Special Feature

OK, it's cheesy. And it isn't even an original thought, although I can't recall for the life of me from whom I'm stealing the phrase. But in sitting down to compose my year end recap of my first season as a kcmets.com columnist, it's just too irresistible not to use. Because the baseball season is an odyssey - from early February until the beginning of October, the Mets were part of our daily lives. During the cold, dark days of winter, there is something utterly comforting about looking back on the 2001 season and remembering the individual Mets who made headlines this past year.

For manager Bobby Valentine, 2001 was nothing if not memorable. Unfortunately, though, not all of the memories were pleasant ones. Starting in February, when Valentine's car was hit by a taxi in Manhattan, causing him to suffer a painful herniated disc.

A nicer memory was in June, when Valentine led a Mets contingent to Washington, DC to meet with his former Texas Rangers boss, President George W. Bush. The traveling party consisted of Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, Dennis Cook, Darryl Hamilton, Omar Minaya, Todd Zeile, Robin Ventura, John Franco, and token Democrat Jay Horwitz. The group traveled from Florida on a private jet owned by Valentine's friend, Chris Quackenbush.

July was a month of firsts for Valentine, who hosted his first charity golf tournament (to benefit the Mickey Lione, Jr., Scholarship Fund for Youth Excellence) and who managed his first All Star Game in Seattle.

Valentine achieved several milestones in 2001. He missed his first game in over 2,300 as a manager in order to attend son Robert, Jr.'s high school graduation, but he won his 400th game as a Mets manager in May and his 1,000th as a Major League manager in July.

While every American was changed by the events of September 11th, Valentine was hit particularly hard, especially by the death of Chris Quackenbush in the World Trade Center. Valentine's way of dealing with these events was to busy himself doing anything he could to help - from helping relief workers in the Shea parking lot for hours on end to visiting Ground Zero to provide moral support to participating in the "I Love New York II" campaign to putting up his own memorabilia on eBay to benefit the Auction for America. At a time when this nation was in stunned mourning, Bobby Valentine was the role model showing us that actions speak much louder than words during emergencies.

But wait, there's more! Valentine and Yankees' manager Joe Torre co-chaired the New York City Columbus Day Parade and accepted a supplemental Roberto Clemente Award from Major League Baseball on behalf of the City of New York.

In November, Valentine opened his newest restaurant - Bobby V's Sports Bar and Restaurant, at the new Ramada Plaza Hotel in Corona, Queens (see our Special Feature as kcmets.com visited the manager in his newest dining establishment). As if he hadn't been generous enough, Valentine has donated the first $20,000 in restaurant receipts to aid families who were affected by the September 11th attacks.

Mike Piazza had an active year, much of which was charitably oriented. He appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy in February, raising $15,000 for Leiter's Landing; he donated $25,000 from his All Star Game bonus to the families of three firefighters killed in the line of duty in Queens on Father's Day; he was honored by the American Liver Foundation for his work for that cause; and he hosted 200 kids from the Help USA homeless shelter to a ballgame at Shea. Off the field, Piazza was on television in a series of MCI commercials, and he garnered attention by bleaching his hair bright blonde in July and experimenting with a variety of facial hair designs. On the field, he hit his 300th career home run in July, his 300th homer as a catcher in August, and he belted in his 1,500th career hit on September 29th. This fall, Piazza was the first inductee into the Arizona Fall League's Hall of Fame, he was named catcher on the AFL Team of the Decade, and his AFL Number 22 was retired league-wide.

John Franco was lauded enough that he must have a swollen head, or at least a bobble head. Franco was named Team Captain this year - the first Met to hold this honorary title since Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez did in the '80s. Then the Brooklyn Cyclones had John Franco Day, giving John Franco bobbleheads to the first 1,500 fans and Bill Gallo sketches of Franco to the first 5,000 fans. Franco finished the year as a nominee for the 2001 Players Choice Awards Marvin Miller Man of the Year honors, losing out to Jim Thome of Cleveland. Native New Yorker Franco was asked to contribute a uniform and the FDNY cap he wore during the end of the season to the Hall of Fame as part of a planned exhibit about the events of September 11th. In December, Franco underwent surgery to remove calcium deposits from his pitching elbow - the surgery went well, and he is expected to be able to throw again by spring training.

