Monday Morning — March 24th, 2003
Only one week until Opening Day. The Mets' time in Florida is coming to an end -- they will play home an exhibition game against the Orioles at Shea on Saturday, followed by a practice session in Brooklyn's Keyspan Park on Sunday. The game against the Orioles on Friday that was supposed to take place in Camden Yards had been moved to Fort Lauderdale in order to give the Orioles three more days to prepare their stadium for the season after this unusually harsh winter.
It's time to make the final roster cuts and get ready for an exciting season of Mets baseball!
Five Day Suspension/$3,000 - That's what MLB disciplinarian Bob Watson imposed on Mike Piazza for his brawl with Dodgers pitcher Guillermo Mota on March 12. Mota was given the same suspension, but was only fined $1,500. Presumably Piazza's penalty was stiffer because he visited the Dodgers clubhouse after the brawl, apparently hoping to continue the altercation. Piazza has appealed the ruling -- the likelihood is that the appeal won't be heard prior to March 31, which means that Piazza will be able to play the Opening Day game.
If the Mets caught any break from Watson, it was that Jeromy Burnitz and Joe McEwing, while active participants on the field during the fight, were not suspended for their roles in the matter, although Burnitz was fined $500.
On The Mend - Mets Hall of Famer Tug McGraw underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor last Tuesday. By all accounts the operation was a success, and he was released from the Moffitt Cancer Center on Friday. Tug's assistant, Laurie Hawkins, reports that Tug is recuperating in Florida and that he is in "good hands and good spirits." Fans wishing to send him get well greetings may mail them to Tug McGraw, The Tug McGraw Company, 217 Parkside Lane, Glenside, PA 19038, and the messages will be forwarded to Tug in Florida. If you prefer to send your greetings via e-mail, you may do so at info@tugmcgraw.com (please feel free to include your address, in case there is a mailing from Tug at a later date with thanks).
Fashion Faux Pas - The Mets' attempt at integrating their Spring Training orange with St. Patrick's Day green ranks right up there with the Mercury Mets as an experiment that should never be repeated! As my friend Jay Kim aptly observed about this photo of Tony Clark, "It's like a Crayola 64 box exploded all over him."
An "A" For Attendance - Mo Vaughn hosted 945 students from the Forest Grove Middle School as a reward for their perfect attendance during the recent Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Vaughn, a Seton Hall graduate, visited the school on Feb. 26 to speak about the importance of studying and staying in school.
¡Yo Hablo Ingles! - Former Met Rey Ordoñez was back in Port St. Lucie as a member of the Devil Rays last Thursday. Ordoñez spoke to the press in English, without the aid of a translator, which is something he never did while a Met. The flashy shortstop expressed remorse for calling Mets fans stupid last September, and said that he holds no bitterness towards the team that traded him away.
Ordoñez also took the opportunity to talk to Roberto Alomar before the game. The two discussed comments that Alomar allegedly made about his former teammate that had been reported by the media. The conversation ended with a handshake, and Ordoñez saying, "Everything is clear now."
And That's the Tooth - Roger Cedeño sat out last Wednesday's game after undergoing root canal surgery that morning. The center fielder started experiencing pain when the team was in Mexico the previous weekend.
Case Closed - The Queens District Attorney's office has decided not to file blackmail charges against the woman who sent a photo of Grant Roberts, smoking marijuana during his minor league days, to Newsday last fall. "We have thoroughly examined and reviewed all of the facts and circumstances involved in this matter and have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support the filing of criminal charges," District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement. "Accordingly, our investigation has been closed."
Postcard From the Gulf - The Bergen Record printed this story last Thursday:
The postcard was merely addressed to "New York Mets Baseball, Port St. Lucy, Florida," but it made it to the Mets clubhouse on Wednesday - all the way from the Persian Gulf. David Ruckoeschel, a Mets fan serving aboard the USS Higgins, wrote that as he prepared for war, "you guys keep me going." Ruckoeschel closed the postcard (dated Feb. 22) with: "Just bomb the Braves and Yankees like we're gonna bomb Iraq."
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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 , and www.mets.com reports.
