Weekend Buzz: Mets hope Figueroa provides emotional lift in rotation
The Figueroas estimated they had around 50 to 75 relatives and friends there, which was good not only for the family, but good business for the Mets. At least it meant there were 50 to 75 people in the park who probably weren't going to boo.
Unfortunately, they weren't back Saturday as Santana served up three homers in his Shea Stadium debut -- he surrendered an American League-high 33 last season -- and was booed vociferously. So was struggling reliever Aaron Heilman upon entering Sunday's highway wreck of a game in which Milwaukee tied an NL record by turning five double plays.
Meanwhile, Mets faithful still haven't completely forgiven shortstop Jose Reyes for his stretch-run transgressions last year. At least the catcalls directed at him subsided this weekend -- he left Friday's game with a strained hamstring and sat out Saturday and Sunday.
Moises Alou also remains out until May after surgery for a hernia (though Angel Pagan is playing very well in his place).
While Figueroa -- who most recently was pitching for Los Dorados de Chihuahua in the Mexican League -- was mowing down the Brewers on Friday, Mets TV analyst Ron Darling quipped he has been gone for so long that "there's no video out there" for opposing hitters to study "unless you want to go get tapes from Chihuahua."
Maybe instead of tapes, Figueroa has a friend or two the Mets could find. Just in case the rehabilitations of Pedro and El Duque take, you know, longer than expected.
2. Snakes sssssizzzle: Desert-hot Arizona wins eight consecutive games before Colorado finally steals Sunday's series finale, and Rockies manager Clint Hurdle spoke for everyone when he described the difficulty of hitting Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb on Friday as "like trying to catch a chicken."
True, at 1-8 combined against the Diamondbacks this season, the rest of the NL West is looking a little extra-crispy right now. And Randy Johnson is set to rejoin Arizona's rotation Monday night in San Francisco. El pollo grande!
3. New York's tax dollars at work: Construction workers spent an estimated five hours this weekend drilling through already-poured concrete simply to remove a Boston Red Sox jersey that had been secretly buried in what will be the new Yankee Stadium. Now far be it from me to tell New York how to spend its tax money, but I guess this sure is a better cause than former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's hooker fund.
The Yankees didn't want any part of a Red Sox jersey buried somewhere down there in Jimmy Hoffa territory. Though the Sox really should have sent an emissary with a metal detector during the dig to see whether they could locate David Ortiz's stroke as well. Big Papi took a 3-for-43 -- with just one homer and three RBI -- into Sunday night's nationally televised series finale with the Yankees.
4. No-no, so close: White Sox's Gavin Floyd takes a no-hitter into the eighth against Detroit in Chicago on Saturday while Giants' Matt Cain takes a no-no into the seventh against St. Louis.
Floyd ended up on the winning end of a 7-0 decision, while Cain came away with a no-decision in an, ugh, 8-7 loss. Which just goes to show you: Gavin raises a Cain. And even when presented with a gem, the Giants drop it.
5. Tampa Bay recalls Evan Longoria: Yeah, and it's just a coincidence it happens on the same weekend the Rays blow past the Yankees in the AL East and that Eva (no relation to Evan) Longoria's Desperate Housewives unveils a brand new episode?
See you in the AL Rookie of the Year voting later this year, Evan.
6. Nationals win!: Not that Manny Acta's club was worried, but with nine consecutive losses until finally beating Atlanta on Sunday, even with a new stadium, the only lower approval rating in town was at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
7. Purell is good: Padres Cy Young winner Jake Peavy quipped that he was going to keep a hand sanitizer with him on the mound Friday in Dodger Stadium after last weekend's mini-controversy surrounding his dirty pitching hand. There was neither hand sanitizer nor dirty fingers this time, though Dodgers were in dire need of Irish Spring after Peavy ran his career record to 11-1 against them.
8. Location, location, location: So, how did it play in baseball's Park Ave. offices when White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen accused umpire Phil Cuzzi of having a vendetta against him? Let's just say the fine levied was enough to get Ozzie's attention. "I got fined a lot of money," the sassy skipper said. "That's all I can say. A lot of money. I could buy land in Venezuela with that money."
9. Oakland disables Rich Harden: He pulled a muscle in his shoulder. It's believed it first started bothering him as he was strenuously objecting to reporters badgering him about his health issues this spring.
10. Detroit disables Dontrelle Willis: He hyperextended his knee while trying to find the strike zone.
