Mets baseball blog

Pelfrey shelled to cap worst spring

The Mets' lackluster Grapefruit League season came to a fitting end yesterday with an 8-3 loss to the Devil Rays at Tropicana Field. Mike Pelfrey, who locked up the fifth starter's job a week earlier, had his worst outing of spring training in allowing 10 hits and eight runs in four innings. Ty Wigginton even took a jab at his former team with a three-run homer.

The Mets (12-21) finished with the most losses in the history of the franchise - only twice before did they reach 20. No wonder manager Willie Randolph seemed almost giddy about starting the season."Let's ring the bell, boys," he said. "As Mills Lane used to say, 'Let's get it on!'" Maybe it's a good thing that Pelfrey will have two weeks to prepare for his first start, which is expected to be April 13 at Shea Stadium against the Nationals. Pelfrey's ERA ballooned from 2.84 to 5.48, thanks in part to a first inning in which the D-Rays sent eight hitters to the plate. Continue

Burgos and Milledge make roster, not Park

The Mets completed their Opening Night roster only minutes before Friday's game against the Marlins. Pitching coach Rick Peterson gave the first hint when he approached Chan Ho Park in the hectic clubhouse and told him he would be starting in place of Ambiorix Burgos. Swapping one relief pitcher for another seemed subtle at the time, but the decision already had been made to ask Park to accept a demotion to Triple-A New Orleans, where he would become a starter again and provide insurance for the rotation.

The Mets liked Burgos and his mid-90s fastball better in the bullpen, and the other roster vacancy went to Lastings Milledge, who simply had to prove he was healthy after suffering a bruised right hand Sunday. Milledge was nailed on the hand by two pitches this spring, but he rebounded from both and also repaired a damaged reputation to make it back to the majors. Continue

Is Milledge right guy?

A few months ago, Shawn Green never truly believed that his job in rightfield might be in jeopardy before Opening Day. The Mets didn't really think that way either.Too much had to happen, and Green's main rival, Lastings Milledge, already was being talked about in the past tense. Whenever someone in the Mets' hierarchy spoke glowingly about the future, the names that came up were Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez. In that vision, Milledge probably was wearing the green-and-gold of the Oakland Athletics.

Here's what Milledge had on his to-do list when he showed up at Tradition Field in mid-February: basically a complete makeover. Not just saying and doing the right things but winning back the trust of his teammates. All while hitting around .300 and not screwing up in rightfield. Continue

Sele, Smith make it; two more spots left

With the Mets packing everything in boxes for the trip north, GM Omar Minaya did some housecleaning of his own yesterday with the roster, but it appears that the final version won't be ready until this afternoon. About an hour after the Mets beat the Dodgers, 13-2, in Vero Beach, Minaya huddled with manager Willie Randolph and his front-office staff to figure out all but two remaining spots on the 25-man roster. After players were informed of the cuts, Minaya announced that Aaron Sele and Joe Smith had made the team. Continue

Wagner likes his pace

Billy Wagner spent yesterday afternoon like he usually does when not scheduled to pitch. Sitting on a stool in the corner, chatting with his neighbor, Scott Schoeneweis, maybe antagonizing some other reliever within earshot.

This time, it was Joe Smith, who already has enough on his mind wondering if he's punched his ticket to St. Louis. Smith picked up the save in Monday's 6-5 win over the Dodgers."Hey," Wagner yelled over, "what was the score last night, closer?" As Smith muttered an answer, Aaron Sele quickly chimed in, "He's sniffing your job." To which Wagner responded, "I haven't even had a save opportunity this spring. That shows you where I'm headed." Continue

Pelfrey locks up fifth spot

The identity of the Mets' fifth starter was not much of a mystery by the time Mike Pelfrey threw his opening pitch in yesterday's start against the Astros at Tradition Field. As long as the 6-7 Pelfrey walked off the mound under his own power, the job would be waiting for him, and that's what happened when the game ended. Despite a lackluster performance, Pelfrey was summoned into the manager's office, and five minutes later he emerged as the newest member of the rotation, joining Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, John Maine and Oliver Perez.

"It's always good to hear you made the team," said Pelfrey, wearing a wide smile along with a red polo shirt and flip-flops. "I was prepared for the worst, but I guess it turned out good." Continue

Park shifting into reverse

Chan Ho Park has been removed from the list of candidates for the Mets' rotation and has been assigned to a potential relief role. Willie Randolph lifted Park from yesterday's start after only three innings, and the manager plans to try using Park as a reliever. "Right now, he's going to be in the bullpen," Randolph said.

Park had a meeting with the Mets after his outing, but through a team spokesman, he opted not to speak to the media afterward. Before the meeting, the South Korean said, "I signed here, came here looking for a job as a starter, that's for sure. If they ask me to be a reliever, honestly, I'm unhappy." Continue

Duque does Card tricks

Five days after Orlando Hernandez left a start with a hamstring cramp, he was back in action - and clearly ready for the regular season. El Duque limited the Cardinals to one run and three hits in six innings yesterday and the Mets beat St. Louis, 2-1, on Damion Easley's eighth-inning RBI single.

