Johnson Ejected But Yanks Still Top Indians
Mets can finish road trip 9-1 with a win Thursday
Wagner, Glavine lift Mets past Yankees
Wagner bounced back from a dreadful performance and the Mets got consecutive home runs from Carlos Delgado and David Wright to edge the Yankees 4-3 Sunday night.
"You know the importance of winning the intercity series. There's nothing like it," winning pitcher Tom Glavine said. "It's hard not to get amped-up for the Yankees. They're a measuring stick."
Glavine won his fifth straight start by pitching six strong innings and Wright hit a mammoth shot out of Shea Stadium, helping the Mets take two of three from their crosstown rivals. All three games were decided by one run.
"Both teams put on a pretty good show," Wright said.
The Yankees stranded 15 runners.
"We had them on the ropes," manager Joe Torre said.
Derek Jeter hit a two-run single for the Yankees, who rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the ninth against Wagner on Saturday and won 5-4 in 11 innings.
But Mets manager Willie Randolph went right back to Wagner - as he said he would - and the All-Star closer entered to cheers from the crowd of 56,205.
"I was pretty shocked. I don't know if it was Yankee fans rooting for me," Wagner said. "Whatever, it felt pretty good."
Wagner worked out of a jam for his ninth save in 12 chances. Pitching for the third straight day, he gave up two singles in the ninth, but retired Miguel Cairo on a grounder to end it. The hard-throwing lefty struck out two.
"I wouldn't say making amends, but I was showing that I'm good enough to go back out there after taking a whipping," Wagner said. "I guess I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to do better than I did yesterday."
Wagner earned the win Friday night with splendid work in the ninth.
"I didn't think I'd play such a key role," he said. "I'd say it passes all expectations because what's the chances of having this much excitement in three games?"
The Yankees now head to Boston on Monday night. The NL East-leading Mets host second-place Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
Glavine (7-2) gave up two runs and seven hits in his 282nd win. He walked four and finished with four strikeouts, pushing his career total to 2,401, tying Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley for 35th place.
Glavine also became the second seven-game winner in the NL, joining Arizona's Brandon Webb.
"I couldn't have asked for a better beginning to the season," Glavine said.
Starting in place of injured right-hander Shawn Chacon, Aaron Small (0-2) lasted 4 1-3 innings for the Yankees.
The Yankees loaded the bases with none out in the eighth, and Jason Giambi's sacrifice fly cut it to 4-3. But Duaner Sanchez got Alex Rodriguez to ground into an inning-ending double play, handing the lead to Wagner.
"Every inning we had opportunities to break the game wide open," Rodriguez said.
Glavine's defense let him down in the fourth. Bernie Williams led off with a high popup into a whipping wind, and it dropped no more than 50 feet from home plate. The 37-year-old Williams hustled it into a gift double - his second of the game. With the bases loaded, Wright misplayed Jeter's two-out bouncer toward third into a two-run single.
Rodriguez then hit a hard liner to left, and Cliff Floyd made a leaping catch to keep the score 2-0.
Delgado and Wright made up for their miscues in the bottom half. After Lo Duca and Carlos Beltran singled, Delgado hit Small's next pitch into the right-field bullpen for his 15th homer and a 3-2 lead. He raised his fist as he rounded first.
Wright then teed off on a 1-1 pitch, driving it over a tent behind the left-field bleachers and beyond the back wall that separates Shea Stadium from its parking lot. The ball bounced high off a concrete walkway and finally disappeared from view at an estimated 445 feet.
"That's about a $20 cab fare," Delgado said. "I'm a big fan of home runs, so let me tell you, that was a nice one."
Kaz Matsui and Jose Reyes turned a nifty double play to end the fifth, Jeter grounded into an inning-ending DP with two on in the sixth and Aaron Heilman escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh when Kelly Stinnett bounced out.
Small got his pitches up the second time through the order. He allowed four runs and seven hits.
"It was just that inning. I didn't locate the ball where I wanted to, and it cost us," Small said.
New York Mets (22-11) At Philadelphia Phillies (18-15)
The Phillies won the opener, 5-4, but New York came back with a 13-4 rout on Wednesday. The Mets hold a four-game lead over Philadelphia for first place in the NL East.
On Wednesday, Tom Glavine threw seven strong innings and was one of four New York players to drive in at least two runs. Glavine (5-2) earned his third straight win, allowing three runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts. He also went 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored for New York.
Jose Reyes had a two-run homer for the Mets, who ended a two-game slide and won for the 10th time in 15 outings. Paul Lo Duca added two hits and three RBI and Carlos Beltran ended with two hits and two RBI for New York, which capitalized on three Philadelphia errors and exploded for six runs in the third to put the game out of reach.
Pat Burrell hit a two-run homer and Ryan Howard hit a solo shot for the Phillies, who had a nine-game win streak halted. The winning stretch was the longest for the club since a 13-game run from July 30 to August 12, 1991.
Steve Trachsel will try to end a two-game winless streak tonight, as he takes the ball for the Mets.
Trachsel is 0-1 over his last two outings and is coming off Friday's no decision against Atlanta. He surrendered four runs and nine hits over six innings in a game that New York would win, 8-7.
The 35-year-old right-hander is 10-9 with a 3.93 earned run average in 27 career starts versus the Phillies.
The Phillies will send Gavin Floyd to the hill tonight and they hope the young right-hander can win his third straight start.
