|
|
 |
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Piazza's catching days numbered
With this latest setback for Mike Piazza, a bone bruise in his left knee, whispers begin anew around the game: When will the Mets make the obvious move and rescue their best hitter from the game's most demanding position? "At some point you have to believe he'll move to first base," one National League executive told me. "I know he's very proud and doesn't want to give up catching, but let's face it, I could steal second off Piazza." Of those to catch at last 500 innings, Piazza ranked last in throwing percentage (.130) against opposing base stealers in the majors last year. His game-calling and mechanics have improved greatly (just three errors and three passed balls) but the nightly toll can't be dismissed. This winter marked the first time in several years that Piazza skipped the Bucky Dent Baseball School in Delray Beach, Fla. Piazza had made an annual rite of working with catching instructor Wally Horsman, but a full month of postseason baseball left him little time to rest and recuperate from the season. Johnny Bench was 33 when he gave up catching to extend his career by another three years. Yogi Berra was 35 when he finally played more games in the outfield than behind the plate. Craig Biggio was 26 when he made the move. At 32, Piazza still has five years left on his $91 million contract. Chances are he'll be forced to squat for at least another two years because that's how much longer the club has both corner men, Todd Zeile at first and Robin Ventura at third, under contract. Trading Ventura and moving Zeile back to third to make room for Piazza might be an option at some point, but that could leave the Mets without a significant left-handed bat in their lineup. "The amazing thing is, Piazza has really come a long way from when he was in school [at Miami-Dade North Community College]," one veteran scout told me. "He was so stiff back then. The guy could barely move. He's much more flexible today. Give him credit. He has made himself into a catcher." But for how much longer is the question.
Playoff talk not fishy in FloridaHaving split 12 games with the Marlins last year, it's not all that surprising to hear Braves manager Bobby Cox heap praise on the Florida club. In fact, you can count Cox among those taking the Marlins seriously as a wild-card contender."They could do it easily," Cox told me. "They're good. They're not pesky. They're good." The Marlins' 28-22 record within their division last year was the best among NL East clubs and the second-best in the league (behind the Dodgers). The return to unbalanced scheduling could benefit the Marlins as much as any team if that trend should continue. Cox also handed out raves to Florida ace Ryan Dempster, who pitched for him on the Major League All-Star team that toured Japan this winter, and to backup catcher Mike Redmond, who is a ridiculous 14 for 21 (.667) against Tom Glavine. "Dempster is outstanding," Cox said. "That kid could really be good. He was a pleasure to have. His stuff jumps out at you. ... And we'd take Redmond any time they want to get rid of him. He's good, man."
Investing in the futureThe Marlins locked up another cog in their rebuilding plan this weekend when they signed center fielder Preston Wilson to a five-year, $32 million deal. That's a record for players not yet eligible for salary arbitration or free agency, breaking the mark set by Vladimir Guerrero in 1998.Wilson was the seventh Marlin signed to a multi-year deal in the last three months, a run that began with the December acquisition of Gold Glove catcher Charles Johnson. Total outlay for owner John Henry: $86.4 million. That's quite a statement by a man who claimed a loss of $10 million last season and projects losses of at least $75 million by the time the club moves into a new ballpark in 2004. Of course, approval for a new $385 million retractable-roof playpen in downtown Miami has been slow to come since the plan was announced in mid-December. That means all these signings have a potential political value that could rival their on-field significance. Next up could be Dempster, who would otherwise become eligible for arbitration for the first time after this season. Early indications, however, are that it would take significantly more to sign Dempster than the $13.5 million over four years the Pirates recently gave young right-hander Kris Benson.
El Sid making inspired comebackIt's far too early to start casting the TV movie, but you can't help but root for Sid Fernandez.The erstwhile left-hander, emerging from nearly four years of retirement to attempt a comeback with the Yankees, is in great shape. His elbow feels fine, his spirits are good and his weight is down to 225 pounds, well below the pitching weight of his prime. At 38, Fernandez is battling rookies Randy Keisler and Adrian "El Duquecito" Hernandez for the fifth spot in New York's rotation. Despite a couple of so-so outings in the last week, don't bet against the return of El Sid, who counts Yankees pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre among his biggest supporters. "I didn't like how my career ended last time," Fernandez said. "If there were something wrong with my elbow, I would have stayed retired. But they could never find anything wrong with my arm. It was eating at me for a long time, staying at home." His wife and two young children saw this and encouraged him to give baseball another try. The way Fernandez sees it, anything that happens the rest of this spring is gravy. He has already shown he could scrape off four years' worth of rust and get big league hitters out. He has already sculpted his body to a level of health he hadn't seen since his teenage years. He has already proven so much to so many, most of all himself. "I don't want to be someone who looks back, either two years from now or 20 years from now, and says to myself or my son or my daughter, 'I should have tried,' or 'I should have done this,' " Fernandez said. "I don't want to be like that. That's the reason why I tried. I'm just going to go and do it and then it's over." And if he doesn't make it? If he winds up spending this summer back home in Hawaii, the same way he spent the past three? "I tried," he said. "At least I tried. I don't think anyone ever got criticized for trying. I think you get criticized for not trying." Mike Berardino covers the baseball beat for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
| ||||||||||||||||
