GaryMrMets
12-28-2004, 03:14 PM
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym/news/nym_news.jsp?ymd=20041219&content_id=924191&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp
12/27/2004 8:00 AM ET
Mets ride roller coaster in 2004
Early hope leads to injury, changes in second half
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- When the Mets conducted their mini-camp in January, Braden Looper arrived fresh off signing a new contract and the closer certainly gave the club reason to have hope for the upcoming season.
While Looper performed wonderfully in his first season as a Met, the club couldn't overcome second-half struggles and another series of devastating injuries. Just as it happened in 2003, New York lost key players for considerable amounts of time, costing it a chance to complete the run for an East Division title that looked possible as the calendar turned to July.
Jose Reyes missed nearly the entire season with leg injuries, while Mike Piazza (knee) and Kaz Matsui (back) were shelved for much of August. Mike Cameron (hands), Cliff Floyd (leg), Tom Glavine (teeth) and Al Leiter (shoulder) all missed time, leading to the club's fourth-place finish and ultimately contributing to Art Howe losing his job.
Ownership ended weeks of speculation about Howe's status in mid-September, informing the skipper that he wouldn't be coming back in 2005. Two weeks later, in an even more stunning move, principal owner Fred Wilpon wooed Omar Minaya away from Montreal and made him the general manager of the Mets in place of Jim Duquette.
The moves were made in the hopes that stability could be found in an organization that has struggled since going to the World Series in 2000. Minaya's first big move was to hire Willie Randolph as manager in November and then re-sign Kris Benson, jumpstarting what he hopes will be a renaissance in Queens.
January
The Mets opene the calendar year by signing their new closer Braden Looper to a multiyear deal. The hard-throwing right-hander immediately goes to New York's mini-camp in St. Lucie to begin working out with his new teammates. The club also signs Shane Spencer, Karim Garcia and Todd Zeile while Mo Vaughn announces in an emotional conference call that his aching knee won't allow him to play in 2004. Early in the month, the Mets as well as the baseball community are saddened to learn that Tug McGraw loses his battle with brain cancer.
February
Howe begins his second year as Mets skipper with high hopes. The club enters Spring Training with what is expected to be a spirited battle for the fifth starter's spot in the rotation. Tyler Yates, Grant Roberts, Scott Erickson, James Baldwin, Jeremy Griffiths and Aaron Heilman all will take aim at the earning a spot in the rotation. Right field is also up for grabs as Roger Cedeno, Timo Perez, Spencer and Garcia duke it out. Matsui begins his first Major League Spring Training and draws large crowds at Tradition Field whenever he works out. Tom Glavine is named Opening Day starter.
March
Mike Piazza's introduction to first base gains momentum as the All-Star catcher begins to see game action, though he is slowed by a leg injury early in the month. Matsui also returned from a split finger he suffered while taking grounders, making a big splash during his first few exhibition games as a Met. Reyes tears a hamstring on March 14. An injury that many believed would only keep him out a few days has the talented infielder on the shelf until the middle of June as he suffers setback after setback in his recovery. Don Baylor returns to the club after successfully battling multiple Myeloma.
April
Kaz Matsui homers on his first pitch in the big leagues and Glavine breaks his Atlanta hex as the Mets emerge with an Opening Night victory at Turner Field. Matsui's brilliant debut caused an international stir. Steve Trachsel signed a contract extension during the opening series in Atlanta while Scott Erickson, after winning a spot in the rotation, pulled a hamstring while warming up for his Mets debut and had to go on the disabled list. Mike Piazza returns to Los Angeles at the end of the month and blasts a homer, tying Carlton Fisk for most round-trippers by a backstop. The club trades Cedeno to the Cardinals just before breaking camp at the beginning of the month. The same day Cedeno is traded, Al Leiter is hit in the head with a line drive in an exhibition game against the Marlins. Though shaken, Leiter is fine.
May
Some personal achievements mark the month. Piazza blasted his way into the record book in the fifth against San Francisco, hitting his 352nd homer as a catcher to pass Carlton Fisk to claim first place on the all-time list. It would be the highlight of Piazza's season. Glavine, meanwhile, put forth his finest effort as a Met on the 23rd, falling four outs shy of becoming the first pitcher in club history to toss a no-hitter. Kit Pellow's two-out double in the eighth was the only hit Colorado would get as Glavine tossed the 27th one-hitter in team history. Later in the month, as the Mets closed out a road trip in Houston, Piazza's ninth-inning homer spoiled Roger Clemens' chance at victory before Jason Phillips' extra inning blast won it.
