January 2002
Happy New Year! Make sure to check out my summary of the 2001 Mets season. Mets pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Port St. Lucie on February 15th. Here's hoping that 2002 brings the newly renovated Mets their third World Championship. Let's Go Mets!
Goodbye, Old Friends - Mets fans are saddened by the trade of Robin Ventura to the hated cross-town Yankees. Ventura is most fondly remembered for his Grand Slam Single, which won Game 5 of the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves in 1999, and for impersonating pal Mike Piazza at the plate and around the bases during a rain delay in Yankee Stadium in June 2000. The Gold Glove third baseman will also be missed for his charity work, extensive enough that he was the Mets 2001 recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award for the best combination of onfield playing and community service. Ventura's tenure with the Mets will not be forgotten by loyal fans.
On December 12th, the Mets bid farewell to Matt Lawton, Jerrod Riggan, perennial prospect Alex Escobar, and minor leaguers Earl Snyder and Billy Traber as they were traded to the Cleveland Indians in a blockbuster trade for Roberto Alomar, Danny Peoples and Mike Bacsik.
Tsuyoshi Shinjo, the Japanese veteran who won over the hearts of New Yorkers in his rookie MLB season last year, departs for the West Coast. Shinjo, along with Desi Relaford, went to the Giants in exchange for pitcher Shawn Estes on December 16th. Sayonara Mr. Sparkle!
Reliever Rick White became a free agent on December 20th when the Mets failed to offer him a contract for the 2002 season. The pen officially lost lefty C.J. Nitkowski the next day when the free agent signed with his former team, the Houston Astros.
Pitcher Kevin Appier, who signed on with the Mets as a free agent a little more than a year ago, was traded to the California Angels in exchange for slugger Mo Vaughn on December 27th.
Good luck to the old Mets in their new homes.
Make That Half a Cup - A cup of coffee is a phrase I like to use to describe players who are only around for a short time, but this is extreme even for that! David Justice was acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Robin Ventura, but a mere week later he was on his way to the Oakland Athletics!
New to New York - All Star second baseman Roberto Alomar, along with outfielder/first baseman Danny Peoples and pitcher Mike Bacsik joined the Mets from the Indians in the trade that sent Lawton, Riggan and Escobar to Cleveland. Alomar will be coming to New York as a free agent in a different way - he has recently broken up with his financee, tennis star Mary Pierce. Although Alomar has not previously played for a New York team, he is not all that new to Shea Stadium - his father, Sandy Alomar, Sr., played at Shea as a Met and also as a Yankee during the time that Yankee Stadium was being renovated in the '70s.
Reliever David Weathers returns to New York as a free agent - Weathers had pitched for the Yankees in 1996-1997.
Pitchers Mark Guthrie and Tyler Yates joined the Mets organization when they were acquired from Oakland in exchange for David Justice.
28-year-old All-Star southpaw Shawn Estes became a Met on December 16th, in a trade that sent Tsuyoshi Shinjo and Desi Relaford to the San Francisco Giants.
On December 27th, Mo Vaughn was acquired from the Angels in exchange for Kevin Appier. Vaughn, a Connecticut native and the 1995 AL MVP, was pleased to be returning to the East Coast after three disappointing seasons with California. Vaughn is one of three remaining major league players who is permitted to wear Number 42 (along with Mariano Rivera and Jose Lima) - the number was retired league-wide in 1997 in honor of Jackie Robinson.
The next day the Mets signed free agent pitcher and Queens native John Frascatore to a minor league contract and acquired Gary Matthews, Jr. from Pittsburgh.
A hearty welcome to the new Mets, and best of luck in 2002!
Welcome Back! - Roger Cedeno rejoined the Mets as a free agent on December 13th. Cedeno played for the Mets in 1999, but was dealt to the Astros along with Octavio Dotel in the deal that brought Mike Hampton and Derek Bell to New York. Cedeno spent the 2001 season in Detroit. The speedy Cedeno will likely be the Mets' leadoff hitter in 2002. Cedeno's best season was in 1999, and he is enthusiastic about being back at Shea and his reunion with manager Bobby Valentine!