Floyd's most recent victory came last Friday against the San Francisco Giants. He yielded three runs and nine hits in six innings against the Giants despite giving up two home runs.
The 23-year-old Floyd is 1-0 with an 8.10 ERA in two career games (1 start) against the Mets.
The Mets were 11-7 against the Phillies last season and took five of eight meetings in Philadelphia.
Home run for Yankees with win over Blue Jays
Rodriguez homered in his third straight game and Mussina made another sharp start, leading the New York Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 Wednesday.
New York is 7-7 after playing 11 of 14 on the road. The Yankees host Baltimore on Friday night in the start of a nine-game homestand.
"We would love to be 9-5 or something like that," Rodriguez said. "But we've been on the road for basically 14 days. We're very excited to get home."
Rodriguez said the road start was OK given that the Yankees traveled to Oakland, the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota and Toronto — all possible postseason contenders.
"There's probably eight or nine teams that are legitimate World Series contenders in the American League, and that's very unique because you probably haven't had that in over 20 years," Rodriguez said. "There is great parity in the American League. There are probably three teams in each division that can potentially win the World Series."
Rodriguez homered in the fifth inning, tying Juan Gonzalez for 35th on baseball's career list with his 434th homer. Rodriguez is hitting .462 (12 for 26) in New York's wins and .148 (4 for 27) in its losses.
He arrived early before the game to work on his swing.
"I'm getting more comfortable," he said.
Mussina (2-1) struck out a season-high seven in 7-1/3 innings, allowing one run and seven hits. He lowered his earned-run average to 2.67.
"It was a masterpiece," New York manager Joe Torre said. "He's as good as we've seen him early in the year."
Kyle Farnsworth got the last two outs of the eighth and Mariano Rivera, bouncing back from Saturday's loss in Minnesota, pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.
"That's the way you draw it up," Mussina said.
Mussina knows his team is counting on him and Randy Johnson to pitch well despite their ages. Johnson is 42, Mussina 37.
"We're the old guys, and everybody keeps reminding us," Mussina said. "If the two of us can do what we've been doing for the last 16 or 18 years, then that's great."
Toronto manager John Gibbons said it was just Mussina's day.
"When he's on, he keeps you off balance. He picked the plate apart," Gibbons said.
Former Yankee Ted Lilly (1-1) gave up two runs, seven hits and five walks in five innings.
New York Mets Pay Tribute to Number 42
There are rare moments on the baseball diamond when what happens there before the game matters more than what happens during it. One of those times occurred yesterday at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York, when the New York Mets organization honored the late Jackie Robinson on the 59th anniversary of the day he started playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, thus knocking down the hideous color barrier in baseball once and for all.
The sun was shining gloriously on this day at Shea, reminding me of those best days I've had there in my youth when the Mets were winning big games. I also remember moments of tribute like this, mostly for players like Rusty Staub or Mike Piazza. I don't remember if the Mets won games on those days, but I will never forget the way the Mets honored those people. That lasts forever.
It was only last week that I wrote an article about how I hoped the new stadium for the New York Mets would be named for Jackie Robinson. I wrote of the obvious connections between Brooklyn Dodger fans and Mets fans, how in my family and countless others like mine that the love, sweat, and tears once shed for the beloved Brooklyn Bums had been transposed to the equally loved Amazins of Queens.
There is a fierce loyalty amongst Mets fans, but that also extends to a sort of kinship with the essence of Dodger memory. Besides great former Dodger players either having played for or coached or managed the Mets, there is the supreme and transcending legacy of 1955: the year the Boys of Summer took on the Bronx Bombers and shook their ivory tower by winning the World Series. No Mets fan alive isn't still happy about that or not looking forward to the day (perhaps in October 2006) when the Mets can return the favor to the old boys in Dodger blue and send Torre, Jeter, and company home with their tails between their legs.
So yesterday there was one of those timeless days of honor and tradition. Huge Number 42 logos were painted on the field, and there was Willie Randolph standing in the sunshine with Rachel Robinson, Jackie's widow, along with president of Major League Baseball Bob DuPuy. I felt the thrill of sweet serendipity as Willie, native son of Brooklyn and orange and blue in the blood Mets fan growing up, stood there with Mrs. Robinson. How fitting that the first black manager of the New York Mets stood there with the wife of the first black player in baseball, who also happened to be a Brooklyn Dodger!
Randolph, who has the same grace and dignity for which Jackie Robinson was so well known, explained that he has pictures of Jackie in his office at Shea and thinks about him every day. And well he should, for because of Jackie Robinson there are so many talented players of color in all sports, enhancing the playing level and enjoyment of the game.
Of course, Jackie Robinson is synonymous with opening doors both figurative and literal, and that is why the Jackie Robinson Foundation established in his honor has provided college scholarships to over 1000 needy students in the past 25 years. One of those students, currently studying at Rutgers, was there to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Just for the record, the student was white, and I think that speaks well for Jackie's legacy. He is one of the most significant figures in baseball history not just because he was the first black man to play in the majors, but more because he stood for opportunity for all.
The ceremony was touching yet without pomp and circumstance, which seemed to me to be just the way Jackie would have wanted it. Still and all the images of Jackie that flashed on the huge DiamondVision in the outfield sent a powerful and lasting message of accomplishment.