Hernandez entered the game having tossed only six Grapefruit League innings. "It's significant, because we're getting close to breaking camp," Willie Randolph said. "You can always tell when El Duque is throwing the ball well - when he's throwing his breaking ball for strikes. I've known him for a long time and I know when he's about ready to rock and roll." Continue

Green's hold on RF slipping

Manager Willie Randolph insists that Shawn Green is still his rightfielder, but he's sounding less convincing as the Mets get closer to Opening Day. In a 7-1 loss to the Braves yesterday, Green went 0-for-3, dropping his average to .154 in 17 games. His chief rival, Lastings Milledge, did not get a plate appearance but is batting .370 (17-for-46) in 20 games.

Although the Mets seem inclined to start the season with Green in right, they could keep Milledge and use a platoon. They won't need a fifth starter until mid-April, which would give them roster flexibility to keep an extra position player. After the game, Randolph refused to shut the door on any of the scenarios, even the platoon. Continue

Five alive

Paul Lo Duca said he believes Mike Pelfrey's trail to being an elite pitcher might not be a very long one. "He's very, very close to being really dominant," the Mets catcher said yesterday. "I think he's on his way." Players who caught, faced and watched Pelfrey during the Mets' 6-1 victory over the Orioles Tuesday night at Tradition Field all complimented the 23-year-old right-hander's performance. Pelfrey issued a one-run, five-inning effort against the Orioles. Continue

Smith is Mets' surprise party

Joe Smith turns 23 today. His true celebration may be 10 days from now, when the Mets christen the 2007 season in St. Louis.

The sidearm reliever has been perhaps the most pleasant development in camp, and is a serious candidate to join the bullpen for the season opener. He's been unscored upon in six of his seven outings, the lone blemish - which accounts for a 1.93 ERA - coming when he allowed three runs (two earned) in two innings Saturday against the Orioles facing a lineup so stacked with lefty hitters that Smith was relieved when righty-hitting former MVP Miguel Tejada came to the plate. Continue

More on his plate

About the only place you can see Paul Lo Duca these days is behind the plate. Which is exactly the point. In order to stay there, Lo Duca is among the first to arrive at Tradition Field every morning, usually around 7 a.m., but don't try looking for him at his locker.

Minutes later, Lo Duca is in the weight room, doing whatever possible to ward off the aches and pains that await a catcher every season. While most of his teammates can be spotted carrying a bat or glove, Lo Duca wields a dumbbell-looking device and a rubber disc with holes punched in a grid pattern. Continue

Another good outing for Oliver

Oliver Perez isn't serving up many hits in his outings. Perez was stellar in the Mets' 6-2 win over the Dodgers last night, permitting one unearned run on four hits in six innings. He's given up nine hits in his last 15 innings. "He gets stronger and stronger," Willie Randolph said. "He's feeling [good about] himself now and that's good to see." Perez, who tossed five shutout innings and struck out nine Red Sox last week, has a 2.70 ERA in his 20 innings this spring, striking out 15. "Every time I come to the mound, I start feeling more comfortable," he said. (NY Post)

Pelfrey delivers

Mike Pelfrey intended to spend Monday's off-day in Key Largo, but unimpressed with the view, he continued to Key West. "It didn't look very nice, so we just kept driving an extra 70, 80 miles, whatever," Pelfrey said. "We had to stop for a drawbridge - the longest 70miles of your life - but we got there."

Pelfrey's trip to Flushing may be a brief stopover, too, but the 2005 first-round pick looks like he'll arrive by April 15, the first day the fifth starter is required. Pelfrey allowed a pair of first-inning doubles, but held the Orioles to one run and seven hits with a strikeout and no walks in five innings last night. He has a 1.29 spring ERA, making Chan Ho Park (8.68 ERA) and Aaron Sele (7.82 ERA) afterthoughts in the fifth-starter competition. Continue

Velocity rarely fast track to top

Watch Ambiorix Burgos' eyes light up like the red digits on a radar gun when asked about his fastest pitch. "Last year, 103 [mph]. Three or four times," the Mets' 22-year-old reliever said. Watch pitching coach Rick Peterson grimace at the same question. "The issue is this: High-end velocity without location doesn't get anybody out in the big leagues," Peterson said. "That's the bottom line. Until guys realize that's the priority, they won't succeed in the big leagues."

The Mets love Burgos' stuff, even if the edges are more than a little rough. They want to be confident he can be an important late-inning component of a potentially deep bullpen. But they don't want him to fall so in love with his fastball that he breaks their heart. Leave it to Peterson to describe it in typically pithy terms. Continue

Wagner pitches 3 innings

Billy Wagner tripled his longest effort of the spring yesterday. Wagner hadn't gone more than an inning in spring training this year yet, but yesterday he threw three innings in a simulated game at Tradition Field on the Mets' off-day. "It was two innings originally," Wagner said, "but I wanted to go out there and to kind of push myself a little bit farther."

