The Continuing Careers of Ex-Mets

[Guest Edgy DC]

The uphill battle in Seattle.

Long way from Shea for former Mets star Ordonez

By GREGG BELL

AP SPORTS WRITER

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Rey Ordonez's comeback day couldn't have been any more humbling. Or damp.

The former Gold Glove infielder with the New York Mets began his first day on a baseball diamond since 2004 by fielding ground balls hit by a Mariners coach on Monday.

Soon, the 36-year-old was gobbling his grounders in the rain. A drizzle became a wind-blown downpour. The rain wiped out the rest of batting practice and had Ordonez briskly walking back into the clubhouse. His blue No. 10 practice jersey was darkened, drenched among minor league prospects wearing 82 and 93.

Hey, is this any way to treat the comeback of the former shooting star once heralded as the "second coming" of Ozzie Smith - by the Hall of Fame shortstop himself?

Then again, why is Ordonez even here? Why is he - as a non-roster invitee and backup middle infielder on a minor league contract - even trying to make a team that has finished last in the AL West for three consecutive seasons?

"For my son (Anthony Rey) and my daughter (Sonia Stephanie)," said Ordonez, a Cuban defector and veteran of 973 games who hasn't done much more than work out in a gym since he walked away from the Chicago Cubs 31 months ago.

"The last two years they've been asking me, 'Daddy, why don't you play again?' Well, here I am.

"I can play two, maybe three more years. Maybe not play every day, but I can be on a 25-man roster."

This remote chance is perhaps the final one of a rise-and-fall career that began with a soaring Mets debut in 1996. Ordonez completed an astounding relay throw to home plate from his knees on Opening Day against Smith's Cardinals. Afterward, Ozzie marveled "he's the second coming of me."

How far he's come - and gone - is remarkable.

The former star of Cuba's national youth team defected in 1993, during the World University Games in Buffalo, N.Y. The Mets acquired him later that year through a lottery.

Eight years later, he was at the White House with Gloria Estefan, meeting President Bush in recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month.

"Coming from Cuba, I'd never seen anything like that before," he said, still smiling at the memory.

In between the escape and the executive mansion, Ordonez joined Smith, Dave Concepcion and Barry Larkin as the only NL shortstops to win three or more Gold Gloves since the award began in 1957.

Ordonez won his third consecutive one in 1999 while setting career highs of 154 games played, 60 RBIs and a .258 batting average. He set a major league record by not committing an error in his final 100 games as the Mets advanced to the NL championship series before losing to Arizona.

Then his golden career began fading. During a game on May 29, 2000, at Dodger Stadium, he broke his left arm banging it into the batting helmet of F.P. Santangelo during a tag play. The arm required a plate and six screws and he missed the rest of that season.

Ordonez now says the injury was not a turning point, that he maintained his offense in 2001 and '02.

But he made 12 errors and then 19 errors in those seasons. When boos at Shea Stadium for the formerly beloved shortstop became sonic booms, he called the New York fans "stupid" in a newspaper article at the end of the '02 season.

"Thing is, what they put in the paper was "The fans are stupid," Ordonez said. "What I said was, 'The fans are stupid. I want to win. I play hard.'

"The next day, I told the writer I was sorry. He said, 'Rey, it's too late. This is New York.'"

The Mets traded him to woebegone Tampa Bay two months later.

In his 34th game with the Devil Rays, he tore a ligament in his left knee diving for a ball. He's played in 23 games and had 61 at bats since.

In 2004, he walked out of San Diego's camp because he saw that then-rookie Khalil Greene was going to start ahead of him. He says now that the Padres had promised him that he would play ahead of Greene.

Then came 23 games mostly as a defensive replacement for the Cubs. Ordonez called it "a month-and-a-half of standing around not doing anything." He got the release he asked for in July 2004 - and spent two years staying fit in a gym.

Seattle, the only team interested, sent a scout to Miami to see him last November. After a month of playing in Puerto Rico, he is buried behind dynamic, 25-year-old Yuniesky Betancourt, 25 at shortstop, All-Star Jose Lopez, 23, at second base and established utility man Willie Bloomquist.

General manager Bill Bavasi said that if Ordonez does not make the team, Seattle will release him rather than offer him a Triple-A assignment.

