On the Mets beat

METS RECALL INFIELDER ANDERSON HERNANDEZ /

OPTION LEFTHANDED PITCHER DAVE WILLIAMS

The New York Mets today recalled infielder Anderson Hernandez from Norfolk (AAA) of the International League and optioned lefthanded pitcher Dave Williams to the Tides. Hernandez will wear uniform #1 and will be available for tonight’s game against the Rockies at Colorado.

Hernandez, 23, began the season on the Mets Opening Day roster, and hit .146 (6-41) in 12 contests with New York. Anderson was placed on the 15-Day Disabled List on April 20th, retroactive to April 18th, with a bulging disc in his back.

The 5-9, 170-pound second baseman was recalled from his minor league rehabilitation assignment, reinstated from the 15-Day Disabled List and optioned to Norfolk on May 22nd. In 102 games with the Tides, including 11 rehabilitation games, Hernandez hit .249 (103-414) with 11 doubles, four triples, 15 stolen bases, 23 RBI and 44 runs scored.

Williams, 27, was acquired by the New York Mets on May 25th from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for minor league righthanded pitcher Robert Manuel. Williams was 2-0 with a 3.79 ERA in three starts with the Mets. In 19.0 innings, he allowed 22 hits, eight runs, earned, with two walks and 11 strikeouts.

Dave went 2-2 with a 3.68 ERA in seven starts for the Tides following the trade. In 36.2 innings, he permitted 36 hits, 33 hits, 20 runs, 15 earned, with 10 walks and 17 strikeouts.

METS ACQUIRE CATCHER MIKE NICKEAS FROM TEXAS

The New York Mets today acquired minor league catcher Mike Nickeas from the Texas Rangers in exchange for outfielder Victor Diaz. Nickeas will report to St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League while Diaz will be assigned to Oklahoma (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League.

Nickeas, 23, appeared in 17 games with Bakersfield (A) of the California League this year, batting .297 (19-64) with six runs scored, four doubles and six RBI. Mike missed three weeks of action in May with a pulled hamstring before he was promoted to Frisco (AA) of the Texas League on May 28th. Nickeas hit .248 (28-113) with 15 runs scored, seven doubles, two home runs, 15 RBI with 21 walks and 22 strikeouts in 39 contests with Frisco.

Mike batted .202 (49-242) with seven doubles, one triple, five home runs and 24 RBI in 68 games with Frisco in 2005. He also, hit .286 (6-21) with one double, one home run and one RBI with the rookie-level Arizona Rangers.

Nickeas was named the best defensive catcher in the Rangers’ organization by Baseball America in 2005.

The 6-0, 205-pounder was Texas’ fifth round selection in the June, 2004 Free Agent Draft after spending three years at Georgia Tech.

Diaz, 24, was designated for assignment on August 22nd. He hit .224 (85-379) with 30 runs scored, 16 doubles, eight home runs, 38 RBI, 25 walks and 99 strikeouts in 103 games at Norfolk (AAA) of the International League.

Victor went 2-11 (.182) with a double and two RBI in six games with New York this year.

Sort of surprising news before tonight's game at Coors Field when manager Willie Randolph suggested that Cliff Floyd may not have his job waiting for him when he returns from the disabled list. The Mets plan on having Flloyd play for Class A Brooklyn on Wednesday night if tropical storm Ernesto allows him to leave Florida, but Chavez could prevent him from returning to the lineup on an everyday basis.

"I'm not saying he's going to take Endy's job," Randolph said. "A lot depends on how Cliff looks and how he starts to play. But i'm not going to change from what I think is best for the team. When you get to to the postseason, you play the best guys, and that's what I'm going to do."

Smart move by Randolph? Or do you think Floyd deserves the benefit of the doubt?

On an otherwise quiet morning, Willie Randolph announced Oliver Perez will make his second Mets start Thursday in Denver.
The Mets announced the attendance for Monday's makeup game as an actual turnstile count, not tickets sold. 8,766 people came out for the game.
It has been impressive how the Mets have maintained their focus with such a big lead and continued to win, don't you think?

Willie Randolph is one of the lowest paid managers in the bigs at less than $600,000 per. He also revealed today that he doesn't get reimbursed for tolls for the trip to and from Shea from his New Jersey home. As he pointed out, he has to go over two bridges! Hopefully he'll get that written into the contract extension he so richly deserves for his body of work over his first two seasons here.
That's what I think. What do you think about the job Willie's done? Do you think the Mets should reward him with a contract extension and some more bucks?

