Carl Everett knows he still has the talent to play baseball at any level. Edgardo Alfonzo believes he could step into any lineup and contribute.
The closest Everett, 36, and Alfonzo, 33, will get to the major leagues on this day is watching the Mets-Phillies game on the clubhouse television at Citibank Park, home of the Long Island Ducks.
The two former Mets, along with P.J. Rose (son of Pete Rose), anchor the middle of the Ducks’ lineup, trying to prove they deserve one more shot at the big leagues.
“That’s the only reason why we are here,” Everett said of his desire to get back to a major-league team. “You can make more at McDonald’s than you do here.
“For me, it’s all about getting back into shape, and I hope everyone here is trying to get back to an affiliated team. If you’re content with the Ducks being your final destination as a ballplayer, I advise you to go home and give someone else a shot.”
Everett, sporting his 2005 World Series ring from the White Sox, scoffs at the idea he could not play at baseball’s top level.
“There is no doubt [I could],” said Everett, who hit .227 with 11 home runs for the Seattle Mariners last season. “If I didn’t think I could play, I wouldn’t be here.”
Alfonzo said he still has the talent that made him a centerpiece of the 2000 National League champion Mets.
“I got what I was looking for here: at-bats and confidence,” Alfonzo said. “I am hitting well, fielding real good, and I am ready to go.”
Everett and Alfonzo are two of the more accomplished former big leaguers on the Ducks, but they are not alone. Jose Offerman, Damian Rolls, Donovan Osborne, John Halama and Danny Graves are a few of the dozen former big leaguers who don Ducks green, orange and white in the independent Atlantic League.
Alfonzo struggled out of the gate this season recovering from an ailing knee, but had his average up to .262 with three home runs and 30 RBIs heading into yesterday’s game. Everett led the Ducks with 11 home runs and was batting .275 with 39 RBIs.
“It is hard to go from playing every day to playing every other week,” said Alfonzo, who hit .124 in brief stints with the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels last season. “It just slows up your whole routine.”
Everett said he thinks his negative reputation is the reason he is not playing in the big leagues. It’s a reputation he believes was created by the media.
“Everything that was said about me by the press in Boston was a lie,” said Everett, who played for the Red Sox in 2000-01. “But because it is written and it is in papers, people will believe it.”
When Everett signed with the Red Sox, they hoped he would be their next great slugger, but a fiery temper along with some interesting beliefs made him an easy target for the Boston press.
They dubbed him “C. Everett Kook” and “Jurassic Carl” because he said he believes dinosaurs did not exist. They called him overrated and selfish despite the fact he hit 34 home runs and had 108 RBIs in his first season with the Bosox.
Buddy Harrelson, who played shortstop for the Mets from 1965-77, has been involved with the Ducks since their inception in 2000. He is vice president of baseball operations, part owner, and third-base coach.
“Anyone who knows [Carl] wouldn’t say that,” Harrelson said of Everett’s reputation. “He is a great kid.”
Everett and Alfonzo both joined the Mets in 1995. Everett saw limited time under Dallas Green; Alfonzo blossomed and became a fan favorite in Queens.
After three seasons, when Everett didn’t hit over .260, he was traded from the Mets to the Astros for little-used reliever John Hudek. Alfonzo batted .291 in his eight years with the Mets, getting some clutch hits during the team’s playoff runs.
If Alfonzo or Everett makes it back to the big leagues, they will be in the minority. Carlos Baerga, Pedro Borbon Jr., Bill Pulsipher and Ken Ray are the four players who have gone from Long Island to the major leagues.
Harrelson said he believes Everett and Alfonzo are major-league ready right now.
“Everett’s hitting the crap out of the ball,” Harrelson said. “He is starting to feel what he used to be.
“And Alfonzo looks great at shortstop. In his mind, he is not done, but in professional baseball’s mind, who knows? They are just waiting for that opportunity when they are really needed.”