Al Leiter had a stellar spring training, made all the more enjoyable by being able to play with his brother, Mark Leiter. Leiter made a wager with WFAN's Chris Russo that he would win 15 games this year - falling short of that, Leiter was on the hook to make a $15,000 donation to Russo's favorite charity. Leiter was honored by Major League Baseball by being awarded the Citizenship Through Sports Award. In the wake of September 11th, Leiter's Landing donated blankets and supplies to the relief effort, and Leiter participated in the "I Love New York II" campaign - unfortunately, as the campaign launch was held at Governor Pataki's office that was later feared to have been contaminated, Leiter underwent testing to make sure that he wasn't exposed to anthrax. Following the season, Leiter was an ESPN analyst for the first round of the baseball playoffs.

Armando Benitez had some turmoil in 2001, with a domestic violence investigation before the season and a tantrum after a May game in San Francisco that caused $4,000 worth of damage to Pac Bell Park's visitor's clubhouse. But it was a season with great moments as well. Benitez won consecutive games on July 28-29 - prior to Turk Wendell achieving that feat in June, consecutive wins hadn't been notched by a Mets pitcher since Jesse Orosco did it in 1985. Benitez was the first Met to record saves in four consecutive games, the 8th pitcher in Major League history to record back-to-back 40 save seasons, he became the Mets all-time leader in saves in a season with 43, and he won the Rolaids Relief Man Fireman of the Year award.

It was a disappointing season for Edgardo Alfonzo, who suffered from back problems throughout the year. Alfonzo enjoyed the fact that his brother Edgar Alfonzo managed the nearby Brooklyn Cyclones in their debut season. During Shea's Salsa Night, Alfonzo was honored with the Latino Sports Most Valuable Player Award for the year 2000.

Todd Zeile, whose daughter Hannah suffers from diabetes, used his one spring training off day to attend a Juvenile Diabetes Center at UCLA fundraiser, and before a game in Los Angeles in August he partook in a pregame event to aid diabetes research. Zeile also co-chaired the New York City Public Library's Summer Reading Club program with buddy Robin Ventura. Towards the end of the season, Zeile had hitting success after he started borrowing Ventura's bat, which is 2 ounces lighter and 1/2" shorter than his own. Zeile attempted to be the first person to hit a tennis ball out of the cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium during the third annual U.S. Open "Out of the Park" baseball challenge, but his effort fell short. Zeile is recovering from arthroscopic surgery in November to remove spurs from his elbow. The spurs became a problem in May when Zeile irritated the elbow while wrestling with his son, Garrett.

Rey Ordoñez and ex-wife Hilda Maria Fiallo were in court, but ultimately came to an agreement over support payments for their son, Rey, Jr. Ordoñez and Jorge Toca were reunited this season - the two were teammates in Cuba as youngsters.

Lenny Harris had a record breaking season, breaking Manny Mota's all time record with his 151st career pinch hit on October 6th. Additionally, his 95 appearances broke Rusty Staub's record of 94 in a season, set in 1983.

Benny Agbayani had quite a year, with the release of his book Big League Survivor, the introduction of Benny Beans coffee (available at 800-215-2221 or online at www.kimobean.com. I can assure you that this is good, strong Hawaiian coffee!), and hosting an episode of This Week in Baseball. Agbayani was honored by the Asian Professional Extension Company in May for being an inspiration to the Asian community. But all of these things pale in comparison to the biggest event in Agbayani's life this year - fatherhood! Benny's wife, Niela, had a baby girl in July whom they named Aleia Kiliohu (kiliohu is the Hawaiian word for gentle breeze).

The always enthusiastic Joe McEwing is so versatile that he has been described as a human Swiss Army knife! McEwing and his wife Julia reported to spring training with the pitchers and catchers in early February. The Pennsylvania native was given an Allen Iverson jersey by Lenny Harris to celebrate the Philadelphia 76ers making the NBA finals. McEwing was a ball of energy helping with relief efforts in the aftermath of September 11th, even operating a forklift in the Shea parking lot!

Steve Trachsel had a rough start in 2001, but was much more effective after returning to the Mets from a stint at AAA Norfolk. Incidentally, Trachsel and new Met Mark Guthrie have the distinction of having been together on four different teams now!

Jay Payton set hearts aflutter when he appeared shirtless in an article in Muscle and Fitness magazine titled "The Best Bodies in Major League Baseball." After the September 11th tragedy, Payton suddenly had to scramble for lodging when the hotel where he had been living during the season was rented out by the displaced Lehman Brothers firm. Although Payton would have liked to have played winter ball this year, he is prevented from doing so by a three-year suspension from all winter leagues that was imposed after the 1999 season when he didn't report to his Venezuelan team following a missed flight and a dispute about the plane ticket. Since he can't play winter ball, Payton will hire someone to throw to him this offseason so he can get in his requisite at bats. Perhaps this individualized schedule is all for the best, because Payton was hit by a pitch on October 5th that broke a bone in his hand, keeping him from baseball related activities for the first four to six weeks of the offseason.

