PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) -After enduring three seasons of 90 losses or more in Seattle, J.J. Putz is perfectly pleased to taking a step down from the closer’s role now that he’s on a contender.
“I still consider myself a closer, but after what I went through in Seattle, I just want to win,” Putz said. “The bottom line is winning. The opportunity to play in the postseason is everything.
“I tell everybody, it’s the same three outs, just an inning earlier. My job is to close the game in the eighth inning.”
In 2006, Putz saved 36 games with a 2.30 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 78 innings. He followed that up with 40 saves, a 1.38 ERA and his first all-star appearance in 2007. Injuries limited Putz to just 15 saves last season.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound right-hander reported to camp early this spring and has been getting acquainted with Mets’ pitchers John Maine, Mike Pelfrey, Johan Santana and Oliver Perez, among others.
here forever,” Putz said. “So far it’s been awesome. They seem like a bunch of great guys.”
Putz knows why he and Francisco Rodriguez were brought in after the Mets’ recent late-season bullpen drama.
“That stuff doesn’t bother me,” Putz said. “The one thing I am most proud of is if I don’t do my job that night, (the media) won’t have to look for me. I’ll be right there in front of them. That’s the beauty of being in the bullpen – there’s always tomorrow.”
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MAINE EVENT: Maine is sure he’s ready to go after missing the final month of last season.
“I feel 100 percent,” Maine said. “Who knows what the trainers and doctors are going to say, but, I feel 100 percent. I don’t think there are any limitations, and I’m ready to go.”
Maine had to watch from the bench as the Mets were eliminated from the postseason on the final day of the season for the second year in a row.
“It was tough, I think because I missed the last month and a half of pitching and we lost by a game again,” Maine said “I think I could have helped to make up one game at least, and that was the toughest part just sitting and watching and not being able to help. It was hard not getting out there.”
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d Thursday. The two are among the candidates to be the Mets’ fifth starter, along with veteran Freddy Garcia.
“I’m just glad to be here, on a team that has the potential to go to the World Series, win the World Series,” Redding said. “If I’m the fourth or fifth starter, if the long guy, if someone goes down in the bullpen and I get moved to a one-inning guy, I don’t care. I’ve done all those in my career. I’ve been a closer in the minor leagues. I’ve been a set-p guy and a starter. I’ll just get out here, get my arm ready and have fun.”
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‘CRASH’ PELFREY: Pelfrey wore a motorcycle helmet during Thursday’s workout after a cart mishap at a local golf course.
At the wheel, Pelfrey headed onto an adjacent hole to retrieve an errant shot from a sand trap, when he saw a drive from the tee coming toward him. He took evasive action and wound up tipping the cart over into the trap.
No one was hurt, and his companions – Ryan Church, Brian Schneider, Johan Santana and Carlos Muniz – helped him get the cart back upright.
Maine announced that he was revoking Pelfrey’s driving privileges.
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