Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • 37

Wednesday, May 23, 2001 THE HARTFORD COURANT C5 BASEBALL i He's Found A Field He Really Loves Mellon Working At Fenway 'An Honor' Armas, Expos Trip Up Mets Combined Wire Services By PAULDOYIE Courant Staff Writer BOSTON On a cloudy morning early in the season, team employees methodically manicured the lawn at Fenway Park. The Red Sox were on a road trip and there was no game scheduled at Fenway for more thana week, but the infield was raked and watered with a sense of urgency. Walking amid the grounds crew, David Mellor bounced across the infield with the enthusiasm of a player running the bases. In the silence of an empty stadium, he is point I- A-- 4 1 i i ing and talking, kicking dirt and touching grass. "Fenway Park," Mellor says later.

"I mean, it's an honor to be here." That may sound a little sappy for a guy who has been a big league Eroundskeerjer for I MELLOR Sri nr. i i i "The aesthetics are important," Mellor said. "You want fans to have an entire experience when they come to the game. You only have one chance to make a first impression." Mellor has written a book about lawn maintenance "Picture Perfect Mowing Pattern Techniques for Lawn, Sports, and Golf that will be published in June. He also has helped minor league teams design patterns for Ail-Star Games and his work has been featured in publications for years.

For the past three years, Mellor was instrumental in planning for a new field in Milwaukee. Just as Miller Park was about to open, the Reds contacted Mellor. Since Mellor grew up near Cincinnati and his wife's family was in the area, he was intrigued. Before he made a decision, though, the Red Sox came calling. At the urging of legendary Fenway turf man Joe Moo-ney, the team targeted Mellor as its next groundskeeper.

Mooney, 71, was plotting his retirement and saw Mellor as a worthy replacement Actually, he may be more than worthy players already have seen an improvement at Fenway. For years, players have been griping about the condition of the Fenway infield, continually calling it the worst in baseball. Even loyal employee Nomar Garciaparra, never one to rock the boat has said the infield is poor. Under Mellor, though, the infield is better. "You can see a difference," second baseman Jose Offerman said.

"It was very, very bad before. It's not a big difference, but it's better. I think Mellor is doing a good job. He's talked to us. He's trying." Said infielder Lou Merloni, now with Triple A Pawtucket "You have to understand where it's coming from and how low it was.

It's better, but they have a ways to go. But IH give him credit for making a difference. Ifs only been a few months, and he's made it better." Mellor says he has talked to players and he is happy to hear of the positive feedback. He knew nothing about the condition of the field before he arrived and has nothing but nice things to say about Mooney. Not only has Mooney been a guide for all of the ghosts of the park, but he has provided advice on how to survive New England winters.

One interesting recommendation from Mooney. Rather than remove snow there would be nowhere to put it outside of Fenway Mooney told Mellor to simplypile it against the Green Monster. That's the hottest part of the park, so the snow will melt "There are so many little things that are unique to this park," Mellor said. "Joe has been invaluable. Just so supportive and helpful.

I'm honored to replace him. You have to understand, he is a legend in this field. He's someone I would often call to pick his brain and I still am." ASSOCIATED PRESS RED SOX PITCHER David Cone returns to the scene of his perfect game with the Yankees two years ago. Back On Familiar Ground Cone Looking Forward To Facing Former Teammates MONTREAL In the awkward, quiet moments after the Mets' fourth loss in five games this year at desolate Olympic Stadium, Todd Zeile suggested the plastic field is a health hazard. Zeile is in favor of ripping out the hard artificial turf on which he committed an error that led to an unearned run and a base-running gaffe that might have taken a run off the board.

The rest of the Mets offense stumbled again in a 3-0 Tuesday loss to Montreal, the sixth time the Mets have been shut out this year. Expos starter Tony Armas Jr. (4-5) ran his scoreless streak to 19 innings, allowing seven hits in seven innings. This is the worst field in the history of baseball," said Zeile, who charged and booted Geoff Blum's short-hop grounder in the sixth, an error that led to a run. "It's actually not safe, I think.

The turf is 1,000 years old, there are seams showing." Rookie Dicky Gonzalez showed the Mets that he has the stuff to anchor the No. 5spot in the rotation. For all of the grit Gonzalez (1-2) showed in six innings (eight hits, three runs, two earned), the Mets (18-27) slipped into last place in the National League East And, for the fifth time they failed to win a third consecutive game. The Mets were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and blew their last chance in the ninth against closer Ugueth Urbina. With two men on, Darren Bragg struck out and Zeile (2-for-5) grounded out to end it In the fifth, Zeile was thrown out at second trying to stretch a single into a double.

