July 30, 2007
Mets Acquire Castillo
 |
| Luis Castillo is washed up like Carlos Baerga and Roberto Alomar. |
The 31-year-old Castillo will give the Mets three switch-hitters at the top of their lineup when injured Carlos Beltran returns and brings speed and a .304 average to a batting order already topped by major league stolen base leader Jose Reyes. Castillo twice was the NL steals leader, though bad knees have limited his running in recent seasons.
A three-time Gold Glove winner who still has above-average range, Castillo also should solidify the defense in a standout infield with Reyes at shortstop, David Wright at third and Carlos Delgado at first. Ruben Gotay had been playing second since Jose Valentin broke a bone in his right leg when he fouled off a pitch at Dodger Stadium on June 21.
Minnesota gets catcher Drew Butera, who will report to Double-A New Britain, and outfielder Dustin Martin, who will go to Class-A Fort Myers. The deal, which came together in less than 24 hours, was completed one day before the deadline for making trades without waivers.
Martinez Ready For Rehab Start
 |
| Pedro Martinez |
"I don't know how I'm going to be," Martinez said. "I just know I feel better than the last two years or so. ... Every time I throw I bounce back really quickly. Right now, I'm 100 percent healthy."
The 35-year-old righty, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, had rotator cuff surgery last Oct. 5, and threw to batters on June 26 for the first time after the operation. The Mets hope to have him back in their rotation next month.
"My priority was to be healthy, and the only way I would find out if I was healthy was by testing myself all the time," Martinez said. "But at the same time, I've got no pressure. What could I do? I could say I'm hanging my cleats up and going home because my body's not responding. But it did, and so far it has."
Martinez was 9-8 with a 4.48 ERA in 132 2-3 innings last year but missed the postseason. "I'm a very proud man when it comes to this job," Martinez said. "And my job is the most serious thing I could probably have right now apart from my family's health and my health. I feel like I owe it to this organization and to the fans."
July 27, 2007
Mets Activate OF Alou From DL
The New York Mets on Friday activated outfielder
Moises Alou from the 15-day disabled list.
The 41-year-old Alou was placed on the 15-Day DL on May 17, retroactive to May 13, with a strained left quadriceps. The 16-year veteran went 1-for-4 with an RBI on Sunday in a rehabilitation game at Class A Brooklyn of the New York-Penn League and developed tendinitis in his shoulder which delayed his return. Alou also hit .333 (5-15) with a homer and three RBI in five rehabilitation games with the Gulf Coast Mets.
In 30 games with the Mets, Alou hit .318 with two homers and 13 RBI.
In other moves, the club recalled righthanded pitcher Jon Adkins from Class AAA New Orleans of the Pacific Coast League and designated catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. for assignment.
Adkins, 29, went 1-3 with four saves and a 3.83 ERA in 38 games with New Orleans this season. During his major league career, Adkins is 4-5 with a 4.63 ERA in 114 games with the White Sox and the San Diego Padres.
After having his contract purchased from New Orleans on July 4, Alomar, Jr. hit .333 (2-6) in just three games with New York.
July 25, 2007
Glavine Stands At 299
Tom Glavine pitched six innings to earn career win No. 299, and
Paul Lo Duca drove in four runs to lead the New York Mets past the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 Wednesday night. The 41-year-old left-hander, who needed 10 wins coming into the year to reach the milestone, expects a ton of phone calls and some work getting everyone to Miller Park for his first chance at becoming the 23rd player to reach 300 wins.
July 22, 2007
Mets Take Three of Four In L.A.
Chip Ambres singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, and the New York Mets beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 Sunday to take three of four in a series between division leaders.
Mets LF Moises Alou is expected to be activated on Tuesday for the opener of a six-game homestand. He has been sidelined since May 13 because of a strained left quadriceps.
July 20, 2007
Perez Back On Track
Oliver Perez (9-6) allowed a run and six hits over 7 1-3 innings in his second start since coming off the disabled list. It was the 11th time in 17 starts this season that the left-hander allowed fewer than three earned runs. He struck out eight and walked three. In two starts against the Dodgers last season with Pittsburgh, Perez was 0-2 with a 14.04 ERA.
Jose Valentin has bad luck. The second baseman broke his right leg when he fouled off a pitch in the fourth inning of New York's 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. It was the second time this season Valentin went down with an injury to his right leg. Earlier this year, he partially tore a ligament in his knee.
Billy Wagner needs 13 strikeouts to bring his career total to 1,000. The only left-handed reliever to reach that plateau is former Mets and Dodgers closer Jesse Orosco. Wagner pitched a perfect ninth for his 21st save in 22 attempts.
July 19, 2007
Glavine Bombed In LA, But Mets Win
Carlos Delgado and
Ramon Castro hit consecutive home runs in the sixth,
Carlos Beltran added a solo shot in the eighth and the NL East-leading New York Mets beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-9 Thursday night.
Tom Glavine, two victories away from 300, allowed six runs on 10 hits in two-plus innings and walked one in his shortest outing of the season. The 41-year-old left-hander made just 68 pitches. Glavine also had no strikeouts in an 11-8 loss to the New York Yankees on June 16.
