Tag: David Cone

It’s the Magic Number

3According to the Internet, and a rumor that seems to have been around for months now, the Mets are expected to announce that they’ve signed veteran reserve infielder Alex Cora to a 1-year contrract. Cora, a lefthanded hitter, is expected to be the primary middle infield defensive backup, and comes to the Mets with the kind of reputation for the intangibles Omar Minaya cannot resist.

Cora in his 11-year career has most frequently worn No. 3 and more recently, No. 13: With 3 recently surrendered by Damian Easley and 13 belonging nominally to potential late-season callup Billy Wagner, we’d bet (and bet big) he winds up in 3. It’s a nice wussyish benchwarming shortstop number after all, Ruth notwithstanding.

In other new-Met news, Marty Noble of mlb.com reports that Tim Redding knew that jersey No. 44 at one time belonged to David Cone (nice!) but that had 23 been available he’d have taken it instead for … Don Mattingly (what?).

Cone, as in Done

45Leave it to the Mets to see a player retire — and have him replaced by guy even older. That was the news today when 40-year-old worn-out warrior David Cone 16 called it a career and was replaced on the roster by 42-year-old rehabbed reliever John Franco 45. Good luck to David, who joins Mo Vaughn among pretty good players who seem to have spent their last days of their careers with the ’03 Mets.

Pain and Suffering

Two of the few things that went right for the Mets early this season joined all the others on Tuesday when ancient starter David Cone 16 and revived right fielder Jeromy Burnitz 20 finished a depressing 6-2 loss to Houston on the disabled list. Cone should … uh, could be gone forever; Burnitz will miss up to 6 weeks with a hand broken by a wild Billy Wagner fastball. In their place, the Mets recalled outfielder Raul Gonzalez 21, utilityman Joe McEwing 11 and pitcher Pat Strange 38. Strange was sent back to Norfolk after Wednesday’s win so the Mets could re-able Pedro Astacio 34, who is scheduled to start today.