Spring Training Preview 2003: New York Mets
March 2003
by Alexander Washburn

I've never been much of a fan of the New York Daily News. Any paper that knowingly employs a known plagiarist like Mike Barnicle can't be hold itself up as a beacon of journalism standards. But with the Mets recent signing of Tom Glavine, this lifelong Mets fan figured more news on this key roster move superceded my negative feelings toward the Daily News' all too inside the Beltway Op-Ed page.

Earlier this year, The Daily News ran the story on the Mets firing of Bobby Valentine being a key factor in Tom Glavine's decision to make New York his playing home. Glavine can talk all he wants about managerial styles he prefers to surround himself with, but the cold reality is that as head of a union that has consistently advocated that free agents follow the money, he had to come to New York. If he didn't follow the money and accepted Atlanta's low-ball deal, he would lose serious velocity on the respect meter from his fellow players.

Now don't get me wrong, Bobby Valentine was a dick, but he did manage the Mets to the World Series and to a couple of playoff berths. He also did manage them to last place, but its hard to blame Bobby V for Alomar, Vaughn and Jeromy Burnitz for having the worst years of their careers in Met uniforms. But I can and will blame him for the pot smoking, the fake mustache, the unnecessary fighting with GM Steve Phillips and for leaving Al Leiter in too long against the Yanks in the World Series.

Glavine and his wife gushed about the family friendly environment created by Met owner Fred Wilpon, with his wife making note that Leiter and John Franco's wife, all hugged and kissed the owner upon departing the Glavine press conference. I guess someone should tell the suits at AOL-Time Warner that the player's wives are good to go. Look, the solely owned Mets are no multi-national bloodsucking organization like the owners of the Braves. But let's not take this family thing that far. A few days before the Glavine press conference, the Mets stabbed Egardo Alfonso, their best overall player and the best homegrown talent since Strawberry and Gooden, in the back. So while Wilpon was shaking Glavine's hand like a father, with the other he was whacking the Fonzie like a Godfather. What kind of family is Wilpon trying to create, the Sopranos?

Of course, it wouldn't be Port St. Lucie spring training without questions of Mo Vaughn's weight served up while you're shagging flies. Mo kept his part of the bargain and came to camp looking less like the offensive lineman that he did last year. Mo kept his weight loss in perspective and joked with reporters saying that just because he came to camp slim doesn't mean the Mets will win the World Series. Even if the Mo hits .300 with 35 home runs and over a 100 RBI – the Mets aren't a lock for the Series or even the playoffs for that matter.

Why? Simple. The Mets have a centerfielder who can't catch. Hell, even my Little League team had a centerfielder that could catch. To remedy this problem (after the team realized that they couldn't trade it away) was to bring in Brett Butler to teach Roger Cedeno to play centerfield. Typical Mets – only a team with Willie Mays and Mookie Wilson at their disposal would bring in Brett Butler to teach centerfield. If Cedeno fails (and its only a question of when) the Mets will have to rely on Shinjo, who can catch but hasn't mastered that whole hitting thing. So centerfield for the Mets boils down to a guy who can't catch and a guy who was benched for Kenny Lofton. Yes, be afraid, be very afraid.

The next problem facing the Mets this year goes back to what we were talking about earlier. No Fonzie. Not just no Fonzie but no third baseman at all. The Mets are going into spring training without a third baseman, relying on either stealing away Shea Hillebrand from the Red Sox or crossing their fingers and hoping that the three good weeks that Ty Wiggington had last year translates into all-season long production this year. For the answer to that question I have two words for you: Gregg Jefferies.

So here come the Mets of New York pride entering the 2003 season looking like the Mets of 1990 – which was the worst team money could buy. Vince Coleman, Bobby Bonilla, David Cone, Bret Saberhagen – how could you go wrong? It went wrong just as wrong as last year went and the same will be said for this season.

Oh, I can't wait for baseball season.


(Alexander Washburn is a volunteer staff writer for 2 Walls Webzine)