Day one of the Mets winter caravan

The p.r. fest that is the Mets winter caravan dominated the news this morning:

New York Times: Meet the Mets
Ben Shpigel reports on the first day of the Mets winter caravan, from opening the stock exchange in the morning to a dinner for alumni of the 1986 championship team. Shpigel suggests that, in addition to meeting the public, many Mets were meeting each other for the first time:

When the caravan began in earnest at 1 p.m. at the library, 21 players filed onto a stage. They wore white jerseys on top of their dress clothes, but they probably should have worn "Hello, My Name Is ..." stickers. Of the 21, 10 were new acquisitions, and John Maine, obtained Saturday from Baltimore with Jorge Julio in exchange for Kris Benson, is so new that his jersey did not have his name or a number on it.

"It was like 'Wow,' " said right fielder Xavier Nady, as he reflected on the torrent of trades, which began when he was acquired from San Diego in November. "It seemed like they just kept coming and coming."

More than half the roster this season is likely to be Hispanic, and the talent is a significant upgrade from last year's team. Only time will tell if the talent will translate into something special, in this, the 20th anniversary of the last championship team.

AP: Winter Caravan Symbolism
Ronald Blum also reports on the winter caravan, suggesting there was symbolism working as the Mets posed for a photo on the library steps:

Players gathered Tuesday on the steps of the New York Public Library behind the famous marble lions, who have looked down on Fifth Avenue for nearly a century and were given the names "Patience" and "Fortitude" by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in the 1930s.

"You have to have that every year, especially in this town," manager Willie Randolph said. "That's a nice slogan to adopt."

Carlos Delgado refused to take the bait when reporters tried to get him to respond to Anna Benson's silly comments. Meanwhile, Tom Glavine liked what Omar Minaya has accomplished this winter:

It gives you more confidence going out there with what you know you're trying to accomplish. When you're going out there as a pitcher, there are some times where you feel like you can't afford to give up a run or two runs, you've got to throw a shutout, so to speak. That carries a lot of pressure with it. With the way we're set up right now, you don't figure that to be the case. You figure that these guys are going to score some runs, they're going to play defense, we know we've got a great bullpen coming in behind us.

Blum also reports the Mets have signed a trio of warm bodies guaranteed to have little or no impact this off-season: C Bobby Estalella, RHP Jeremi Gonzalez and RHP Jose Santiago.

Mets.com: More Winter Caravan
Kit Stier, reporting for MLB.com, quotes Cliff Floyd on his optimism as the season approaches:

I can't wait. I'm talking about going down to Spring Training early just to get acclimated to my new teammates.

I've been here three years We've been through a lot. Last year, in my opinion, wasn't a tease. It's just we were young. We realized we can play the game, we realized a lot of things, and we won 83 games.

Meanwhile, outside of the library, manager Willie Randolph commented on some favorite literature:

'The Art of War' is one of my favorite books. To me, it's all about winning. When you go into competition, there is an art to it. There is a way to do it if you want to be the best.

Unfortunately there is nothing in The Art of War about effective use of the bullpen.

Newsday: What's up with Kaz
Johnette Howard reports on one winter caravan participant that isn't even sure if he'll be here in spring training. Kaz Matsui patiently answered the questions about his future with the Mets and being left off the Japanese team. Howard quotes Cliff Floyd on being Matsui's teammate and watching him being subjected to the endless booing at Shea:

Is it painful to watch him go through that -- oh my God, was it painful. You know what it reminds me of? You know when you misplace your purse or something, and you get all frantic, you start patting everything down, looking all over the place for it, almost going crazy until you finally find it -- and then you go, 'Ahhh?' It's the same with him. What he was is lost somewhere. It's just lost. But I believe he's going to find it.

Howard quotes manager Willie Randolph on why he believes there is still a chance for Matsui to turn it around:

That's a good question. And the answer is because of what I saw of him last year in my first year here. At times, he really didn't play that badly. He had some good streaks. Then injuries got in the way.

That's not to say I feel sorry for him. This is a tough town. You have to be tough. He has to compete for a job this year. He has to win the job. But I'm not as down on him as other people might be. And I don't react to other people. I try to make my own judgments. I just feel he can do it. If I were him, I think I'd come into this season with maybe not quite a chip on my shoulder, but just a determination to show everyone here, 'Hey, I can play this game.

I've always rooted for Matsui. I don't think he has played as badly as he gets "credit" for, and still has a chance to be a good player. He hasn't had much luck, but he seems like a standup guy. He earned my respect in the same way Mike Cameron did when things went badly for him that first year. And I respect Randolph for not getting caught up in the negativity of a vocal element of the fan base. I know I'll get a couple of emails on this -- save them, I don't care.

Fox Sports: The other whipping boy...
Dayn Perry looks at another Mets fan "favorite" in a list of players that need to step up for their teams this season:

Victor Zambrano, SP, Mets
This winter, the Mets have parted ways with Jae Seo (90.3 IP, 2.59 ERA in 2005) and Kris Benson (174.1 IP, 4.13 ERA in 2005). Their losses leave serious holes in the rotation, and if Aaron Heilman isn't dispatched to the rotation then the situation is even graver. So will Zambrano finally take the next step toward quasi-acedom? Since pitching coach Rick Peterson basically hectored the organization into coughing up Scott Kazmir for Zambrano, his personal reclamation project has posted a 4.14 ERA as a Met. Considering that Zambrano has walked 83 batters in his last 180.1 innings in New York, he's been lucky to have such a tolerable ERA. If the Mets are to solidify their rotation, then Zambrano needs to make serious strides in 2006.

Obviously Dayn Perry sat in on some of those meetings where Rick Peterson forced the Mets to trade Kazmir for Zambrano...

I'm actually interested in seeing what Zambrano might do this season. I thought the injury that ended his 2004 season slowed him down a lot at the beginning of 2005. Say what you want, he has as much potential as any Mets pitcher not named Pedro. If by some miracle he could reach his potential, the Mets rotation might turn out a lot better than what we all fear right now.

Also in Newsday: The Importance of Billy Wagner
Ken Davidoff also reports on the winter caravan, offering another Cliff Floyd quote on the importance of having a quality pitcher closing games:

I love Carlos, I love Duke, but to close out games, that's the most important thing in the game. You have to close out games. That becomes the difference at the end of the season, in my opinion.

...At the end of the day, when you have 83 wins, you say, 'Damn, we could've had seven more, that's 90.' Like I said, this isn't anything against Loop, but just having a closer who has a reputation. A good one. You feel really good come the ninth inning, or eighth inning, when you really need him.

...This is no pressure on Billy. A lot of it can be put on his shoulders. This can't be any different than Philly [where Wagner pitched in 2004 and 2005]. This is the same way as Philly. I hope he settles down and has some fun.

I'm just looking forward to a little less "agida" in the ninth inning...

Also Mets.com: 17th Annual Baseball Assistance Dinner honors '86 Mets
Tom Singer reports on the Baseball Assistance Team dinner, which raises money to help former ballplayers who have experienced hard times, while preserving the dignity of the players:

"We're a confidential organization," pointed out B.A.T. chairman Bobby Murcer, "but if you heard the stories of some of the players we've helped, you'd be brought to your knees crying, to know who has needed help."

On one midwinter night every year, however, B.A.T. sounds a public fanfare, and it's a siren song to players and fans who gather at this dinner to give their emotional and financial support.

Some 1986 Mets were among the honorees at the dinner, including Barry Lyons, the backup catcher, who testified on the help he received from B.A.T. after his Mississippi home was devastated by Hurricane Katrina:

When Katrina hit on August 29, it changed my world, changed the world of everyone who lives in that area. Yes, my home is gone. My parents' home is gone; even a family member recently passed away. It's been very tough, but, a few days after the storm, some friends told me they'd contact B.A.T. and the ball's been rolling from that point on.

From Day One, Jim Martin [B.A.T.'s executive director] has been there for me throughout this whole process. He's been someone to talk to, and he's been there financially.

This is a wonderful organization, and it's such a privilege to be here among so many wonderful baseball people. Any time you find yourself in trouble, you always turn to family for support and love. My immediate family has struggled, but the response of my family of baseball brothers is so moving to me.

USA Today: Puerto Rican winter league struggles to recapture former glory
Jorge L. Ortiz profiles the problems that the Puerto Rican winter league is experiencing as it fights for survival while other winter leagues thrive. He cites Carlos Beltran on the lack of attractiveness of the league for big-league players:

The New York Mets' Carlos Beltran, who hasn't played in Puerto Rico since 2001, says players don't want to risk a serious injury, and he questions who would pay for their care if they got hurt. Local teams' insurance only covers up to $10,000 in medical costs.

"Sometimes the owners and the general managers in Puerto Rico want you to play but they don't really take care of the players," Beltran says. "They treat us like big-league players when we're in the United States, but when we come here to Puerto Rico, they don't want to treat you like that."

Daily News: John Harper on the bullpen upgrade
John Harper writes an interesting column that looks at Minaya's gamble to upgrade the bullpen at the expense of the starting pitching.

Also in the Daily News: Some Mets Notes
Adam Rubin offers a few nuggets of news, including Cliff Floyd's comments on a possible contract extension:

I believe that when you sign a contract, you play until the end, and then at the end of that you sign another one. If they choose to call you and say, 'You know what? We'll give you an extension,' you deal with that accordingly. Honestly, I've done good things, but you still have to establish yourself where you have a right to talk - 'You know what? I deserve this right now.' I haven't done that. I just want to play.

Floyd says that he doesn't expect anything to happen until after the season. That would seem likely. Staying healthy certainly would help his cause, but I would be surprised if Cliff was on the Mets in 2007 -- he seems destined for the American League.

Rubin also reports that Dae-Sung Koo is scheduled to report to spring training as a non-roster invite.

Also in the Daily News: Piazza close to signing?
Roger Rubin reports that Mike Piazza has told friends that he is close to a deal with an unspecified American League team.

New York Post: Matsui wants to be here
Michael Morrissey quotes Kaz Matsui on all of the trade rumors swirling around his name:

I'm aware that those rumors are around, but I'm here today. I haven't produced as much as I would've liked to in the past two years, but right now I'm training hard, working hard, and trying to build my condition into spring training.

Since the first day I stepped into New York, I always wanted to play here. Because I'm very grateful that the Mets acquired me when they did, I just want to be part of this team and this organization.

I want to be here. In order to be here, I have to produce on the field.

New York Post: The old and the new
Michael Morrissey cites Tom Glavine that he can only see himself playing in New York or Atlanta in 2007 as he pursues 300 wins. Morrissey also offers the following from Aaron Heilman on reports of a trade demand:

I think it got a little out of hand. I wasn't demanding a trade.

It'd certainly be nice to think I had that kind of power, but I really don't think that had any effect on any decisions that were made.

Omar and Willie and everybody have to do what's best for the team.

Heilman did admit that he was happy to have a chance to be a starter.

Bergen Record: Klap on Piazza
Bob Klapisch offers his own take on Piazza to the Yankees.

MetsBlog: Coverage of the winter caravan on WFAN
The Mets winter caravan will be rolling through the WFAN studios today, especially on the Mike and the Mad Dog program. MetsBlog's Matt Cerrone will be offering extensive coverage of the interviews all day.