June
The club received a pair of new faces in June, one familiar one not so familiar. Reyes finally returned to action after missing the first two and a half months with a torn hamstring when he was activated on the 19th. Two days earlier, the Mets acquired slugger Richard Hidalgo from Houston in exchange for reliever David Weathers. Denny Walling was relieved of his duties as hitting coach on the 15th, replaced by Baylor. Matsui played in 1,213 consecutive games before getting a day off on June 24. The Mets closed out the month by dropping a day-night doubleheader to the Yanks in the Bronx.
July
The month began in promising fashion as the Mets swept the Yankees at Shea Stadium to win the season series from their crosstown rivals. It marked the first time the team from Queens had swept the Bombers in a season series. The good feelings ran through the middle of the month as Glavine and Piazza were tabbed as National League All-Stars. Duquette acquired Mike DeJean from the Orioles on the 19th for Garcia, but the Mets began to slide shortly after the deal. The month came to an explosive close as Duquette engineered a pair of trades, acquiring Benson from the Pirates and Victor Zambrano from the Devil Rays on the 30th. The Zambrano trade was particularly noteworthy because the Mets sent top prospect Scott Kazmir to Tampa Bay in the deal. A day earlier, Eric Valent hits for the cycle in Montreal. David Wright also made his long-awaited debut.
August
The beloved Bob Murphy, who only retired the previous September, succumbs to cancer. The Hall-of-Fame broadcaster died on Aug. 3. Reyes went back to the future on the fourth, starting at shortstop for the ailing Matsui, his first appearance of the season at his old position. Wright has a six-RBI game at Miller Field as the Mets rout the Brewers, 11-6. Matsui plays in what would be his last game for than a month when back spasms sideline him on Aug. 8 in St. Louis. He goes on the disabled list shortly thereafter. Glavine gets his front two teeth knocked out in a traffic accident near Shea Stadium. Zambrano has his finest moment as a Met, retiring the first 14 batters he faces and allowing only an unearned run in seven innings during a victory over the Astros on the 12th. A week later, Zambrano would go down for the season, suffering a muscle tear in his elbow while pitching in Colorado. Joe McEwing suffers a broken leg during the same series in Denver, going down for the remainder of the season. Reyes also went down, going on the disabled list on Aug. 13 with a stress fracture in his leg. Just days after, Piazza was placed on the DL with a knee injury.
September
In a pair of stunning moves, the Mets announce that Howe won't be returning for the 2005 season while naming Minaya the club's new general manager. Howe's fate was sealed in the middle of the month when he and the front office decided that a change was needed. The club made the announcement on the 15th after reports Howe wouldn't be back surfaced in the newspapers. Minaya, meanwhile, was tabbed as the GM during the last week of the season and introduced in a packed press conference on the 30th at Shea Stadium. He vows to rebuild the club, keeping former GM Jim Duquette on as his top lieutenant.
October
The Mets close out the regular season and Howe's tenure as manager with an 8-1 victory over Montreal at Shea Stadium. It was Zeile's final game and John Franco's last game as a Met. The managerial search begins shortly thereafter as Carlos Tosca, Jim Riggleman, Terry Collins, Rudy Jaramillo and Willie Randolph earn interviews. Jim Leyland gets some consideration as well but as the month comes to a close, it's Randolph's job to lose.
November
Randolph gets the nod as Mets skipper and is introduced on Nov. 4 in a huge Shea Stadium press conference. He becomes the 18th manager in club history in the first African-American to pilot a club in the history of New York baseball. Leiter files for free agency, putting into question whether he will end his career as a Met while Benson signs a new deal that could net him $30 million through 2008.
December
The club got off to a slow start at the Winter Meetings, doing more talking than trading or signing. But that all changed as the weekend in Anaheim drew to a close. Minaya focused his attention on Pedro Martinez and as he left the Meetings, the hard-throwing right-hander was all but locked up. Three days later, Martinez was the toast of the town, enjoying a lavish introductory press conference at Shea Stadium.
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/2004/08/05/I2WlE4pn.jpg
Much-anticipated rookie David Wright hit .293 for the Mets in 2004. (Kathy Willens/AP)
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2004/11/05/7V22tRx7.jpg
Willie Randolph was hired in November as the 18th manager of the Mets. (Marc S. Levine/NY Mets)
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/players/etopps/ph_430565.jpg
Kazuo Matsui / SS
Born: 10/23/75 Height: 5'9" Weight: 180 lbs Bats: S /Throws: R
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_150249.jpg
Kris Benson / P
Born: 11/07/74 Height: 6'4" Weight: 195 lbs Bats: R /Throws: R
12/27/2004 8:00 AM ET
Mets ride roller coaster in 2004
Early hope leads to injury, changes in second half
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- When the Mets conducted their mini-camp in January, Braden Looper arrived fresh off signing a new contract and the closer certainly gave the club reason to have hope for the upcoming season.
