New York Mets News

[GaryMrMets]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2007/03/18/2007-03-18_pelfrey_first_in_mets_race_for_5th.html

Pelfrey first in Mets' race for 5th

BY ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Sunday, March 18th 2007, 4:00 AM

PORT ST. LUCIE - You don't need a degree in bracketology to handicap this field. Mike Pelfrey is the runaway leader in the Mets' fifth starter's race, even if winning the job may require opening the season in the minors anyway.

Pelfrey's primary competitors for the final slot in the rotation bombed yesterday as the Mets were walloped in split-squad games by a combined 22-1 score.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03182007/sports/mets/all_the_gms_men_mets_kevin_kernan.htm?page=0

ALL THE GM'S MEN
'FRIENDS OF OMAR' HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD IN METS HIERARCHY

March 18, 2007 -- PORT ST. LUCIE - Omar Minaya loves to conference call with his three top advisers, John Ricco, Tony Bernazard and Sandy Johnson. Call it four-sight when they all get together to map out the Mets' future. Minaya is captain of the ship, but his closest advisers help plot the course.

The calls can come at any hour. So it was not surprising last month when Bernazard got a call from Ricco at 7:30 in the morning saying Minaya, who was in Africa at the time, wanted to have a little chat. "Hold on, Tony," Ricco said, "I'll conference in Omar now."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03182007/photos/metsa.jpg
GANG OF FOUR: Omar Minaya's cabinet of advisers brings diversity of opinion to the Mets' front office. Sandy Johnson gave Minaya his first job in pro ball, and Tony Bernazard and John Ricco butted heads on opposite sides of labor issues.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03182007/sports/mets/burgos_still_lacks_location_mets_michael_morrissey .htm

BURGOS STILL LACKS LOCATION
By MICHAEL MORRISSEY

March 18, 2007 -- PORTST. LUCIE - Ambiorix Burgos certainly doesn't lack confidence - or velocity. But location? That's another matter.

Burgos, who can throw 103 mph, was hit around in Friday's 5-4 loss to Florida. The righty reliever melted down for the second time in six appearances, allowing five runs.

Burgos allowed a mammoth two-run homer to center by Hanley Ramirez on an 0-and-2 count in the seventh. He threw a 97 mph heater right down the pipe, which didn't please manager Willie Randolph.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03182007/sports/mets/damon__mets_were_wise_to_sign_schoeneweis_mets_joe l_sherman.htm

DAMON: METS WERE WISE TO SIGN SCHOENEWEIS
By JOEL SHERMAN

March 18, 2007 -- Johnny Damon was pleased when Scott Schoeneweis signed with the Mets. He didn't mind sharing New York with the southpaw as long as he did not have to share a division with him.

"I thought Schoeneweis was the best left-hander out of the pen in our division," Damon said. "He did not give up homers, he knew how to pitch and he's tough. The Mets made a real good signing."

[GaryMrMets]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03182007/sports/mets/cooperstown_500_mets_joel_sherman.htm?page=0

COOPERSTOWN 500
WOULD MILESTONE, AND CLEAN REP, PUT DELGADO IN HALL?

March 18, 2007 -- FOUR players have a strong chance of reaching 500 homers this season, and that severely endangers Carlos Delgado's shot at immortality.

Delgado's Hall of Fame candidacy ultimately will be based on the consistency and accumulation of his power numbers, and reaching 500 homers is just about a must for any serious consideration. But what if Delgado (currently with 407 homers) gets there in 2009, as projected, and finds the velvet rope has been torn down and just about everybody is getting into the club?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03182007/photos/metsb.jpg
CARLOS DELGADO

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03182007/sports/mets/chan_ho_parking_lot_mets_michael_morrissey.htm

CHAN HO PARKING LOT
VET'S 3-HR DISASTER GOOD NEWS FOR PELFREY
By MICHAEL MORRISSEY

March 18, 2007 -- PORTST. LUCIE - Chan Ho Park couldn't keep it in the park yesterday. And now the Mets might not keep him in their regular-season rotation.

Park produced a deplorable start at Tradition Field against Washington, allowing seven runs (four earned) on three homers and a ground-rule double over three innings.

This effort came in a 13-1 loss to the Nationals, who are expected to be one of the worst teams in baseball this season. In other words: hello, Mike Pelfrey. Goodbye, Park.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03182007/photos/mets.jpg
WRONG OF SPRING: Chan Ho Park talks with pitching coach Rick Peterson and catcher Paul Lo Duca during yesterday's 13-1 loss to the Nationals, in which he allowed seven runs (four earned) and three homers in three innings.

