GaryMrMets
12-17-2004, 06:00 PM
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym/news/nym_news.jsp?ymd=20041216&content_id=923376&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp
12/16/2004 10:17 PM ET
Notes: Reunion of sorts for Pedro
Mets' bullpen coach is an old friend of hurler
By Kevin Czerwinski / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Guy Conti kind of blended into the background at Shea Stadium on Thursday, seemingly anonymous as the Mets introduced Pedro Martinez to the Big Apple.
While Martinez's reputation and career highlights are well known, Conti was one of the few people in the Diamond Club who knows that there is more to the Dominican hurler than a lively right arm. The two have been close since Martinez first signed with the Dodgers as a teenager in the late 1980s when Conti was working at the time as a minor league pitching instructor for the organization.
The two quickly formed a bond and to this day, Martinez refers to Conti as his "white daddy."
"The first time I saw him was when he was 15 years old," Conti said. "And I saw him here today and I couldn't help but think back. That was what, 16, 18 years ago? I was there in the beginning and it looks like I'll be there in the end. God works in funny ways."
Martinez didn't know much when he arrived in America, other than how to throw a baseball and throw it hard. Conti, who worked in the Dodgers' player development office from 1986-98, changed all that.
"He's my daddy, the real one," said Martinez, joking about when he called the Yankees his daddy last season. "This seems like fate because I started off with him. He took me in during that extended Spring Training and he taught me my changeup. He and his wife used to take me to church every Sunday, to the flea market, all around. I was with them all the time. Even as a big leaguer, we kept in touch. He's my white daddy."
Conti said he called Martinez during the time the Mets were negotiating with him but wasn't able to reach him. Still, he'll tell anyone who'll listen about how proud he is of Martinez.
"This kid worked as hard as [Orel] Hershiser ever did," said Conti, who served as the Mets' minor league field coordinator in the four years prior to becoming bullpen coach. "His regimen is three hours long. You'll see what he's all about."
Money matters: Martinez signed a four-year, $53 million deal, but his 2005 salary will be right around $11 million. He agreed to take less so the Mets could attempt to sign some other free agents.
General manager Omar Minaya said that he has already fielded calls from several big-ticket free agents who are interested in signing with the club as a result of Martinez's arrival, but he declined to name who they were. Martinez described himself as "a simple man" who wouldn't be able to win a championship alone.
"We're going to need help for this team to get to the playoffs," Martinez said. "I'm not going to be able to do it alone. If you guys are expecting me to do it alone, that's not going to happen."
He added that signing with New York was never about the money since he's been a millionaire since he was 24. If money were all he was after, he could have stayed in Boston.
"You didn't pick up a bum on the streets," he said. "This was more about the commitment from the team than it was about the money."
That is a good thing considering that the Mets are still currently courting several stars, including Carlos Delgado and perhaps even Magglio Ordonez, neither of whom will come cheaply. Moises Alou also remains on the radar screen.
No problems: Martinez also said that he has no problems with Willie Randolph, Mike Piazza or anyone else, and that he expects no trouble this season despite his well-documented history of eccentricities.
Martinez played an integral role in the 2003 American League Championship Series brawl with the Yankees, throwing Don Zimmer to the ground in what has become an infamous event. But he says there are no hard feelings between himself and Randolph, who was the Yankees' third base coach at the time.
"I've always had a great amount of respect for Willie and the Yankees," Martinez said. "Their players, too, and their manager [Joe Torre] is one of the best. I never had a problem with Willie. We respect each other and I respect him as a manager."
When asked about his penchant for marching to his own drummer, Martinez didn't flinch. He's left games early, stayed away from games entirely and extended his own All-Star break in the past, seemingly having his own set of rules. Randolph said that he hasn't spoken with Martinez about any of that directly but added that there will be one set of rules for the entire team.
For his part, Martinez offered the following about not showing up for Game 6 of this year's ALCS in the Bronx:
"I have a strict of way of working, and it takes a lot more time than people think. ... In the visiting clubhouse in New York, there is nowhere to work. That's why I stayed home, because Curt Schilling was doubtful for the next game and I would have had to stand up and pitch if Derek Lowe couldn't pitch.
"I have a very strict way of working. Omar and Willie are aware of it."
Martinez also said that despite reports to the contrary, he and Piazza are fine. The two were teammates during their minor league days with the Dodgers, though there was some well-documented bad blood between the two in the late '90s.
Networking: Justice Helen E. Freedman of the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan denied Cablevision's request on Wednesday for a preliminary injunction to prevent the Mets from proceeding with plans for the launch in 2006 of a new regional sports network featuring Mets games, in partnership with Time Warner Cable and Comcast Corporation.
"We are very pleased that the court agreed with our position and arguments on this motion," said David Cohen, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Mets. "We continue to maintain that Cablevision's lawsuit is entirely without merit."
Justice Freedman's ruling denying Cablevision's motion was explained in a seven-page opinion. The opinion states that Cablevision failed to satisfy its burden of proof on each of the three required elements to win a preliminary injunction. The court found that Cablevision failed to show a likelihood of success on the merits of the case, failed to show that it would suffer irreparable harm absent an injunction and failed to prove that the balance of the equities in the case favored the issuance of an injunction.