A week ago today, Tom Glavine sat in the cramped, leaky interview room at Shea Stadium and talked calmly about the possibility that his career could be over.
So you’ll understand why Glavine was excited yesterday to climb the bullpen mound and throw for 20 minutes before the Mets played the Phillies. It was Glavine’s first real test of the coldness his left ring finger that led to fears of a blood clot in his pitching shoulder.
“There haven’t been too many times where I’ve looked forward to a simple game of catch like I did the last two days,” Glavine said. “Certainly I don’t look forward to throwing in the bullpen as much as I did today.”
Glavine gave the finger the thumb’s up after the bullpen session and pronounced himself on schedule to return to the Mets’ rotation Friday in Houston. The coldness isn’t gone, but Glavine said it “feels better than it did a week ago, so that’s a good sign. It seems like it actually feels better since I starting throwing.”
Glavine will next perform his normal between starts routine, including another bullpen session Tuesday or Wednesday in Denver.
“I’m on target to pitch Friday barring something unforeseen,” he said. “I feel good and assuming I continue to feel good, that will be the case.”

Jose Reyes has developed into such an offensive force from the top of the Mets' lineup that it's not a reach to suggest he'll earn some MVP votes and perhaps finish in the top 10. Heading into tonight's game, Reyes is batting .297 with 15, triples, 15 home runs, 66 RBI, 53 stolen bases and 102 runs scored. He's got at least one vote -- from manager Willie Randolph.

"I think he could be," Randolph said. "That to me is what a real MVP is. You're crazy valuable when you can do all of those things and play defense. If I'm a manager, I want a guy that can do all of those things."

So what do you think? Will Reyes some day be a legitimate MVP candidate, or is he already?

Shawn Green showed up. Seems like a nice guy. Got a standing ovation before his first at-bat. We've already had a few people comment on the deal. What do you think about the whole Nady for Hernandez and Perez trade and then getting Green? Did Omar panic when he made the Nady deal? And are you OK with an outfield for next season of Milledge, Beltran and Green?

Walked into the clubhouse today to hear Roberto Hernandez tell no one in particular that Darren Oliver had to be moved from his row of lockers because he's not Latino. Hernandez was joking, of course, but with all of the Los Mets stuff earlier this season, it was kind of funny.

As for relevant information, Ramon Castro had surgery today to repair a torn medial meniscus in his left knee. The Mets insist he's not done for the season, but it doesn't look good. Sturdy knees are sort of important for a catcher.

Pedro Martinez took off his boot to play catch this afternoon, but put it back on when he was through. It could be a while before Martinez makes another start -- and certainly longer than his Aug. 30 return date -- but the Mets only concern is to have him sharp by October.

Tom Glavine, still waiting for his artery to heal from Monday's angiogram, plans to try a stationary bike tomorrow and does not anticipate a trip to the DL.

Looks like Brian Bannister will be Glavine's replacement for Saturday. Bannister, who is still on the DL, was at Shea today to throw a side session in front of pitching coach Rick Peterson.

And here's one last bit of info -- Julio Franco turns 48 today. Asked what he wanted for his birthday, Franco replied. "Nothing. I woke up."

.

Shea's days are officially numbered ...

METS FINALIZE NEW BALLPARK AGREEMENTS

The New York Mets announced today that they have completed and signed all agreements related to the financing, development and construction for their new ballpark. The ballpark will open on Opening Day in 2009.

Today’s news follows last week’s announcement regarding the successful offering of bonds to support the ballpark project. The $613 Million bond offering was oversubscribed by a ratio of 5 to 1.

“Today’s announcement makes our dream of building a new ballpark for our team and fans a definitive reality,” said Mets’ COO, Jeff Wilpon. “We will now move forward from site logistics work to an aggressive construction schedule. Already in our parking lot at Shea Stadium, piles are being driven and excavation and foundation work is beginning.

“We greatly appreciate the support of the City and State of New York and our local elected officials as well as our new bondholders, who all helped make the development of this privately financed ballpark a reality,” added Wilpon. “We will have an announcement about our ceremonial groundbreaking event in the coming weeks.”

Good news for the Mets ...

TOM GLAVINE OK TO RESUME PITCHING SHORTLY

The New York Mets announced today that Tom Glavine’s hand condition is not serious and that he will be able to resume activity in two days and return to pitching over the next 7 to 10 days.