The Mets closer said he felt OK physically, though he figured he'd be hurting today. "I threw 39 pitches. So I felt good," he said. "I'll be really sore the next day or two, but that's something that if your mechanics are good and you're able to do that, you're going to get a lot out of it." As for his split-changeup - which he has added to his array of pitches - Wagner said, "The last two times I've been out, it's really been good." Continue

Pelfrey first in Mets' race for 5th

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. At the Mets' complex, Chan Ho Park allowed seven runs in three innings in a 13-1 loss to the Nationals. In Fort Lauderdale, Aaron Sele gave up six runs in five innings in a 9-0 defeat to the Orioles, even if he did retire the final 13 batters he faced.

"At least we didn't get a double shutout," Willie Randolph said, not overly distraught. Pelfrey, who has a 1.00 Grapefruit League ERA, clearly merits winning the job. But with three off-days during the season's opening two weeks, the Mets shouldn't have to use a fifth starter until April 15, potentially allowing Pelfrey to lay in wait at Triple-A New Orleans. Continue

Despite slow start, Alou feels he can contribute

Moises Alou's struggles continued with an 0-for-3 effort yesterday against the Nationals that dropped his batting average to .161. But the 40-year-old outfielder isn't concerned. "Same old spring training. Same old getting used to a new team," said Alou, signed in the offseason after spending the previous two years with the Giants. "I've been doing this for quite a while now."

Alou is expected to provide middle-of-the-order protection for Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and David Wright and is confident he'll continue to be as productive as he was last year in San Francisco, when he drove in 74 runs in 98 games. Continue

Back in the swing

Shawn Green found a hitch in his swing this winter, which was a topic of much conversation last month. The assumption was it would be fixed quickly. And then Green began the spring 0-for-15. Now, the Mets right fielder finally has found some rhythm at the plate, as Thursday night's 2-for-2 effort in a 4-1 victory over Boston showed. In the fourth inning, Green roped a Josh Beckett fastball over the 410-foot center-field fence at Tradition Field. The prodigious poke was his second home run in three games. Continue

Bah Humber! Philip demoted

Philip Humber, the team's 2004 first-round pick, was optioned to the minors yesterday after posting a 16.20 ERA in three outings. Humber, who allowed eight hits and nine earned runs in five innings, was sent packing along with lefty Jason Vargas and righty Marcos Carvajal.

"Obviously, I would've wanted to perform better and come out of the gates a lot stronger than I did," Humber said before last night's 4-1 victory over Boston. "But that happens, and I don't know if it would've changed a whole lot." "I thought at times he overthrew his curveball, overthrew his fastball, overthrew his change-up," Willie Randolph said. "That's what happens when young kids are trying to impress you." Continue

Pel curve rising

Talking matter-of-factly, John Maine asked some reporters what they'd be writing yesterday afternoon. But then he answered his own question. "Who's the story of the day?" Maine wondered before adding a moment later, "Pelfrey."

Indeed. Although Maine was very strong over a four-inning start against the Tigers, Mike Pelfrey continues to excite the people inside and around the Mets. The 2005 first-round pick, like Maine, allowed one run over four frames during the Mets' 2-0 defeat to Detroit in Tigertown. Actually, Maine looked a bit sharper, surrendering only three hits after a rocky start, while Pelfrey allowed six. Nevertheless, Maine has already shown what he can do in the majors, especially in a high-pressure situation. In Game 6 of the 2006 NLCS, Maine didn't allow a run in 51/3 innings, helping the Mets to a 4-2 victory over the Cardinals. Continue

Duque of hurl

Minor leaguer Donald Green hit a grounder to short off Orlando Hernandez yesterday, and Rick Peterson approved. "Nice Duque!" the Mets pitching coach said. Peterson was thrilled with El Duque's outing at Tradition Field, where the Mets' No. 2 starter had another effort on the mound following his neck arthritis diagnosis. Yesterday Hernandez pitched the equivalent of four innings, throwing 60 pitches, in a simulated game against four Mets minor leaguers, albeit not top prospects. Continue

Humber waits for his pitch

Tom Glavine approached Philip Humber in the outfield three days ago, sensing the 24-year-old pitcher was placing too much pressure on himself every time he took the mound. "Honestly, what are your chances of making the team out of the spring?" Glavine asked the righthander. "I don't know," Humber replied. "Well, they're pretty long odds," Glavine said. "You're a young guy. But the one thing is, I'd bet a paycheck that you're going to help us win at some point this year." Continue

One bad pitch ruins Park's day

Chan Ho Park was one good pitch away from escaping and one good pitch away from earning points in his quest for a spot in the Mets' rotation. The situation: runner on third, two outs, Chris Snelling at the plate, 2-and-2 count, Ryan Zimmerman on deck. One good pitch and Park would have three scoreless innings under his Mets-issued belt.Unfortunately for Park, that one good pitch didn't happen. Instead, he threw one bad pitch and it hit Snelling. Then he threw another one to Zimmerman, and he deposited it on one hop over the left-centerfield wall for an RBI ground-rule double.