The crowd of 4,186 was Montreal's smallest since Oct 1, 1990, when 4,120 watched a game against St Louis. Orlando Cabrera's run-scoring single off Gonzalez (1-2) opened the scoring in the fifth and the Expos added two more in the sixth on Vlaclimir Guerrero's leadoff homer and Andy Tracy's RBI single, which came after Zeile's error. Ordonez To Pay Much More Mets shortstop Rey Ordonez has agreed to pay his ex-wife $6,250 a month in child support while the couple works out a permanent agreement according to Broward County, Fla, court documents. The agreement amounts to a huge raise for Hilda Maria Fiallo, who had been granted monthly child support payments of $1.50 by a Cuban court Fiallo, who was divorced from Ordonez more than seven years ago, wanted $7,790 a month. Fiallo left Cuba with the couple's son, Rey a year ago this month.

Ordonez signed a four-year, $19 million contact with the Mets in January 2000. 16 years. And it may sound out of place at an aging park where most long-time employees scowl more often than they smile. Still, working inside the antiquated park with many antiquated workers, Mellor is like a child set free. The Red Sox's new director of grounds arrived in January from Milwaukee, where he left the newest ballpark in America for a chance to work at the oldest To Mellor, the choice was obvious he was coming to a legendary park.

"I can't imagine a better job," Mellor says. "I can't imagine a better place to be. For me, this is a dream come true." Mellor, 38, grew up an ardent Red Sox fan in Ohio his family history is traced to New England and his older brother was born in Massachusetts and he always dreamed of working at Fenway. Like most kids who worship at the altar of the Green Monster, he imagined himself wearing a Red Sox uniform. He was actually on his way to a bright baseball future before a he was hit by a car when he was a high school senior.

He required a series of knee operations and his playing days were over, so he enrolled at Ohio State and set out to pursue a career as a groundskeeper. Mellor wound up as the assistant groundskeeper in Milwaukee and quickly earned the reputation of one of the best in the business. Mellor's knowledge of turf maintenance and his ability to use the field as his personal canvas drew attention from all over the country. At the old County Stadium in Milwaukee, Mellor's mowing patterns were described as artistic and creative. He sometimes relied on his daughters now 7 and 11 to draw a pattern he would emulate on the field.

His designs were undetectable on the field, but TV commentators and fans in the upper decks were entertained. Tm very confident in the team I'm on right now. We have the best pitcher Pedro Martinez and the best hitter Manny Ramirez with big hopes of Nomar Garciaparra coming back. The depth of this club reminds me of that Yankees team in '98 when all 25 guys contributed." Cone's remarks weren't tongue in cheek, but somehow he seemed to be tweaking the Yankees a bit He knows what this rivalry means to New York and New England fans. Unlike so many Red Sox and Yankees players who contend the rivalry is greater in the stands than on the field, Cone said, Tlayers feed off that rivalry, don't let them kid you." And now Cone hopes to feed off it His first shot is tonight against Andy Pettitte.

Tuesday night's rainout threatened to kin Cone's start at the Stadium. Tim Wakefield was to have started Tuesday night and could have been pushed back to tonight But Williams chose to keep Cone on schedule and will have Wakefield to use out of the bullpen in case Cone runs into early danger. The first inning is the toughest for a starting pitcher when the emotions are riding high," Cone said, "and my emotions will be riding high. I expect crowd reaction to be somewhat mixed. The passionate baseball fans will see me in the Red Sox uniform and let me have it and others will remember my years with the Yankees." On his way into the Stadium Tuesday night Cone peered up at the outside wall where the dates of the Yankees' 26 World Series victories are listed.

"I always noticed the years of all the world championships," Cone said. That block of four 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 is a big part of my life." His past life, that is. Cone rates tonight's assignment high on his regular season list of highly anticipated starts, topped only by his first game back after a four-month layoff following surgery to remove an aneurysm in his right arm in 1996. He pitched seven hitless innings in Oakland. "There have been bigger postseason games for me," Cone said, "but nothing in the regular season more important than that game in Oakland." Cone would love to achieve something similar By JACK O'CONNELL Courant Staff Writer NEW YORK David Cone did not feel like a stranger Tuesday.

After all, he has maintained an apartment in Manhattan for most of his 15 seasons in the major leagues. Cone got to sleep in his own bed rather than at some midtown hotel. The few fans standing in the rain by the players' entrance at Yankee Stadium did not boo him. Tm not sure they recognized me, to tell you the truth," Cone said. "The weather was good cover for me." That could be very different tonight when Cone returns to the Stadium mound wearing a different uniform.

Not just any uniform, mind you. Cone has pitched at the Stadium before as an opponent during his years in Kansas City and Toronto, but this time he'll be outfitted in the red, white and blue of the Red Sox. Tm still getting used to it myself," Cone said. "I like it though." Cone loves his choice of teams after spending SH years with the Yankees only to find they had no interest in re-signing him for 2001. After a 4-14 season, Cone knew he had no leverage, either.

