Monday Morning, April 22nd, 2002
After today's off day, the Mets return home to Shea for three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Good Luck Charms - Roberto Alomar was looking for a way to change his luck after a slow start at the plate this season, so last Sunday he used a bat that he had previously borrowed from Mike Piazza. Piazza may not get that bat back, since Alomar went 3 for 4 including two home runs that day! That third one, by the way, was Alomar's 2,400th career hit!
Alomar isn't the only Met doing well with a little help from his friends. Earlier in the season, when Al Leiter didn't receive a shipment of gloves, he borrowed one from John Franco. The new gloves arrived a couple of starts ago, but Leiter is still using Franco's. After Leiter's two-hit shutout last Thursday, Franco can be pretty sure that the glove won't be returned so quickly.
That's Sharp! - Before last Monday's game, Armando Benitez was presented with the Sharp Pitcher of the Year award. $1,000 and a Sharp product were awarded to the charity of Benitez's choice.
How Do You Say "Remote Control" in Japanese? - Satoru Komiyama cut the middle finger of his right hand in his garage door last Monday. On Tuesday he was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
Tyler Yates was called up from Norfolk to replace Komiyama on the roster, but the next day he was sent back down so that Pete Walker could take his place. Walker had thrown a long session in Norfolk on Monday, so would not have been available to help the Mets if he had been called up instead of Yates on Tuesday.
Welcome Back Mo! - Mo Vaughn came off of the disabled list on Sunday, with some protective padding on his healing broken right hand. Vaughn will be permitted to wear the padding for the next six weeks.
To make room for Vaughn on the roster, the Mets designated Tony Tarasco for assignment.
Being Charitable - Rey Ordonez took out his frustrations about his three-error day last Saturday by shredding the webbing on his glove. He donated the remains of the black glove to charity, hoping that a new glove would help him find his former Gold Glove form once again.
Hoping to change his luck, Ordonez dyed his hair platinum blond before Thursday's game. "I needed a change - it's a new look," said the shortstop. Actually, though, it's a variation of old look - Ordonez bleached his hair 1999, and went on to win the Gold Glove that season.
Nice Homecoming Gifts - Shawn Estes paid a visit to the Hospital for Joint Diseases last Tuesday as part of the "Going Home" program. The program gives Mets tickets to every pediatric patient going home from the hospital this spring and summer, and also gives the children Mets caps and player cards when they leave the hospital.
Millennium Milestone - John Valentin played in his 1,000th major league game last Sunday. He had another milestone the next night with his first Met home run - 2-run blast that tied the game against the Braves that the Mets went on to win in 12 innings.
Bad Behavior - Last Saturday, Vladimir Guerrero of the Expos homered at Shea off of former teammate and good friend Scott Strickland. The next day, Strickland caught Guerrero's attention and made a gesture that he "probably shouldn't have made." Guerrero reportedly smiled in response.
Concern for Those Back Home - Edgardo Alfonzo and Roger Cedeno have been keeping an eye on the unsettled political situation in Venezuela. Both men have family in their native country.
Helping Four-Legged Friends - Last Tuesday, Bobby Valentine appeared in New York's Times Square's Military Island for a clinic on adopting dogs to kickoff of National Puppy Adoption Season. Valentine, who owns four dogs, has partnered with the Puppy Chow Patrol and the North Shore Animal League to promote responsible puppy adoption. Military Island has become an open-air puppy adoption area, and showcases adoptable puppies from the North Shore Animal League.
Cyclones Tickets on Sale Now - You can now purchase tickets to watch the Mets' single A team in Coney Island by visiting brooklyncyclones.com or calling 718-449-TIXS.
A Visit from Lord Stanley's Cup - The Stanley Cup made an appearance at Shea last Wednesday, in honor of NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs which began on that day.
A True Fireman - Injured reliever John Franco helped out fans in the bleachers who were wilting in the record heat last Wednesday by taking a fire hose and spraying them with water.
Bells are Ringing - Or at least they will be on Tuesday, when Bobby Valentine rings the opening bell at the American Stock Exchange.
Hello Mets Kitty - Sanrio has introduced MLB Hello Kitty dolls in Japan to celebrate the start of the baseball season, including a Mets Hello Kitty. While they are not available in the US, interested collectors can probably find them on auction sites such as Ebay.
Get Well Wishes - to Julianne McNamara, former Olympic gold medal gymnast and wife of former Met Todd Zeile. McNamara, who is eight months pregnant, broke her ankle at Coors Field last Tuesday and underwent surgery the next day. Zeile left Tuesday's game in the fourth inning, and missed three games in order to be with McNamara during and after her surgery. Monday Morning Mets wishes a speedy recovery to McNamara.
Age-Gate Continues - And this time the culprit is our beloved mascot, Mr. Met. Last Sunday the Mets' celebrated Mr. Met's 40th birthday at Shea, with mascots from all over the majors coming out to pay their respects to the oldest mascot in baseball. However, Mets' historians are having trouble finding evidence that the mascot existed before 1963. Is Mr. Met lying about his age? And if so, does that mean that he has to give back the presents?
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 , and www.mets.com reports.
