Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Friday 17 January 2020
Piazza: MLB mess 'unintended consequence' of game's new era

By BILL WHITEHEAD you sacrifice and do the
Associated Press right things, you'll eventual-
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — ly find a way to get there."
To Hall of Fame catcher "The game is changing,
Mike Piazza, the sign-steal- there's no question about
ing scandal that's envel- it. I feel like a dinosaur," the
oped Major League Base- 51-year-old Piazza said.
ball signals where the sport The stretch of road on 31
is these days. Piazza Drive is a short one,
"Unfortunately, it's an unin- but it stretched all the way
tended consequence of to Sicily for Piazza.
the digital age and all this "What a tremendous honor,
information," Piazza said. especially being a resident
Piazza was at the New of Florida the last 30 years,"
York Mets' spring training said Piazza, who teared
complex on Thursday for a up momentarily during his
street naming ceremony, speech when recalling his
two hours before the team ailing father, Vince.
let go new manager Car- Santa Lucia, the namesake
los Beltrán. Beltrán was the of St. Lucie County, came
third manager to lose his from Syracuse in Sicily, the
job this week in the wake homeland of the Piazza
of the cheating scheme by family.
the Astros. Houston manag- Former New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza, right, acknowledges the crowd as Mets COO Jeff "I wish he was here today
er AJ Hinch was suspended Wilpon, left, claps during a ceremony to name a street Piazza Dr., in front of the Mets spring to see this because he's
training facility, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
by MLB and then fired by Associated Press been such an inspiration
the club. in my career. He's not do-
Alex Cora, the Astros' ers, was 95 percent on pi- you imagine if Nolan Ryan the 1988 June draft, Piazza ing well health-wise … but
bench coach in their 2017 tchouts when I was catch- knew you were relaying his said he was unaware of he called me this morning
championship season, was ing. It would be uncanny. signs? You'd probably be MLB's proposal to trim the and wanted to wish me the
ousted by the Red Sox. Bel- He would have the third missing a head." draft down to about 20 best," Piazza said.
trán was the only Houston base coach's signs, when The Mets held a dedica- rounds. The complex's main sta-
player mentioned in MLB's they were going to steal or tion ceremony for Piazza, "Twenty rounds? I would dium will be renamed Clo-
report. hit-and-run. And he would renaming a street on the have never been here to- ver Park next month after
"I think it's a very sad epi- call the pitchout. He would renovated spring complex day," Piazza replied with Fiserv purchased the nam-
sode for the game," Piazza watch them, but that's fair that serves as the home a laugh. "Look, one thing I ing rights. A year-long $57
said. Piazza recalled his game." of the Advanced Class A know about baseball is that million renovation project is
early days behind the plate "But obviously to use a St. Lucie Mets and hub for it's like college. If you have scheduled to be complet-
in the big leagues. camera and relay it to the New York's rehabilitating the grades, you're going to ed once New York's pitch-
"My first bench coach, Joe dugout is something I can't players. graduate. If you're talented ers and catchers report on
Amalfitano with the Dodg- relate to," he said. "Can A 62nd-round selection in and you are persistent and Feb. 10.q

Beltrán tire organization success in
the future," Beltrán said in
Continued from Page 17 stances, it became clear the statement.
to all parties that it was not Beltrán becomes the first
Next to fall was Beltrán, in anyone's best interest manager to be let go with-
the only Astros player for Carlos to move forward out managing a game
mentioned by name Mon- as manager of the New since Wally Backman, who
day when MLB issued its York Mets. We believe that was hired by Arizona in
findings from an investiga- Carlos was honest and November 2004 and fired
tion into the club's con- forthcoming with us. We four days later after legal
duct. No players were are confident that this will and financial problems
disciplined, but the nine- not be the final chapter were revealed.
page report said Beltrán in his baseball career. We When the Mets hired Bel-
was among the group in- remain excited about the tran in November, Van
volved in the team's illicit talent on this team and Wagenen said: "We can
use of electronics to pilfer are committed to reach- trust Carlos, and that goes
signs during Houston's run ing our goals of winning In this Nov. 4, 2019, file photo, new New York Mets manager, a long way."
to the 2017 World Series now and in the future." Carlos Beltran, center, poses for a picture with general A little more than two
championship. The 42-year-old Beltrán, manager Brodie Van Wagenen, left, and Mets COO Jeff Wilpon months later, Beltrán is out
during a baseball news conference at Citi Field in New York.
"We met with Carlos last with no managerial ex- Beltran is out as manager of the Mets. The team announced in the wake of transgres-
night and again this morn- perience, was hired to the move Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. sions that occurred with a
ing and agreed to mutu- replace Mickey Callaway Associated Press different organization, ac-
ally part ways. This was not as Mets manager on Nov. cording to MLB.
an easy decision," Mets 1. The former New York during a news conference for giving me the oppor- And the Mets are looking
general manager Brodie slugger was given a three- at Citi Field. tunity, but we agreed this for a new manager again.
Van Wagenen and Chief year contract with a club "At a meeting this morning decision is in the best inter- They will be the 11th team
Operating Officer Jeff Wil- option for 2023 and intro- with Jeff and Brodie we est of the team. I couldn't to change managers
pon said in a statement. duced three days later by mutually agreed to part let myself be a distraction since opening day of last
"Considering the circum- Van Wagenen and Wilpon ways. I'm grateful to them for the team. I wish the en- year.q