When Red Sox manager Jimy Williams and pitching coach Joe Kerrigan visited Cone in Florida over the winter, the pitcher's interest in Boston was piqued. And this waswhen Cone was working out a deal with Texas. "I can't help but think I'm very lucky the way things turned out" said Cone, who could have been lingering in last place in the American League West with Alex Rodriguez and the Rangers. "A-Rod phoned me shortly after he signed and tried to persuade me to go there. I was close, but we never got settled on the contract language.

That opened the window for the Red Sox." Now Cone is in first place in the American League East, a position with which he is familiar from his Yankees years, although he is the first to admit he has had little to do with it Cone wants very much to be a factor in a season in which he believes the Red Sox thirst for a championship might be quenched. "To me, as naive as this may sound coming from a newcomer to Boston, I think we have a chance to do it," Cone said, meaning to win the World Series, something the Red Sox haven't done since everyone knows when. Rodriguez Down By DOM AMORE Courant Staff Writer Expos 3, Mets 0 It? NEW YORK Clay Bellinger had that queasy feeling all morning. "You'd be stupid not to think about it" Bellinger said. "When you're not out of options, it kind of puts you at the top of the list- YANKEES NOTEBOOK Lewis Knows O'Lears Position NEW YORK AIR HUBS SO AV6 Bragg rf 5 0 3 0 0 1 .296 Zeile 1b 5 0 2 0 0 1 .252 Alfonzo2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .252 Piazzac 4 0 0 0 0 0 .254 Ventura 3b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .275 Agbayanilf 4 0 1 0 0 2 .302 Shinjocf 3 0 2 0 1 0 .309 ROrdonezss 2 0 0 0 1 1 .241 DHamiltonph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .121 Gonzalez 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 LHarrisph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .176 RiWhitep 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Relaford ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 .339 Totals 35 0 9 0 3 7 MONTREAL AS It HHSO AVfl OCabrera ss 4 0 2 1 0 0 .275 Pride If 3 0 3 0 1 0 .290 Bradley cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .232 VGuerrerorf 4 1 1 1 0 0 .297 Stevens 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .234 Blum 2b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .228 Tracy 3b 2 11110 .138 Mordecai pr-3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .182 Barrett 3 0 1 0 0 0 .208 Armas 3 0 0 0 0 0 .250 GMotap 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 Urbina 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 32 310 3 2 3 NEW YORK 000 000 00O 0 9 1 MONTREAL 000 012 0Q-3 10 0 "That would be the one positive," Bellinger said, "111 get some at-bats, get comfortable at the plate." Rodriguez, who will make $1.5 million this season, will be a left-handed pinch hitter and occasional DH.

"I don't see him playing the outfield for us with both David Justice and Paul O'Neill," Torre said. "I don't anticipate us being all left-handed-hitting outfielders. He'll play off the bench, maybe DH on occasioa" Rodriguez hit .256 with 20 homers and 61 RBI for Florida and the Chicago Cubs last season. Makeup Date: June 4 The Yankees-Red Sox rainout was rescheduled for June 4 at 7:05 p.m The 24 Navy personnel who were detained in China last month after their surveillance plane made an emergency landing will be honored before the game tonight Yankees lefthander Andy Pettitte will face David Cone tonight and Mike Mussina will pitch against Pedro Martinez Thursday afternoon. The Red Sox are skipping Tim Wakefield because of the rainout Paul O'Neill is coming off a l-for-22 trip.

"Usually, when you're in a dry spell, you're striking out, not doing the things that give you a chance to get a hit" he said. "That's not the case here." John Valentin was in the lineup at shortstop for the Red Sox despite a sore right heel "It's killing me," Valentin said. 'It started hurting me about three weeks ago during my rehab." After the Yankees' game with the Red Sox was rained out Tuesday, Bellinger, 32, a utility player who spent 10 years in the minor leagues before breaking through in 1999, learned he was headed back to Columbus. "Manager Joe Torre just said, 'Hopefully youH be back Bellinger said. "It wasn't like last year when he said, 'YouH be back in 10 Henry Rodriguez, 33, was added to the roster after spending two months on the disabled list with a strained lower back.

Outfielders Michael Coleman and Robert Perez were out of minor league options. So Bellinger, a favorite of Torre and bench coach Don Zimmer who can play every position except pitcher, was sent down. With one hit in 19 at-bats, regular playing time in the minor leagues might help should the Yankees trade Coleman and bring Bellinger back later in the year. left I could easily be sent down. The way things are going, we're in first place and I am happy playing when I am." Bichette, who lost his job as the everyday DH at the end of spring training, said he doesn't blame CLeary.