Mariners manager Mike Hargrove called it "an uphill climb for him."

"But I won't say he can't make the club, because he certainly can," Hargrove said.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Poor Rey.

[Guest Edgy DC]

There's always the Yankees.

[metirish]

When I first started watching the Mets I thought Rey was the best thing ever.....I loved him....the things he did with the glove was amazin.


I should add that I still like Rey.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Ex-Met shortstops trying to get their heads above water all over the place.

Matsui eager to be big hit with Rockies

By Troy E. Renck

Denver Post

Staff Writer

Article Last Updated: 02/19/2007 11:36:51 PM MST

Second baseman Kaz Matsui hit .345 for the Rockies in 32 games last season after struggling with the Mets. "I had never experienced anything like New York before," he says. "I like it here." (Post / Steve Dykes)

Tucson - Forget Waldo. Where's Kazuo?

The public relations staff members insist they saw him in the batting cage a few days ago. Troy Tulowitzki confirms his teammate walked through recently. His interpreter promises that the Rockies second baseman is at Hi Corbett Field.

A few minutes later, an autograph on a fan's baseball card provides a fresh clue. Kazuo Matsui, the international man of mystery, is training alone on a back field. Far removed from prying eyes, Matsui runs laps on the warning track, works on agility drills and does stretches that would make a pretzel cringe.

It is here in the desert, unburdened from the small army of reporters that used to chronicle his every move, where Matsui believes a lost major-league career will be found.

"I had never experienced anything like New York before. I like it here. The Rockies wanted me and I signed back to show my appreciation," Matsui said. "I absolutely believe I can be an (elite) player."

That Matsui ended up in Colorado has everything to do with New York, a 2 1/2-year failed experiment that clouds every judgment of the 31-year-old infielder. Is Matsui a star waiting to bloom, the victim of being miscast on the big stage? Or is he just an ordinary player regardless of the uniform?

After Matsui batted .345 in 32 games with them last year, the Rockies made retaining the switch hitter a priority, quickly signing him to a $1.5 million contract - a shadow of his $20 million deal with the Mets. Matsui will hit leadoff or second, share second base with Jamey Carroll and be counted on to provide speed for a team too often strapped with clay feet.

"We want him to be in control of the game. If he's not running, he's not using all of his tools," new baserunning and outfield coach Glenallen Hill said. "And we want him to know that it's OK to make a mistake."

The statement provides a hint how Matsui's career careened off the tracks

Rockies Rundown

Catch the daily spring training roundup from Rockies beat writers Troy E. Renck and Patrick Saunders in Tucson. You'll find insider information on players and strategy, an explanation of key statistics, quick profiles of young players and unusual team news. Check DenverPost.com's Rockies Page every afternoon for the Rockies Rundown.

in New York. He is a perfectionist, an admirable quality that ate his insides when he failed to make a smooth transition to the big leagues.

Former Mets general manager Steve Phillips didn't sign Matsui, but was in charge as the organization built the scouting reports that led to his big contract.

"Those reports were unbelievable. They indicated that he was a Robbie Alomar type, but a shortstop," Phillips said. "He didn't handle New York well, then he got uptight and it only got worse."

Phillips believes Colorado is a perfect stage for Matsui's comeback, saying "he's that rare veteran with an upside. If he regains his confidence, his talent will play out."

Even before Matsui shared a laugh with Todd Helton in the parking lot Monday, it was clear he is more comfortable with the Rockies. Denver, he said, reminds him of Tokorozawa, the hilly countryside city where he starred for the Seibu Lions. Talk of him returning to the Japanese League this winter was off base, he confirmed.

His pride stung, he wasn't about to give up on his big-league dreams.

"I wasn't healthy in New York and didn't play well. I came here to be successful," Matsui said. "I didn't want to go back like that."

If Matsui's problems were as simple as a change of scenery, he would have been in demand as a free agent. He has to become more consistent offensively - he hit .299 against right-handers last season, .119 against left-handers - and utilize his speed more. Matsui promises to be aggressive on the bases - he stole eight bases in nine attempts a year ago - and believes Lasik surgery will help him in the batter's box.

His vision, he said, is now balanced after he tried unsuccessfully to wear contact lens.