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/2004/12/16/iZslY4kK.jpg
Bullpen coach Guy Conti has a long history with new Met Pedro Martinez. (Rick Silva/AP)
12/16/2004 10:17 PM ET
Notes: Reunion of sorts for Pedro
Mets' bullpen coach is an old friend of hurler
By Kevin Czerwinski / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Guy Conti kind of blended into the background at Shea Stadium on Thursday, seemingly anonymous as the Mets introduced Pedro Martinez to the Big Apple.
While Martinez's reputation and career highlights are well known, Conti was one of the few people in the Diamond Club who knows that there is more to the Dominican hurler than a lively right arm. The two have been close since Martinez first signed with the Dodgers as a teenager in the late 1980s when Conti was working at the time as a minor league pitching instructor for the organization.
The two quickly formed a bond and to this day, Martinez refers to Conti as his "white daddy."
"The first time I saw him was when he was 15 years old," Conti said. "And I saw him here today and I couldn't help but think back. That was what, 16, 18 years ago? I was there in the beginning and it looks like I'll be there in the end. God works in funny ways."
Martinez didn't know much when he arrived in America, other than how to throw a baseball and throw it hard. Conti, who worked in the Dodgers' player development office from 1986-98, changed all that.
"He's my daddy, the real one," said Martinez, joking about when he called the Yankees his daddy last season. "This seems like fate because I started off with him. He took me in during that extended Spring Training and he taught me my changeup. He and his wife used to take me to church every Sunday, to the flea market, all around. I was with them all the time. Even as a big leaguer, we kept in touch. He's my white daddy."
Conti said he called Martinez during the time the Mets were negotiating with him but wasn't able to reach him. Still, he'll tell anyone who'll listen about how proud he is of Martinez.
"This kid worked as hard as [Orel] Hershiser ever did," said Conti, who served as the Mets' minor league field coordinator in the four years prior to becoming bullpen coach. "His regimen is three hours long. You'll see what he's all about."
Money matters: Martinez signed a four-year, $53 million deal, but his 2005 salary will be right around $11 million. He agreed to take less so the Mets could attempt to sign some other free agents.
General manager Omar Minaya said that he has already fielded calls from several big-ticket free agents who are interested in signing with the club as a result of Martinez's arrival, but he declined to name who they were. Martinez described himself as "a simple man" who wouldn't be able to win a championship alone.
"We're going to need help for this team to get to the playoffs," Martinez said. "I'm not going to be able to do it alone. If you guys are expecting me to do it alone, that's not going to happen."
He added that signing with New York was never about the money since he's been a millionaire since he was 24. If money were all he was after, he could have stayed in Boston.
"You didn't pick up a bum on the streets," he said. "This was more about the commitment from the team than it was about the money."
That is a good thing considering that the Mets are still currently courting several stars, including Carlos Delgado and perhaps even Magglio Ordonez, neither of whom will come cheaply. Moises Alou also remains on the radar screen.
No problems: Martinez also said that he has no problems with Willie Randolph, Mike Piazza or anyone else, and that he expects no trouble this season despite his well-documented history of eccentricities.
Martinez played an integral role in the 2003 American League Championship Series brawl with the Yankees, throwing Don Zimmer to the ground in what has become an infamous event. But he says there are no hard feelings between himself and Randolph, who was the Yankees' third base coach at the time.
"I've always had a great amount of respect for Willie and the Yankees," Martinez said. "Their players, too, and their manager [Joe Torre] is one of the best. I never had a problem with Willie. We respect each other and I respect him as a manager."
When asked about his penchant for marching to his own drummer, Martinez didn't flinch. He's left games early, stayed away from games entirely and extended his own All-Star break in the past, seemingly having his own set of rules. Randolph said that he hasn't spoken with Martinez about any of that directly but added that there will be one set of rules for the entire team.
For his part, Martinez offered the following about not showing up for Game 6 of this year's ALCS in the Bronx:
"I have a strict of way of working, and it takes a lot more time than people think. ... In the visiting clubhouse in New York, there is nowhere to work. That's why I stayed home, because Curt Schilling was doubtful for the next game and I would have had to stand up and pitch if Derek Lowe couldn't pitch.
"I have a very strict way of working. Omar and Willie are aware of it."
Martinez also said that despite reports to the contrary, he and Piazza are fine. The two were teammates during their minor league days with the Dodgers, though there was some well-documented bad blood between the two in the late '90s.
Networking: Justice Helen E. Freedman of the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan denied Cablevision's request on Wednesday for a preliminary injunction to prevent the Mets from proceeding with plans for the launch in 2006 of a new regional sports network featuring Mets games, in partnership with Time Warner Cable and Comcast Corporation.
"We are very pleased that the court agreed with our position and arguments on this motion," said David Cohen, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Mets. "We continue to maintain that Cablevision's lawsuit is entirely without merit."
Justice Freedman's ruling denying Cablevision's motion was explained in a seven-page opinion. The opinion states that Cablevision failed to satisfy its burden of proof on each of the three required elements to win a preliminary injunction. The court found that Cablevision failed to show a likelihood of success on the merits of the case, failed to show that it would suffer irreparable harm absent an injunction and failed to prove that the balance of the equities in the case favored the issuance of an injunction.
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/2004/12/16/iZslY4kK.jpg
Bullpen coach Guy Conti has a long history with new Met Pedro Martinez. (Rick Silva/AP)