Glendon Rusch, who headed the Mets NCAA basketball pool this spring training, slept in his newly completed home in Los Angeles for the first time during the August road trip there. The home was completed after spring training had begun, leaving wife Kelley to handle the move.

On July 4th, catcher Vance Wilson had his first Major League start and his first Major League hit. The Arizona native performed particularly well in a start in Phoenix in August, with two RBIs and two spectacular defensive plays in front of his hometown fans.

Tony Tarasco, who played with Tsuyoshi Shinjo in Japan, was reunited with him as a Met this year.

Mark Johnson, another of Shinjo's Hanshin Tigers teammates, suffered the humiliation of having the wrong image displayed on Dodgervision in Los Angeles in August - a picture of the White Sox catcher with the same name was shown instead! On October 20th, Johnson signed autographs to benefit the We Care RVC Fund, which was formed to aid the families of 27 Rockville Center residents who perished in the World Trade Center attacks.

San Diego native Grant Roberts left over 25 tickets for friends and family to see him pitch in QualComm Stadium. Roberts didn't disappoint them, pitching two scoreless innings in relief. Roberts played a half season of winter ball in order to build his arm strength and help the team decide whether he should be groomed as a starter, although he went home a little earlier than originally scheduled after being diagnosed with tendonitis.

Timo Perez started the year communicating with manager Bobby Valentine using what they called Spapanese - a conglomeration of Spanish, English and Japanese. Perez, though, proved to be a quick study of the English language, and by the end of the season impressed his teammates with the amount of the language he was able to pick up in such a short time. Perez is recovering from surgery after he fractured his hamate bone in a Winter League game - he is expected to be fully healed by March 1st.

Tom Martin pitched in April while sporting a black eye, the result of a mugging when he was walking back to his hotel in Louisville, Kentucky after a Norfolk Tides game.

Rick Croushore was thrilled during spring training when Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax gave him some pitching tips.

Brett Hinchcliffe was called up from Norfolk for an emergency start in April. Hinchcliffe has only four fingers on his left hand, the result of a hereditary condition known as syndactilism.

General Manager Steve Phillips underwent laser eye surgery in May. Vice president of media relations Jay Horwitz was honored in July as part of the Brooklyn Cyclones' Celebration of Jewish Heritage, and was serenaded in the San Diego press box by the "Pad Squad" on the occasion of his 56th birthday in August.

Lefty Bruce Chen joined the Mets on July 27th in the trade that sent Dennis Cook and Turk Wendell to the Phillies. Chen, who was born in Panama but is of Chinese descent, participated in pregame ceremonies during Shea's Asian Night in August.

Satoru Komiyama, who signed a Mets contract on December 1st, is reunited on the Mets with Bobby Valentine. Valentine managed Komiyama during his most successful season on the mound when the two were with Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines in 1995. Komiyama is sometimes referred to as "the Japanese Greg Maddux."

On December 12th, All Star and Gold Glove second baseman Roberto Alomar, along with outfielder/first baseman Danny Peoples and left-handed pitcher Mike Bacsik came to the Mets from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Matt Lawton, Jerrod Riggan, Alex Escobar, and minor leaguers Billy Traber and Earl Snyder. Alomar was excited about coming to the Mets because his father, Sandy Alomar, Sr., played at Shea as a Met and as a Yankee (during the two seasons when Yankee Stadium was being renovated), and has campaigned for the Mets to also sign his good friend, free agent Juan Gonzalez.

On December 13th, the Mets added free agent reliever David Weathers to the roster. The next day, Mark Guthrie and Tyler Yates joined the organization from Oakland in a deal that ended the David Justice era at Shea. Later that weekend, the Mets dealt Tsuyoshi Shinjo and Desi Relaford to the Giants in exchange for 28-year-old All-Star southpaw Shawn Estes.

On December 27th, the Mets acquired 1995 American League MVP Mo Vaughn from the Anaheim Angels in exchange for pitcher Kevin Appier. The next day, the Mets signed free agent pitcher John Frascatore to a minor league contract and acquired Gary Matthews, Jr. from Pittsburgh.