From there, Park's day only deteriorated. Wild pitch, run scores. Walk, visit from pitching coach Rick Peterson. After a strikeout to end the inning, two more runs allowed in the fourth before Park was removed by manager Willie Randolph, who was not overly impressed by the performance. Continue

Willie sees D-Light

Entering yesterday, the Mets had the second-worst spring training winning percentage in the National League and had lost seven of their last eight games. They had two split-squad games yesterday, though, and snapped the skid, beating the Tigers on the road, 4-2, and tying the Marlins in 11 innings, 5-5 at Tradition Field. The Mets are now 4-8-1 this spring.

Against the Marlins, the Mets made some sloppy plays, committing three errors, two in the third inning (Jose Valentin and David Wright). Still, Willie Randolph noted yesterday that "for the most part, we've played pretty good defense most of the spring," and he is right - entering yesterday, the Mets actually had committed the second-fewest errors in the NL (nine). Continue

Wake-up call

In his meeting with Omar Minaya and Willie Randolph yesterday, Duaner Sanchez apologized and demonstrated that he realizes how he should be behaving. Sanchez had been evicted from spring training by the Mets on Thursday and Friday because he was late multiple times. He had an 8 a.m. meeting with his manager and GM yesterday, and Randolph called it "very productive." "He understands. He should have understood before. He understands his responsibility," Randolph said. "He showed remorse. He understands he has to get with the program." Continue

Duaner to clock back in

Duaner Sanchez is slated to return to Mets camp this morning for an 8 a.m. meeting with GM Omar Minaya and Willie Randolph, who advised the reliever "it wouldn't be a good idea to be late." The miffed Mets manager sent the rehabbing reliever home Thursday and fined him an undisclosed amount as discipline for what Randolph described as repeated lateness for scheduled workouts throughout camp. "Hopefully he's had a couple of days to think about where his priorities are," Randolph said after yesterday's 9-5 loss to the Tigers. "After we sit down and speak with him, we'll go from there." Continue

Tom: Dismissing Duaner 'A good wake-up call'

Tom Glavine, two decades and nearly 300 wins into a Hall of Fame career, calls it "the greatest thing I have ever seen a manager do." The date was July 21, 1998. Glavine was on the Braves bench. John Rocker was pitching. Lance Johnson blooped a ball to shallow center. Atlanta's Gold Glove outfielder Andruw Jones made a half-hearted effort, and the ball landed for a single.

It was not the first time Braves skipper Bobby Cox had seen this. But he determined it would be the last. Though the Braves already had a double-digit division lead and had won six straight division titles, Cox reacted by removing Jones in the middle of the inning. According to Glavine, Cox then took Jones into the tunnel just beyond the dugout at Turner Field and for 10 minutes lashed into one of his star players. Continue

Pelfrey impresses

It might take a lights-out spring for Mike Pelfrey to make the Mets' rotation. Or he might make it by default because of injuries or poor performances by others.

The Mets didn't come right out and say it, but Pelfrey took a giant step toward forcing his way on to the major-league staff with an impressive performance in yesterday's 8-7 loss to the Orioles at Tradition Field.Pitching in relief of Orlando Hernandez, Pelfrey threw three innings, allowing two unearned runs and three hits with no walks or strikeouts. The pitching line might not jump out at you - Pelfrey was betrayed by poor defense - but the raw stuff and the way Pelfrey has taken to some mechanical tinkering jumped out at manager Willie Randolph and pitching coach Rick Peterson, who were open with their praise of the 23-year-old righthander. Continue

Latest offense for Sanchez

Like Joe Torre, Willie Randolph doesn't have many stringent rules, but being on time might be the most important one. Rehabbing reliever Duaner Sanchez was "sent home" from Mets camp yesterday for showing up late for his scheduled workouts, and it appears it wasn't the first time. Sanchez, who underwent shoulder surgery last August, is due back at the complex today, Randolph said. Continue

Birds drub Duque

Orlando Hernandez was in a playful mood before and after his first start since last September, so he and the Mets weren't taking the pinball-like results of his spring debut too seriously. El Duque, who missed the 2006 playoffs because of a calf injury and then his first turn during the exhibition slate due to neck arthritis, was roughed up for five runs on six hits in the second inning of yesterday's 8-7 loss to the Orioles at Tradition Field.