I know the Mets lost that game yesterday, but that's not what is important. Ten or more years from now I will remember the indelible moment of Randolph and Rachel Robinson basking in the sunshine, of a young girl who got the chance to go to college and also throw a ball on the field at Shea, and I will recall that day was all about what mattered most: honoring the legacy of one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Jackie Robinson Field
The City of New York and the New York Mets have unveiled plans for the new stadium that will replace Shea Stadium on Opening Day in 2009. One major question is this: what should be the name of this new park? Shea Stadium was named for lawyer William Shea, whom Mayor Lindsay at the time noted was the most instrumental person in getting the place built, thus the appellation for the place that the Mets have called home for 42 years was odd but understandable; however, they will have to give the new stadium a different name, and I believe it should be Jackie Robinson Field.
The connections between the New York Mets and the Brooklyn Dodgers are quite tangible and most vivid for Mets fans, especially those persons who are 55 years old and older. Just like our Mets, the Brooklyn Dodgers were the underdog team in a city dominated by the damn Yankees across the river. They were a blue-collar team to be sure (as Newsday sportswriter Jon Heyman has noted, the Yankees are "about as blue-collar as Monte Carlo"), having a deep fan base in the poor and working classes in Brooklyn, Queens, and later Long Island. While they had some amazing players over the years (Duke Snider no doubt being their best all-around player, eventually rivaling Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle as the top centerfielder in baseball), none had such a visceral and long-lasting impact as Jackie Robinson.
Whatever the motivation was for Branch Rickey to sign Robinson (and I have heard many varying stories over the years), the fact that the first black player in the Major Leagues was on the Dodgers changed baseball and American society forever. World War Two had ended only two years before and the armed forces were still segregated during that time; when the Korean conflict started a few years later, our forces would be integrated and there would be a move across the country to do the same thing in schools, the workforce, and in communities.
Jackie Robinson opened the door and behind him hundreds of other black players were waiting. Robinson was an exemplary person, an extraordinary ballplayer, and his success and good will were felt by players of all colors. Because of Robinson, the Major Leagues slowly became diversified and play rose to an infinitely better level. My grand uncle, who played in the minor leagues in the 1920s, said, "Our white team was always beaten when we played against the black teams in pick-up games because the blacks were better players," so this influx of talent certainly pushed all players to be better athletes out of necessity.
Another reason the new stadium should be named for Jackie Robinson can be found along a snaking road that connects Brooklyn to Queens and Long Island that used to be called The Interboro Parkway. It is a terrible road with sharp curves and narrow lanes, and I know because I've driven along it many times in my life. The traffic is always backed up along this route; it has only two lanes going in either direction, and the precipitous turns and short exit and entrance ramps make drivers slow down for safety. Back in 1972, my 18-year-old cousin was killed in an accident while riding his motorcycle along its most dangerous stretch through Cypress Hills, where quite fittingly there are cemeteries on either side of the road.
I guess you can understand why I've never felt fondly about The Interboro Parkway, that is until a few years ago when the name was changed to The Jackie Robinson Parkway to honor the groundbreaking ballplayer from the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was along this curving thoroughfare that winds its way through Brooklyn cemeteries and Queens parklands that Mets manager Willie Randolph's father used to drive him from Brooklyn into Queens to see Mets games. Little did young Willie know that the parkway would one day be renamed for the great Jackie Robinson whom he so admired or that he would be the skipper (and first black manager) of the team that he so loved.
As I watched the presentation about the new stadium (I saw it here in New York City on the new Mets Channel SNY), I knew many people would be excited by this development, but I felt it was bittersweet for I have so many memories connected to that place. Shea is hallowed ground for Mets fans: most notably left field, where Cleon Jones genuflected as he squeezed the fly ball for out number three and the Mets first World Series victory in 1969, and the mound, where Jesse Orosco threw that last strike of the 1986 World Series.
It has also been a site for rock concerts, visits by the Pope, and a venue for other conventions and convocations. Most hallowed of all ground is the area around second base that should be preserved forever to mark the place where the stage stood for the legendary Beatles' appearance in 1965. Before the Beatles, no rock and roll act could have sold out a 57,000-seat stadium, but they were like no other band before or since. I recall reading once that John always said that the concert at Shea Stadium was not only his most exciting performance as a Beatle, but also was the defining moment for the band in terms of popularity and their legacy.
Despite these things, Shea Stadium has no doubt outlived its viability as a sports arena. If you've ever attended a game there, you know that there is a strange alignment of seats to the field. No matter where you sit, it seems you're pointed toward the outfield wall. My theory on this is that the stadium was built with the thought of also accommodating a football team, which it eventually did (New York Jets). The trouble was that the seats were no better suited for football than they were for baseball, but that was always part of the fun at Shea. There were also the horribly slow escalators, the horrendous odor in the bathrooms, and the tedious wait at the vendor counters in long lines with no way to see the action on the field.
