Amazin' Stories

Santana Sideline Saga

We have a Johan Santana update courtesy of Tara Sullivan, who is soaking up the sun and embarking on the long ride to Lakeland:

Johan Santana continued to downplay the seriousness of the soreness in his left elbow, but on Saturday, the Mets’ ace admitted he might not be ready for opening day. For now, his spring training is on hold.

“We have 162 games for what we want to accomplish,” Santana said, the day after his expected spring training debut was cancelled. “Everything starts April 6. Whether it’s going to be me or anyone else, it’s tough to say right now.”

Santana met with manager Jerry Manuel and general manager Omar Minaya early Saturday morning and said the decision to be supremely cautious with his pitching arm is unanimous.

“I’d rather take my time,” he said. “I haven’t even faced any live hitters.”

Santana is still scheduled to throw a light bullpen session on Sunday, and said he is curious to see how much tightness he feels afterwards. Though he said no MRI is currently planned, no one was ready to rule that out for the future. “I don’t know what the medical decision will be. Right now I’m just following treatments,” he said. “I’ll do the light bullpen (Sunday) and go from there.”

Santana said he’d like to get “two or three” live bullpen sessions before pitching in a game. – TARA SULLIVAN

Be the First to Citi Field (or Whatever It Is Called)

Before the Mets debut Citi Field it will get a test run with a Big East baseball game. Here's the press release:

FLUSHING, N.Y., February 28, 2009 –  The Mets today announced that tickets for the Big East college baseball game between St. John’s and Georgetown at Citi Field will go on sale this Monday, March 2 at 10:00 a.m. on Mets.com and by phone at (718) 507-TIXX.  Tickets for the March 29 college game at the Mets’ new world-class ballpark are priced at $5 each. 

Ticket service fees will apply.

 

Citi Field will open its gates on March 29 at 10:40 a.m. with the game scheduled to start at 1:10 p.m.

 

Last season, the Red Storm qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 31^st time in school history.  Head Baseball Coach Ed Blankmeyer’s squad has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in four of the past five seasons.  Notable Mets alumni John Franco and Frank Viola played baseball at St. John’s.

 

The Mets in December announced a two-game exhibition series against the Boston Red Sox at Citi Field Friday, April 3 at 6:10 p.m. and Saturday, April 4 at 1:10 p.m.  Tickets for these games, benefiting the Police Athletic League and other area charities, will go on sale at Mets.com and by phone at 718-507-TIXX.  The sale date will be announced shortly.

Fathers and Sons

The Mets head on a long bus ride today, trekking two hours across the state to Lakeland, but the bus will be filled with mostly marginal pieces hoping to find their way onto the roster. Jon Niese and Bobby Parnell will pitch along with J.J. Putz and a bunch of bullpen hopefuls while Dan Murphy might be the only sure roster player to make the ride.

Among the players who will stay back to work out is Carlos Delgado. In today's Record, we looked a little at Delgado, who is hoping to find the success he had in the second half of 2008, now at the age of 36 (he turns 37 during the season). As we discuss in the story, one of things extending his career  - besides his pursuit of 500 home runs - is to play in front of his young son.

He will leave the team Sunday night to join the Puerto Rican squad for the World Baseball Classic, an honor he is thrilled to be a part of this time around. He actually was given permission by the team and the family of Roberto Clemente to wear No. 21 there in tribute to the legend. He is unconcerned that the time away from camp will disrupt what he believes will be a complete season this year.

 “I think more than physical preparation is going to be your mental approach,” Delgado said. “Last year was a learning experience. I'm looking forward to a good season. I'm looking forward to a good start. I wish I could predict the future, but my mental approach is going to be a little different than at the time when I was struggling.”

 

“I think with the intangible that he brings I’m very comfortable with him,” Jerry Manuel said. “I won’t say he’s in the noon of his career. I’ll kind of say he’s in the evening. The sun hasn’t gone down on him yet.”