Roger Cedeno rejoined the Mets at the end of the year. After the 1999 season, Cedeno and Octavio Dotel were dealt to the Houston Astros in exchange for Mike Hampton and Derek Bell. Cedeno spent the 2001 in Detroit before becoming a free agent, and he signed a four-year deal with the Mets on December 13th. Cedeno's best season was as a Met in 1999, and he was beaming when discussing his return to Shea with the media.

Todd Pratt, whose 1999 NLDS home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks was named one of the Mets' Ten Greatest Moments, was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Gary Bennett in July. Pratt has the unique distinction of homering in his first at bat as a Met (on July 4th, 1997, against Florida Marlins pitcher Al Leiter) as well as his last Mets at bat (July 20, 2001, against the Phillies).

A few days after the Pratt deal, Dennis Cook was traded to the Phillies, along with Turk Wendell, in exchange for pitchers Bruce Chen and Adam Walker. Cook then had a stint on the 15 day Disabled List, under special circumstances approved by the Commissioner's office, so that he could be with his wife, Tami, who lost an unborn child. I have a special spot in my heart for Cook because he provided me with my first exclusive kcmets.com quote. In June, Cook was part of the Mets contingent who visited President Bush in the White House. Afterwards, the Associated Press mistakenly identified him in a photograph as "Dennis Cool." I was in Baltimore the day the picture ran to see the Mets play the Orioles, and during batting practice I told Cook about the misnomer. Cook laughed, and commented "I'm anything but cool." Maybe so, but apparently the AP thought otherwise. In any event, this remains one of my fondest memories of the 2001 season.

As mentioned above, Turk Wendell was traded to Philadelphia along with Dennis Cook. The colorful reliever is missed for his eccentricities (e.g., spiking the rosin bag on the mound, wearing a necklace made from the teeth of animals he has hunted), his enthusiasm, and his gargantuan charitable work. Wendell also had the distinction of winning consecutive games on June 17-18, which was the first time a Met pitcher accomplished that since Jesse Orosco did it in 1985.

Shortly after Wendell was traded, his close friend Rick Reed was sent to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Matt Lawton. Reed was selected for the 2001 All Star Team, although neck spasms prevented him from playing in the game. Following the events of September 11th, Reed followed the lead of the Mets and donated a day's pay ($36, 885.25) to the New York Police and Fire Widows and Children's Fund - the native West Virginian commented "I might be an ex-Met, but I don't have to be an ex-New Yorker, do I?"

Although Robin Ventura's season was frustrating (including an April hamstring pull, which caused him to comment "I didn't know I actually had hamstrings. I didn't think they've ever been used."), he did knock in his 1,000th career RBI in September. Ventura and pal Todd Zeile co-chaired the New York City Public Library's Summer Reading Club program. Ventura was this year's Mets recipient of MLB's Roberto Clemente Award, given to the player with the best combination of onfield playing skills and community service, and he was named to the Cape Cod Baseball League's Hall of Fame. Ventura hosted a charity bowling tournament in November to raise money to send children of September 11th victims to a sports camp at the Chelsea Piers. To stay in shape, Ventura began a rigorous kickboxing regimen this fall. In December, Ventura was traded across town to the Yankees for outfield veteran David Justice. Ventura is remembered most fondly by Mets fans for two incidents - the famous Grand Slam Single that won NLCS Game 5 against the Braves in 1999, and his impersonation of Mike Piazza at the plate and around the bases during a rain delay in Yankee Stadium in June 2000.

Japanese veteran Tsuyoshi Shinjo, dubbed "Mr. Sparkle" by some online Mets fans, had a stellar rookie season in the American Major Leagues. Despite winning the John Murphy Award for being the top Met rookie during spring training and becoming the first Japanese player to hit double digit home runs in the American Major Leagues (Take THAT Ichiro!), Shinjo is more well known for his colorful off the field activities. From his www.shinjyo5.net website to his affection for the color red to modeling for the April issue of GQ Magazine, Shinjo has captured the attention of Mets fans. He was honored during Shea's Asian Night when Shinjo posters were given to fans, greeted the Little League World Champion Tokyo Kitisuna team during a visit to Shea, and was sent a 20 foot banner with congratulations on his rookie season that was signed by fans in Osaka. On the field, Shinjo touched home plate after his first Major League home run, bowed to fellow countryman Masato Yoshii before batting against him for the first time, and tipped his cap to Preston Wilson after hitting a home run against the Marlins with an autographed bat that Wilson had given him prior to that game. With clutch hits and shining defense, Shinjo was a bright spot during what at times was an otherwise lackluster season. Topps named Shinjo to its Big League Rookie All Star Team. Shinjo and Desi Relaford were traded to San Francisco for Shawn Estes on December 16th. Sayonara Mr. Sparkle, and good luck!