I've provided the following information and believe you will find it interesting when comparing and contrasting the new ballpark with old Shea:
NEW BALLPARK
Opening Day: 2009
Total Capacity: 45,000 (approximately)
Seating Categories: Concourse Level: 18,000
Club Level: 7,800
Promenade Level: 15,500
Seat Width: 19" to 24" (21" average)
Legroom Between Rows: 33" to 39"
Wheelchair Seating: 830
Luxury Suites: 58
Restaurants (capacity): Ebbets Lounge: 734
Sterling Lounge: 1,600
Left Field Club: 500
Promenade Grill: 500
Field Dimensions: Left Field: 335
Left Center: 379
Center: 408
Right Center: 391
Right Field: 330
SHEA STADIUM
Opening Day: 1964
Total Capacity: 57,333
Seating Categories: Loge: 8,852
Mezzanine: 14,156
Field Level: 11,149
Upper Deck: 20,420
Seat Width: 19" to 20" (19" average)
Legroom Between Rows: 32"
Wheelchair Seating: 174
Luxury Suites: 45
Restaurants (capacity): Diamond Club: 309
Grill Room: 219
Field Dimensions: Left Field: 338
Left Center: 371
Center: 410
Right Center: 371
Right Field: 338
*Statistics taken from New York Newsday
Fortunately, all the many things that have plagued fans at Shea have been considered in the planning for the construction of the new ballpark. It seems the first and foremost priority was aesthetics, and that is very pleasing to this fan. Reminiscent of the old home of the Dodgers in Brooklyn, the new structure will have striking brick arches along the façade with limestone and granite flourishes; the arches will contain semicircle windows in the top of each arch just like the ones in Ebbets Field. There will be space made for commemorative bronze plaques along the top of the building, and any exposed steel will be painted in rich Mets blue. This kind of return to a traditional-styled park will please most Mets fans, for Shea has always been a clash of 60s modernism and practicality with the harsh reality of its obviously unpleasant structural incongruities.
Also, looking at the statistics above, one can see that the goal was to make the amenities available to a smaller and more comfortable crowd. The Upper Deck at Shea has always been nosebleed land, and the wind whipping off Flushing Bay swooshed around those seats unmercifully. Now there will only be two major seating decks and a Club Level for the lounges and restaurants. All the facilities will have easy viewing of the action on the field, and the Promenade Grill sounds most promising as a restaurant that will be hanging down from that level and almost over the action on the field.
Listening to Jeff Wilpon, son of team owner and former Brooklyn Dodger fan Fred Wilpon, talking about the project convinced me that this was a labor of love. There were original plans for a domed stadium prior to 9/11, but Mr. Wilpon indicated that event changed everything, including the vision for this new park. Now the park is being designed to be more intimate, with a good deal less ground in foul territory because of seats that will be extremely close to the field. And, speaking of seats, there has been obvious attention to the fact that watching games at Shea used to be uncomfortable. The seats will be wider and legroom has been increased significantly.
Besides all the technical information that is impressive, most of all I think the city and the Mets organization have done justice to baseball history. The New York Met fans of today would not exist without the Dodger fans of yesterday. Dodger fans lived for their team, even when it was losing, and they went to games in a small ballpark where there was significant opportunity for exchange with each other and the players too. This has been recognized in the planning of this new park, and in my mind it takes a great deal of love to say we will design a park with ten thousand less seats in order that each fan who does attend a game will feel right at home. That's a design that doesn't have making money as a top priority (for more seats = more tickets = more money).
The Dodger fans of the past gave birth to the Met fans of the present. It has been a sometimes difficult process, but all the love, sweat, blood, and tears that were transferred meant more than just the change of a borough (Brooklyn to Queens) or change in name (Dodgers to Mets). For in the end, the quintessence of passion, spirit, and love of team has been passed on to Mets fans. Anyone who has ever been at Shea when it's a full house and has heard the fans screaming "Let's Go Mets" will know exactly what I mean.
The Mets are recognizing their connection to the past with the new stadium taking on the ghost of Ebbets Field and giving shape to a new and lasting presence in brick and steel. Now that the city and the Mets organization have done so much right in the planning of this new park, it is time to make the right call and name the park after the greatest Dodger of all: Jackie Robinson. In that way we will be honoring his memory, his team's legacy, and the hope for the future of Mets baseball will be very bright indeed.
Baseball salaries increase almost 9 percent
The average major league salary jumped nearly 9 percent to $2.87 million on Opening Day, and the three highest-paid players were -- you guessed it -- all on the New York Yankees.
Alex Rodriguez topped the list at $25.7 million and was No. 1 for the sixth straight year, according to a study of major league contracts by The Associated Press. Derek Jeter was next at $20.6 million, followed by Jason Giambi at $20.4 million. San Francisco's Barry Bonds was fourth at $20 million, and Houston's Jeff Bagwell -- who might not play because of a shoulder injury -- was next at $19.3 million. "Baseball had record crowds last year," Giambi said. "Probably with Barry going to break the [home run] record, it will bump it up and more people will come out and watch it. That makes players more popular, and in turn guys make more money." This year's $2,866,544 average was up 8.9 percent from last year's figure of $2,632,655. The Yankees' payroll dropped a bit to $198.7 million from $205.9 million on Opening Day last year. Boston was second again at $120.1 million, followed by the Los Angeles Angels ($103.6 million), the World Series champion Chicago White Sox ($102.9 million) and the New York Mets ($100.9 million). Payroll figures don't include cash transactions, such as money the Yankees are receiving from Texas for Rodriguez and the White Sox are getting from Philadelphia for Jim Thome. At the other end were the Florida Marlins at just under $15 million, including 17 players making the $327,000 minimum. It's the lowest figure for any team at the start of a season since Pittsburgh and Montreal in 1998. It's also less than the top 12 players make and 1/13th of what the Yankees pay their roster. While the biggest spenders kept their payrolls pretty much at the same levels as last year, many teams at the bottom made boosts. Toronto added free-agent pitchers A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan, and catcher Bengie Molina, among others, hiking its payroll to $71.9 million from $45.4 million. Eleven of the bottom 15 teams increased spending. Baseball's labor contract expires Dec. 19, and the sport's economic system will be negotiated again by players and owners. "There are still concerns at both the top and the bottom," said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer. "The goal would be to get a tighter range that would ensure that even more than 20 clubs at Labor Day still have a chance to compete for playoff spots, that playoff spots are based on skill and talent and blossoming stars and not just on plugging holes with economics." Oakland, 21st at $62.3 million, still has little margin for error. Some of the high-spending clubs, such as the Yankees, complain that the smaller-market franchises haven't spent their revenue-sharing money on major league payrolls.