"I feel good, really good," said Hernandez, who threw 33 of his 43 pitches while facing 10 batters in the second. "I throw all my pitches. I no feel pain in my neck. I can throw every pitch. ... Yes, I'm happy. I waited for (this) start." Continue

Tom takes lead right from start

In a state where residents only a few years older already are worried about early-bird specials, the Mets' starting nine yesterday contained four 40-something members. Moises Alou is the key offseason addition. Julio Franco is the timeless bench sage. Sandy Alomar Jr. is just trying to hold on to his career.

Tom Glavine? All he is trying to do is prepare for a season that should be about his pursuit of a rare milestone. But in his case, the 40-year-old lefthander with 290 career victories is expected to lead - and hold together - a question-filled starting rotation until Pedro Martinez returns from shoulder surgery late in the summer. Continue

Slow learner

Tom Glavine is more than the guy John Maine plays catch with every day. Glavine is Maine's off-speed guru. He will lecture on the whens and whys of throwing a changeup, and should the tutorials dictate, Glavine will get down into a catcher's squat to create a better visual guide for Maine. The pitch only means everything to Glavine, his Cooperstown ticket punched based on the precision and nerve to throw slow, slower and slowest.

Maine is not headed to the Hall of Fame. But he could be headed to a vital role with the 2007 Mets if he can master his changeup and refine his slider as augmentation to his high fastball tendencies. Omar Minaya believes Maine is ready now "to win double-digits and pitch 200 innings," and if he does, the Mets' rotation uncertainty diminishes and their chance to repeat as NL East champs rises. Continue

Humber's first start a bummer

The best thing that can be said about Philip Humber's first Grapefruit League outing is that he left the mound under his own power. It is much too early to declare the winners and losers in the Mets' rotation derby, but Humber definitely looked more like the latter when he had to be removed after only one inning in yesterday's 6-3 loss to the Orioles.

Humber allowed five runs and three hits, including a three-run double to Melvin Mora, as Baltimore sent 10 batters to the plate in the third inning. He also walked two, hit a batter and needed 38 pitches for that one inning. Manager Willie Randolph had to get Steve Schmoll up early in the bullpen in case Humber had to be bailed out. Continue

Pelfrey looks nice to start

Mike Pelfrey, a leading contender with Chan Ho Park for the final slot in the rotation, tossed two scoreless innings yesterday in the Mets' 5-2 loss to the Dodgers. He erased the lone hit he surrendered by getting Matt Kemp on an inning-ending double play in the second. Pelfrey, who must prove he can throw his breaking ball for strikes, relied on fastballs during this start (18 of his 21 pitches), though both sliders he threw resulted in groundouts.

"The first couple of outings, I think the main thing is to work on my fastball command," Pelfrey said. As for his slider, Pelfrey added: "It's a lot better than the curveball last year. That's for sure." "It's just exciting to see this young kid get out there and pitch," Willie Randolph said. "He had good stuff. The ball was coming out of his hand real nice today." Continue

He's no average Joe

So I walk up to side-arming Joe Smith, and playing the part of the wise guy, say, "Joe Smith. That's the most common name in America." "I've heard that my whole life, but I've never met another one," the Mets reliever answers with a smile, although he did admit to collecting all the Joe Smith basketball cards he could get his hands on and wore the jersey of the 6-foot-10 NBA forward when he was a kid .

Baseball's Joe Smith continues to make a name for himself. He had another strong outing yesterday in the Mets' 6-5 win over the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. The Mets are taking it slow with the rehabbing reliever Duaner Sanchez and Smith's stock continues to rise as the come-from-nowhere story of the spring. Continue

Visa problems keep Chan Ho out of park

Chan Ho Park, scheduled to face the Cardinals yesterday, instead was left behind to pitch to Mets minor leaguers in Port St. Lucie because he had yet to obtain a work visa.

Park signed with the Mets on Feb.9 and was unable to return to South Korea to complete the application process before pitchers and catchers reported six days later. The Mets have been working for two weeks, but have not yet secured the required documents. Park hopes the matter will be resolved before his next scheduled start on Wednesday. Continue

On the fast track

Miguel Negron wasn't able to hit it fair or foul it off. Ambiorix Burgos fired the fastball past him. It came in at 96 mph, the game-ending pitch yesterday in the Mets' 4-3 win over the Cardinals at Tradition Field. Burgos, the Mets' new flame-throwing reliever, made his spring debut, picking up the save and flashing eye-opening velocity.

Burgos, who was acquired in a trade from Kansas City, pitched a scoreless ninth inning against St. Louis, striking out one, allowing a single, and breaking two bats (one of which he shattered). The 22-year-old (he turns 23 next month) is competing for a spot in the Mets' bullpen, and is an alluring option. Mets VP of player development Tony Bernazard said Burgos possesses "an unbelievable arm." Continue

Mets built for the long haul

- The slights keep coming for the Mets. It was one thing for Jimmy Rollins to declare his Phillies, those perennial underachievers, as the team to beat in the National League East this season. Now Steve Phillips, the former Mets GM, is all over ESPN in his gig as baseball analyst picking the Mets to finish third in their division.