July 16, 2007
Moises Alou Hits HR; But In Rehab Game
 |
| Moises Alou |
The 41-year-old left fielder has been out since tearing a quadriceps muscle in his left leg on May 12. He went 2-for-3 Monday, with a solo homer and a walk, for the Gulf Coast League Mets.
"It was nice to be out there batting," he said. "Right now, it's just about getting back into shape for play. My quad was not hurting me at all today. I'm almost 100 percent."
Alou is expected to play Friday at Vero Beach against the Gulf Coast Dodgers. It could take up to two weeks for him to be ready to rejoin New York's lineup. He was hitting .318 before his injury with two home runs and 13 RBIs in 110 at-bats.
With the approval of Mets general manager Omar Minaya, Alou remained in New York for seven weeks following his injury and worked daily with a private physical therapist. Mets medical director David Altchek recommended the therapist, allowing Alou to avoid spending his full recovery time in Port St. Lucie at the team's spring training facility.
"I know the Mets have a policy of sending players down here, but I wanted to try something different. I spoke with Omar and he agreed I could do the treatment up there," said Alou, a veteran of 16 major league seasons. "I wanted to be close to my family."
July 15, 2007
Sosa Comes Off DL - Pelfrey Back To Minors
 |
| Jose Sosa |
The move paves the way for righthander Jose Sosa to be activated from the 15-day disabled list on Monday. He is expected to start Monday's series opener against the Padres in San Diego.
Sosa was placed on the disabled list on July after straining his hamstring running down the first base line in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Sosa is 7-3 with a 3.92 ERA for the Mets this season.
July 13, 2007
Mets Send 48-year-old Franco Packing
 |
| Julio Franco baseball card before Reyes and Wright were born. |
"I thought I would surprise them," he told MLB.com in an interview on the Mets' Web site (www.newyorkmets.com). "But they surprised me. It's what I need to do, so that part is good for me."
The Mets have designated Franco for assignment, meaning they have 10 days to recall him, trade him or send him to the minor leagues or he becomes a free agent.
Over his 23 seasons in the majors with seven teams, Franco has a .298 average with 173 homers and 1,186 RBI. The three-times All-Star had played sparingly in his one-and-a-half seasons with the Mets, being used chiefly as a right-handed pinch-hitter.
The New York Mets average age dropped to 29 years old from 31 with Franco being let go and being replaced by Milledge.
July 12, 2007
 |
| Lastings Milledge |
Lastings Milledge is likely to join the Mets tomorrow when the second half opens at Shea. The outfielder, getting back into playing shape after missing two months with a strained foot ligament, has hit .435 with three homers and eight RBI in 23 at-bats with Double-A Binghamton.
Meanwhile Oliver Perez, who is expected to return from the DL to pitch Sunday's finale of a four-game series against Cincinnati, tossed four scoreless innings for the Gulf Coast League Mets yesterday. Perez, out with stiffness in his lower back, allowed two hits while striking out seven and walking none in a 49-pitch effort.
July 11, 2007
Does Rickey Know Hitting?
 |
| Rickey Henderson |
The Mets' decision to make Henderson their hitting coach was first reported Wednesday night by Newsday on its Web site.
New York, which leads the NL East by two games over second-place Atlanta, is sixth in the NL with a .268 team batting average.
July 10, 2007
Anaheim and Mets prime candidates to host All-Stars
The Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets have emerged as prime candidates to host All-Star games in the next few years.
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said Tuesday he plans to announce two or three All-Star sites within the next two months. The 2008 game will be at Yankee Stadium, which is scheduled to close after next season, and the 2009 game is at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
 |
| Citi Field under construction. |
The Angels are a candidate for the 2010 game, and the Mets are a candidate for the 2011 or 2013 game, a pair of baseball officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because Selig had not announced any decisions.
Angel Stadium has undergone extensive renovations since the All-Star game was last played there in 1989. The Angels also hosted the All-Stars in 1967.
The Mets hosted the All-Stars in 1964, Shea Stadium's first season. They plan to move into their new ballpark, Citi Field, in 2009.
Washington, which moves into a new ballpark next year, also is among the NL hopefuls to get an All-Star game in the next few years along with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the executives said. Kansas City and Tampa Bay are among the AL teams that would like to host the All-Stars, the executive added.
After playing both the 2006 (Pittsburgh) and 2007 (San Francisco) games in NL parks, Selig wants to go back to the traditional rotation between the leagues.
"The intensity is unbelievable," Selig said. "I can't keep everybody happy. Everybody wants it." Next year's game at Yankee Stadium will mark the first not played at a new ballpark since the All-Stars went to Boston's Fenway Park in 1999.