Team doctors performed an angiogram at the Hospital for Special Surgery yesterday to determine the cause of the coolness Glavine was feeling in his left ring finger. The test showed that the symptoms are caused by an old injury to an artery probably caused by pitching. The scar tissue from that old injury occasionally causes blood clots to form in Tom’s finger. The condition is not serious and will be treated with baby aspirin and other medication to help his circulation.

“The news from our doctors is a good as we could have hoped for,” said Mets’ General Manager, Omar Minaya. “We look forward to having Tom return to full activity and get back on the mound as soon as possible.”

“I was relieved to hear the news,” said Tom Glavine. “First and foremost to hear that the condition is not serious, but also to hear that I can get back to doing what I love to do relatively quickly.”

Glavine will rest for a couple of days to allow the incision from the angiogram to heal. He will then be allowed to resume light activity and will begin throwing after several days.

“We haven’t made a decision yet on who will make Tommy’s next start,” said Omar Minaya. “We will play that by ear for the next couple of days.”

With the Cardinals coming to town Tuesday, it’s time to ask: So who’s the NL MVP?

Stats going into Monday:
Albert Pujols .326-36-98
Ryan Howard .296-43-111
Carlos Beltran .289-35-101
Alfonso Soriano .291-40-80

Or anyone else you desire.

It's hard to replace a 287-game winner, but the Mets will have to try if Tom Glavine indeed does have a blood clot in his left shoulder, as he fears. Right now, let's assume Pedro is going to be back and that the Mets don't pick up another significant starter before the Aug. 31 postseason roster deadline. Who do you want to start Games 2, 3 and 4 of a playoff series? The candidates are:

El Duque
Steve Trachsel
John Maine
Dave Williams
Brian Bannister (Thanks, K)
Oliver Perez
Mike Pelfrey
Jose Lima (just kidding)

Whomever you pick, do you have a lot less confidence today than you did yesterday about the Mets making it to the World Series?

UPDATE: Just to show you we do care about your comments, folks, we've changed the original headline on this posting to make it more tasteful. It's something we could never do in the newspaper. Keep posting!

...Feel free to share your thoughts about the 1986 ceremony.

OK, Mets fans, who would win a seven-game series between the 1986 Mets and 2006 Mets? Assume Pedro and Floyd are healthy and give the 1986 Mets homefield advantage since they won 108 games.
Here are the matchups:
Game 1: Pedro vs. Doc
Game 2: Glavine vs. Ojeda
Game 3: El Duque vs. Darling
Game 4: Trachsel vs. El Sid
x-Game 5: Pedro vs. Doc
x-Game 6: Glavine vs. Ojeda
x-Game 7: El Duque vs. Darling
x-If necessary

And if anyone out there has Strat-o-matic or some sort of computer baseball game and wants to play this series out, e-mail me the results at arieber@newsday.com and I'll post them in a future Mets blog.

As of this morning, the Mets were undecided on who to start Saturday in place of the injured Pedro Martinez. So here are the pertinent numbers for Oliver Perez and Dave Williams. The Mets are leaning toward Williams, but you be the judge.

Perez .... 105 G ... 104 GS ... 29-40 ... 4.56 ERA
Best season ... 2004 ... 30 GS ... 12-10 ... 2.98 ERA ... 196 inn. ... 239 SO
at Triple-A Norfolk ... 3 GS ... 0-2 ... 9.49 ERA ... 12 1/3 inn. ... 15 SO

Williams ... 74 G ... 66 GS ... 19-29 ... 4.56 ERA
Best season ... 2005 ... 25 GS ... 10-11 ... 4.41 ERA ... 138 2/3 inn. ... 88 SO
at Triple-A Norfolk ... 7 G ... 6 GS ... 2-2 ... 3.68 ERA ... 36 2/3 inn. ... 17 SO

The Mets announced today that Pedro Martinez was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a right calf strain, but if you were looking for any sky-is-falling comments, manager Willie Randolph refused to take the bait.

"I’ve never been one to worry about injuries or guys who are not here," Randolph said. "I have total confidence that guys are going to step up. That’s what good teams do. Every team I’ve been on that’s always been the case. Do I wish he could have stayed in the lineup? Yeah, definitely. But you won’t see me sing the blues. I don’t sing the blues. I like jazz. It is what it is. I’m hoping he gets back real quick."

Credit Randolph for putting a positive spin on what could be a bigger problem for the Mets if Martinez is slow to return from the DL. Do you agree with Randolph? Or is this devastating news for the Mets?