New York Mets Postgame Alert March 18, 2007

N.Y. Mets 4, St. Louis 5 at Roger Dean Stadium
N.Y. Mets Record: (6-14)
St. Louis Record: (10-6)

Winning pitcher - Andy Cavazos (1-0)
Losing pitcher - Lino Urdaneta (0-1)
SV - Randy Flores (1)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
N.Y. Mets 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 4 6 1
St. Louis 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 1 X 5 8 1

NYM HR - J. Reyes (4)
STL HR - None

Next N.Y. Mets Game: March 20, 2007 07:10 PM ET vs. Baltimore Orioles

Upcoming N.Y. Mets Home Games:
vs. Baltimore Orioles, March 20, 2007 07:10 PM ET Purchase Tickets
vs. St. Louis Cardinals, March 23, 2007 01:10 PM ET Purchase Tickets
vs. Baltimore Orioles, March 24, 2007 01:10 PM ET Purchase Tickets

[GaryMrMets]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2007/03/el_duque_leaves_with_cramp.php

El Duque Leaves with Cramp

Orlando Hernandez has left today's game against the Cardinals after a leg problem running to first base. The Mets say it's just a right hamstring cramp and no cause for concern. El Duque completed four innings, allowing two earned runs.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2007/03/st_patricks_day_massacre.php

St. Patrick's Day Massacre

What a disaster. The Mets were walloped 22-1 in split-squad losses to the Nationals and Orioles.

"This should be a four-leaf clover," Wille Randolph said, pointing at his St. Patrick's Day Mets hat after the debacle. "Three-leaf clovers aren't lucky."

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2007/03/audio_humber_disappointed_but.php

Audio: Humber Disappointed, But Determined

Listen to 2004 first-round pick Philip Humber talk about his demotion to minor-league camp and his plans for his future as a Met.

Philip Humber Interview 3.16.07 [wav].

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2007/03/19/2007-03-19_cards_deck_burgos.html

Cards deck Burgos

Monday, March 19th 2007, 4:00 AM

JUPITER, Fla. - A day after Ambiorix Burgos suggested he's confident he'll make the team, he continued to make a case for opening the season at Triple-A New Orleans.

The 22-year-old reliever, obtained from the Royals for Brian Bannister, allowed two runs on four hits in two innings in a 5-4 loss to the Cardinals yesterday, though that slightly trimmed his ERA to 9.58. Burgos allowed a pair of fifth-inning runs on Scott Rolen's double that landed inside the right-field line. Burgos followed that up with a scoreless sixth, surrendering a two-out double to Skip Schumaker but stranding him by getting Aaron Miles on a groundout to first baseman Shawn Green.

http://www.nydailynews.com/img/2007/03/19/amd_ambiorix.jpg
Ambiorix Burgos has been struggling for the Mets during spring training.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2007/03/19/2007-03-19_duques_a_big_stiff.html

Duque's a big stiff
Cramps up on bunt, has to leave game

BY ADAM RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Monday, March 19th 2007, 4:00 AM

JUPITER, Fla. - Orlando Hernandez may want to stick to brisk walks for the time being.

El Duque, who came up lame with a torn right calf while running on the warning track on the eve of the division series in October, again had a leg problem arise yesterday while trotting. This time, Hernandez felt what the team labeled a right hamstring cramp while legging out a bunt in the fifth inning, forcing him to leave a 5-4 loss to the Cardinals three outs shy of completing his scheduled workload.

[GaryMrMets]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03192007/sports/mets/reyes_power_is_not_a_joke_mets_mark_hale.htm

REYES' POWER IS NOT A JOKE
By MARK HALE

March 19, 2007 -- JUPITER, Fla. - After he homered and returned to the dugout yesterday, Jose Reyes said nobody joked with him about his power.

"No, because they know it's not part of my game," the Mets shortstop said. "But when I hit one, I have to take it. Nobody said anything."

Reyes blasted his fourth homer of the spring in the Mets' 5-4 loss to the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium, a solo shot in the seventh inning. His power performance is pretty impressive - entering yesterday's action no player in the majors had hit more than four homers this spring (seven had hit four).

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03192007/photos/mets.jpg
COMIN' AROUND: Jose Reyes belted his fourth homer of spring training yesterday during the Mets' 5-4 loss to the Cardinals.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03192007/sports/mets/duques_style_gets_cramped_mets_mark_hale.htm

DUQUE'S STYLE GETS CRAMPED
By MARK HALE

March 19, 2007 -- JUPITER, Fla. - Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez bunted his way out of his second start of the spring yesterday.

He was set to at least start his fifth inning in the Mets' spring training game against the Cardinals, but suffered a right hamstring cramp after bunting in the top of the fifth inning.

The veteran right-hander had to leave the game, and though the Mets said the cramp went away immediately and Hernandez later said he felt fine, the question is whether this will set him back.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03192007/photos/metsa.jpg
EL, NO: Orlando Hernandez was all smiles Saturday, but after a cramp in his right hamstring forced him out of yesterday's game, the Mets' No. 2 starter might have trouble getting set for the start of the season.