Mets baseball blog

Bruney apologizes to K-Rod

The Mets lost in just about every way Sunday, except Francisco Rodriguez. He won the war of words between himself and Yankees reliever Brian Bruney, who issued an apology to reporters after the game regarding his comments from Saturday, when he called K-Rod "embarrassing."

Bruney tried to deliver that apology to Rodriguez on the field during batting practice, but K-Rod showed the same fire he brings to the mound, needing to be restrained by teammate Mike Pelfrey and Yankees reliever Jose Veras while Bruney stood silently.

"Obviously, I probably shouldn't have said what I said," Bruney said after the Yankees' 15-0 pounding of the Mets. "I made that mistake and I'm moving on . . . I guess this is my apology to him. I didn't really get a chance to [apologize earlier]." Continue

Bruney picks verbal fight with K-Rod

The Yankees look forward to reliever Brian Bruney's expected return from the disabled list on Tuesday, but even before rejoining the team, the righthander set off some Subway Series fireworks in Trenton Saturday. Bruney ripped Mets closer K-Rod even though the two pitchers have no apparent history of rancor.

At a Double-A rehab game in Trenton for the Yankee affiliate Thunder, Bruney was asked if he had watched the Subway Series opener Friday night, when K-Rod had seemed to induce a game-ending pop-up from A-Rod only to have Mets second basemen Luis Castillo drop the ball and let the Yankees score two runs to win, 9-8.

"Unbelievable. I've never seen anything like that. I have, but in high school," said Bruney, who then sounded off on Rodriguez. "It couldn't happen to a better guy on the mound, either. He's got a tired act." Continue

K-Rod hospitalized with back spasms

Francisco Rodriguez was taken by ambulance to a local hospital after last night's game after suffering from back spasms so severe that he collapsed leaving the clubhouse. The Mets' $37-million closer was sent to the hospital for observation and more tests, but there was no further update on his condition after he departed Fenway Park.

Immediately after the Mets' 3-2 win over the Red Sox, Rodriguez was in agony as he tried to dress at his locker. He remained hunched over and could barely slip on his shoes. K-Rod took questions from reporters seated at his chair and could barely look up. "Right now, it's very painful," he said. "I can't stand up." Continue

K-Rod keeps it interesting

 If last night was any indication, Francisco Rodriguez is going to be a wild ride for Mets fans.

The team's new All-Star closer made his first Grapefruit League appearance with the Amazin's in the eighth inning against the Nationals, and K-Rod didn't disappoint.

He was far from boring, either, putting runners on the corners with none out in a two-run game before striking out the next two hitters and getting out of trouble with a soft bouncer to third. Continue

K-Rod puts a little more pressure on Mets

Francisco Rodriguez may be new to the Mets, but it took him only a few minutes to launch another salvo across the state to the Phillies' headquarters in Clearwater.

Shortly after he arrived yesterday at Tradition Field, K-Rod sat for his meet-and-greet with reporters, then boldly took a swipe at the world champs, just as Carlos Beltran did from the exact same spot on the dugout bench a year ago.

When asked about the Phillies' yapping during the offseason, a war of words in which Cole Hamels described the Mets as "choke artists," Rodriguez dived into the rivalry headfirst with another "team to beat" proclamation. Continue

K-Rod wants to introduce himself to Mets fans

Francisco Rodriguez is scheduled to arrive in Port St. Lucie later this week. Maybe when he finally begins to throw a baseball again, people will remember what all the excitement was about.

It seems that the passage of time, along with the constant drumbeat for Manny Ramirez, reduced the Mets' December signing of K-Rod to an afterthought by the eve of spring training. Lost amid those Million Manny Marches and the whole naming rights fiasco involving Citi Field is the fact that the Mets satisfied their biggest offseason need with the best closer on the market. Continue

K-Rod: Mets are team to beat

Francisco Rodriguez didn't waste any time jumping into the middle of the Mets-Phillies rivalry.

The Mets' new $37 million closer shrugged off the Mets' September collapses the past two seasons and the Phillies' freshly minted World Series crown by declaring the Mets "the team to beat" in the NL East in 2009.

Take that, Jimmy Rollins."Of course we're going to try to win the division," K-Rod said in conference call yesterday. "Of course we're going to be the front-runner. Of course we're going to be the team to beat. Continue