Monday Morning — July, 14th, 2003
Monday Morning Mets is back from the July 4th holiday break, just as the Mets are starting their All Star Break. Then they will play a four game series against the Braves in Atlanta starting Thursday.
The Trade Winds Are Blowing - On July 1, future Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar was traded to the Chicago White Sox for pitching prospects Royce Ring and Edwin Almonte and second base prospect Andrew Salvo. The Mets will pay the remaining $3.9 million remaining on Alomar's contract.
This was a tough trade for our household, because Alomar is one of my 6-year-old's favorite players. The only comforting thought is that Alomar has been reunited with his brother, Sandy Alomar, Jr., so we can take solace in the fact that Alomar will likely be happier in Chicago than he has been with the Mets during the last season and a half.
All-Star News - Armando Benitez was named as the Mets' sole representative at tomorrow night's All-Star game in Chicago. Mets Hall of Famer Gary Carter has been named as an honorary captain of the National League All-Star team.
In the minors, Craig Brazell, Neal Musser and Chris Basak have been named to the Eastern League's Northern Division All-Star Team. In yesterday's RadioShack All-Star Futures Game, newly acquired Royce Ring competed on the U.S. team while Australian Justin Huber was on the World team.
Roster Notes - On June 29, Jeremy Griffiths was sent back to Norfolk and Jaime Cerda was called up in Griffiths' place.
On July 1, following the trade of Roberto Alomar to the White Sox, Rey Sanchez was activated from the disabled list.
Last Monday, Al Leiter was placed on the disabled list with a sore right knee. The newly acquired Edwin Almonte was brought up from Norfolk that day. After making his major league debut, Almonte was returned to Norfolk so that Jason Roach could be called up to start the following day's game. Then on Thursday, Roach was returned to Norfolk and outfielder Jeff Duncan was recalled from Double A Binghamton.
After a rehab assignment in Binghamton last week, Mike Stanton was activated from the disabled list on Saturday and Jaime Cerda was sent back to Norfolk.
Jim Serrano, a pitcher for AAA Norfolk, was traded to the Royals in exchange for a player-to-be-named-later.
Ouch! - Cliff Floyd is suffering with tendinitis in his right wrist. The wrist was originally hurt on June 11 when, during batting practice, it was hit by an errant throw from Mike Stanton. Floyd aggravated the injury diving for a catch in Cincinnati on July 6. Floyd missed the final six games leading to the All-Star break. The Mets contemplated giving Floyd a cortisone shot, but so far Floyd does not want to have one.
An MRI revealed that Al Leiter has a bone spur in his right knee. He may require arthroscopic surgery once the season is over.
Kudos - To Mike Piazza, on being named to the Pacific Coast League's All Centennial team; and to Jae Weong Seo, on being named the Mets Sharp Pitcher of the Month for the month of June.
In Rehab - Grant Roberts has started a rehabilitation assignment with single-A St. Lucie.
Financial Matters - Last week, New York City Comptroller William Thompson alleged that the Mets owe the City of New York $4.5 million on the club's lease of Shea Stadium. Thompson claims that the Mets overstated deductions and understated revenues. The Mets dispute the charges, with vice president of public relations Jay Horwitz stating that the team has "engaged in extensive discussions with city officials with a view towards resolving those disputed items in a fair and reasonable manner."
Questioning Ques Tec - Last Thursday, Art Howe, Verne Ruhle, Tom Glavine, Al Leiter and John Franco met with Sandy Alderson, the executive vice president for baseball operations, to discuss the Ques Tec electronic system that MLB uses to evaluate umpires. Glavine and other pitchers have voiced their objections to the system, which is in place in 10 out of the current 30 major league ballparks, claiming that it unfairly penalizes finesse pitchers.
In The Community - Last Monday the Mets teamed up with the Jackie Robinson Foundation and hosted a promotional celebration prior to that night's game in honor of the foundation's 30th anniversary.
In order to promote Verizon's commitment to ProLiteracy Worldwide, last Tuesday Verizon spokesperson James Earl Jones read the National Anthem before that evening's game.
Al Leiter and Tom Glavine brought their families to the American Folk Art Museum last Thursday to partake in "Family Day" at the museum. The Mets and the museum have partnered in order to present the museum's current exhibit, "The Perfect Game: America Looks at Baseball."
Gulf Coast Hero At Shea - 23-year-old Marine Edward Chin, the Brooklyn native who covered the face of a Saddam Hussein statue with an American flag in Iraq on April 9, and later replaced the flag with an Iraqi flag just prior to the statue being torn down, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before last Wednesday's game.
Moonlighting - Mike Piazza, who is on the disabled list with a torn groin muscle, joined Fran Healy and Ted Robinson in the FSNY broadcast booth for three innings last Thursday.
On the Road to Recovery - Mets Hall of Famer Tug McGraw has made his first appearances on a baseball diamond since undergoing brain surgery this past March. On June 29 he appeared in Baltimore's Camden Yards and handed in the lineup card for the exhibition reunion game for members of the 1983 Phillies and Orioles World Series teams. The following week, McGraw returned to his home in Philadelphia, was interviewed by Matt Lauer on The Today Show, and he made an appearance at Veterans Stadium. Tug made his return to Shea yesterday, participating in the 30th anniversary celebration honoring the 1973 Mets and throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to former teammate Jerry Grote.
Although McGraw had been in Philadelphia recently and held a press conference on May 29, he returned to Florida for follow-up treatment at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. While he will continue to return to Moffitt for checkups, the hope is that the need for trips to Florida will become less frequent.
Additionally, due to popular demand, "Ya Gotta Believe" baseball caps, like the one that Tug wore during his press conference and on The Today Show, are now available. Check out tugmcgraw.com or call 610-280-4344 for more information.
Special Feature: Baseball as America
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.
