 RBIs and six stolen bases in 12 playoff games, bringing Houston to within one game of the World Series.

He joins Martinez as the centerpieces of Minaya's offseason rebuilding plan, giving the Mets a pair of high-profile faces for their television network, which will be launched in 2006. He brings speed, power, defense and the type of young superstar the Mets have been unable to lure in recent years. 

Ankle, arm woes behind Mets' Zambrano
January 10, 2005 -

Zambrano is a disaster.

Monday was quite a day for Victor Zambrano. Not only is he feeling great and in attendance at minicamp, but he avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year, $2.1 million deal. The hard-throwing right-hander, who is coming off elbow and right ankle problems that cost him the final two months of the 2004 season, wants management to know he is healthy and that he'll be capable of pitching when Spring Training starts next month. Zambrano has been throwing in Venezuela and was even toying with the idea of pitching in the Winter League playoffs next week,, but after agreeing to a one-year $2.1 million contract on Monday, it's a plan he won't be implementing. 

Mets introduce Korean hurler
January 5, 2005 - Dae Sung Koo had little left to prove pitching in the highly competitive environs of Korea and Japan. So, at 35 and with more than a little life remaining in his left arm, he will embark on his first season in the Major Leagues. The Mets, who outmaneuvered the Yankees for Koo's services, introduced their new reliever Monday before taking the field for their minicamp at Tradition Field.

Koo, who signed a one-year deal with an option for 2006 on Saturday, spent the past four seasons -- the last three as a starter -- with Orix of the Japanese Pacific League. He went 6-10 with a 4.32 ERA in 18 games in 2004. Overall, he was 24-34 in Japan with 10 saves and a 3.88 ERA in 110 games.  

Mets trade popular Wilson to Tigers
January 6, 2005 - The Mets dealt Vance Wilson to Detroit on Thursday, landing minor league shortstop Anderson Hernandez in exchange for the popular catcher and clubhouse leader. Wilson, who signed a one-year deal last month, was expected to get the bulk of the playing time behind Mike Piazza but will now instead back up another All-Star in Ivan Rodriguez. In Hernandez, 22, the Mets receive a talented glove man who has some ability with the bat.

Jason Phillips now figures to get the bulk of the playing time behind Piazza, though Minaya has been quietly shopping him since the Winter Meetings. Mike Jacobs, the organization's 2003 Minor League Player of the Year, will likely get a look as well, though he is coming off surgery to remove a cyst in his shoulder that cost him most of 2004.

In addition, the Mets signed Ramon Castro and Andy Dominique last month, both of whom are expected to compete for roster spots. 

Mets could be in Beltran derby lead
January 5, 2005 - The Carlos Beltran sweepstakes seemed to be winding down on Wednesday, and all indications were that the Mets are leading the race to land the coveted free agent. There was certainly a buzz in the Big Apple about Beltran, even if there was no concrete news as to whether or not the Mets had actually offered him a multi-year deal. Beltran was a hot topic on talk radio on Wednesday, and one fan Web site went so far as to report that the two sides had reached an agreement. That story was quickly discredited by the organization.

Short of that, however, there was little news coming out of Queens. The Mets remained mum for yet another day on whether they had offered, or were going to offer, Beltran a deal expected to be in excess of $100 million.

What was happening with other teams involved that seemed to lend credibility to the idea that Beltran would be patrolling center field at Shea Stadium for the next half-dozen years. For starters, Scott Boras, Beltran's agent, told The Associated Press late Tuesday night that he has received offers from all the clubs who are vying for Beltran's services, though he declined to mention what clubs were involved. 

Delgado shows interest in Mets
January 5, 2005 - Slugger Carlos Delgado told The Associated Press in Puerto Rico on Wednesday that the Mets tried to set up a meeting with him when they were on the island Monday, meeting with Carlos Beltran. Delgado declined, saying he wanted his agent, David Sloane, present, if any such meeting were to take place.

Delgado did say, however, that general manager Omar Minaya's interest in Latin players makes New York an attractive option, adding that the Mets, Yankees, Orioles and Red Sox are the teams still bidding for his services.

The Mets are believed to have already offered Delgado a three-year deal worth slightly more than $30 million.