Monday Morning, March 11th, 2002
Three weeks to go until Opening Day! This week we can catch preseason action on WFAN radio today and Friday and on WADO radio Saturday and Sunday. Games will be televised on FSNY today and Thursday, on MSG Friday, and on WPIX on Saturday.
Hazing the Rookie - Aaron Heilman, the Mets' first-round draft pick in 2001, walked into the clubhouse last Sunday to discover that the nameplate on his locker had been covered with masking tape and the name "Rudy" had been written. Heilman, a Notre Dame alumnus, laughed at the joke (based on the 1993 film about Notre Dame graduate Rudy Ruettiger).
Keeping the Books - Shawn Estes plans to keep a book with pitchers' hitting statistics, like he did in San Francisco. All of the pitchers will put money into a pot, and at the end of the season the man with the best numbers will win it all.
A Neighborly Visit - Former NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar, a neighbor of Al Leiter's in Fort Lauderdale, visited the Mets' clubhouse last Tuesday.
Cap-Gate! - Under what circumstances can a guy get in trouble for letting his 7-year-old wear his Little League cap? If you are a Yankee, and your kid plays for the Little League Mets! Andy Pettitte has been criticized by Yankee management for allowing his son, Josh, to wear his Mets cap in the Yankee's dugout on February 25th. Despite the flack, Pettitte calls the situation "a non-issue."
kcmets.com applauds Josh Pettitte on having enough courage to wear a Mets cap in dangerous territory, and welcomes him to support the Mets whenever and wherever he wants!
Robbie Still Miffed - Although he is happy being a Met, Robbie Alomar nonetheless feels that Indians general manager Mark Shapiro lied to him this winter by assuring Alomar that he wouldn't be traded. Shapiro denied making any such assurances, but expressed regret that Alomar felt hurt by the situation.
Remembering Early Mets History - Jay Hook threw out the first pitch before last Sunday's exhibition game. Hook was the winning pitcher in the Mets' first regular season victory, on April 23, 1962.
Meeting the Stork - Jeromy Burnitz left camp yesterday to be in California with his wife Krissy, who is scheduled to have labor induced tomorrow. Best of luck to the Burnitz family on the birth of their second child, a girl. While away, Burnitz plans to work out near his Poway, California home.
Learning from a Couple Of Masters - Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver was in uniform last Thursday, giving pointers to Jeff D'Amico after a bullpen session and answering questions from other players as well. On Saturday, Seaver worked with 2001 top draft pick Aaron Heilman on pitching mechanics, and also talked baseball with Al Leiter.
Meanwhile, Sandy Koufax was back in camp on Saturday. He spent over an hour coaching Shawn Estes, and also brainstormed a bit with Al Leiter, John Franco and Mark Guthrie.
Still Part Of The Team - Mets Hall-of-Fame member Gary Carter is starting his second season as a roving catching instructor for the organization.
Filling In - Due to threats of rain, the Mets had an impromptu intra-squad game last Thursday to make sure that Al Leiter and Armando Benitez could get their work in. But one of the teams was short a player, so manager Bobby Valentine joined in and played first base! When asked how he did, the manager quipped "I didn't get hurt."
Partying at Bobby V's - In celebration of Opening Day, Bobby V's Sports Bar and Restaurant, located at the Ramada on 114th Street, across the Grand Central Parkway from Shea Stadium, will host an Opening Day tailgate party. Admission is free, and BBQ and drinks will be available for purchase. Check it out either before the game or after. And if you weren't lucky enough to be able to score tickets for the game, it will be televised on 30" screens in the restaurant. Celebrate Opening Day in style at Bobby V's if you can!
The next evening, April 2nd, Bobby Valentine will be at the restaurant for a free happy hour buffet. For more details, watch for the debut of www.bobbyvs.com on March 15th.
A Moment of Silence - Today is the six month anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attack on our nation. We should all take time to honor the memories of those who lost their lives on that tragic day.
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.metsonline.net, www.mets.com reports.