Has a team that won 97 games and ran away with the division title ever been shown less respect? The reason is obvious, after a winter in which the Mets failed to make a deal to stabilize a starting rotation that is old at the front end, young and unproven at the back end and without Pedro Martinez for at least the first half of hte season. Continue

Mets have aces up sleeve

You could almost hear the zinger coming. The more Oliver Perez struggled in the Mets' spring training opener yesterday, the louder the grumbling among the paying customers grew. Finally, as Perez completed a less-than-sparkling outing, a heckler called over to GM Omar Minaya, seated behind home plate, from a couple of sections away at Tradition Field: "You should have signed Zito, Omar."

The tone was more playful than mean-spirited, but no doubt the sentiment was real. Judging by the absence of outrage when Barry Zito signed with the Giants, the majority of fans could understand the Mets' unwillingness to go anywhere near the seven-year, $126 million it took to sign him, but that doesn't mean they're happy about it. Continue

Wagner: I'll work it out

Billy Wagner has said that spring training doesn't usually produce impressive results for him. He didn't have impressive results yesterday in his 2007 debut, either, but said he was pleased.

"Down in the zone, ground balls, pop-ups, take it all day long," Wagner said after surrendering a run on two hits in one inning against the Tigers in the Mets' 5-4 loss. "I think for a first outing, about usual for spring training, couple hits, couple runs. . . . That's where you want to be because that's the only place I've ever been when we get to spring training." Continue

Milledge not hurt after HBP

It's still unclear where Lastings Milledge fits in with the Mets with a month left in spring training. But for a few minutes yesterday, it looked as if Milledge might be out of the mix for a while after getting nailed on the right hand by the Tigers' Zach Minor.

Minor drilled Milledge in the sixth inning of the Mets' 5-4 loss to Detroit, and he clutched his hand as he spun away from the batter's box. Milledge cracked the fourth metacarpal of the same hand in 2004, and he was afraid at first that he might have done it again. But Milledge stayed in the game, and later singled in the eighth inning. Continue

Maine can show he's man

John Maine is supposed to be competing for a job in this year's rotation, but it would be a serious upset if he is not a part of it. Maine already has a locker in rotation row - right next to Tom Glavine - and they asked him to do a video shoot yesterday morning for Kid Fitness, a program featuring a costumed superhero who promotes children's health.

The video is scheduled to be shown on Shea's DiamondVision screen at some point during this season, and it would be awkward if Maine is at Triple-A New Orleans for the premiere. There's probably no need to worry. Maine is a favorite of pitching coach Rick Peterson, and after last year's breakout season, when he went 6-5 with a 3.60 ERA - and streak of 26 scoreless innings - he's in a good spot to repeat. Continue

Burgos is greeted as a Royal relief

For a team whose glaring need is starting pitching, the Mets' most notable trade of the winter seemed a curious one. In Brian Bannister, they gave up a young starter of some promise for a wild-thing reliever who couldn't hold the closer's job for the sad-sack Royals.

But then you see Ambiorix Burgos pop his fastball at 100 mph, and it's not hard to understand why Omar Minaya was willing to take a chance. "I was following him for two years," Minaya said yesterday, "because his stuff is electric. When you get a chance to acquire a power arm like that, you can't pass it up." Continue

Met's delivery is special

Lastings Milledge passed Joe Smith's locker yesterday afternoon, and tapped the reliever on the shoulder to offer congratulations. Facing the first batter in his first game of his first spring training, the sidearm-throwing Smith had struck out Milledge on three pitches - the final offering a nasty slider that appeared headed for Milledge's legs, until it veered late over the plate for a called strike. The righthander, who turns 23 in three weeks, then completed a 1-2-3 inning during a scoreless intrasquad game by following up the strikeout with groundouts.

"That's nasty stuff, man," Willie Randolph said. Smith may need a similar late break to crack the Mets' bullpen out of spring training, but Mets officials predict he'll make an impact in Flushing this season. Continue

Milledge throws & grows

The throw was a lightning bolt from right, a reminder that just because Lastings Milledge didn't live up to his phenom status last year, it doesn't mean he still can't be a star. By itself, Milledge's throw in yesterday's intrasquad game, which nailed Fernando Martinez trying to go from first to third on Shawn Green's single, was impressive enough. But perhaps more significantly, it was a payoff on the extra throwing work he's doing this spring, and perhaps a sign that he is growing up on and off the field.

Certainly Milledge is walking and talking as if he received the message from veteran teammates who thought he was too cocky for a rookie. Yesterday Milledge didn't blink at talk that he was immature last year. "At times I was, maybe," he admitted, "but all in all, being barely 21, playing in New York, I thought I handled myself well. It's all growing up, man. Continue

Delgado impresses with bat

The only sign of Carlos Delgado's history of elbow trouble was the large ice pack wrapped around his left arm after yesterday's intrasquad game. Otherwise, Delgado looked fine, launching a solo homer onto the grassy berm in rightfield and later slapping a single before coming out for pinch runner Mike Carp.

