GaryMrMets
02-25-2004, 08:17 PM
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym/news/nym_news.jsp?ymd=20040225&content_id=641266&vkey=spt2004news&fext=.jsp
02/25/2004 2:01 PM ET
Notes: Zeile plans to call it quits
Veteran infielder to make 16th season his final one
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Todd Zeile made his intention clear on a rainy Wednesday morning at Tradition Field. This will be his last Spring Training.
The veteran infielder will call it a career after this, his 16th season in the Major Leagues. In fact, he said he wouldn't have been back this season at all had the Mets or Dodgers not come calling.
"This is it," Zeile said "It's this year and home. It was negotiated and a pact was made. It might as well be signed in blood. It's a family pact that was previously decided when I wanted to pursue another year."
Zeile, 38, has four children with his wife Julianne, the most recent a son Aaron Thomas who was born on Jan. 19. He was specific in where he wanted to play, either in Los Angeles near his California home or for the Mets. Zeile said that his two previous seasons with the Mets (2000-01) was probably the best baseball experience he's had.
"It was the guys the team had and the success we had," said Zeile, who had 11 homers and 41 RBIs while splitting time between the Yankees and Expos last season. "There was 9/11 and the memories of that stretch, and the World Series in 2000 had an impact personally. It was just a great environment.
"I love New York City. If I'm going to have to be away from my home and family more than I want to be, it had to be where I knew what I was getting into."
Zeile has no illusions of grandeur about this season either. It's not a stretch to think that he'll get 150 at-bats or less considering Ty Wigginton's iron-man attitude about playing third and the Mike Piazza/Jason Phillips platoon at first.
So while he'll fill the same role Jay Bell played last season, don't expect Zeile to play mentor the way Bell did. At least not with Piazza. Zeile, a former catcher, has made the successful switch to the infield but isn't about to give his close friend any unsolicited advice.
"I've talked to Mike a little bit about first base but we've talked about other things, too," Zeile said. "I don't think he's expecting me to be a mentor. We're friends. Anything as far as sharing my experience is a no-brainer."
Figuring it out: Jason Anderson knows he can pitch in the Major Leagues. The Mets are confident of that fact, too. The club, however, took a little while figuring out just what they wanted to do with the hard-throwing youngster.
Anderson bounced between the bullpen and the starting rotation after a midseason trade from the Yankees. He's been with the organization for nearly eight months and it wasn't until recently that his role became a little clearer.
"I stopped thinking about it," said Anderson, who was 1-0 with a 4.88 ERA in 28 appearances with the Mets and Yankees last year. "I just want to try and get guys out, see what happens and take it from there. Ideally, though, you want to have the comfort of knowing what your role is. I haven't found it yet but I've learned to deal with it.
"It was frustrating at first. [Not knowing] wasn't really a waste of time. I'm not a high-profile guy and I'm not a big guy. I have to let my performance do my speaking."
Anderson's performance this spring has been limited to throwing. He hasn't participated in many of the fielding drills because of an inflamed big toe.
"He's one of those quality power-type arms and we want to see how he fits into the bullpen," general manager Jim Duquette said. "We never had a dominating thrower who had that kind of fastball. He has the ability to dominate in the low 90s and that's a good contrast to David Weathers, Mike Stanton and John Franco. And there are a couple of spots open in the bullpen."
Coming back: Ricky Bottalico's situation isn't as cloudy as Anderson's but there are a few question marks surrounding him as full workouts begin. The former All-Star closer is still trying to recover from the 2002 surgery to repair a lesion in his right shoulder.
He missed the second half of that year and most of 2003 while recovering. The Mets inked him as a no-risk high-reward pitcher but he's going to have a hard time breaking into an already crowded bullpen. Bottalico said he isn't averse to starting the season at Triple-A Norfolk "just to see what the circumstances are."
"My ultimate goal is to get back to the Major Leagues but we have to see what the reaction is during the games," Bottalico. "I can't just say I'm going to blow everyone away. I'm going to take my time this spring and get myself acclimated to this again. That's one of the difficult things, getting back to the person I was before the surgery."
Bottalico saved 68 games between 1996 and '97 for the Phillies but says he was pitching with the shoulder injury for two and a half years. He appeared in 66 games as late as 2001 with Philly but saw action in only two games for the Diamondbacks last year.
"It's been an eye-opener," Bottalico said. "I've had so many ups and downs. It's been mind-boggling."
This and that: The steady rain on Florida's Treasure Coast limited Wednesday's first full workout to some time in the batting cages and a few side sessions. The rain also accented the continued problem of leaks in the ceiling of the New York clubhouse, particularly over Piazza's locker. It got so bad that Piazza had to switch lockers. ... The rain also forced everyone indoors to take either batting practice, throw side sessions or perform bunting drills. ... Scott Strickland is expected to throw a bullpen session again Saturday but manager Art Howe didn't think the right-hander was ready to go completely off the mound yet. Strickland has thrown from the front of the mound.
Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2004/02/25/6MtIlXdH.jpg
Todd Zeile sits at his locker Wednesday before the first day of full squad workouts. (Richard Drew/AP)
02/25/2004 2:01 PM ET
Notes: Zeile plans to call it quits
Veteran infielder to make 16th season his final one
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Todd Zeile made his intention clear on a rainy Wednesday morning at Tradition Field. This will be his last Spring Training.
The veteran infielder will call it a career after this, his 16th season in the Major Leagues. In fact, he said he wouldn't have been back this season at all had the Mets or Dodgers not come calling.
"This is it," Zeile said "It's this year and home. It was negotiated and a pact was made. It might as well be signed in blood. It's a family pact that was previously decided when I wanted to pursue another year."
Zeile, 38, has four children with his wife Julianne, the most recent a son Aaron Thomas who was born on Jan. 19. He was specific in where he wanted to play, either in Los Angeles near his California home or for the Mets. Zeile said that his two previous seasons with the Mets (2000-01) was probably the best baseball experience he's had.
"It was the guys the team had and the success we had," said Zeile, who had 11 homers and 41 RBIs while splitting time between the Yankees and Expos last season. "There was 9/11 and the memories of that stretch, and the World Series in 2000 had an impact personally. It was just a great environment.
"I love New York City. If I'm going to have to be away from my home and family more than I want to be, it had to be where I knew what I was getting into."
Zeile has no illusions of grandeur about this season either. It's not a stretch to think that he'll get 150 at-bats or less considering Ty Wigginton's iron-man attitude about playing third and the Mike Piazza/Jason Phillips platoon at first.
So while he'll fill the same role Jay Bell played last season, don't expect Zeile to play mentor the way Bell did. At least not with Piazza. Zeile, a former catcher, has made the successful switch to the infield but isn't about to give his close friend any unsolicited advice.
"I've talked to Mike a little bit about first base but we've talked about other things, too," Zeile said. "I don't think he's expecting me to be a mentor. We're friends. Anything as far as sharing my experience is a no-brainer."
Figuring it out: Jason Anderson knows he can pitch in the Major Leagues. The Mets are confident of that fact, too. The club, however, took a little while figuring out just what they wanted to do with the hard-throwing youngster.
Anderson bounced between the bullpen and the starting rotation after a midseason trade from the Yankees. He's been with the organization for nearly eight months and it wasn't until recently that his role became a little clearer.
"I stopped thinking about it," said Anderson, who was 1-0 with a 4.88 ERA in 28 appearances with the Mets and Yankees last year. "I just want to try and get guys out, see what happens and take it from there. Ideally, though, you want to have the comfort of knowing what your role is. I haven't found it yet but I've learned to deal with it.
"It was frustrating at first. [Not knowing] wasn't really a waste of time. I'm not a high-profile guy and I'm not a big guy. I have to let my performance do my speaking."
Anderson's performance this spring has been limited to throwing. He hasn't participated in many of the fielding drills because of an inflamed big toe.
"He's one of those quality power-type arms and we want to see how he fits into the bullpen," general manager Jim Duquette said. "We never had a dominating thrower who had that kind of fastball. He has the ability to dominate in the low 90s and that's a good contrast to David Weathers, Mike Stanton and John Franco. And there are a couple of spots open in the bullpen."
Coming back: Ricky Bottalico's situation isn't as cloudy as Anderson's but there are a few question marks surrounding him as full workouts begin. The former All-Star closer is still trying to recover from the 2002 surgery to repair a lesion in his right shoulder.
He missed the second half of that year and most of 2003 while recovering. The Mets inked him as a no-risk high-reward pitcher but he's going to have a hard time breaking into an already crowded bullpen. Bottalico said he isn't averse to starting the season at Triple-A Norfolk "just to see what the circumstances are."
"My ultimate goal is to get back to the Major Leagues but we have to see what the reaction is during the games," Bottalico. "I can't just say I'm going to blow everyone away. I'm going to take my time this spring and get myself acclimated to this again. That's one of the difficult things, getting back to the person I was before the surgery."
Bottalico saved 68 games between 1996 and '97 for the Phillies but says he was pitching with the shoulder injury for two and a half years. He appeared in 66 games as late as 2001 with Philly but saw action in only two games for the Diamondbacks last year.
"It's been an eye-opener," Bottalico said. "I've had so many ups and downs. It's been mind-boggling."
This and that: The steady rain on Florida's Treasure Coast limited Wednesday's first full workout to some time in the batting cages and a few side sessions. The rain also accented the continued problem of leaks in the ceiling of the New York clubhouse, particularly over Piazza's locker. It got so bad that Piazza had to switch lockers. ... The rain also forced everyone indoors to take either batting practice, throw side sessions or perform bunting drills. ... Scott Strickland is expected to throw a bullpen session again Saturday but manager Art Howe didn't think the right-hander was ready to go completely off the mound yet. Strickland has thrown from the front of the mound.
Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2004/02/25/6MtIlXdH.jpg
Todd Zeile sits at his locker Wednesday before the first day of full squad workouts. (Richard Drew/AP)