While Looper performed wonderfully in his first season as a Met, the club couldn't overcome second-half struggles and another series of devastating injuries. Just as it happened in 2003, New York lost key players for considerable amounts of time, costing it a chance to complete the run for an East Division title that looked possible as the calendar turned to July.
Jose Reyes missed nearly the entire season with leg injuries, while Mike Piazza (knee) and Kaz Matsui (back) were shelved for much of August. Mike Cameron (hands), Cliff Floyd (leg), Tom Glavine (teeth) and Al Leiter (shoulder) all missed time, leading to the club's fourth-place finish and ultimately contributing to Art Howe losing his job.
Ownership ended weeks of speculation about Howe's status in mid-September, informing the skipper that he wouldn't be coming back in 2005. Two weeks later, in an even more stunning move, principal owner Fred Wilpon wooed Omar Minaya away from Montreal and made him the general manager of the Mets in place of Jim Duquette.
The moves were made in the hopes that stability could be found in an organization that has struggled since going to the World Series in 2000. Minaya's first big move was to hire Willie Randolph as manager in November and then re-sign Kris Benson, jumpstarting what he hopes will be a renaissance in Queens.
January
The Mets opene the calendar year by signing their new closer Braden Looper to a multiyear deal. The hard-throwing right-hander immediately goes to New York's mini-camp in St. Lucie to begin working out with his new teammates. The club also signs Shane Spencer, Karim Garcia and Todd Zeile while Mo Vaughn announces in an emotional conference call that his aching knee won't allow him to play in 2004. Early in the month, the Mets as well as the baseball community are saddened to learn that Tug McGraw loses his battle with brain cancer.
February
Howe begins his second year as Mets skipper with high hopes. The club enters Spring Training with what is expected to be a spirited battle for the fifth starter's spot in the rotation. Tyler Yates, Grant Roberts, Scott Erickson, James Baldwin, Jeremy Griffiths and Aaron Heilman all will take aim at the earning a spot in the rotation. Right field is also up for grabs as Roger Cedeno, Timo Perez, Spencer and Garcia duke it out. Matsui begins his first Major League Spring Training and draws large crowds at Tradition Field whenever he works out. Tom Glavine is named Opening Day starter.
March
Mike Piazza's introduction to first base gains momentum as the All-Star catcher begins to see game action, though he is slowed by a leg injury early in the month. Matsui also returned from a split finger he suffered while taking grounders, making a big splash during his first few exhibition games as a Met. Reyes tears a hamstring on March 14. An injury that many believed would only keep him out a few days has the talented infielder on the shelf until the middle of June as he suffers setback after setback in his recovery. Don Baylor returns to the club after successfully battling multiple Myeloma.
April
Kaz Matsui homers on his first pitch in the big leagues and Glavine breaks his Atlanta hex as the Mets emerge with an Opening Night victory at Turner Field. Matsui's brilliant debut caused an international stir. Steve Trachsel signed a contract extension during the opening series in Atlanta while Scott Erickson, after winning a spot in the rotation, pulled a hamstring while warming up for his Mets debut and had to go on the disabled list. Mike Piazza returns to Los Angeles at the end of the month and blasts a homer, tying Carlton Fisk for most round-trippers by a backstop. The club trades Cedeno to the Cardinals just before breaking camp at the beginning of the month. The same day Cedeno is traded, Al Leiter is hit in the head with a line drive in an exhibition game against the Marlins. Though shaken, Leiter is fine.
May
Some personal achievements mark the month. Piazza blasted his way into the record book in the fifth against San Francisco, hitting his 352nd homer as a catcher to pass Carlton Fisk to claim first place on the all-time list. It would be the highlight of Piazza's season. Glavine, meanwhile, put forth his finest effort as a Met on the 23rd, falling four outs shy of becoming the first pitcher in club history to toss a no-hitter. Kit Pellow's two-out double in the eighth was the only hit Colorado would get as Glavine tossed the 27th one-hitter in team history. Later in the month, as the Mets closed out a road trip in Houston, Piazza's ninth-inning homer spoiled Roger Clemens' chance at victory before Jason Phillips' extra inning blast won it.