Well, the wait continues for an update on Pedro Martinez's strained right calf. Martinez was examined today at the Hospital for Special Surgery, and did undergo an MRI, but team physician Struan Coleman had yet to look over the test results. The Mets expect to have a more thorough diagnosis of his condition on Wednesday.

Manager Willie Randolph revealed this afternoon that Cliff Flloyd had a cortisone shot last Thursday for his sore Achilles before reporting to Port St. Lucie for rehab. What that means for his long-term prognosis is unclear, but getting a shot should hasten his return from the disabled list. The Mets also are in the market for a corner outfielder -- Preston Wilson and Shawn Green are the biggest names on the radar screen at the moment -- so they could pull off a deal before Aug. 31, which is the deadline for players to be eligible for the postseason roster.

This morning's pregame chat with manager Willie Randolph centered around the recent play of Lastings Milledge, who hasn't looked very comfortable with the Mets since he was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Aug. 1. In the two weeks since, Milledge has batted .179 (5-for-28) with one double and eight strikeouts, and often has appeared hesistant in rightfield. But as Randolph explained, this is a "bonus" for the 21-year-old Milledge, who would still be in Norfolk if the Mets didn't have the luxury of a 14-game lead in the NL East.

Milledge is off today -- Endy Chavez is in rightfield, Ricky Ledee in left -- but what do you think of his role on the Mets this year? Can he be trusted come October?

What a week it's been for Paul Lo Duca. Turns out the news of his pending divorce, which first broke on Monday, was only the tip of the iceberg. From there, it's degenerated to become a sordid tale involving a 19-year-old girlfriend, alleged gambling debts and one very angry soon-to-be ex-wife back in San Antonio. Oh, and there's been plenty of pictures, too. The former Mrs. Lo Duca is a Playboy alum and the girlfriend, well, she apparently has a few fun photos lying around as well.

Anyway, here's what happened today. The Mets' latest attempt to shield their All-Star catcher is two-sentence statement that claims Lo Duca is in the clear as far as the commissioner's office is concerned. Here it is:

"We have talked to Major League Baseball and they have expressed no concern of any violation of any Major League Baseball rule regarding Paul Lo Duca. Right now we urge Paul to focus on baseball and we support him through this difficult period in his life."

There you have it.

METS CLAIM OUTFIELDER RICKY LEDEE

The New York Mets announced today that they have been awarded outfielder Ricky Ledee’s contact on a waiver claim. Ledee, 32, will arrive later tonight from Los Angeles. He will wear #9 and be available for tomorrow’s night game vs. the Padres. In order to make room on the Mets’ 40-Man roster, New York designated righthanded pitcher Anderson Garcia for assignment.

Ledee was placed on waivers Monday night. He appeared in 43 games with the Dodgers this season, batting .245 (13-53) with five doubles, a home run and eight RBI. Ricky was on the Disabled List from May 2nd-July 13th with a pulled groin.

In a 10-year major league career, Ledee is hitting .246 (483-1,962) with 280 runs scored, 116 doubles, 17 triples, 61 home runs and 311 RBI with the Yankees, Indians, Rangers, Phillies, Giants and Dodgers from 1998-2006.

So much for that quaint notion about New York baseball fans being so knowledgeable and so respectful of the opposition. The vicious booing and chants of "No More Streak" at Shea Stadium Friday night directed towards Chase Utley showed a distinct lack of class.

What is baseball without its history, and wouldn't have it been nice if Utley's 35-game hitting streak lasted a little longer to generate more discussion and make us appreciate what Joe DiMaggio did even more? The Mets have such a huge lead in the NL East that games against the Phillies can hardly be considered critical right now. And the fans booed Utley right from the start, not just late in the game when a hit might have been damaging.

Even Willie Randolph admitted before Saturday's game, "It felt a little weird. I guess they didn't want him to continue the streak. It's changed. That's the culture we live in now. There's always a group that wants to show its displeasure."

Randolph, admittedly a passionate Knicks fan, said he's never once booed them, not even last year. "As long as the effort is there," he said. Which is why he remains aghast at the treatment of Alex Rodriguez by Yankees fans. "That's totally out there," Randolph said. "This guy always works hard. He's one of the best players in the game and he's one of your guys. Wouldn't you want him to do well? It would help your team. It's a weird mentality. I think talk radio has a lot to do with it. People feel they're entitled to do it."

This blogger has one word for many Mets and Yankees fans after their recent actions: Boo!