Desi Relaford had a dream come true when he pitched a perfect 1-2-3 inning in relief in May. Relaford is the only Mets pitcher this year with a perfect 0.00 ERA. With Shinjo, Relaford was traded to the Giants on December 16th.

A highlight of Rick White's year was receiving instruction from Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax during spring training. White missed some time with the team in July, visiting his grandmother while she was ill and, later, attending her funeral. White became a free agent when the Mets decided on December 20th not to offer the reliever a contract for the 2002 season.

Kevin Appier, who signed on with the Mets as a free agent about a year ago, lived in Greenwich, Connecticut this season, down the street from teammates Robin Ventura and Todd Zeile. Appier's toughest moment as a Met was last May, when he was hit in the face by a pitch yet stayed in the game to score a run and pitch two effective innings afterwards. Appier, who was undefeated in his last 12 starts in 2001, was traded to the Anaheim Angels in the deal that brought Mo Vaughn to New York.

Darryl Hamilton and his wife, Ursuline, became parents for the first time when Donovan Quinn Hamilton was born on May 6th. Released after continuing disagreements with manager Bobby Valentine over playing time, Hamilton went to the Rockies organization but was released from their AAA affiliate shortly thereafter. Back home in Houston, when the Mets were in town for a road trip, Hamilton sent a bus to Enron Field to bring his former teammates to his restaurants, Ruggles, for dinner.

Fred Hina, who had been in the Mets organization since 1987 and had been the head trainer since 1994, resigned effective September 2nd in order to become the head basketball trainer for the University of Kentucky. Hina makes his home ten minutes from the Louisville campus.

Mookie Wilson, Met legend and current first base coach, was finally presented with the diploma he earned in 1996 for his Bachelor's Degree in Behavioral Science - the diploma had been on display in Mercy College's Hall of Fame in the meantime. Mookie and Rosa's Gospel Collection CD, a recording of inspirational songs, was released - fans at Shea Stadium could purchase the disc for $15 apiece. Young fans were given Mookie Wilson bobblehead dolls at a game in June. Sadly, though, Wilson mourned the loss of stepson Preston Wilson's first child. The baby, Preston Bernell William Wilson V was born three months premature and survived for only ten days.

In 1986, Rusty Staub founded the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund to provide financial relief to the families of firefighters and police officers who perish in the line of duty. In June, Staub hosted the 17th annual picnic and barbecue for the fund at Shea's picnic area. But it was after the tragic events of September 11th that the fund has received widespread attention, and the entire Mets teams - players, manager and coaches - donated their salaries from the September 21st game (totaling approximately $450,000) to this worthy cause. Anybody looking to contribute may contact:

Gary Carter, now a roving catching instructor in the Mets organization, threw out the opening pitches in Florida at both the Mets' and Expos' home spring training openers, as well as at the Expos home opener against the Mets in Montreal in April. On August 12th, Carter was honored by the Mets with his induction into the Mets Hall of Fame.

Garth Brooks, who partook in spring training with the Mets in the 2000 season, was given a National League Championship Ring by the Mets. Going back to last season, the Mets are 5-0 in games where Brooks has been in attendance.

Cup of Coffee

Some players were 2001 Mets, but only for a short time.

Matt Lawton joined the Mets right before the trade deadline in a deal that sent All Star pitcher Rick Reed to the Twins. Lawton, whose older brother Marcus had played minor league ball in the Mets organization in the '80s, experienced the dream of meeting his hero, Tony Gwynn, during a road trip to San Diego in August. Rookie reliever Jerrod Riggan was up with the Mets five times this season before settling into a permanent spot in the bullpen after Dennis Cook and Turk Wendell were traded. In August, twenty family members traveled from eastern Washington State to Los Angeles to see Riggan pitch. He didn't disappoint, notching his first Major League victory in their presence. Fellow Washington State native Glendon Rusch saved the game ball and made sure that Riggan received it after the game. Alex Escobar made his big league debut in May. After his first Major League hit, Edgardo Alfonzo and Rey Ordoñez pretended to destroy the ball, but after the joke they presented the real hit ball to the rookie. Lawton, Riggan and Escobar were all dealt to the Cleveland Indians December 11th in the blockbuster trade that brought Roberto Alomar, Danny Peoples and Mike Bacsik to the Mets.