"Certain teams are funneling it back in the right ways and there are some teams that aren't," Athletics outfielder Mark Kotsay said. "I think this club in the last couple of years has definitely shed that. They've used the money in revenue sharing and put it back into players' salaries." In a sign that the money is being spread out, the number of players making $1 million or more rose from 390 to 409 -- still shy of the record 425 in 2001. The median salary -- the point at which an equal amount of players fall above and below -- rose to $1 million from $850,000, breaking the previous high of $975,000 set in 2001. Figures for the study included salaries and prorated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income for the 813 players on Opening-Day rosters and disabled lists. For some players, parts of salaries deferred without interest or with minimal interest were discounted to present-day value. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For openers, Mets look Mighty Fine
To which Wagner replies: So what? Rivera might have the history, the World Series rings and the love of a town forged through years of sustained excellence. But he doesn't have dibs on Metallica. Wagner has been doing the Sandman thing since Jeff Bagwell picked out the song for him in Houston, and he's not about to ditch it now.
"I play for the Mets. Mariano plays for the Yankees. I never have to face him and he never has to face me, so there's no big competition there," Wagner said. "The earth isn't going to crumble just because two guys have it."
With a new $43 million contract and 285 career saves, Wagner has earned the right to pick his background music. If New York is big enough for a pair of Sandmen, it should be able to accommodate two teams with postseason aspirations.
Wagner made his Mets debut by pitching a scoreless ninth inning in a 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday. A crowd of 54,371, the largest ever for a Mets season opener, showed up at a dreary Shea Stadium and saw general manager Omar Minaya's revamped team rely on strong bullpen work, exceptional defense, a little David Wright and enough esprit de corps to fill a St. Patrick's Day parade.
"What happened in the past doesn't matter," said Tom Glavine, who earned the win for the Mets. "This is a different year and a new team that's constructed in a different way. Today you saw what it is that we're excited about, and that every Mets fan is excited about with this team."
For sake of comparison, the Mets couldn't help but recall last year's season opener in Cincinnati, when Pedro Martinez struck out 12 batters in six innings only to miss out on a victory when closer Braden Looper gave up ninth-inning homers to Adam Dunn and Joe Randa. The Mets proceeded to start 0-5 in Willie Randolph's first year as manager.
Now they're perfect, at least for a day, and they could attend Monday night's team function with no regrets.
"To go to the Welcome Home Dinner at 0-1 wouldn't have been any fun," Wright said.
After spending mega-millions to bring in Wagner and Carlos Delgado over the winter, the Mets kicked off Opening Day by paying tribute to the 1986 world championship club. Gary Carter caught the ceremonial first pitch from Jesse Orosco, but couldn't muster up the energy to leap into Orosco's arms.
In the end, this Opening Day was about redemption. Carlos Beltran, who so disappointed Mets fans with his production last year after signing a $119 million contract, was booed by the crowd when he popped to shortstop with a runner in scoring position in the fifth inning. But Beltran sent the fans home happy when he cut down Jose Vidro trying to stretch a single into a double for the final out of the game.
It was about fresh starts. Xavier Nady, who came over from San Diego in the Mike Cameron trade in December, joined Richie Hebner as the second player in Mets history to collect four hits in his debut.
It was about lofty expectations. Wright, who has been anointed the face of the franchise for the next decade, hit a solo homer off Livan Hernandez in the sixth and was serenaded with cries of "MVP! MVP!" -- much to his embarrassment.
"It's way too early for that," Wright said.
It was about positive omens. By all rights, the Nationals should have tied the game in the eighth inning. Alfonso Soriano singled and came all the way around on a Ryan Zimmerman double into the left field corner. But a Cliff Floyd-to-Jose Reyes relay made for a close play at the plate, and umpire Rick Reed failed to notice that catcher Paul Lo Duca dropped the ball after Soriano's left hand touched the plate. "We got a break," Lo Duca said.
Finally, Opening Day was about a reliable old trooper gearing up to make a run at baseball history. Since Glavine came to New York as a free agent in December 2002, the experience hasn't been entirely positive. He lost two teeth in a taxi cab accident, and he's posted a 33-41 record in a New York uniform. A lack of run support and a shaky bullpen haven't helped his pursuit of 300 career victories; he's currently 24 wins short.
Atlanta general manager John Schuerholz recently revealed in his book that Glavine actually had second thoughts about coming to New York in the first place. The revelation upset Glavine, who thought their conversation never should have been made public.
A great deal has been made of Glavine's age -- he turned 40 a week ago -- but he's never been on the disabled list and he's never shied away from competition. Given a chance to start against Washington because of Martinez's toe injury, Glavine was on his game.
He set down the Nationals in order in the first inning while never cracking 83 on the radar gun, and the tone was set for the day. Glavine had a worthy adversary in Hernandez, who worked in, out, up and down while mixing in the occasional 61 mph curve.
"Some guys are throwers and some guys are pitchers," Floyd said. "We had two pitchers starting the game today."