On the Road to Recovery - On December 3rd, John Franco underwent surgery to remove scar tissue from his left elbow. The surgery was performed by former Mets team physician David Altcheck at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. Because of the location of the scar tissue, arthroscopic surgery was not an option, but otherwise the 20-minute procedure went smoothly. Franco is expected to be able to throw again in time for Spring Training.
Also recovering from surgery is Timo Perez, who fractured his right hamate bone in a Dominican Winter League game in December. Mets team physician Andrew Rokito operated on Perez at the New York University Medical Center on December 7th, and expects to be fully healed by March 1st.
Moving On Up - Howard Johnson has been named manager of the New York-Penn League Brooklyn Cyclones for the 2002 season. Johnson replaces Edgar Alfonzo, who was promoted to Port St. Lucie, where he will serve as the hitting instructor.
In the Holiday Spirit - On December 8th, the Mets hosted its sixth annual Holiday Party. This year, manager Bobby Valentine along with Mets Edgardo Alfonzo, Al Leiter, John Franco (dressed as Santa Claus), Mark Johnson and coach Matt Galante signed autographs for and posed for pictures with children who lost loved ones on September 11th or as a result of the crash of Flight 587. Other participants in the event included the pop band O-Town (clad in Mets jerseys), actor Chevy Chase, the cast of A Christmas Carol, Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants and, of course, Mr. Met. The children were treated to a Diamond Club lunch, balloon animals, and gifts (including Mets items).
On December 17th, Al Leiter and actor/comedian Denis Leary hosted a showing of the movie "Joe Somebody" and a dinner reception at Planet Hollywood for the families of 19 Maspeth, Queens fireman from Squad 288 and Mat 1 who lost their lives on September 11th. The Mets have adopted this firehouse, and on December 16th Bobby Valentine hosted all of the children and many of the firefighters at his Corona, Queens restaurant for a holiday party that included gifts, a magician and a face painter. In addition, stacks of Mets caps and T-shirts have been donated to the company, and in 2002 the Mets vow to continue to remember the company by doing things like bringing the kids to ballgames at Shea.
Meet the (New) Mets - The Mets held a press conference at Shea Stadium's Diamond Club on December 18th to introduce the media to new acquisitions Roberto Alomar, Roger Cedeno, Satoru Komiyama and Mark Guthrie. John Franco and Edgardo Alfonzo were in attendance to welcome their new teammates. Shawn Estes and David Weathers could not attend the shindig due to previous commitments.
In a December 28th news conference, the Mets introduced new acquisition Mo Vaughn to the New York media.
You AGAIN? - Mark Guthrie and Steve Trachsel have now been teammates on four different ballclubs!
Al's Busy New Year - Al Leiter was one of the celebrities contributing commentary on American Movie Classics' New Year's in New York film marathon last week. And on New Year's Day, Leiter was master of ceremonies during New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's inauguration ceremony!
Franco is Out of This World - Well, at least his jersey will be. When astronaut Mike Massimino launches into space for the first time on the Space Shuttle on February 14th, he will be bringing along a John Franco jersey that the Mets have provided him, as well as pins, flags and posters honoring the policemen and firefighters who perished on September 11th. Massimino has invited the Mets to Kennedy Space Center for the launch, and he told the Mets he would give them back the jersey when he returns from the mission. Meanwhile, the Mets have invited Massimino to throw out the first pitch before a game at Shea some time this season.
Ex-Met In The News - Ron Gardenhire, who played infield for the Mets in parts of five seasons in the early '80s, was named manager of the Minnesota Twins last week.
Still Fine Dining - As you know from our November feature story, kcmets.com visited Bobby V's Sports Bar and Restaurant shortly after it opened in November. We were back with some friends in late December, and had a similarly wonderful time. The food choices were varied, the chocolate cake was amazingly decadent, and once again we were lucky enough to be there when the manager was in the house! Bobby Valentine was still a gracious host, taking the time to mingle with diners and chat about the multitude of offseason moves. While I can't guarantee that Valentine will be there at any given time, kcmets.com reiterates its recommendation that Bobby V's is worth a visit if you're ever looking for a place to eat in the Shea neighborhood.Unless otherwise stated, these stories have been extracted from reports on www.nydailynews.com, www.nypost.com, www.nytimes.com, www.njo.com, www.newsday.com, www.bergenrecord.com, AP , www.mets.com reports.