C.J. Nitkowski, creator of the popular www.cjbaseball.com website, joined the Mets in September and earned the win in relief in his first game with the team in a wild and wacky Labor Day game in Philadelphia. Nitkowski became a free agent at the end of the season, and signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros on December 21st.

Kevin Stocker didn't even get a chance to put on his Mets uniform, deciding to retire before reporting to spring training camp. Jim Leyritz was around for spring training, but gone before the season's start. Mark Leiter, brother of Al Leiter, had a productive spring training with the Mets before being traded to Colorado, and later to Milwaukee. Brian Rose came to the Mets in the Mark Leiter trade, but was then lost on waivers. Darren Bragg, wearing number 56 to honor football great Lawrence Taylor, had some time with the big club. Justin Speier, son of former Major Leaguer Chris Speier, was Mets property for a blink of an eye. Gary Bennett came to the Mets from Philadelphia in exchange for Todd Pratt - Bennett had the opportunity to play along with his brother, Ryan Bennett, at AAA Norfolk before being traded to Colorado for a player to be named later - on December 27th, minor league outfielder Ender Chavez was sent to the Mets in order to complete the transaction.

David Justice was a Met for merely half a cup. Acquired from the Yankees for Robin Ventura on December 7th, Justice was on his way to Oakland one week later in exchange for pitchers Mark Guthrie and Tyler Yates.

In the Broadcast Booth

This was not the healthiest season for Mets broadcasters. WFAN's Ed Coleman underwent angioplasty surgery in April. In May, 76-year-old Bob Murphy suffered pneumonia which led to heart failure - a stalwart who has been announcing Mets games since the team's 1962 debut, Murphy was back in the booth on July 3rd!

In Memory

We mourn the losses this year of these members of the Mets family:

Tommie Agee - who will always be remembered for his heroics during the Miracle Mets 1969 season. Agee died of a heart attack in January at the age of 58.

Brian Cole - This top prospect died in a one car accident on March 31st. Those wishing to honor the young man's memory may contribute to the Brian Cole Scholarship Fund, Meridian High School, 2320 32nd Street, Meridian, MS 39305. And please, let this tragic loss serve as a constant reminder that whenever you ride in a car, no matter how cool the vehicle or how short the distance, ALWAYS buckle your seat belt!

Dick Selma - who pitched for the Mets in the 1960s, during the time that the team was transforming itself from clowns to contenders. Selma died of liver cancer in August at the age of 57.

Chris Quackenbush - A close friend of Bobby Valentine's, Quackenbush loaned his private jet to the Mets in June, enabling a contingent to visit President Bush in Washington, DC. Quackenbush perished during the World Trade Center attack on September 11th.

Personal Notes

A little less than a year ago, KC approached me and asked whether I would like to write a column for his website - something about the Mets in the news. I am a freelance writer, but I had never done any sports writing. However, I usually scan the online newspapers every day for Mets stories, and figured that this would be an interesting project. I figured correctly. Not only have I enjoyed putting together each column, but I have discovered that the process has increased my focus and my enjoyment of Mets baseball. It was also a welcome distraction for me in the aftermath of September 11th - scanning the news for items about what the Mets were doing helped give me a small respite from the enormity of the tragedy. In the following days and weeks, seeing how the Mets - to a man - did everything and anything humanly possible to help our country was inspiring. I will always be proud of the 2001 Mets, despite the fact that their late season surge fell short.

To KC of kcmets.com - Thank you for giving me this opportunity, for believing that I could do a decent job with something so beyond my resume, for putting up with my constant demands that you double and triple my salary <g>, and for being a good friend. Also, thanks for the tickets - who could have known in advance just how much it was going to mean to me to be at that particular game?

To KC as in Kevin Chapman - thank you for inspiring me, for supporting me, and for putting up with me all of those times when you were ready to go and I was waiting for one last newspaper to update it's #$%$ website already so I could see if there was one last item to add to the column. Thanks for taking me out to the ball game, so many times and so many places (25 down - 5 to go! <g>). And thanks for the tech support ;)

To my readers - Thank you for reading the column, because if not for you, I wouldn't have this continued opportunity. Feel free to write to me at s.chapman@kcmets.com with story leads, questions or suggestions. I look forward to hearing from you, and to doing this all over again in 2002. Happy New Year to all, and Let's Go Mets!