GOOD NEWS METS FANS. JOSE REYES IS LOCKED UP FOR AT LEAST FOUR YEARS. HERE IS A COPY OF THE TEAM'S OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE ON THE SUBJET:

The New York Mets announced today that they have signed infielder Jose Reyes to a four-year contract extension worth $23.25 million with a club option for 2011.

Reyes, who turned 23 on June 11th, was signed by the Mets to a non-drafted free agent contact in August, 1999. The 6-0, 160-pound switch-hitter leads the majors with 13 triples and 44 stolen bases this season. Jose is also second in the majors with 88 runs scored while hitting .293 (127-433) with 20 doubles, 45 RBI and a career-high 37 walks. Reyes has already tied the franchise single season record for home runs by a shortstop with 10 (Kevin Elster in 1989 and Ed Bressoud in 1966).

“The commitment from ownership is to sign our core players to long term contracts so they can be part of the team for years to come,” said Mets Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wilpon. “We are delighted to reach this agreement with Jose Reyes. It’s something that gives our team stability and a foundation to build upon now and in the future.”

Jose was named the National League’s starting shortstop in this year’s All-Star Game in Pittsburgh, but was unable to participate due to an injury.

“Jose is one of the most exciting young players in the game today,” said Mets General Manager Omar Minaya. “He is one of the lightening rods for our offense and we couldn’t be more excited to agree to a long term contract with him.”

Reyes already ranks fifth on the team’s All-Time Stolen Base List with 136 and third on the All-Time Triple List with 36.

Jose hit .273 (190-696) with 99 runs scored, 24 doubles, 17 triples, seven home runs, 58 RBI with 60 stolen bases in 2005.

“It’s an exciting day for me,” said Reyes. “I never dreamt this was imaginable when I signed as a 16-year-old. I owe a great deal of thanks to Fred and Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya for making this happen.“

During his four-year major league career, Jose is batting .282 (457-1,623) with 267 runs scored, 72 doubles, 36 triples, 24 home runs, 149 RBI and a 136 stolen bases in 383 games.

These are heady times for the Mets and not just because of their present situation high atop the NL East standings. The future looks promising, too, because a nice core group of young stars is being developed. Jose Reyes and David Wright were first-time All-Stars at age 23. Lastings Milledge, the 21-year-old outfielder, appears to have All-Star tools and may be here to stay. And 22-year-old Mike Pelfrey, though a victim of the numbers game Wednesday when he was sent back to Norfolk, offered enough encouraging signs to indicate that he, too, might be a future All-Star.

"This was a real positive thing for Pelfrey. A win-win situation for the Mets and for him," manager Willie Randolph said. "He pitched well and gained experience. We got a glimpse of our future and he got a taste of the big leagues."

It tasted so good that Pelfrey, despite smiling and joking with reporters as he packed up for his move, admitted, "Of course I'm disappointed. But I got a chance to work with [pitching coach Rick] Peterson and he changed some things mechanically. I made some bad pitches but I learned from them. It won't be the last bad one I make."

But this may be the last time the Mets have to send him down. Pelfrey showed a big-league fastball and made progress on his off-speed pitches. He's a big kid who looks like he'll be able to eat up innings once he learns the art of pitching. He already seems to have the heart of a pitcher, escaping several jams with a veteran's tenacity. "I'll be better prepared next time," he said.

Now that's something to look forward to.

The kid admitted it. Lastings Milledge watched TV and the Internet all day Monday, wondering whether he would be traded or not. He heard the rumors, hoped they weren't true and is delighted to be back with the Mets. "I see it as an opportunity and I see it that Omar [Minaya] has a lot of faith in me," said Milledge, who started in rightfield last night and batted eighth.

Manager Willie Randolph sees it the same way. "Hopefully he's matured," Randolph said. "He made mistakes [in his earlier stint with the Mets] but he's a young kid. They make mistakes. I look at this as a positive. He knows he's getting a second chance."

It's a nice position for Milledge to be in. His team has such a huge lead in the NL East, that mistakes – such as misjudging a fly ball in the first inning that resulted in a run – can be overlooked. And there are enough strong personalities in the clubhouse – including Old School Randolph – that Milledge's swagger and seeming nonchalance will soon be under control.

And if the kid the real deal, as many suspect, that gives the Mets quite a 20-something nucleus – Milledge (21), Jose Reyes (23), David Wright (24)and Carlos Beltran (29) -- to ensure that 2006 is the first of many successful seasons.