MET NOTS
For a while, Cliff Floyd appeared to be a goner, likely in an offseason trade for Sammy Sosa. But yesterday afternoon, there was Floyd at his Tradition Field locker, back with the Mets for his third season.
For that, he’s glad.
“I never once thought it was best for me to go,” Floyd said. “I think that if you have any heart, any character, I think you want to prove to a team and to a city and to the fans that you can play the game. You can produce. You can be a part of a team like this and help this team win games.
“I don’t want to be the guy who comes in, gets his money and then escapes. I still have something to prove to myself and to the fans who backed me and to everybody who’s backed me through the tough times.”
Floyd, who still remains a trade possibility, said he doesn’t harbor any ill will toward the Mets for exploring trade discussions.
“I was never mad or upset at anything,” he said. “I understand the business. I understand that part of the game. I don’t have hard feelings for the team for putting my name out there in trade rumors. This game is about producing. You look at my numbers the last couple years. You can say I’ve been injured, but it’s about production. My numbers haven’t been outstanding. You have to understand where they’re coming from. No hard feelings there.”
Health-wise, Floyd said “everything’s feeling awesome,” no small accomplishment for a player who’s failed to reach 400 at-bats in either of his two seasons at Shea. As for his outspokenness, which got him into some trouble last year, Floyd promised to still be honest but said he might use more discretion.
“You learn from your mistakes,” he said.
*
The last time Scott Strickland pitched in a major league game was May 10, 2003. But Strickland, who underwent Tommy John surgery on June 17, 2003, is finally healthy. And this year, he said he feels like he finally can be back on the team.
“I’m not going to worry about winning or losing the job,” he said. “I’m just going to go out there and worry about getting back to what I know I can do.”
If Strickland can regain his old form, he could be a big answer to the Mets’ bullpen questions. Before getting hurt in 2003, he posted a 2.25 ERA in 19 games. In 236 career innings, the hard-throwing righty struck out 241.
*
Mike Piazza hit a batting-practice homer on Field 4 that landed on Field 3. .. After a winter of weightlifting, Jason Phillips put on 15 pounds.