"He had problems with his eyes in New York," Mets coach Sandy Alomar Sr. said. "He makes no excuses and works hard. Denver will be good for him. He holds a lot of things inside, you just have to talk to him."

Infield instructor Mike Gallego plans to discuss plenty with Matsui, working with him on his double plays. Matsui has terrific range to his left, but as a former shortstop he is still refining his footwork around the bag.

"He's gained confidence. We will work with him on his positioning," Gallego said. "He's only going to get better with repetition."

Who's on second?

Kazuo Matsui, 31, signed a three-year, $20 million contract with Mets in 2003, but never lived up to the hype. He is attempting to revive his career in Colorado after hitting .345 in 32 games for the Rockies last season.

Strengths

: A switch-hitter, is one of baseball's fastest players from home plate to first base. Has excellent range to his left defensively. Motivated to prove he can succeed in the big leagues.

Weaknesses:

Swing path makes him vulnerable as a right-handed hitter. Has shown timidity in stealing bases that must be abandoned. A former shortstop, still refining backhand and footwork on double plays as a second baseman.

Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or

trenck@denverpost.com

.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Ex-Mets with re-built elbows:

Zambrano ahead of the game

By KEN FIDLIN -- Sun Media

DUNEDIN -- When the Blue Jays took a flyer this winter on Victor Zambrano, fresh from Tommy John surgery, they thought they were banking an arm for the future.

Yesterday, after watching Zambrano throw from a mound for the first time, the Jays' braintrust may be thinking the future could be right around the corner.

Zambrano had surgery on his right elbow last May after only five starts for the Mets. Pitchers who have the type of reconstructive surgery that Zambrano had take a year of recovery, and even then they are unlikely to be at full strength for many months beyond that.

Zambrano, who impressed the Jays when he used to pitch for the Tampa Bay Rays until he was traded to New York for Scott Kazmir, has been throwing since November and thinks he's very close to being back to 100%.

"I think I'll be ready in three or four weeks," Zambrano said. "My arm is feeling pretty good."

The Jays are more cautious, but both manager John Gibbons and general manager J.P. Ricciardi were impressed by what they saw from both Zambrano and from Pete Walker, who had similar surgery only seven months ago.

"By the end of camp, I think Zambrano will put himself on the radar map with us," Ricciardi said.

"I don't want him to push it. Same with Pete (Walker). What good is it to bring these guys in and have them blow out their arms in the bullpen?"

Zambrano is a fierce competitor and was one of the few bright lights on the Tampa staff from 2001 until mid-2004.

He says he is pleased to be coming back to the American League East.

"I always liked him when he was in Tampa," Gibbons said. "He on some games for a team that wasn't winning many."

The plan remains to hold both Zambrano and Walker back, with a target date for Zambrano of June or July.

But off what they saw yesterday, the return could be sooner rather than later.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Unless Zambrano's rebuilt elbow also includes a GPS unit so he can find the plate, he'll still be the same pitcher that frustrated Mets fans.

I hold no malice towards Victor Zambrano. It's not his fault the Mets traded Scott Kazmir for him. I truly hope he can make a decent comeback with the Blue Jays, but I'll be surprised if he does. Zambrano's problem never seemed to be his stuff. It always seemed (at least to me) to be an inability to consistently throw strikes which I always suspected came from a personal lack of faith in his stuff.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Had a bad elbow too.

Bad elbow --> poor CAHNfidence --->poor results

[DocTee]

X-Met X-Man needs X-Rays:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2007/news/story?id=2777979

[Guest cooby]

="metirish"]When I first started watching the Mets I thought Rey was the best thing ever.....I loved him....the things he did with the glove was amazin. I should add that I still like Rey.

I should add that I still love Rey, and although I somehow missed you guys posting the above article, I did see it online and also would like to share this from the Mariners site:

Glove still good: Infielder Rey Ordonez hasn't appeared in a Major League game since 2004, though his defensive skills hardly looked rusty following the first four days of workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex.

Ordonez flashed some fine leather playing shortstop and second base during drills. With second baseman Jose Lopez out for a few weeks, Ordonez could get a lot of repetition there, along with Willie Bloomquist.

"It felt like playing real baseball again," said the 36-year-old Ordonez.