June
The club received a pair of new faces in June, one familiar one not so familiar. Reyes finally returned to action after missing the first two and a half months with a torn hamstring when he was activated on the 19th. Two days earlier, the Mets acquired slugger Richard Hidalgo from Houston in exchange for reliever David Weathers. Denny Walling was relieved of his duties as hitting coach on the 15th, replaced by Baylor. Matsui played in 1,213 consecutive games before getting a day off on June 24. The Mets closed out the month by dropping a day-night doubleheader to the Yanks in the Bronx.
July
The month began in promising fashion as the Mets swept the Yankees at Shea Stadium to win the season series from their crosstown rivals. It marked the first time the team from Queens had swept the Bombers in a season series. The good feelings ran through the middle of the month as Glavine and Piazza were tabbed as National League All-Stars. Duquette acquired Mike DeJean from the Orioles on the 19th for Garcia, but the Mets began to slide shortly after the deal. The month came to an explosive close as Duquette engineered a pair of trades, acquiring Benson from the Pirates and Victor Zambrano from the Devil Rays on the 30th. The Zambrano trade was particularly noteworthy because the Mets sent top prospect Scott Kazmir to Tampa Bay in the deal. A day earlier, Eric Valent hits for the cycle in Montreal. David Wright also made his long-awaited debut.
August
The beloved Bob Murphy, who only retired the previous September, succumbs to cancer. The Hall-of-Fame broadcaster died on Aug. 3. Reyes went back to the future on the fourth, starting at shortstop for the ailing Matsui, his first appearance of the season at his old position. Wright has a six-RBI game at Miller Field as the Mets rout the Brewers, 11-6. Matsui plays in what would be his last game for than a month when back spasms sideline him on Aug. 8 in St. Louis. He goes on the disabled list shortly thereafter. Glavine gets his front two teeth knocked out in a traffic accident near Shea Stadium. Zambrano has his finest moment as a Met, retiring the first 14 batters he faces and allowing only an unearned run in seven innings during a victory over the Astros on the 12th. A week later, Zambrano would go down for the season, suffering a muscle tear in his elbow while pitching in Colorado. Joe McEwing suffers a broken leg during the same series in Denver, going down for the remainder of the season. Reyes also went down, going on the disabled list on Aug. 13 with a stress fracture in his leg. Just days after, Piazza was placed on the DL with a knee injury.
September
In a pair of stunning moves, the Mets announce that Howe won't be returning for the 2005 season while naming Minaya the club's new general manager. Howe's fate was sealed in the middle of the month when he and the front office decided that a change was needed. The club made the announcement on the 15th after reports Howe wouldn't be back surfaced in the newspapers. Minaya, meanwhile, was tabbed as the GM during the last week of the season and introduced in a packed press conference on the 30th at Shea Stadium. He vows to rebuild the club, keeping former GM Jim Duquette on as his top lieutenant.
October
The Mets close out the regular season and Howe's tenure as manager with an 8-1 victory over Montreal at Shea Stadium. It was Zeile's final game and John Franco's last game as a Met. The managerial search begins shortly thereafter as Carlos Tosca, Jim Riggleman, Terry Collins, Rudy Jaramillo and Willie Randolph earn interviews. Jim Leyland gets some consideration as well but as the month comes to a close, it's Randolph's job to lose.
November
Randolph gets the nod as Mets skipper and is introduced on Nov. 4 in a huge Shea Stadium press conference. He becomes the 18th manager in club history in the first African-American to pilot a club in the history of New York baseball. Leiter files for free agency, putting into question whether he will end his career as a Met while Benson signs a new deal that could net him $30 million through 2008.
December
The club got off to a slow start at the Winter Meetings, doing more talking than trading or signing. But that all changed as the weekend in Anaheim drew to a close. Minaya focused his attention on Pedro Martinez and as he left the Meetings, the hard-throwing right-hander was all but locked up. Three days later, Martinez was the toast of the town, enjoying a lavish introductory press conference at Shea Stadium.
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/2004/08/05/I2WlE4pn.jpg
Much-anticipated rookie David Wright hit .293 for the Mets in 2004. (Kathy Willens/AP)
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2004/11/05/7V22tRx7.jpg
Willie Randolph was hired in November as the 18th manager of the Mets. (Marc S. Levine/NY Mets)
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/players/etopps/ph_430565.jpg
Kazuo Matsui / SS
Born: 10/23/75 Height: 5'9" Weight: 180 lbs Bats: S /Throws: R
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_150249.jpg
Kris Benson / P
Born: 11/07/74 Height: 6'4" Weight: 195 lbs Bats: R /Throws: R