Daily Archives: February 4, 2003

METS FIND RELIGION

The Mets have hired Brett Butler, senior member of the born-again God Squad, as a minor league outfield coach. His primary purpose with the Mets will be to help Roger Cedeno become a competent center fielder. Let me be frank is wishing him, good fuggin luck. Apparently coach Gary Petitis–a terrific center fielder in his day—alone won’t enough to help cure Cedeno’s woeful approach to the position, so perhaps Butler’s presence will bring some divine intervention.

The Post reports:

Butler has a connection with Cedeno, who was his Dodger teammate in 1996-97, the same period Butler went through a well-publicized battle against throat cancer.

In fact, with Butler limited to 81 starts in center field during the 1996 and ’97 seasons, Cedeno was one of his primary fill-ins, playing 102 games in center with 72 starts. That was before Cedeno galvanized a reputation as a poor outfielder, a distinction he only enhanced last season with the Mets when he played strictly left field.

It’s going to take a whole lot more than the Lord to give Cedeno a clue out there, but then again, a little Jesus never hurt anybody.

WATERMELON MAN

Cuban conga legend Mongo Santamaria passed away last Saturday at the age of 85. For those who are unfamiliar with Mongo, he was a formidable presence in both the Latin and Jazz scenes from the 1950s through the 1970s. Early in his career he played with Latino legends like Perez Prado and Tito Puente, but Santamaria carved out his niche in the Latin Jazz idom with men like vibraphonist, Cal Tjader, and Mr. Willie Bobo, who played the timbales. Mongo also played with Chick Corea, Ray Vega, and Hubert Laws, but he’s perhaps most famous for gigging with Herbie Hancock.

According to Ben Ratliff’s obit in the New York Times:

…In late 1962 he wandered back toward New York and the jazz side of the fence, convening a band led by a trumpet and two saxophones.

One night when Herbie Hancock substituted for his regular pianist at a Bronx nightclub, the group worked out a Latin groove underneath Mr. Hancock’s new composition “Watermelon Man”; Mr. Santamaria quickly took it to the studio, and the song became the only time that Riverside, the distinguished jazz label, had a song on the top-10 pop charts.

That marked the beginning of the Latin-soul sound, popular through the 1960’s. Mr. Santamaria signed with Columbia and made 10 records in a similar vein, Latinizing jazz tunes or R & B vocal numbers; when he was signed to Atlantic in 1971, he was so inured to the process that he left the decisions about the songs entirely to his musical director, Marty Sheller.

Here is a decent web site for those of you who are interested in checking out Mongo’s music..

“Watermelon Man” (Fantasy) is a great place to start. “Soy Yo” (Concord) is a terrific record too, and “Sabroso” (Fantasy) is probably my favorite. The compositions on “Sabroso” feature the interesting additions of a fiddle and a flute. How anyone can make a flute sound masculine is beyond me, but the Latino’s rock it lovely, indeed.

HEY MISTER DJ PLAY THAT SONG

Derek Jeter, who was criticized this off-season by Yankee owner George Steinbrenner for paying too much attention to his extra ciricular activities, at the expense of his baseball responsibilities, has surfaced with a rebuttal. According to a report in today’s Daily News:

As [Jeter] left the Yankees minor league complex wearing a black sweatsuit and driving a black SUV yesterday, Jeter was asked if he’s going to change anything about his lifestyle.

“I’m not going to change,” Jeter said. “Not at all.”

…Yesterday, Jeter admitted he was surprised to find himself in The Boss’ crosshairs, but shook his head when asked if the words hurt.

“One thing you realize is that The Boss is The Boss,” he said. “Everyone who works has a boss they have to deal with. Bosses are entitled to their own opinion.”

The two met recently to discuss the issue as well as Steinbrenner’s public comments criticizing the All-Star for his defensive play in 2002 and his lack of focus.

…”We met and we talked about it,” Jeter said. “It’s pretty much over.”

Jeter lives in the Tampa area and has been working out regularly for more than a week. Yesterday he took batting practice and fielded 75-100 ground balls. He was joined for his workout by catcher Jorge Posada and infielder Drew Henson. Pitcher David Wells was also at the complex working out.

Jeter is excited about starting a new season and putting last year’s playoff loss to the Angels behind him. He is also happy to have cleared the air with The Boss. Still, it is clear he doesn’t agree with all his employer has said.

“Bosses can say what they want to say,” Jeter said. “Right or wrong, he gets to say what he wants to say.”

Jeter’s comments are characteristically measured and tame; don’t let the inflammatory headlines fool you. It’s interesting to note that Jeter actually met with Steinbrenner before he made any public statements. Jeter clearly isn’t interested in taking George on in the tabliods. As irked as the future Yankee captain may be over the Boss’ comments, one thing is for sure: we’ve come a long way since the Bronx Zoo, baby.

ONLY THE LONELY

Isolation and lonliness are major components of baseball culture. They are obviously magnified for foreign players coming to the States for the first time. Both Hideki Matsui and Jose Contreras will face the difficulties of lonliness this season, though they will be handsomely paid for their struggles:

“It is a bit lonely leaving my country,” the 28-year-old [Matsuir] said [yesterday] before getting on the New York-bound flight from Tokyo’s Narita Airport. “There will be a lot for me to learn.”

The sense of isolation is irrevocably more complex for Contreras, who unlike Matsui, won’t be returning home any time soon:

Al Avila, assistant general manager of the Detroit Tigers, says two reasons many Cuban pitchers fail after their escape are the new, higher level of competition and the homesickness they confront.

The Cuban national team travels the baseball world. Excluding exhibitions like the one with Baltimore three years ago, in which Contreras starred, they are rarely challenged.

“Homesickness might be the biggest obstacle,” says Avila, whose father, Ralph, took his family from Castro’s Cuba to the USA and became a scout and executive for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Many players, Avila says, must leave a family behind, with no guarantees it will be reunited.

The cultural changes also present hardships. The players, Avila says, are dazzled by the money after leaving an island where giving a can of shaving cream, a hair bush, jeans, CDs or other consumer items makes one a friend for life.

“To get away from a dictatorship and then to have everything, it can be a dangerous transition,” Avila says