Aside from playing in roughly two dozen winter-ball games in Puerto Rico, the veteran shortstop hasn't been on a big-league field since appearing in 67 games with the Cubs in 2004.

Ordonez is in camp as a non-roster invitee and a long shot to make the Mariners' 25-man Opening Day roster. A three-time Gold Glove shortstop with the Mets from 1996-2002, Ordonez understands his odds of making the team aren't good.

"I'm happy the Mariners signed me," he said. "There's 30 teams out there. If I don't make it here, there are 29 more teams."

[Guest iramets]

another Kaz

[G-Fafif]

Fonzie not ready for the Rico Brogna thread.

[stevejrogers]

Gary Matthews Jr. under investigation

Story was picked up by Rotoworld.com in their player news section:

]An Orlando pharmacy being investigated in connection with steroids was raided Tuesday, and it was discovered that one of the alleged clients of the pharmacy was Gary Matthews Jr. The Albany Times Union learned that investigators have uncovered evidence that testosterone and other performance-enhancing drugs may have been fraudulently prescribed over the Internet to current and former MLB and NFL players, as well as collegiate athletes. Also on the list of clients were admitted steroid user Jose Canseco and boxer Evander Holyfield. No other active major leaguers had their names leaked in the article.

[metirish]

It's probably has been mentioned here already but I only found out today that Looper is now a starter for St. Louis.

[Guest attgig]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=pearlman/070307&sportCat=mlb

