MET NOTES
Rey Sanchez was broomed out of town like unwanted hair on a barbershop floor, getting traded to Seattle last night for minor-league outfielder Kenny Kelly.
Even before the well-coifed Sanchez was sent to the Mariners, though, the Mets had put him on ice. He hadn’t played in four of the previous six games and didn’t record an at-bat since July 20.
Last night was Joe McEwing’s 10th straight start at second base, and Art Howe was perfectly content giving McEwing a crack at the everyday job.
“He’s been a bright spot in the last week to 10 days,” Howe said before the 6-3 loss to Milwaukee.
Sanchez, the starting shortstop before Jose Reyes was called up, left with a .207 average and the embarrassing stigma of the “Hair Club for Mets” incident in St. Louis. He was allegedly caught by Mike Stanton getting an in-game haircut, which a Post source insisted was administered by Armando Benitez.
McEwing had raised his average from .218 to .247 since he began starting on July 20. His average was .211 on July 11, but he and hitting coach Denny Walling retooled his stroke to eliminate his crouch and head movements.
McEwing has drawn eight walks in the previous nine games and joked, “I think I’ve walked more in the last three weeks than my entire life. It’s an outstanding feeling; it’s giving yourself a chance to hit in hitter’s counts.”
Kelly is a former University of Miami quarterback with speed and a strong arm who is still learning to hit. He’ll report to Triple-A Norfolk. Jason Roach was recalled from the Tides to replace Sanchez.
* Chalk up another shaky outing for John Franco, who hit a batter, walked two and threw a wild pitch. Franco pitched a scoreless eighth.
* Davey Johnson was on hand for Gary Carter Night. He received a nice ovation in his first club function since getting fired in 1990. He won’t manage again, he said.
“I really don’t see that happening,” he said. “I’m not gonna put myself through that stress.”
Reminded of 72-year-old Jack McKeon, the 60-year-old Johnson asked, “Is he married? Or Felipe (Alou)?”
Johnson’s memory of Carter was as a great team player who never wanted a day off.
“The moments that stand out are when I benched him and rested him,” Johnson said. “The sucker was in my face all day long making my life miserable, but in a good way. There were a lot of good moments. Too many.”
Of his 1986 champions, he said, “We were not going to be denied.”
