Mets Decline Contract Option on Looper
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| Looper went 4-7 with a 3.94 ERA and 28 saves in 36 chances. |
New York also exercised right-hander Steve Trachsel's $2.5 million option and declined a $4 million option on first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, who gets a $450,000 buyout.
"Even though we declined Braden's option, we still plan on having conversations with his agent," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said.
Looper went 4-7 with a 3.94 ERA and 28 saves in 36 chances and had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder on Oct. 3, the day after the season ended. The Mets might decide not to re-sign Looper and land another closer.
Trachsel missed most of the season following back surgery in March and went 1-4 with a 4.14 ERA.
Mientkiewicz, acquired from Boston last winter after the Mets failed to sign free-agent Carlos Delgado, hit .240 with 11 homers and 29 RBIs.
New York also activated outfielder Mike Cameron, right-handers Bartolome Fortunato and Tyler Yates, left-hander Felix Heredia and infielder Jeff Keppinger from the 60-day disabled list.
Also Monday, infielder Jose Offerman filed for free agency.
Piazza, 11 Other Mets Eligible to File
New York, Oct. 31, 2005 -
With Mike Piazza the biggest name among the 12 New York Mets eligible for free agency, New York started making its offseason moves Thursday by declining Danny Graves' $5 million option and electing to pay the reliever a $500,000 buyout.
Graves filed for free agency on the first possible day along with infielder Marlon Anderson.
Piazza who has been with the team since 1998, is likely to leave the Mets to sign with an American League team, where he can become a designated hitter. A 12-time All-Star, his skills have declined substantially in recent years.
Duquette leaves Mets in good favor
New York, Oct. 20, 2005 -
What appeared to be an increasing inevitability finally happened Wednesday when Jim Duquette left the Mets. Some 13 months after he was unseated as Mets general manager, Duquette now sits at the head table at Camden Yards as the vice president of baseball operations for the Orioles.
Seaver applauds 'complete' pitchers
New York, Oct. 19, 2005 -
The names Seaver, Koosman and Matlack, still familiar to Mets fans who recall the 1973 season, became prominent again last week when the White Sox starting pitchers threw complete games in four straight outings in the AL Championship Series.
Felix Heredia suspended
New York, Oct. 18, 2005 -
Felix Heredia of the New York Mets has been suspended 10 days, effective the start of the 2006 regular season, for violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Oberkfell named Manager of the Year
New York, Oct. 6, 2005 -
Norfolk Tides manager Ken Oberkfell has been named the 2005 Minor League Baseball Manager of the Year by Baseball America magazine. Oberkfell managed the Tides to a 79-65 record in 2005, as Norfolk won the International League South Division title by 14.0 games over the Durham Bulls.
Piazza Says Goodbye, Mets Get Bombed
| Box Score >>> Record : 83-79 |
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| Mets catcher Mike Piazza acknowledges fans after a tribute to his career with the Mets during the game against the Colorado Rockies, Oct. 2, 2005, in both teams' season finale at Shea Stadium in New York. The 37-year-old Piazza, with 397, holds the career record for home runs by a catcher. Piazza's contract with the Mets ends with the season's ending. |
On Sunday, it was nothing but cheers.
Piazza was hitless in what likely was his final home game at Shea Stadium, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Mets 11-3 to avoid a season-ending four-game sweep and a franchise-record 96th loss.
Piazza went 0-for-3 before he was removed at the start of the eighth inning. Manager Willie Randolph put him back in the cleanup spot one final time, but he could manage only three groundouts to shortstop.
One of the best hitters in franchise history, Piazza was greeted by standing ovations in all of his at-bats. The crowd gave him one more cheer and chanted ``One more year!'' when he came back out of the dugout for a postgame interview.
The Mets lost for the fourth time in 16 games and finished 83-79, their best season since reaching the 2000 World Series.
Finishing a $91 million, seven-year contract he signed after the Mets acquired him in 1998, Piazza turned 37 last month and his production has declined in recent seasons while injuries have taken their toll. The Mets have made it fairly obvious they don't plan to bring him back, and weeks ago began playing highlights at Shea Stadium of some of his biggest moments with the team.
On Sunday, they showed clips of an interview with him talking about some of those, including his go-ahead homer in a victory over the Braves in the first game in New York after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and his home run last season that gave him the career record for homers by a catcher.
They also played a video tribute during the seventh-inning stretch -- which got the crowd cheering again after it had spent the top of the inning booing Mets relievers Heath Bell and Danny Graves. With the Rockies waiting on the top stop of their dugout, Piazza came out of the dugout three times for three curtain calls.
Piazza finished this season with a .251 batting average, 19 homers and 62 RBIs. Though still good for a catcher, those numbers are well below his totals from 1999-02, when he averaged more than 36 homers and 107 RBIs.
Wright Goes Deep As Seo Wins
| Box Score >>> Record : 83-78 |
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| Rockies' pitcher Mike Esposito stand on the mound as Mets' David Wright rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning. |
So manager Willie Randolph sat Wright down to talk things over. The result was six home runs and 13 RBIs over the last eight games, pushing Wright to 27 homers and 102 RBIs for the season.
The latest was a two-run homer Saturday night that helped the Mets defeat the Colorado Rockies 3-1.
The victory was the 12th in 15 games following a 2-13 stretch and 83rd of the season for the Mets, assuring the team of its best record since going 94-68 and reaching the World Series in 2000.
Wright broke a 1-all tie in the fourth with his two-run drive off Mike Esposito (0-2), who was making his third major league start after being called up on Sept. 21.
Jae Seo (8-2) allowed six hits in six innings for his first win since Sept. 4th. Roberto Hernandez pitched the ninth for his fourth save and 324th of his career.
Reyes stole his 60th base in the seventh and was thrown out for the 15th time in the third. ... Wright's homer went an estimated 425 feet.