MET NOTES
PORT ST. LUCIE – As long as Armando Benitez produces the way Miguel Tejada did last season, Art Howe will have no problem with a tardy arrival.
Howe called Benitez’s absence from camp a non-issue yesterday, saying Tejada, his former Oakland shortstop, missed the first few days of camp last year due to visa problems before being named American League MVP.
“It didn’t seem to affect him too much,” Howe joked of Tejada.
Benitez is delayed for the third straight spring due to “personal issues,” but Howe spoke with him on the phone recently and said, “He’s gonna be fine.”
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The pitchers had their first official workout. Graeme Lloyd was the only other pitcher who didn’t report Thursday, but he straightened out his visa problems and arrived from Australia. Asked if Lloyd stepped right off the plane and onto the practice field, Howe quipped, “I don’t know. It looked like it.”
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Howe has already shown a penchant for one-liners and the ability to not take himself so seriously. On Thursday, the 56-year-old contrasted spring training in Florida versus Arizona by deadpanning, “I was the youngest guy in the restaurant the other night.”
Yesterday, he discussed the pitchers’ attempts to handle a bat in bunting drills. Tom Glavine had told pitching coach Vern Ruhle that the Braves practice bunting against pitchers on the first day of camp. When the Met hurlers tried it, with terrible results, Howe said, “Right now I have a better chance than most of these guys, and I haven’t hit in a long time.”
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Glavine already seemed in late spring training shape during a brief workout caught by Mike Piazza . . . Grant Roberts and John Franco didn’t throw yesterday. Roberts was put on the DL twice last season with tendinitis in his arm and shoulder, and the medical staff wants to be cautious. Franco, who made 100 tosses earlier on two days earlier this week, also is being brought along slowly . . . Bruce Benedict was promoted to special assistant to GM Steve Phillips and Duffy Dyer was hired as the team’s advance scout . . . Mets tickets go on sale tomorrow at the Shea Stadium box office.