Monday, April 30, 2007
Old Farts Go On DL
 Orlando Hernandez |
 Jose Valentin |
Both were put on the 15-day disabled list. Hernandez, who had been scheduled to start Monday night against Florida, was replaced by Chan Ho Park, who was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans. The Mets also purchased infielder Ruben Gotay's contract from the Zephyrs.
Park was 3-1 with a 7.29 ERA in four starts with the Zephyrs, allowing 26 hits in 21 innings -- including six homers. Jorge Sosa is 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA at New Orleans, but he just pitched on Sunday so the Mets decided to call up Park, who was on his regular turn Monday.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Ex-Mets Employee Pleads Guilty
A former employee of the New York Mets has pleaded guilty to distributing performance-enhancing drugs to dozens of major league players between 1995 and 2005, and is cooperating with baseball's steroids investigation.
Kirk Radomski, 37, admitted providing anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, Clenbuterol, amphetamines and other drugs to "dozens of current and former Major League Baseball players, and associates, on teams throughout Major League Baseball," San Francisco U.S. Attorney Scott Schools said in a statement.
Radomski, a former Mets batboy who also worked as an equipment manager and clubhouse assistant while with the team from 1985-95, surrendered Friday in U.S. District Court, scene of the BALCO steroid proceedings and prosecutions, and pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance -- anabolic steroids -- and one count of money laundering.
Radomski, who faces up to 25 years in prison and $500,000 in fines, was considered by authorities to be the chief supplier of drugs for baseball players after the feds shut down BALCO in 2003.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Mets Fan Pleads Not Guilty
A New York Mets fan pleaded not guilty Sunday to shining a high-powered flashlight at an Atlanta Braves pitcher and shortstop during a game at Shea Stadium.
Frank Martinez was arraigned in Queens criminal court on charges of interfering with a professional sporting event and second-degree reckless endangerment. He was held on $1,000 bail and is due back in court May 1.
Authorities said the 40-year-old Martinez flashed the light at the players in the bottom of the eighth inning Friday from his seat behind home plate. He quickly was ejected from the game. "The defendant's alleged actions recklessly endangered the lives of players and spectators and caused a temporary delay to the game," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
The Braves were leading the Mets 7-0 at the time of the incident. Tim Hudson was on the mound facing Mets pinch hitter Endy Chavez when, investigators said, Martinez turned the beam on the Braves pitcher and shortstop Edgar Renteria.
Renteria complained to umpire Paul Emmel, who called time out and alerted security. The security officers removed Martinez and found a "a small, streamline flashlight" in his backpack, Brown said.
Martinez is being represented by the Legal Aid Society. Legal Aid spokeswoman Pat Bath said his attorney did not want to comment. If convicted, Martinez faces up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine. The Braves won Friday's game 7-3.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Mets Dumped In Atlanta Again
Maybe the Curse of Turner Field isn't dead after all. The Mets came to town Friday carrying a 3-0 record and the swagger of a first-place juggernaut. They left last night - and head into their home opener today - carrying a two-game losing streak, a second-place standing and the ugly memory of a wasted gem by Orlando Hernandez in yesterday's 3-2 loss to the Braves. The Mets bullpen made it interesting, especially in the seventh inning when the Braves had runners at second and third with two outs, but Aaron Heilman got Edgar Renteria to ground out to second to end the inning. Heilman wasn't as lucky in the eighth when he gave up doubles to Chipper Jones, Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur to put the Braves out front, 3-2.
Shut Up Gary
 Gary Cohen |
Forget It! The Dodgers Are Not Coming back
On this day in 1913, Ebbets Field opened in Brooklyn and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Dodgers 1-0 before a crowd of 10,000. The stadium, which cost $750,000 to build, was named after Charles Ebbets, the club's principal owner. The Dodgers played there for 45 seasons and then moved to Los Angeles in 1957. The Dodgers have played in Dodger Stadium 46 seasons now, get over it...they are not coming back.
Cashing In
Jorge Sosa and Chan Ho Park, earning a combined $1.85 million at Triple-A New Orleans, each tossed six scoreless innings, limiting Nashville to two hits apiece, in a doubleheader sweep.
Wright Out
David Wright had fared pretty well against John Smoltz in his career, but that wasn't the case yesterday. Wright struck out swinging all three times he faced Smoltz in the Mets' 5-3 loss to the Braves at Turner Field. Despite his struggles yesterday, Wright is still 8-for-30 with two homers, but 12 strikeouts against Smoltz.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Gay Boy Homers For A's
 Mike Piazza |
Mike Piazza's first home run as a full-time designated hitter was a memorable one. Piazza connected against Francisco Rodriguez with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Oakland Athletics over the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 Thursday night.
