Monday Morning Mets
The year is winding down. This is the time when free agents are signed and trades are made. Let's hope that the Mets find the right mix so that they are back in the postseason in 2002.
If you haven't done so already, check out my special feature about Bobby Valentine's Sports Bar and Restaurant. At the end of the month, be sure to visit kcmets for my year end recap of the 2001 season. Happy New Year to my friends, my family, and all of my readers!
On The Road to Recovery - On November 6th, Todd Zeile underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery to remove bone spurs. The surgery was performed in Los Angeles by noted sports surgeon, Lewis Yocum, who is also the medical director for the Anaheim Angels. Zeile's elbow became a problem in May when he irritated it while wrestling with his son, Garrett. Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery!
Catcher of the Decade - To commemorate its 10th anniversary, the Arizona Fall League named its Team of the Decade. The catcher of this prestigious crew is Mike Piazza, whose AFL number had already been retired league-wide last month (see November's Monday Morning Mets column for more details).
Rookie Honors - Tsuyoshi Shinjo was picked by Major League managers as part of the Topps Big League Rookie All Star Team.
Making Appearances - On Sunday, November 18th, Jay Payton signed autographs at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, CT, while Joe McEwing appeared at the Trumbull Shopping Park.
Boosting Morale - On November 26th, John Franco, Todd Zeile and Robin Ventura visited Engine Company 279 and Ladder Company 131 in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn to meet with families who lost loved ones on September 11th.
Bowling for Dollars - On November 27th, Robin Ventura hosted "Robin Ventura All-Star Bowling Classic" at the AMF Chelsea Piers Lanes. The goal was to raise $75,000 in order to send children of September 11th victims to the Chelsea Piers Summer Sports Camp. Mets in attendance at the event included Mike Piazza, Edgardo Alfonzo, John Franco, Mark Johnson and Joe McEwing. Manager Bobby Valentine was a late scratch from the tournament after he injured his back working out that morning. Non-Mets in attendance included tournament founder Bobby Bonilla and free agent Chuck Knoblauch, who still hopes to be a Yankee next year.
Bowling hasn't been Ventura's only offseason exercise - he has undertaken a rigorous kickboxing regime this fall.
Reunited - Japanese pitcher Satoru Komiyama, who signed a contract with the Mets on December 1st, is very familiar with the managerial style of Bobby Valentine. Valentine managed Komiyama on the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan in 1995.
Changing Jobs - John Stearns, who was the Mets third base coach last season, will remain with the organization as a major league scout.
Meet Mike and the Mad Dog - Meet WFAN's Mike Francessa and Chris Russo when they broadcast live from Bobby V's Sports Bar and Restaurant in Corona, Queens on Thursday, December 6th from 1:00 - 6:00 pm. For more information or for directions call the restaurant at 718-672-1200.
Attention, Future All-Stars! The John Franco All-Star Baseball Camp will be holding a series of mini-camps for boys and girls two Sundays a month from November to March at New Dorp High School in Staten Island. I had a chance to talk to Jim Franco, John's brother and the director of the camp. Although this is the first year that the camp has conducted winter sessions, John has been involved in baseball camps for kinds since 1986, when he was in Cincinnati, and has had a summer baseball camp in New York since 1993. The New York camp began as a one week camp in Brooklyn, and has now expanded to four weeks at its new location in Staten Island - youngsters have the option of attending the summer camp for one week, or may attend for up to all four weeks.
The camp emphasizes teaching. As Jim explains, "They are paying a fee, and we want them to learn something while they are here." In the summer, the kids from the ages of 6 to 15 have instruction in the morning, and play baseball games in the afternoon. John generally makes an appearance once a week, usually during the awards ceremony every Friday, at which time he gives out awards, answers the campers' questions, and signs autographs for the kids. The summer camp is specifically scheduled to coincide with the Mets' home schedule so that John can have these opportunities to be a part of the camp experience.
The winter sessions, designed for boys and girls age 6-12, take place two Sundays a month from 9:00 am - noon. While John will pop in to the winter camp, his busy offseason schedule makes it hard to predict in advance when these visits will take place. Upcoming sessions are scheduled to take place December 9th and 16th, January 13th and 20th, February 17th and 24th, and March 10th and 17th. The cost is $40 per session.
The John Franco All-Star Baseball Camp is a great way for youngsters to hone their baseball skills and have fun doing so. For more information, email John Franco Baseball Camp, or call (718) 333-2752 and ask for a free brochure.
(Original source for the story - metsonline.net)
Previous Columns:
11/05/2001 - November 2001 Edition
10/08/2001 - October 2001 Edition
09/24/2001 - After today's off day, the Mets hit the road
09/17/2001 - This Week Baseball Resumes
09/10/2001 It's time for PNC envy!
08/27/2001 - The Mets' longest homestand of the season continues
08/20/2001 - Home Again - after their final West Coast trip of the season
08/13/2001 - Westward Ho - after today's off day, the Mets are off to the West Coast
08/06/2001 - After a week in the heat of the Southwest
07/30/2001 - Hot times are ahead for the Mets
07/23/2001 - The Mets start the week in Florida
07/16/2001 - The Mets are home and then close to home...
07/09/2001 - It's the All-Star Break
07/02/2001 - The first half of the season is over
06/25/2001 - After ten days at home, the Mets are on the road again
06/18/2001 - Now that the first Subway Series of 2001 is a thing of the past
06/11/2001 - Today is an off day, and after three Interleague...
06/04/2001 - After a day off today (their first off day in three weeks)
05/28/2001 - Happy Memorial Day everyone
05/21/2001 - After a week at Shea, the Mets make a quick trip north
05/14/2001 - A difficult week in distant time zones
05/07/2001 - Mets are back on the road for their only trips to Colorado and San Francisco
04/30/2001 - Home, sweet home, we hope
04/23/2001 - The Mets have shown that they can beat a team other than the Braves.
04/16/2001 - 2000 National League Champs flag is flying at Shea
04/09/2001 - The new season has started, and the games have meaning.
04/02/2001 - At last - Spring Training is over
03/26/2001 - Start of the regular season next week
03/19/2001 - Opening Day is a mere fortnight away
03/12/2001 - We're well into March. Preseason games are finally
03/05/2001 - Opening Day is less than a month away
02/26/2001 - The position players have reported...
02/19/2001 - Welcome to the Debut of Monday Morning Mets
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.mets.com reports.