Delgado twice had surgery during the offseason, the first operation to repair a torn tendon in his left elbow and the other to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome affecting his right wrist. But neither appeared to bother him yesterday, even though Delgado put his health at "80 to 85 percent." "You just try to work through that," he said. "I don't anticipate having any problems going out there for Opening Day and being ready to go 100 percent." Continue

In first look, Burgos appears quite striking

Ambiorix Burgos had an electric fastball, and spotty control, with the Royals. But the Mets feel they have a diamond in the rough with the upper-90s throwing righthander, who was obtained in the offseason for Brian Bannister.

In an inning of work in yesterday's intrasquad game, Burgos began by striking out Shawn Green on three pitches, the final offering a diving split-finger fastball. Burgos allowed an unearned run because of a throwing error by Jose Reyes and left fielder Ben Johnson misplaying a potential flyout into a triple. Continue

Pelfrey must wait his turn

It was a little strange to see Mike Pelfrey's name missing from the list of the week's probable pitchers when the Mets released it Saturday. Pelfrey is considered to be in serious contention for a starter's job, and it's never too early in spring training to make a good impression.But Pelfrey will get a turn. He just has to wait for Saturday, when he will start against the Dodgers at Tradition Field.

"I expect there to be some adrenaline out there," said Pelfrey, who threw 30 pitches in yesterday's side session. "But I've just got to relax and focus on hitting my spots." Pelfrey does have some major-league experience to build on. He went 2-1 with a 5.48 ERA in four starts for the Mets last season, but his priority at this camp is to polish up a new slider. "It's coming along," he said. "It should benefit me more than the breaking ball. I feel a lot more comfortable throwing it." Continue

Mets show fast friends

Jose Reyes, the NL's fastest runner, is the runnerup in his own clubhouse. "We run together," says Mets prospect Carlos Gomez, Reyes' winter workout partner. "He wins sometimes. Ten times, I win seven."

The Mets appear set in center field with MVP candidate Carlos Beltran, only 29, under contract through 2011. Yet the organization's depth at the position is also in great shape - highlighted by Gomez, who should arrive from Triple-A New Orleans no later than September, even if the 21-year-old must adjust to a corner outfield spot to reach Flushing. Continue

Rising sinker

Two young prospects contending to make the Mets' starting rotation are Mike Pelfrey and Philip Humber. Another young prospect, according to Rick Peterson, is at a comparable readiness level out of the bullpen. Last June, the Mets drafted reliever Joe Smith out of Wright State. Smith - in his first professional camp at spring training - has at least a mild shot at making the Mets. "He's in the mix, as far as I'm concerned," said Tony Bernazard, who oversees the Mets' minor leagues and is their VP of player development. Continue

Mets going old school

For a versatile player such as Jose Valentin, it helps to be ready for anything. But returning as the second baseman for the defending NL East champion Mets was not a role he expected when the season ended in October.

At age 37, with an expiring contract, Valentin figured to be a goner despite resurrecting his career with a year that no one could have expected. The Mets already were eyeing Julio Lugo by then - after passing on him at the July 31 trade deadline - and general manager Omar Minaya usually finds a way to get what he wants. "Going in, my first thought was to get Lugo," Minaya said yesterday. Continue

Let the Heilman debate start anew

They have been steadfast about this issue. Some would say they have been stubborn about this issue. The Mets see Aaron Heilman as a relief pitcher, even if a lot of people - Mets fans, other teams, Aaron Heilman himself - see him as a starting pitcher, one with a live arm, an impeccable disposition, and the willingness to do whatever is necessary to scratch out a slot in the rotation.

"He is a mainstay in our bullpen," Willie Randolph said more than once during the first week of Mets' training camp. "We have a very good bullpen, and that a real strength of the team, and I don't know that I want to go messing with that." The Mets have the purest intentions here. As good as their projected opening-day lineup is, as robust as their offense should be, the core strength of this team is in the bullpen. Continue

Glavine slips into Opening routine; Ambiorix amazes

Still 38 days from the April 1 opener in St. Louis, the Mets have already placed Tom Glavine on a throwing program to ready him for that assignment. Glavine will make his eighth career Opening Day start, and fourth in five years as a Met.

He will be on an every-five-day pitching schedule once Grapefruit League games begin next week - with his final spring start tentatively planned for March 26 against the Dodgers. The 290-game winner is expected to get an extra day of rest before facing the world champion Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Continue

Rollins' remarks don't rankle Mets

Carlos Beltran was told that Jimmy Rollins called the Phillies "the team to beat." Beltran's answer was to ask a question: "What'd they win last year?" The Phillies finished second place in the NL East in 2006, and the Mets took the title. But in yesterday's Post, Rollins, the Phillies' terrific shortstop, said, "Bottom line, we're the team to beat. I can't put it any other way." Rollins acknowledged the Mets' success last season but said "last year is over." He said the Mets' "staff is getting a little older" as well. Yesterday Paul Lo Duca said he believes the Mets are the team people have to knock off because they currently own the crown. Continue

Young Martinez a really big hit

Fred Wipon was asked what he thought of Fernando Martinez after the Mets' 18-year-old super prospect took batting practice yesterday. The principal owner replied, "Wow."