] The Royals' worst -- and best -- trade By Jeff Pearlman Special to Page 2 He first learned of the deal on a Friday night some 20 years ago. Ed Hearn and his wife Tricia were eating dinner in their Clearwater, Fla., apartment when the phone rang. "Ed," said Joe McIlvaine, the Mets' general manager, "I have some news for you. You've been traded to Kansas City." At the time, Hearn was New York's backup catcher -- a decent-hit, decent-field career minor leaguer who had ably filled in for Gary Carter on the Mets' 1986 world championship club. Though hardly one of the boys on the bar-hopping, beer-guzzling, cocaine-snorting Metropolitans, Hearn was respected and well-liked. His nickname was "Ward," after the squeaky-clean father on "Leave it to Beaver." "A good dude," teammate Kevin Mitchell would say years later. "Very solid." With McIlvaine's words back on that warm spring training night, Hearn's mind raced. Traded? Why me? Why now? We're a dynasty in the making. I don't wanna leave. Upon composing himself, he asked the $1 million question. "Well," Hearn said, "who was I traded for?" "A minor league pitcher," McIlvaine replied. "Some kid named Dave Cone." Though he had no reason to suspect such, at that moment Hearn was officially inducted into a secret society, one composed of good men worthy of better legacies, one headed by names like Ernie Broglio, Milt Pappas, Rick Wise, Cedric Durst, Amos Rusie and Bob Buhl. Brother Ed, welcome to the "They Traded Him ... For You?" club. As soon as Hearn reported to Royals' camp, the troubles began. His right arm felt sore, and with each throw the pain intensified. Though Hearn sucked it up to start the first two games of the season (he went 4-for-6 with a game-winning RBI), the mind can only overcome so much. Hearn was placed on the disabled list, diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff and shipped off to the operating room. His season ended after six games. The following year, he played seven more. With that -- poof! -- a major league career was over. The final tally: A .263 average, four home runs and a lifetime of "Dude, I can't believe you were traded for David Cone!" "I still get that all the time," Hearn says. "But what can I say? David Cone went on to an amazing career. He deserves credit for that. The guy was a great pitcher. If the worst thing that happened to me in my life was being traded for him, well, that's not so bad." Hearn utters these words, knowing they serve as a gateway, not a wrap-up. Being dealt for Cone was not the worst thing to happen in Hearn's life. It was not one of the 10 worst things. Not one of the 100. It was a baseball trade. Just a damn baseball trade. Hearn spent four years trying to make it back to The Show, and in 1991 he retired to what he thought would be a life of selling insurance in Overland Park, Kan. The following year, however, during a seemingly routine physical, Hearn was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, an illness that occurs when scar tissue forms in some of the glomeruli of the kidney. Doctors placed him on dialysis and decided he needed a transplant ASAP. He underwent one transplant. A few years later, he underwent a second transplant. A few years later, he underwent a third (yes, third) transplant. With each operation, there is hope. With each failure, there is despair. On a fall day in 1993, Hearn descended the 13 steps to his basement with a loaded .357 Magnum. His plan was to shoot himself in the head. "I was suffering from terrible mood swings because of the medication," Hearn says. "The sadness overcame me." He looked at the gun barrel. He thought about his wife. He looked at the gun barrel. He thought about his wife some more. He looked at the gun barrel. "I could do it to myself," he says. "But I couldn't do it to her." As he slowly returned up the steps, three ponderings entered Hearn's mind: • I need professional help. • I need to return to the basics of my Christian faith. • I need to stop wallowing and start finding positive ways to think. Two weeks after rising from the basement, Hearn was asked by a former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman named Dave Lindstrom if he would like to speak at the weekly Overland Park Rotary luncheon. Surely, the Rotarians would be enthralled by tales of minor league bus rides and Big Apple high jinks and World Series moments. Heck, who wouldn't be? Instead, they got Ed Hearn unplugged -- raw, gritty, pained. The reaction was unlike anything Hearn had experienced as a ballplayer. The Rotarians did not simply feel Hearn's pain. They were moved by it. Hurt by it. Shortly thereafter, Hearn decided he would give full-time motivational speaking a try. More than a decade later, he speaks 30-40 times per year, to operations ranging from Nabisco and the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to the Boy Scouts. He is also the author of a motivational autobiography, "Conquering Life's Curves." "This is bigger than baseball to me," Hearn says. "It's provided a sense of purpose I never had before -- not as a catcher, not as a father or husband. It has given meaning to all that I went through. Otherwise, all that suffering would have been in vain." There should be a happy, uncomplicated ending here -- this is sports, after all. Jim Morris throws 95 mph. The Natural smashes the lights. Something, right? Sadly, with Ed Hearn life is never that simple. Three years ago Hearn was diagnosed with skin cancer, and underwent 1½ months of radiation. He suffers from sleep apnea, and before going to bed attaches himself to a BiPat machine to monitor and assist with breathing. Though he is in pretty good health, everything is relative. Hearn's body is beaten up. Physically, he is 46 going on 86. Unlike the myriad motivational speakers who Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay their way through an hour of upbeat, you-can-do-it drivel, Hearn keeps it real. If he's feeling low, he says so. "It helps to be true," he says. "People understand that there are hard days." When he gets especially down, Hearn tries to reflect upon the twists and turns of his life. He believes, with good reason, that if he had stayed healthy, the Royals would have had themselves a starting catcher for the next decade. Then again, would he be the person he is now? The one who, through suffering, is more than just another of the world's 12,471 ex-backstops? "I'll tell you what moves me," Hearn says. "Three or four times I've had people come up to me after a speech. They say, 'Ed, you were the worst trade the Royals ever made. But after experiencing you today, I'd say you're the best trade the Royals made. Because it brought you here.'" Hearn pauses. "That," he says, "makes my life worthwhile. It's a reminder that, yeah, maybe my baseball career didn't go as planned. And maybe my health problems have been terrible. But I could have used those experiences in bad ways, in negative ways, in horrible ways. "Instead, I look for the good." Jeff Pearlman is a former Sports Illustrated senior writer and the author of "Love Me, Hate Me: Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero", now available in paperback. You can reach him at anngold22@yahoo.com.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Big fat error in paragraph two.

[Guest iramets]

Edgy DC wrote: Big fat error in paragraph two.

He was actually traded to Montreal for Warren Cromartie?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Cashen was the GM at the time.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Why am I working here while ESPN editors are dropping the ball?

(Don't answer.)

[metirish]

Pearlman claims to be a big Mets fan,especially the 86 team...

[Guest Edgy DC]

Rey Ordoñez has played in eight of ten games in Arizona for the Mariners, and he's puttting on a show.

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG
8	15	2	5	0	1	1	3	10	1	0	0	0	.375	.667	.333

[Gwreck]

Jeromy Burnitz retiring.

Burnitz retires at 37 with 315 career home runs
By Jerry Crasnick
ESPN.com

Jeromy Burnitz, who hit 315 home runs in a 14-year career with the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers and five other clubs, has decided to retire, his agent said.

