Cone set to return to Mets

Discuss anything sports related.

Moderators: Big-O Ryan, Big-O Mark, Anthony, jester22c

Post Reply
User avatar
Big-O Mark
Shortbus Driver
Shortbus Driver
Posts: 804
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2002 5:20 pm
Location: Big-O Software
Contact:

Cone set to return to Mets

Post by Big-O Mark »

Mets: Cone set to return

Thursday, February 13, 2003

BY DAVID WALDSTEIN
Star-Ledger Staff

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- David Cone, the former Met pitcher who was traded away in 1992 and went on to win a Cy Young Award in Kansas City and four World Series titles in the Bronx, will be a Met once more.

Cone and the Mets were on the verge of an agreement last night that would have the 40-year-old coming out of de facto retirement to fight for a spot on the Mets' pitching staff. According to someone familiar with the talks, the deal was almost completed last night, with only minor tinkering to be done.

Pitchers and catchers are due to report to training camp today and begin their workouts tomorrow. Unless a major snag develops, Cone is expected to be ready to go tomorrow, although it is unclear what kind of shape he is in since he hasn't pitched in more than a year.

Cone could not be reached for comment at his Tampa home, nor would Mets general manager Steve Phillips characterize the state of the talks.

"I don't want this to take on a life of its own," Phillips said.

Cone would be attempting to stake a claim to the No. 5 spot in the rotation, but has agreed to pitch out of the bullpen if that is what works out best for the team. Terms of the agreement were not known, but the deal is believed to carry incentive clauses depending on how much Cone pitches.

For the Mets, signing Cone to a nonguaranteed contract is a no-lose proposition, and one that is sure to generate considerable interest in the team this spring, interest that will grow exponentially if he makes the club and pitches at Shea again in a Mets uniform.

Acquired by the Mets at the end of spring training in 1987 for catcher Ed Hearn and pitchers Rick Anderson and Mauro Gozzo, Cone went on to have 5 1/2 stellar seasons for the Mets before being traded to Toronto in the Jeff Kent deal before the 1992 trading deadline.

As was the case with Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden, it was always particularly frustrating for the Mets to see Cone flourish in the Bronx and lead the Yankees to four championships. That, after all, was what he was supposed to do in a Mets uniform. Although clearly past his prime -- and then some -- the Mets won't be exacting revenge on the Yankees so much as giving Cone the venue to determine whether he can still pitch.

Unable to find a job last year after pitching one so-so season with the Red Sox in 2001, Cone has been working for the YES Network broadcasting for the Yankees. The Mets were sensitive to the fact that Cone was wary of offending Yankees owner George Steinbrenner by coming to play for the hated Mets, but Cone apparently overcame that concern.

The next six weeks will be spent trying to erase doubt that he can still pitch. After all, he hasn't thrown a pitch in anger since a fairly decent 2001 campaign for the Sox, when he went 9-7 with a 4.31 earned run average. That season Cone was trying to prove that he could still pitch after his awful 2000 season in which he went 4-14 with a 6.91 ERA.

The last game he pitched for the Yankees was when he got Mike Piazza to pop out in Game 4 of the Subway Series in October 2000.

This year the Mets figure they have nothing to lose by bringing Cone into camp on a minor-league contract, even though they are well aware Cone's performances have not been very good since his perfect game against the Expos on July 18, 1999.

A year ago, the Mets showed no interest in having Cone come to camp under similar circumstances, and part of the reasoning was a fear of a public relations backlash or pressure to keep him on the team through sentimentality. This year it seems clear that it is just a chance for Cone to show he can still pitch, with no strings attached.
-Mark
Big-O Software
User avatar
Dice599
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 265
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2002 10:17 pm
Location: Chestnut Hill
Contact:

Post by Dice599 »

I can't beleive he's coming back. He's too old and not that good at all. He's mediocre at best.
Official Beta Tester
ExploreAnywhere Software, LLC

There are 10 kinds of people in this world: those who understand binary and those who don't.
User avatar
Big-O Mark
Shortbus Driver
Shortbus Driver
Posts: 804
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2002 5:20 pm
Location: Big-O Software
Contact:

Post by Big-O Mark »

Today the Mets made it official. David Cone will be starting on Friday night vs. the Expos at Shea. Remarkable story ...
-Mark
Big-O Software
User avatar
DADINK13
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 806
Joined: Tue Sep 17, 2002 4:44 pm
Location: Formerly: "Hunington, Longylan, New Yowrk" Now: "Cahprus Cohve, Texus"
Contact:

Post by DADINK13 »

Cone needs to retire. He's outside his prime. Five years ago was different.
User avatar
Big-O Mark
Shortbus Driver
Shortbus Driver
Posts: 804
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2002 5:20 pm
Location: Big-O Software
Contact:

Post by Big-O Mark »

David Cone - 5 IP, 5 K, 2 H, 0 R, 1 W

Coney looked great tonight! Nice to see him back at Shea :D.
-Mark
Big-O Software
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest