Three months after being carried off, Mike Piazza returned to the field last night under — and with — his own power. The Mets changed radically during the 76 games Piazza missed but still cried out for a righthanded power hitter: He obliged with 3 hits, a home run and 5 RBI. Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back…
Mike’s return to the No. 31 jersey meant a demotion for young outfielder Jeff Duncan, who never did manage to shake the rookie-ish hold of the No. 61 jersey on his back.
Grant Roberts, whose absence due to injury probably hurt the Mets more than most of us realized, finally healed up enough to join the team for the first time this year last night in Houston. Roberts, still wearing No. 36, meant back to the minors again for Joe DePastino 10.
The Mets today sent down pitcher Jeremy Griffiths 46 for a few days while Jason Phillips 23 attends the birth of his son. The move provided a rare opportunity to 12-year minor league vet catcher Joe DePastino, who made his long-awaited Major League debut tonight in Houston wearing No. 10.
The Mets did their part as auctioneer last week, beginning with the trade of Aussie lefty Graeme Lloyd 17 to Kansas City for a minor leaguer. Jamie Cerda 43 was recalled to take Lloyd’s place. A day later the Mets dumped Rey Sanchez 10 on Seattle and took back minor league outfielder Kenny Kelly, whom they assigned to Norfolk. Jason Roach 57 was recalled.
On Saturday the Mets demoted Edwin Almonte 56 and recalled Jeremy Griffiths 46.
It appears its only a matter of time before Jeff Duncan ditches the ridiculous No. 61 jersey he’s been wearing since his recall from Binghamton. But the rookie outfielder told The Post on Tuesday he’d let his bosses decide: “I’m not going to say anything about [the uniform number] until they change it for me … [but] my first preference is 12. You guys gonna help me out?” Sure, why not. Just promise not play like the last guy who wore that number.
Al Leiter 22 returned from the disabled list to pitch in Sunday’s debacle-to-be in Atlanta. His call-up meant a return to Norfolk for Jorge Velandia 13, who didn’t play in his brief stay with the Mets.
Edwin Almonte 56 was recalled today and Prentice Redman 20 was sent down without having appeared in a game.
Sure, it might have been time to turn the page on Armando Benitez 49, but despite all the blabber, dealing the disgraced but talented closer for a handful of low-level Yankee rejects is at best a wash; and at worst, fails to hurt the Yankees in some meaningful way. MBTN disapproves of trades where money and scapegoating trump fair exchanges of talent and can’t help but think The Duke aimed too low and shot too soon on this one. We’d like to wish the beleaguered Benitez better luck in his new role but can’t; leaving us in peculiar position of siding with the army of irritating numbskulls who believe in the Choke Fairy (and presumably her fair stepsisters Aura and Mystique). Guh!
With big-league roster spots suddenly available, the Mets began the second half of the season tonight in Atlanta by adding AAA outfielder Prentice Redman and infielder Jorge Velandia to the roster. Redman looks to make his big-league debut in the No. 20 jersey recently left behind by Jeromy Burnitz; Velandia, who was up briefly in 2000 and 2001 wearing No. 11, is now wearing No. 13, which until last year looked like it might eventually have been retired for Edgardo Alfonzo. The Mets in the meantime may have seen the last of charismatic outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo 5, who was designated for assignment. Shinjo was banished to Norfolk late last month.
The Mets today sent Jeromy Burnitz, his gigantic swing, and his team-leading 18 home runs, to the LA Dodgers for three minor leaguers. It’s a bittersweet parting considering Burnitz for all his desperate struggles managed in his second go-round to elevate No. 20 past No. 18 in the Mets’ all-time home-run-by-uniform-number battle (it now stands 350-338 for 20). While it’s possible the prospects he commanded work out, the short-term violence it does to the 2003 Met offense is best not to consider without a few beers. Good luck, Nitz!
Over the weekend, the Mets activated Mike Stanton 32 and demoted Jaime Cerda 43.