Burnitz, 37, hit a disappointing .230 with 16 home runs in 313 at-bats for the Pittsburgh Pirates in his final season. He became a free agent in November when the Pirates declined a $6 million option for 2007 and paid him a $700,000 buyout.

Agent Howard Simon said Burnitz had contemplated retirement for the past two or three seasons, only to return to play each time. Burnitz did not receive any offers this offseason.

"When it came down to it [in past seasons], he wasn't quite ready to do it," Simon said. "I thought the same thing might happen this time around, but he's made up his mind to call it quits for sure."

Burnitz broke into professional ball as the Mets' first-round draft pick in 1990. His best career stretch came with Milwaukee from 1998 through 2001, when he averaged 34 homers and 106 RBI for the Brewers. He made the National League All-Star team in 1999.

Burnitz played on a College World Series team with Oklahoma State in 1990, but appeared in 1,694 major league games without a playoff appearance. It was the longest-running postseason futility streak among active players.

Burnitz, Phil Nevin, Brian Jordan and Eric Young are among several aging position players who either failed to receive offers from big league clubs this offseason or declined to pursue lesser opportunities. Steve Finley, 41, waited until Feb. 24 to sign a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies.

Jerry Crasnick covers Major League Baseball for ESPN Insider.

[Guest iramets]

I think "retire" should apply only to situations where the player has an offer to play but turns it down. Burnitz's retirement seems entirely unvoluntary.

This is similar to saying that JFK resigned from the Presidency on November 22, 1963. I suppose he did, but he would have preferred to keep his job, if he'd been allowed to.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

The Sportin' Nues - Today, Rockin' Doc officially announced his retirement from baseball. After more than 25 years without receiving any major league offers, the 46 year old, former infielder decided that it was time to end his pursuit of a major league career.

"There comes a time when you have to face reality and move on with your life" added Doc. "I guess I'll just have to concentrate on continuing my transition into my life after baseball."

Following a very successful Little League career as an allstar third baseman, Doc went on to successfully man the hot corner throughout Senior League, High School, and American Legion campaigns. Eventually, he landed a scholarship to play second base for WV Tech. Still, the onslaught of major league offers were apparently too much for the US Postal Service and they were never delivered to Doc.

"For the first eight to ten years I kept myself in pretty good shape, but eventually I became disillusioned and fell away from my training regimen. I'm only fit for beer-belly softball now," joked Doc.

[Guest cooby]

]"There comes a time when you have to face reality and move on with your life" added Doc. "I guess I'll just have to concentrate on continuing my transition into my life after baseball."

Fortunately, it has recently been revealed that he has a medical degree...

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Good luck in your future endeavors.

I'm still hanging around for another spring.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

JD - "I'm still hanging around for another spring."

Hope springs eternal. Particularly among the young. I wish you the best of luck. I found it increasingly more difficult to hold out hope as the years kept piling on. I also found it increasingly more difficult to bend over for ground balls as the years and pounds piled on. I mean there is only one Julio Franco.

[Frayed Knot]

Burnitz career:
- 14 seasons (or parts of them)
- 315 HRs & 741 Xtra base hits
- .253 / .345 / .481 (BA/OBA/SLG)
Plus a pretty good OFer and decent runner

Not going to the Hall of Fame obviously, but not a bad body of work.
Some might argue that you'd want more than that out of a 1st round pick (#17 overall in 1990) but 1st rounders who never spend a day in the majors out-number those who become regulars by more than a 2-to-1 margin and many of those regulars won't last as long.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Yeah, Burnitz deserves a golf clap.

Apparently, his selection in the draft at that slot came as a surprise to some analysts but, I believe, Joe Mac liked him a lot.

He must be up there among the top handful in home runs by a Met farm product.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: Yeah, Burnitz deserves a golf clap. Apparently, his selection in the draft at that slot came as a surprise to some analysts but, I believe, Joe Mac liked him a lot. He must be up there among the top handful in home runs by a Met farm product.

Only guy worth a damn to be selected after Burnitz in Round 1 of that draft is Mussina.

They showed good restraint passing on Queens native Steve Karsay.