2002 – Jesse Orosco, agrees to a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres estimated at $800,000. Orosco started his major league career in 1979 with the New York Mets (traded by the Minnesota Twins for Jerry Koosman). He will retire next season at age 45, after setting a major league record with 1,252 games pitched.
The New York Mets, after being unable to get permission to talk to manager Lou Piniella from Seattle, and deciding not to wait ten days after the World Series for the availability of San Francisco skipper Dusty Baker, give Art Howe a four-year, $9.4 million deal to manage the team. Howe managed the Oakland Athletics to two AL West titles in 2000 and 2002 with his teams winning 383 games during the last four seasons, matching Joe Torre’s total for the Yankees. A day later, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays will name Piniella as their team’s new skipper, signing him to a four-year contract. As compensation to sign Piniella away from Seattle, Tampa Bay will send All-Star outfielder Randy Winn, who hit .298 with 14 home runs and 75 RBI, to Seattle for minor leaguer Antonio Perez.
The Mets donate their day’s pay, which totals approximately $500,000, from tonight’s game with the Braves at Shea to a rescue fund for the families of the firefighters and policemen killed in the World Trade Center terrorist attacks. The contest is the first professional baseball game played in New York since the tragedy.
2001 – After 31 years in Three Rivers Stadium, the Pittsburgh Pirates move into their new $262 million home at PNC Park, losing to the New York Mets, 4 – 3, in an exhibition game. The 38,000 seat stadium is nestled at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers with a spectacular view of the city.
The New York Mets’ #3 prospect, Brian Cole, aged 22, is killed when the SUV he is driving home to Mississippi from spring training flips over. Cole, who stole 69 bases the previous year, was voted the organization’s player of the year in 2000.
Major League Season Recap 2000 World Series – New York Yankees AL over New York Mets NL 4 games to 1 World Series MVP – Derek Jeter Babe Ruth Award – Derek Jeter Championship Series ALCS New York Yankees over Seattle Mariners 4 games to 2 ALCS MVP – David Justice NLCS New York Mets over St. Louis Cardinals 4…
2000 – Reliever Turk Wendell, who wears uniform number 99, agrees to a three-year deal worth $9,999,999.99 with the New York Mets. Wendell had asked that his pact include an option year in which he would play for free, but that plan was unworkable because baseball’s collective bargaining agreement sets a $200,000 minimum salary.
2000 – Staying with his hometown New York Mets, John Franco signs a nearly $11 million three-year pact as a set-up man, foregoing an opportunity with the Philadelphia Phillies to pick up the 59 saves he needs to break Lee Smith’s career saves record of 478.
Roger Clemens is fined a reported $50,000 for throwing the jagged barrel of a shattered bat in the direction of Met catcher Mike Piazza in the first inning of Game 2 of the World Series. Yankee manager Joe Torre and the right-hander both deny the incident was intentional.
At Shea Stadium, the Giants get two unusual runs in the fourth inning as the Mets outfielder Benny Agbayani catches what he thinks is the third out and gives the ball to a kid in the stands. The mental lapse of not knowing there was only one out in the frame allows both runners on base to score, but the Mets will prevail, beating San Francisco, 3-2.