Said Wagner: "Honestly, I know that I couldn't pitch with the stuff they have. It takes a special person and a mentally tough man to be able to do what they do."
It's a long season, and maybe Atlanta will exert its influence as usual and relegate the Mets to the role of wild-card threat. Maybe Martinez's toe becomes an ongoing issue, or Beltran never adapts to the big city, or Reyes' lack of patience at the plate becomes a drag on the offense at the top of the order.
Maybe all of that occurs. But a day into the season, the Mets are talking like a team that believes it can justify the hype. When Floyd says, "We know we can win," try telling him he's wrong.
The background noise at America's loudest ballpark sure wasn't enough to obscure the pounding of all those Mets hearts on Opening Day. The celebrants ranged from rookie pitcher Brian Bannister, making his first appearance in a Mets uniform, to Julio Franco, who played alongside Bert Blyleven, Mike Hargrove and Manny Trillo in his first full season with the 1983 Indians.
Then there's Wright, the reluctant MVP candidate. He needed a visit from the Sandman on Monday night just to quell the adrenaline rush.
Yankees' stadium plan clears city council hurdle
The 45-2 vote clears the way for some of the team's land-use plans, including the use of two public parks as a site for the new stadium.
"This is a day to celebrate," said Councilman Oliver Koppell, who noted that only a few years ago the team was talking about leaving the Bronx. "The Yankees, for the foreseeable future, for our children and our grandchildren, will be the Bronx Bombers."
It has been only 10 months since the Yankees unveiled the plans for the new ballpark; the project has moved with blazing speed.
Wednesday's vote came only a few hours after the transaction was approved by the council's land use committee. The council's finance committee is scheduled to consider on Monday whether to help finance the stadium by issuing tax-exempt bonds.
Agency Preliminarily Approves $1.5B in Financing for New York Baseball Stadiums
The agency will issue approximately $866 million in tax-exempt bonds and $64 million in taxable bonds to build a new Yankee stadium in the South Bronx, which will be repaid solely from payments made by the Yankees through a payments in lieu of taxes structure, which will be submitted to the New York City Council for approval. The taxable bonds will be payable from rent payments made by the Yankees. The agency also intends to use exemptions from real property tax, mortgage recording tax and sales tax in connection with the project.
The Mets will be issued approximately $528 million worth of tax-exempt bonds and $104 million in taxable bonds for a stadium in Flushing, Queens, to replace the existing Shea Stadium (pictured). The bonds will be repaid in the same manner as the Yankees. Agency officials were unavailable for comment by deadline.
The stadiums will bring more than $1.5 billion in private investment and relieve New York City of having to pay maintenance and capital repair costs that would have exceeded rent payments by more than $113 million over the next 40 years for both stadiums. They will also generate approximately $157 million per year more in direct and indirect tax revenue than the city would have received from the teams without them. Estimated construction costs are $1 billion for the Yankees and $800,000 for the Mets, and both are projected to require more than 15,000 construction jobs and more than 1,800 permanent jobs.
Mets news is good on their injuries
An ominous tone could have been set with a setback to Martinez or had Floyd received sobering news.
After throwing 61 pitches to two minor leaguers, Martinez set the clock ticking on his return to the rotation, and two hours later Floyd came from his doctor with a sigh-of-relief announcement the second test showed a dramatic 17-point increase in his kidney functions.
Martinez's next step will be to throw batting practice again on Sunday.
The same went for Floyd, whose kidney function levels increased from 48 percent on the test administered by the Mets at the start of spring training to 65 percent after the second exam, which included an ultrasound given by kidney specialist Dr. Zeidy Roche.
Mets slam Orioles
Bannister, the son of former major-leaguer Floyd Bannister, allowed a second-inning by Chris Gomez, his only runner. Bannister has pitched nine straight scoreless innings.
"My changeup is still my pitch in development," he said. "We threw some effective ones (Tuesday).
"It's not my go-to pitch or my two-strike pitch. My bread and butter is still back and forth with the cutter and fastball, then finishing guys with the curveball."
Bannister was a combined 13-5 last season at Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Binghamton.
"I like what I've seen from him all spring, actually," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "He threw the ball well, and I like the way he carries himself. If he continues to pitch well, he obviously has a chance."
Orioles starter Erik Bedard gave up seven runs and six hits in 3 2-3 innings, throwing 70 pitches.
Wright opened the third with a homer and added a two-run single, and Floyd hit a three-run homer off Winston Abreu. Kaz Matsui hit a two-run single in the inning.
Free Agent Signings
Yanks Look Like AL East Champs
Looking up and down the lineup of the New York Yankees reads like an all-star team yet again. It goes Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, Jason Giambi, Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano, and possibly Bubba Crosby. It's impossible to tell what the regular starting lineup is going to be come late March, but you can be pretty confident that it will look something like that.
I'm not saying that just because the Yanks got Johnny Damon that now they're unstoppable — far from it, in fact, because Damon isn't the savior of baseball. He just now completes a lineup that was looking for that one last piece to fill it out. Now, like previous years, the rest of the American League East can just hang 'em up and call it a season — there's no point in trying now. Now combine with that lineup a pitching staff that has the potential to win every game they pitch, a now decent middle relief, and the best closer the game has ever seen, and the rest of the teams in the AL East should be trembling in their Sox.
There's no saying that the rest of the American League should be worried because if the staff in the South Side of Chicago pitches the way they did last season, then there's no reason to think that they won't be one of the top contenders to repeat, but the Yankees will be right there nipping at their heels.