What Life Is Like In Port St. Lucie

I am heading for a quick break and Tara Sullivan will be filling in here. This is what she can expect to be greeted by, courtesy of pitcher Tom Martin.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Pelfrey's Healthy

Mike Pelfrey got the start against Italy with Johan Santana scratched and Pelfrey threw two scoreless innings, needing just 29 pitches – 21 strikes – to get through his innings. He seemed so much more at ease than last year when he was fighting for a roster spot and when he struggled in his final spring outing in 2008 he thought he’d blown it.

 

“I went into the ninth inning with a three-run lead and coughed it up and I’m thinking, ‘Well, here comes New Orleans,’” he said, referring to the Mets’ former Class AAA location. “It’s a lot more relaxing environment. It allows you to go into the game and work on things. You’re still trying to get guys out, but it’s not life or death.”

Ron Villone Returns

Well, he's going to be in Port St. Lucie at least, but who knows?

The Mets just signed the 39-year-old Bergenfield native to a minor league deal. He will compete for a spot in the bullpen as the Mets search for a lefthander to go along with Pedro Feliciano, who is currently their only lefty.

Villone has played 12 different teams in his career - if you include his two rounds with Seattle - but this is his first go-round with the Mets. He did pitch for the Yankees in 2006 and 2007.

Santana Scratched Again

Maybe the Mets should bring back the “Ya gotta believe,” slogan, because as hard as they try to convince themselves that they are not worried, the Johan Santana elbow continues to grow stranger.

 

Santana was already scratched from his first start Friday morning against Italy, but insisted that he would pitch Tuesday. But after a day of rest, the Mets announced that Santana would skip Tuesday, too.

 

“Just because it’s so early,” Jerry Manuel said. “That’s my ace. That’s my card I’ve got to play when I need to play it. I don’t need to play it right now.”

 

Manuel said that the elbow tenderness that has put him on the shelf is not a concern and that there are no plans for him to undergo any tests in New York. He also indicated that he could just be pushed back a day or two rather than another turn through the rotation.

 

“I’m not concerned,” Manuel said. “But I want to be extra, extra, extra cautious with this.”

The A Team

The Mets are still finishing off the B squad game against Team Italia on the back fields, but the lineup is up for today's 1:10 start against the Cardinals on the main field.

Not in the lineup is Fernando Tatis, who the Mets predicted would play today as he continues to nurse a sore right hand.

Here's the lineup:
Castillo 2B
L. Hernandez P
Reyes SS
Delgado 1B
Wright 3B
Beltran CF
Church RF
M. Anderson LF
R. Rivera C

For the Cardinals, who are listing a DH:
Schumaker 2B
Rasmus RF
Pujols 1B
Ankiel CF
Molina C
Duncan LF
Greene SS
Jay DH
Thurston 3B

Want to Name a Stadium?

The news came today that the Treasury Department has increased its stake to 36 percent in CitiGroup. So the taxpayers have a pretty good share now and a pretty good argument that maybe the name that was floated jokingly on NPR last year, "Debits Field," is apt.

With the Yankees deal with Bank of America falling through it seems harder and harder to imagine the Mets getting much life out of Citi Field. They insist that the name won't change. But maybe they just need a new idea. Got any ideas for the name?

K-Rod and Kunz

Frankie Rodriguez followed Mike Pelfrey to the mound and pitched one inning, striking out two and walking one batter.

Eddie Kunz didn't have quite the same success. He surrendered three runs in one inning of work - although a long fly ball that turned into an inside-the-park home run could have been caught by Cory Sullivan.

Kunz is an intriguing story - in the wrong way. He was brought up to the majors last year and when he made his debut the Mets were already talking about him as possibly taking the closer's role. But he struggled and showed not-ready nerves. So he was demoted and not even called back up when rosters expanded.

Now, with the bullpen makeover he's far down the list and this outing, with the entire front office looking on, can't help.