Piazza, who has the most home runs as a catcher in major league history, drove a 1-1 pitch just to the right of dead center field for his first homer in 22 career at-bats at Angel Stadium.
Of the 41 big league ballparks Piazza has played in, the only ones the 12-time All-Star has not homered in are the Metrodome (13 at-bats) and the new Busch Stadium (seven at-bats). He also came up empty in 23 at-bats at Puerto Rico's Bithorn Stadium, where the Montreal Expos played some home games in 2003 and 2004.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Six Months Too Late, Mets Sweep Cards
 John Maine |
John Maine kept the Cardinals' bats quiet with seven innings of one-hit ball and Carlos Beltran homered twice and drove in four runs, helping the Mets sweep the World Series champions with a 10-0 victory Wednesday night.
"We can't change history, so we just came out excited about the first part of the season," manager Willie Randolph said. "It just happens that the Cardinals were the team, that's all. No extra incentive."
Jose Reyes also homered and had three RBIs for the Mets, who were 8-1 to start last season en route to an NL-high 97 wins before they were eliminated by the Cardinals in the NLCS. Playing for much lower stakes but making a statement nonetheless, the Mets outscored the Cardinals 20-2.
The Mets have a six-game winning streak against the Cardinals in the regular season.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Scott Kazmir Has A Zambrano Like Outing
The Devil Rays, who fielded the youngest opening-day lineup since the 1983 Minnesota Twins, led 5-3 before Scott Kazmir and his bullpen faltered. Kazmir allowed five earned runs on six hits and four walks in five innings. He struck out five batters.
 Scott Kazmir |
 Víctor Zambrano |
Meanwhile...according to MLB.com, the Blue Jays announced before Josh Towers final spring start on Saturday that he would be the team's fifth starting pitcher heading into the season. Towers won out over Victor Zambrano, who will now work out of the bullpen.
Remember Dwight Gooden
Felix Hernandez, at 20, the majors' youngest opening day pitcher since 20-year-old Dwight Gooden in 1985, allowed three hits and struck out a career-high 12 in eight innings as Seattle topped Oakland 4-0.
Only two pitchers in the last 14 years have struck out more to begin a season. Pedro Martinez had 12 to start the Mets' 2005, and Randy Johnson started Seattle's 1993 and '96 seasons with 14.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Mets Spoil Cards Celebration
The St. Louis Cardinals ruined the New York Mets' chance at celebration in 2006. The Mets put a damper on the world champions' celebration Sunday.
The Cardinals raised the World Series banner for the first time in 24 years just prior to the game, then Tom Glavine pitched six strong innings to lead the Mets to a 6-1 triumph in the opening game of the 2007 season.
"It was a little bit of a disappointment that (World Series championship) wasn't us," Glavine said. "It could have very easily been us, but it wasn't. Maybe it's the kind of thing that you watch and know that when the season is over for us, that's what we want to be doing."
St. Louis won the NL Central with an 83-78 recorded last season while the Mets tied for the most wins in the majors with a 97-65 mark. But St. Louis won the NLCS showdown, four games to three, en route to beating the Detroit Tigers in the World Series.
Festivities at St. Louis' Busch Stadium featured members of the Cardinals' World Series-winning teams in 1967 and 1982, including first pitches from the last three pitchers to record the final outs of the Cardinals' last three World Series winners.
However, it was the pitches from Glavine that St. Louis hitters had trouble with. The veteran lefthander allowed just a run, six hits and a walk and struck out two to slow down the Cardinals.
"When I had to make some pitches I did," said Glavine, who threw 50 of 89 pitches for strikes. "I was able to get some ground balls and some double plays when I needed them."
Paul Lo Duca drove in three runs and Carlos Delgado added two RBI to spark New York's offense.
Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter will oppose Tom Glavine in Sunday's opener. Carpenter won the NL Cy Young Award in 2005 and was the runnerup last year. Glavine, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, needs 10 wins to reach 300.
Openers continue Monday with seven in the American League and six more in the National League.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Martinez Goes On DL
Pedro Martinez, out until the second half of
the season following shoulder surgery, went back on the disabled
list as the New York Mets got down to the 25-man roster limit
before Sunday night's season opener.
Martinez, Juan Padilla (elbow surgery), Duaner Sanchez (broken shoulder) and Dave Williams (neck surgery) all went on the 15-day DL retroactive to March 23. The Mets also placed reliever Guillermo Mota on the restricted list while he serves a 50-game suspension for a positive steroid test last year, and they optioned No. 5 starter Mike Pelfrey to St. Lucie of the Florida State League. The Mets won't need a fifth starter at the beginning of the season because of off days.