Their pitching staff is a little suspect, but if Randy Johnson, Shawn Chacon, and Chien-Ming Wang pitch the way they did at the end of last season, and throw in there Carl Pavano and Mike Mussina pitching decent seasons, and right there you've got another 100-win season. The Yanks have plenty of hitting to swipe the AL East Crown away from any would-be throne stealers, and then they have the pitching experience to take them to a next level they haven't seen since my cousin was born (she's very young).
Now comes the time when everyone chimes in with their, "Steinbrenner's killing baseball," and, "The Yankees just buy their championships." No, George Steinbrenner is not killing baseball, and the Yankees are not going to just buy another championship. Was George Steinbrenner the one that originally signed Alex Rodriguez to a 10-year, $252 million contract? No, that award goes to the Texas Rangers, the owners of which actually only paid $250 million when they bought that team. What about Barry Bonds' approximate $22 million a year? That one goes to the San Francisco Giants. Then you have Manny Ramirez, who is still owed $57 million over the next three years, making it very difficult to trade the outfielder, who is with the innocent Boston Red Sox.
Sure, Steinbrenner pays out much more than every other team, but the reason for that is that the Yankees have the money to spend and they decide to spend it. Yankees fans pay top dollar for tickets at the Stadium, and up until recently, the Yankees were the biggest draw outside of the Bronx, as well. The Seattle Mariners are owned by Microsoft, the Angels by Disney, and the Cubs by Wrigley, all which have more money than Mr. Steinbrenner. Is it the Yankees' fault that those companies choose not to spend a lot of money on their baseball teams? George Steinbrenner runs his team like a money-making business, and he pays hefty luxury taxes to do it.
The idea that the Yankees buy their championships and are an "Evil Empire" is just absolutely ludicrous. The Yankees have not won a World Series since the year 2000, thus making the near $1 billion that has been spent on the team worthless if money buys titles.
On the same note, look at the 2005 team salaries of the World Series winners since the Yankees last won. Those teams are the Arizona Diamondbacks, Anaheim Angels, Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox. Their team salaries this past year are as follows: $62,329,166, $97,725,322, $60,408,834, $123,505,125, and $75,178,000, respectively. When was the last time that you saw a World Series champion that didn't spend good money on their team? You're not going to see a team that has a payroll of the Royals winning it because they just don't have what it takes. It is necessary to spend money in baseball if you want to succeed.
The 2005 playoff teams were almost all in the top half of the league in terms of baseball salaries, with the San Diego Padres coming in at number 16 (they shouldn't even count since they were barely over .500). Now look at the teams that were in the top 10 in payroll and see how they did:
1. Yankees — $208,306,817 — Lost 3-1 in the playoffs to the Angels
2. Red Sox — $123,505,125 — Lost 3-0 in the playoffs to the White Sox
3. Mets — $101,305,821 — Finished 83-79, missed the playoffs
4. Angels — $97,725,322 — Lost 4-1 in the ALCS to the White Sox
5. Phillies — $95,522,000 — Finished 88-74, missed the playoffs
6. Cardinals — $92,106,833 — Lost 4-2 in the NLCS to the Astros
7. Giants — $90,199,500 — Finished 75-87, missed the playoffs
8. Mariners — $87,754,334 — Finished 69-93, missed the playoffs
9. Cubs — $87,032,933 — Finished 79-83, missed the playoffs
10. Braves — $86,457,302 — Lost 3-1 in the playoffs to the Astros
If the idea that money buys championships really holds true, then how come none of the teams listed above even sniffed the World Series, let alone came close to winning it? The reason is that spending a lot of money doesn't guarantee anything. Anyone that has watched baseball in the past few years would be able to tell you that.
No matter what anyone says, people will always whine and complain that the Yankees buy their championships if they win, and if they lose, then people will say that they poorly spent their money. Like them or not, the Yankees are a very well-run business, and the fans appreciate that by actually attending the games. The fact is, the Yankees try every year to put the best team possible on the field, and that is why they are almost always one of the best teams in the league. Fans and media of other teams need to just stop complaining about what the Yankees do, and start focusing on what they can do to support their own teams and make them better.
2006 New York Mets Season Tickets on Sale
Those making deposits now will have priority on available seating for new Season Tickets and Ticket Plans for the highly anticipated 2006 season at Shea Stadium. The Mets open their home schedule on Monday, April 3 against the Washington Nationals.
Today's announcement regarding Season Ticket and Ticket Plan deposits follows this week's introductions of slugging first baseman Carlos Delgado and closer Billy Wagner to the New York media as the newest Mets. Delgado and Wagner join stars Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Carlos Beltran, Cliff Floyd, Jose Reyes, and David Wright to form the nucleus of Manager Willie Randolph's team for 2006.
Deposits for Season Tickets are $200 per seat; Ticket Plan deposits are $100 per seat. MasterCard is the preferred card of the Mets.
"The addition of two of baseball's marquee players reflects our commitment to fill key positions and field a championship caliber club for the 2006 season," said Dave Howard, Executive Vice President, Business Operations. "We have added ticket office staff to respond to the increased demand following the exciting developments at Shea this week."
Continuing Season Ticket Holders in the years ahead also will have priority in purchasing Season Tickets in the Mets' new ballpark, which is scheduled to open in 2009.
Single game tickets for the 2006 season will go on sale in late February.