"As long as they're saying goodbye to it, we ought to do the same thing," Selig said. The Angels' status was first reported Tuesday by the Los Angeles Times.
 |
| Dave Williams |
Mid Summer Not So Classic
Ricky Ledee was designated for assignment before Sunday's game to make room for Dave Williams on the roster. Williams gave up 10 hits and eight runs in just 3 1-3 innings in Houston's 8-3 win over the Mets. He threw 98 pitches, struck out two and walked four in his first major league appearance since September 25. Williams, who underwent neck surgery on January 31, suffered a herniated disk early this season and spent six weeks in a neck brace before he could throw. Williams posted a 3-1 mark with a 5.59 ERA in six appearances last season after coming over in a trade from the Cincinnati Reds.
Jose Reyes tied Howard Johnson for second on the Mets' all-time stolen base list with No. 202 on Sunday.
July 8, 2007
Extra Frames In Houston
Carlos Beltran spent a lot of time catching fly balls on the hill in center field when he played for the Houston Astros.
On Saturday night, all that work three years ago paid off as Beltran made a saving, circus catch before hitting the go-ahead single in the 17th inning of the New York Mets' 5-3 win over Houston.
The Mets' longest game since 1993 and the 17 innings matched the most in the majors this season -- the Dodgers and Padres also played that many in April. It was the Mets' longest game since beating St. Louis 1-0 in 17 innings on Sept. 29, 1993. The Mets beat Houston 7-6 in 16 innings at the Astrodome to win Game 6 of the 1986 NL championship series and advance to the World Series. Back in 1968, the Mets and Astros played a 24-inning game that Houston won 1-0.
Carlos Delgado's home run was the 421st of his career and gave him sole possession of 39th on the all-time list.
Billy Wagner got his 341st save to tie Rollie Fingers for 8th place on the all-time list.
Jose Reyes, leading the majors in stolen bases with 46, swiped the 200th base of his career in the 10th.
July 7, 2007
Reyes Benched, Pelfrey Loses Again
 |
| Jose Reyes |
"I took him out for that reason," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "If you can't hustle, then you sit. That (plate appearance) was pretty self-explanatory. It's unacceptable. You go out there every day and you play hard or you sit your butt. The key is to play hard all the time."
Reyes took responsibility for the mistake. "I thought the ball was going to be foul, but you still have to run," he said. "It's my fault there, but that thing can happen to anybody."
Mets 23-year-old starter Mike Pelfrey (0-7), in his second start since being recalled from Triple-A Sunday, was solid until the fifth inning, giving up just three hits and one run through four.
"I thought he threw well," Randolph said. "He looks like he's getting better. We didn't score any runs for him so he didn't have a chance to win. He knows he has good stuff, and I see the improvement." Pelfrey struck five, a career-high, but remains winless in eight starts this season. He walked two and allowed seven hits in six innings.
July 5, 2007
Rocky Horror Show
Todd Helton and Garrett Atkins both drove in a season-high five runs and the Rockies pounded out 20 hits and routed the Mets again Wednesday night, this time 17-7 to become the first team in more than half a century to sweep two New York clubs in the same year.
The last team to sweep series from two New York clubs during the regular season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, was the Milwaukee Braves, who whitewashed the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants in 1956. After moving to Los Angeles, the Dodgers swept the Yankees in the 1963 World Series after sweeping the Mets four times during the season.
For the series, the Rockies outscored the Mets 34-12. Add in the Bronx Bombers, and Colorado outscored "New York, New York" 47-17.
The Rockies, whose 17 runs were a season high, also had 20 hits at Shea Stadium on April 25. Colorado (4-2) won the season series against the Mets for just the second time since 1998.
July 2, 2007
Heilman Sucks Again
Philadelphia put the game away in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out rally. Shane Victorino turned on an Aaron Heilman inside fastball and dinged it off the side of the right field foul pole for a solo homer and a 4-2 lead.
Chase Utley followed with a triple, Howard walked and Aaron Rowand — selected yesterday for his first All-Star Game — grooved a Heilman pitch back up the middle for an insurance run.
All Star Nods and Odds
RHP John Maine took the news that he hadn't made the NL All-Star
team in stride. Maine began Sunday with a 2.74 ERA, fourth in the NL. "It just
wasn't my time. There's a lot of good pitchers out there," he said. "I'm not
worried about it. It would have been nice. It's something I can look forward too
challenging again next year."
SS Jose Reyes and CF Carlos Beltran each had a stolen base, raising the Mets' major league-leading total to 97.
1B Carlos Delgado started the trip hitting .400 (6 for 15) with two homers, three RBIs and four runs. He also has 15 extra-base hits (10 doubles, five home runs) in his last 23 games. Delgado's 420th homer tied him for 39th on the career list.
Before RHP Mike Pelfrey lost Sunday, Mets starters were 6-0 with a 1.82 ERA in the previous nine games.
July 1, 2007
Pelfrey Up, Sosa Out, Perez Stiff
New York Mets starter Jorge Sosa was placed on the 15-day
disabled list Sunday, and Mike Pelfrey was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans.
Pelfrey, 0-5 with a 6.53 ERA, started Sunday's game against Philadelphia in place of Oliver Perez, who was scratched because of a stiff back. Perez is scheduled to start Tuesday at Colorado.
Sosa left Saturday's game against the Phillies after straining his left hamstring running to first base in the sixth inning. Sosa is 7-3 with a 3.92 ERA.