Martinez hit in a group at Tradition Field with fellow minor leaguers Carlos Gomez (also a top prospect), Mike Carp and Michel Abreu. Martinez had a couple of eye-opening shots in batting practice. One hit the right-field beam and one hit off the batter's eye in center, which is 40 feet tall. The dimensions at Tradition Field are the same as at Shea Stadium. The shot to center hit the eye two-thirds up after going over the fence, positioned 410 feet from home plate. The bomb to right traveled approximately 15 to 30 feet over the fence (338 down the right-field line). Continue

Moises looks right to Mets

Moises Alou spent a month of last season on the DL with a right-ankle sprain. He missed another three weeks with a lower-back strain, which he suffered lifting his luggage in Seattle. And had Alou not sizzled during the 2006 season's final four weeks with the Giants - hitting .337 with eight homers and 22 RBI in his final 89 at-bats - the left fielder suggested yesterday that he would be retired right now.

"I was really frustrated because of the injuries that I had," said Alou, who was limited to 98 games in '06. "Then I really found my stroke and my confidence." Alou, 40, signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the Mets on Nov. 20. The deal includes a $7.5 million team option for 2008, which Alou hopes will be picked up next winter so he can complete what would be an 18-year career that includes a world championship with the 1997 Marlins. Continue

Mill-power

The biggest lesson that Lastings Milledge learned from last year was about growing up. "Just being a man," Milledge said yesterday. "Handling responsibility."

It seems as if 2006 was essentially a disaster for Milledge, the Mets' volatile and captivating outfield prospect. He didn't fare well in the majors production-wise, and he also had some behavioral issues. But Milledge, who arrived at Tradition Field yesterday for spring training, called last season "a good year," citing how much he improved and the fact that he debuted in the majors. Continue

Carlos craves the MVP

Carlos Beltran admitted yesterday that winning an MVP award is something that's important to him. "It is," the superstar center fielder said. "Last year, it was a good season and I finished fourth. I think that it would be great. Winning that award is a great feeling. That means that you played better than anybody in the big leagues. It's a nice award and of course it's always in my mind."

Beltran, the team's best player, is coming off a sensational season in which he had perhaps the best campaign in Mets history - he tied the club records for homers (41) and extra base hits (80) and set the team mark for runs (123). He also drove in 116 runs, which tied David Wright for fifth-best in Mets history. Continue

El Bent for glory

Throughout the Mets clubhouse, February's common theme is one of moving past October, of stepping beyond 2006, a season that yielded 97 regular-season wins and six more in the postseason when seven would have meant a trip to the World Series.

The season ended too abruptly for all of them, a sudden silence none of them was prepared for, but there was one man among them who craved that seventh victory more than the others, because if the Mets only could have found a way to slither past the Cardinals and get on the plane bound for Detroit, bound for the Series, then Orlando Hernandez would have extended his right hand and taken the ball for Game 1, ignoring whatever lingering aches might have lingered in his right calf. Continue

More toasting for Mets? Start spreading word

What the Mets carried into their first official workout on a Saturday in February was the memory of a particular Saturday in October. The soundtrack during batting practice at Dodger Stadium was the live showing of the Yankees getting splattered by the Tigers. The soundtrack in the postgame clubhouse was a live rendition of "Meet the Mets" by players getting spattered with champagne.

For the first time since 1988, the Mets kept going after the Yankees had stopped. For that night - the end of the Division Series - and for the next two weeks, the Mets had the town to themselves. The Yankees couldn't even upstage them with a brief try at their golden oldie, "Steinbrenner might fire the manager!" That plot proved about as fresh as an 8-track. Continue

Glavine's plans for '08 depend on 300th victory

Tom Glavine allowed a touch of nostalgia to creep into his voice Friday as he talked about closing in on 300 victories and what could be his final spring training. In the same breath, however, Glavine refused to rule out returning for one more year if he believes there is "unfinished business."

At the top of that to-do list is winning 10 more games, and if Glavine can reach that milestone, his retirement seems a virtual lock. Unless, of course, he puts together a surprisingly good season and finds there's plenty more in the tank. Continue

Lo Duca out for encore

Paul Lo Duca bought a townhouse on the North Shore of Long Island this winter. And on the day pitchers and catchers reported to Mets camp, Lo Duca made it abundantly clear he wants to remain a Met beyond 2007. Lo Duca has one year and $6.25 million left on a three-year, $18 million deal he signed with the Marlins in January 2005. "I've been vocal that I want to stay here," Lo Duca said yesterday. "They know that. The people in New Yo