New York Mets agree to one-year contract
The 27-year-old hit .216 last season for Washington and Philadelphia with no homers and 11 RBIs in 116 at-bats. He was a Mets' minor leaguer before Kansas City selected him in the December 2000 winter-meeting draft of unprotected players.
"Chavez is an athletic player with excellent defensive skills in all three outfield positions," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said. "He gives us another outfield option as we approach spring training."
N.Y. Mets honor Brown for Double-A leadership
Some of Scott Brown's first memories of baseball revolve around Frank Cashen.
Brown remembers sitting cross-legged on the floor of the Baltimore Orioles' offices, where his father worked, and listening to Cashen, the architect of the great Orioles' teams of the 1960s and '70s, tell stories.
This week, Brown, who's now the Binghamton Mets' general manager, received the J. Frank Cashen Award from the New York Mets.
The award is given to the outstanding executive among the team's minor league affiliates.
"It's very, very humbling," Brown said. "He was certainly one of those people in the game you look up to and hope you can have a fraction of the success he had."
Brown, who just finished his first season as the B-Mets' GM, was also named the 2005 Eastern League's Executive of the Year.
Under Brown's guidance this season, the B-Mets drew 222,243 fans to NYSEG Stadium, the third highest-attendance total in franchise history.
The team also had a strong year in advertising, season ticket sales, skybox sales and sponsorship revenues.
"I don't think anybody has a love for minor league baseball more than Scott," B-Mets president Michael Urda said. "He's well-received and well-liked by everyone in New York. Nobody has the heart and passion for the minor league baseball and New York Mets baseball like Scotty Brown."
Before being promoted to GM, Brown served as the B-Mets' assistant general manger for eight of the team's first 13 seasons.
He also served as GM of the St. Lucie Mets in the Single-A Florida State League and was New York's assistant scouting director from 1991-94, where he worked with Cashen.
"I don't think this award could mean any more to anyone on earth than Scotty Brown," Urda said.
Bill Terlecki and R.C. Reuteman, Brown's predecessors as B-Mets' GM, also have won the Cashen award.
"I guess we have a reputation for taking care of our minor league players and really looking after their welfare," Brown said. "Win or lose, that's the reason we're in this game. We love the game of baseball."
Roberts shifts left, stays atop lineup
Even Dave Roberts himself was in the dark about where he stood with the Padres when they traded for New York Mets center fielder Mike Cameron last month.
Let there be no doubt now.
"He's our Opening Day left fielder and leadoff hitter," Padres general manager Kevin Towers said Monday after the club avoided salary arbitration with Roberts by signing him to a one-year, $2.25 million contract.
The arrival of two-time Gold Glove winner Cameron made Roberts appear expendable, and his name did arise in trade talks at the winter meetings last week. But Roberts, the Padres' center fielder in 2005, retained value as the team's only viable leadoff threat, and the move of Ryan Klesko to first base created an opening in the outfield.
"I was hoping for a chance to come back, but once we got Mike, I was uncertain of my status with the organization," said Roberts, 33, a Cardiff resident and Rancho Buena Vista High product. "To get an opportunity to play in the outfield with him is great. He's going to make our team better."
Roberts, who can earn another $250,000 in bonuses based on plate appearances, last played left field in 2004 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, but said the adjustment won't be a problem.
Towers believes that Roberts will benefit from the move because covering less ground in left means less wear on the body. Various injuries limited him to 115 games last season, when he batted .275 with a career-best eight home runs and 38 RBIs while leading the club with 23 stolen bases.
"We said in this ballpark we need two center fielders, and now we have them," Towers said. "Actually three, because (right fielder) Brian Giles can also play center. This is one of the best defensive outfields we've ever had."
With the Padres' lineup mostly set, Towers is now focusing on pitching. He said reliever Doug Brocail is scheduled for a physical later this week. If Brocail passes, the free-agent right-hander will return to the Padres for a one-year, $1 million contract.
The 38-year-old Brocail, who pitched in San Diego from 1992-94, went 5-3 with a 5.52 ERA in 61 games for the Texas Rangers last season.
Also Monday, the Padres exchanged minor-league pitchers with the Detroit Tigers, acquiring right-hander Kenny Baugh for Ricky Steik. Baugh, 26, was 12-8 with a 3.38 ERA in 28 starts for Detroit's Triple-A affiliate at Toledo last year. Steik, 21, went 0-6 with a 2.40 ERA as a reliever for Single-A Fort Wayne.
Garciaparra to play 1st base for Yankees?
The New York Yankees have made an offer to free agent Nomar Garciaparra to play first base, the New York Post reported Tuesday, citing several industry sources.
"I can't say anything, I can't make any comment other than to say a number of teams have expressed interest in a number of possibilities," the player's agent Arn Tellem told the Post.
The Post said that Tellem and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman would not confirm nor deny that the team had made an offer to Garciaparra, who played shortstop for the Chicago Cubs and previously for the Boston Red Sox.
If Garciaparra were to join the Yankees, that would displace current first baseman Jason Giambi but would give the team an infield consisting of American League MVP Alex Rodriguez at third base, Derek Jeter at shortstop and Garciaparra at first.
While playing the field, Giambi hit .319 with 24 homers and 65 RBIs, on-base percentage of .471 and a slugging percentage of .664. As a DH, he batted .209 with eight homers, 22 RBIs, a .404 on-base percentage and .367 slugging percentage, the Post said.
Garciaparra, limited to 62 games last season because of a serious groin injury, batted .283 with nine homers and 30 RBIs.