"I totally understand it" Bichette said. "It's a tough situation. I've gotten over it and now I'm at the point where I just want to contribute when I get the opportunity. I believe in myself. When the opportunity arises, Tm prepared." Darren Lewis also understands CLeary.

"He's at the point of his career where he can't sit out" Lewis said. "He'sgot to play. He's a player that can bepro-ductive in the right circumstances. That's a difficult thing for him to accept now. Mentally, he probably shouldn't accept it" Lewis didn't have a choice last season.

He lost his job as the starting center fielder when the Red Sox acquired. Carl Everett It was the second time that Lewis had been supplanted. He privately asked the White Sox to trade himinl997. "I didn't use the papers," Lewis said. "I just went right to the man and asked him.

They were kind enough to get me out of there at a good time." Continued from Page CI CLeary may want out of Boston. It doesn't seem to make sense. "It's hard," first baseman Brian Daubach said. "I don't know how to answer it Just try to do the best you can when you're in there. Obviously, the better you play, you probably get more time." In recent weeks, Daubach's playing time has decreased.

Offerman, a switch hitter, has been hot Williams has kept him in the lineup by starting him at first kieping Daubach (.234) on the bench. Other factors come into play, such as a player's contract CLeary, for example, is coming off a bad season and is in the final year of a contract paying him about $4 million. Not playing regularly makes it difficult for him to put up numbers and drives down his value. "It's all part of it" Daubach said. "It would be a lot easier for me if I had a guaranteed contract for next year.

I'm one of the lowest paid players on the team and I have no guarantees for next year. At the same time, Tm happy we're in first place. "In my situation, I can't say anything. I've got options Zeile (4). LOB New York 1 1, Montreal 7.

28 Bragg 2 (4), Agbayani (7). Barrett (7). HR VGuerrero (8) off Gonzalez. RBI OCabrera (21). VGuerrero (26), Tracy (4).

SB Relaford (3), OCabrera (5). Blum (1). CS Pride (2). DP New York 2. NEW YORK IP RERBBSO NP ERA Gonzalez 1-2 6 8 3 2 2 1 100 5.64 RiWhite 2 2 0 0 0 2 25 4.91 MONTREAL IP RERBBSO NP ERA Armas 4-5 7 7 0 0 2 6 112 3.09 GMota 1 0 0 0 1 0 14 3.20 urbina 7 1 2 0 0 0 1 24 422 Umpires Home.

Marquez; First, Rippley; Second, Winters; Third, Barrett, Ted. 2:52. A 4.186(46.620). Divisions All Set For 2002 from Paged commissioner Pete Rozelle put five realignment plans in a bowl and had his secretary pull one out. The problem was that there were 16 NFL teams merging with 10 AFL teams, and although the AFL's Jets and Chiefs had posted back-to-back Super Bowl triumphs, the NFL owners still believed their league, top-to-bottom, was superior.

For the good of the league, Browns owner Art Modell reluctantly agreed to move his team to the AFL (which became the AFC), if two other old-line NFL franchises, the Baltimore Colts and Pittsburgh Steel-ers, moved with him to make two 13-team conferences. For their trouble, those three franchises each received $3 million. There will be no realignment fees this time. Although there have been months of meetings about the current realignment there has been a broad consensus, and little of the acrimony that accompanied the one in 1970 Why? "It's because we share everything equally," Ravens owner Modell said. 'It's no longer a matter of who has the bigger gate or who has the bigger paycheck.

That part of it is over with. The important thing in this process was back in January, when we voted to pool divide evenly the visitors' share among all the teams. That had been a big stumbling block. We're 32 fat-cat Republicans who vote socialistic." That's why, unlike Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL, virtually all of the NFL's 31 franchises make money. They're rich men with big egos, but at crunch time, they sublimate their crassest instincts so that they all might prosper.

Once they agreed to divide visiting game receipts equally, it removed the financial penalty teams such as the Seahawks and Cardinals would have sustained by losing their best attractions. Under the new plan, every team will play every other team at least once every four years. Each team will have home and home games with its three divisional opponents, plus four games with one AFC division and four more with one NFC division on a rotating basis. Its other two games will be within its conference, based on the previous season's standings, No. 1 vs.

No. 1, No 2. Vs. No. 2, etc.

There will still be 12 teams in the postseason. But instead of three division winners and three wild cards qualifying from each conference, there will be four division winners and two wild cards. 2 4 JNfcJhfcJWjwfcJfci.AhAWJWSAtoSfcit.WsfcsW.wBi tUl.lfc.fci SSVBShJfcSfciJsiiJIJVj -tlfcjifc. -Am.