Monday Morning, April 8th, 2002
After today's off day, the Mets continue their road trip with a three game series against the Cubs in Chicago. Then they come home Friday to face the Montreal Expos.
Roster Changes - Wednesday was a busy day for the Mets. First they claimed outfielder McKay Christensen from the Dodgers on waivers. Then, to clear a roster space for Christensen, they traded Gary Matthews, Jr. to the Orioles for minor leaguer John Bale.
Christensen, who speaks fluent Japanese after embarking on a Mormon mission to Japan several years ago, was given a locker in the Mets clubhouse next to Satoru Komiyama.
Then last Friday, the Mets acquired reliever Scott Strickland, pitcher Phillip Seibel and outfielder Matt Watson from the Montreal Expos in exchange for pitchers Bruce Chen, Dicky Gonzalez, Pablo Ochoa, and infielder Luis Figueroa. In a separate move, the Mets claimed infielder Marco Scutaro off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. While Strickland's luggage arrived in Atlanta in time for Friday night's game against the Braves, the pitcher missed his flight from Cincinnati due to security checks - he caught a later plane and arrived in time to suit up during the 8th inning, and he made his Mets debut with a scoreless 7th inning the next night.
That Win Cost Him! - But Al Leiter isn't complaining. Leiter has pledged to donate $1,000 for every one of his victories this year to a subdivision of the Twin Towers Fund which is devoted to the educational and medical needs of the children of slain rescue workers from September 11th.
That Costs Mike, Too! - Mike Piazza was fined $3,000 for his "aggressive conduct" with Dodger pitcher Guillermo Mota on March 28th. But that comes as good news to the Mets, who feared that their All Star catcher might have been suspended as a result of the incident. After hearing the news, Piazza joked that he would check at H&R Block to see whether the fine was tax deductible.
Another relief for Piazza was that the mole removed from his back the previous week tested negative for skin cancer. Piazza was concerned, because he has a family history of the disease.
Spokesman For a Worthy Cause - Roberto Alomar has been named the spokesman for the Todd M. Beamer Foundation, which will meet the long term needs of children who lost parents on September 11th.
Making a Home for Mom and Dad - Or at least a home away from home. When Leroy and Shirley Vaughn travel from Virginia to watch their son, Mo, play for the Mets this season, they will stay in a ritzy $5,000 a month apartment that Vaughn has rented for them in Floral Park.
Met Milestones - Mo Vaughn's first Met home run as a Met last Wednesday was also his 300th career dinger. The Shea faithful lauded the event with a rousing curtain call. Later, Vaughn gave the home run ball to manager Bobby Valentine, because "He is the reason why I'm in this uniform, playing here."
Mike Piazza's home run Friday night was his 307th as a catcher, placing him in sole possession of third place on the list. Piazza still trails Carlton Fisk and Johnny Bench.
When the Mets scored nine runs in the 9th inning Saturday, that set the record for the most runs the Mets had ever scored in the 9th, breaking the previous record of seven runs. The most runs the Mets ever scored in a single inning was ten against the Braves at Shea on June 30th, 2000.
This Year's Mets Attire - includes a patch honoring the 40th anniversary of their inaugural season, the Mets' sleeves bore the numbers 9-11-01 flanked by United States flags. The emblem, the work of the Mets' equipment manager, Charlie Samuels, will be worn on both home and road uniforms during the season.
Improving Home Sweet Home - The Mets installed a $1 million-plus grass field with better drainage at Shea Stadium and donated the old field to various Little League groups in Connecticut and Staten Island.
Together Again - Mo Vaughn and John Valentin, who were previously teammates at Seton Hall and on the Red Sox, have lockers next to each other in the Mets clubhouse. Vaughn has Robin Ventura's former locker.
And the Winner Is - Jose Reyes, this year's recipient of the John J. Murphy award as the top Met rookie in spring training.
Condolences - to Mets Assistant General Manager Jim Duquette on the loss of his father. James Duquette suffered from lung cancer, and passed away last Wednesday at the age of 59. Sincere sympathy goes to the Duquette family at this time.
In the Bookstores - Check out First Base Hero - a pop-up book created for 4-8 year old readers by former Met Keith Hernandez. Proceeds from the book will benefit Brooklyn's Cobble Hill Health Center. For more information or to purchase this book, click here.
Saying No to YES - Well, that's not really an option for most cable subscribers, who either have the new YES network or don't. For many Comcast subscribers, who have always had to pay extra to watch the Mets on FSNY, the extra charge (ranging from 99 cents to $2.99 a month, depending on where you live) added so that YES could be included as a basic cable channel does not sit well. Any Comcast subscriber who is upset about this situation is invited to drop a note to:
Comcast
Christine Maxwell, Marketing Manager
90 Lake Drive
East Windsor, NJ 08520
Just remember to keep it polite - we're representing all Mets fans when we write!
On the Off Day - After the excitement of last Monday's Opening Day victory, the Mets were in a partying mood. Many of them made an appearance at Bobby V's Sports Bar & Restaurant last Tuesday, mingling with fans and signing autographs. Those in attendance included Bobby Valentine, Mookie Wilson, Pedro Astacio, Saturo Komiyama, Grant Roberts, Rey Ordonez, Jay Payton and Juan Lopez. Valentine kicked off the restaurant's inaugural Tuesday Night Trivia contest.
Remember to check out www.bobbyvs.com for news about upcoming events at the manager's restaurant as well as coupons and contest news.
Rant of the Week - While little could dampen the spirits of the fans in attendance at Shea on Opening Day, there was nonetheless a familiar complaint - the condition of the restrooms! From the lack of toilet paper to the lack of attendants to the lack of cleanliness, the sold out crowd was not happy with the situation.
With such enthusiasm for the New Look Mets and so many people coming out to the park, it's a shame that the team didn't make more of an effort to fans with cleaner facilities.
Special Feature: Talkin' Baseball with Terry Cashman
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.
