Francisco Rodriguez was shuttled from stage to stage, podium to cellphone and finally almost dropped in Santa's lap ? actually Mike Pelfrey with a Santa suit befitting his 6-foot-7 frame. But no matter which group of cameras or recorders he spoke in front of, K-Rod had the same message.
He is who is and he's not changing. Not for the Mets. Not for the Phillies. Not for anybody. That means that you can add to a team already causing ripples around the league a closer who will conduct wild celebrations on the mound. And every fist pump will be added to the Jose Reyes' dances and handshakes, giving the opposition another reason to hate the Mets.
"First of all, when I do that, I'm not trying to show up anybody," Rodriguez said. "I'm not trying to offend the other team with that. It's just a passion that I have, me. Sometimes people take it the wrong way, but I'm not trying to send a message at all.
"That's just a sigh of relief that I get up there. I've done it since I was 4 years old, when I was a little kid, so why change now?"
Though some ? the Phillies specifically ? might forgive it from a 4-year-old, it figures to add more ammunition to the rivalry between the two National League East opponents. The Phillies have stoked the rivalry by jabbing repeatedly at the Mets in the wake of Philadelphia's title run, the latest being Cole Hamels' depiction of the Mets as choke artists.
Rodriguez certainly will help change that perception on the field, and he is willing to pump up the rivalry off it. He said in a conference call Saturday that the Mets were the team to beat, and asked Wednesday during his introductory press conference at the Citi Building in Long Island City if he really felt that, he said, "I'm sticking with that."
Omar Minaya was not playing into the rivalry talk ? refusing to join Rodriguez in the boasts.
"We're not better than them. They're the world champions," the general manager said. "The only way you're better than them is you have to beat them. The bottom line is you have to go out there and get it done.
"You don't win championships on paper. I've never believed in that. Do I think we have improved our club? Yes. But the bottom line is the Phillies have won the World Series and they have won the division twice. They have a good team and the experience of being in the playoffs and winning the World Series. That is huge. So we have a lot of work to do."
Those few words of peace seem to be an aberration ? and totally unlike the words of the super-confident closer who set a major league record with 62 saves last season. That confidence ? cockiness ? made K-Rod want New York as badly as New York wanted him. Though some players may wilt under the pressure, that certainly doesn't seem likely with Rodriguez.
"I like to be in the middle of things," he said.
He has thrown himself headlong into New York, coming to the Mets with a reputation, charisma and those 62 saves, not to mention a three-year, $37 million contract. Even Wednesday when his introduction competed with the attention of Pelfrey as Santa and a Christmas party for children, he seemed to be the center of attention. The only step back he seems willing to take is to line up behind Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.
"I'm going to confirm that he is the best," Rodriguez said. "I think Mariano is one of the most tremendous athletes of his time, and he's a tremendous competitor, too. He's in the American League and I'm in the National League. Now I'm in New York but there's no question, I don't feel like I should be compared with him at all."
Rodriguez is content to make his own way in New York ? and his own waves.
One wave he wasn't going to create on his first day here was his role ? or more important, the role of J.J. Putz. Manager Jerry Manuel said that Putz could share the closer's role, noting, "[K-Rod] doesn't have to save, say, 75 games. The other guy can save 35, whatever. That's big for us."
Rodriguez said, "If I pitch three days in a row, four days in a row, he'll be able to save a game. But we need to do our job, to help our ballclub go where it needs to go.
"I'm not really selfish. I'm just trying to be the best that I can be in that part, and sometimes things can happen."
BRIEFS: Minaya called his chances of landing Oliver Perez or Randy Wolf each as 50-50 ? but would not rule out Derek Lowe if the price and years fall into the Mets' range. ? John Maine, who served as one of Pelfrey's elves, said that he began throwing two weeks ago and feels great after undergoing surgery to remove a burr behind his right shoulder blade.
2009 Mets SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Location Time
Feb. 25 Orioles Ft. Lauderdale 1:05 p.m.
Feb. 26 Marlins Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
Feb. 27 Cardinals Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
Feb. 28 Tigers Lakeland 1:05 p.m.
March 1 Astros Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 3 Cardinals Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 4 Nationals Viera 1:05 p.m.
March 5 Italy (WBC) Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 6 Cardinals Jupiter 1:05 p.m.
March 7 Nationals Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 8 U. of Michigan Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
Nationals Viera 1:05 p.m.
March 9 Orioles Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 10 Nationals Viera 1:05 p.m.
March 12 Marlins Port St. Lucie 7:10 p.m.
March 13 Tigers Lakeland 1:05 p.m.
March 14 Nationals Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 15 Marlins Jupiter 1:05 p.m.
March 17 Braves Disney 1:05 p.m.
March 18 Braves Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 19 Astros Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 20 Orioles Ft. