RUSCH STILL ON THE BLOCK

[mets81_2000]

No Rusch,
But He's Available


By T.J. QUINN
Daily News Sports Writer

Despite the Mets' reluctance to trade Glendon Rusch in a deal for the Pirates' John Vander Wal last month, baseball sources say the Mets have indicated they are still willing to trade the lefty and may do so before the trade deadline.

The team is not looking to unload him, sources said, but the Mets feel the 26-year-old lefthander might bring them the best return in a trade. He, like much of the team, is available for the right price, and while club officials insist they are not looking to dump salary, they are willing to trade expensive players for younger talent that can help them next year at the latest.

After a meeting of high-level team officials two weeks ago, sources said the Mets were no longer willing to include Rusch in a deal for Vander Wal, though they never made an offer and were not willing to make a one-for-one deal.


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"Where ever you go, There you are"

[Cyberlibrarian]

I'll see you that article, and raise you this one from the Star-Ledger: Mets: Rusch makes a pitch for remaining in N.Y.

07/05/01

BY LAWRENCE ROCCA
STAR-LEDGER STAFF

NEW YORK -- The exact words have varied, and so has the delivery, but the message has always been the same. Glendon Rusch does not want the Mets to trade him.

In an industry where deeds are more important than words, Rusch made his most effective argument against such a move yesterday, limiting the Cubs to one run on five hits through seven innings in a 2-1 victory at Shea Stadium, his fourth consecutive good performance.

Rusch got a scoreless inning of relief from John Franco and another from Armando Benitez, who has been perfect in 17 save opportunities, but the starter did most of the heavy lifting. Rusch struck out four batters, walked only one and pitched his longest outing in two months. He even drove in the winning run with a second-inning suicide squeeze, his first RBI of the season and just the second of his career.

"It's a great day overall," Rusch said, a huge smile dominating his face.

Rusch has had a few great days lately, a few reasons to smile wide.

Just a week ago, co-owner Fred Wilpon instructed Mets general manager Steve Phillips to retract his offer to trade Rusch to the Pirates for the aging hitter John Vander Wal, a proposal the Pirates had been mulling for two weeks.

"To me, that's a great boost of confidence," Rusch said.

But Rusch recognizes that the boost could be short-lived. He is 26 and has pitched in more than 100 major-league games, giving him a full-range of baseball experiences at an age when baseball men tend to make important value judgments on players. Rusch fully recognizes that Phillips is willing to trade him and he knows that if Phillips would go so far as to offer him for Vander Wal, the GM will continue to shop him.

What Rusch hopes this temporary reprieve allows is an opportunity to prove to Phillips and others that he is still growing as a pitcher, and has enough room for growth so that if the club holds on to him just a little bit longer, maybe they'll want to hold on to him forever.

"I need to do my best and work hard at improving my game," Rusch said. "If it works out that it's improved enough so that I get sent somewhere else or improved to make them want to keep me, I have no control over that. Whatever the front office decides, my first choice is here."

Certainly, Rusch will get his wish if he keeps pitching like he did yesterday. He threw 64 of his 101 pitches for strikes, and in the four starts since Phillips made that trade proposal to the Pirates, Rusch has walked just four batters and compiled a 2.16 ERA.

Bobby Valentine does not believe in coincidences, so he would acknowledge some connection between Rusch's improved performance and the news that he was offered for Vander Wal. But Valentine thinks the more relevant factor is that at the suggestion of pitching coach Charlie Hough, Rusch moved from the third-base side of the pitching rubber to the center, giving him a better angle as he tried to attack the outside corner with pitches.

"Lo and behold," Valentine said, "he's throwing the same pitches and getting a strike."

Valentine was talking about called strikes. Rusch threw two especially impressive swinging strikes yesterday, getting Sammy Sosa to strike out twice, once on a curveball and once on a fastball.

Rusch also minimized the damage in the second inning, when three of the first four Cubs batters hit safely, with Robert Machado yanking an RBI double to left to put runners at second and third.

Cubs starter Kevin Tapani tried a squeeze, but Rusch got him to pop up to the mound. Then he got Eric Young on a fly ball to right to end the inning.

"That's kind of unscathed," said Rusch, noting how he had let innings like that mushroom out of control earlier in the season.

Robin Ventura drove in the game's first run for the Mets with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first. Then, with the score tied at 1 in the second, Vance Wilson pulled a double for his first major-league hit, putting runners at second and third for Rusch, the identical situation he had faced the prior half inning. But Rusch was able to lay down a bunt on an inside fastball -- "I defended myself," he joked -- and the ball got by Tapani, and Jay Payton scored for a 2-1 Mets lead.

In the past two Mets victories, both 2-1, the starting pitcher has driven in the winning run. Kevin Appier delivered on Sunday against the Braves.

Rusch had two hits in his most recent start, and a reporter asked the notoriously poor hitter if he had been hoping to get clearance to swing for a three-run homer in that situation. Rusch laughed.

"I'll just be happy with a couple more bloops," he said.

Rusch will also be happy with a couple more years with the Mets.

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-Julie

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Believer since 1962.