2/22/10

Swallow Man, Park, Thole, Mets CF... and Frenchy

Swallow Man:

五十嵐選手へのメッセージ  (Ryota Igarashi's web site) - link



Park:

Right-hander Chan Ho Park, who pitched for the National League champion Phillies in 2009, announced early Monday that he has reached a one-year agreement with the World Series champion Yankees, according to Korea's Yonhap News Agency. Park, 36, a native of Korea, made the announcement at Park 61, a fitness center he opened in Seoul after last season, when he went 3-3 with a 4.43 ERA in 45 games, including seven starts, for the Phillies. The press conference occurred after 1 a.m. ET. The Yankees have not made a formal announcement. The contract is reported to be for $1.2 million, with incentives that could net an extra $300,000, provided Park passes a physical - link




Thole:

So if it takes a few more months or years for Thole (pronounced TOE-lee) to complete his transformation into a catcher and make it permanently in the majors, they can both tough it out. Thole will probably start the season in Class AAA Buffalo, but he certainly appears on his way to a starting job with the Mets.
Considering the way he played at the end of last season — hitting .321 in 17 games for the Mets in September, after being called up from Class AA Binghamton, and then flirting with .400 in the caldron of the Venezuelan winter league — Thole, like his fiancée, has shown the mettle and determination to succeed anywhere. - link

Mets CF:

On the day Gary Matthews Jr. reported to camp, Mets manager Jerry Manuel said Sunday there will be a "wide-open competition" between Matthews and Angel Pagan for the starting center field job until Carlos Beltran returns. Manuel had mentioned Pagan as the likely leadoff hitter if Jose Reyes moves to the No. 3 spot, but he said Sunday that Matthews could lead off if he beats out Pagan for the job. Matthews, who came to the Mets in a trade from the Angels in January, said he was grateful for the chance to earn significant playing time -- at least at the start of the season -- after his role became limited in Anaheim. - link




 Frenchy:

As usual, Francoeur was in good spirits as he unpacked a box in front of his locker. He said despite lower expectations for the Mets this year, he believes the team has the pieces to compete.


"That's the one way you can shut everybody up is by going out and winning ballgames," he said. "The last two years, the Mets have been predicted to win and they never have, so maybe this is the year we'll slide under (the radar) and win." - link

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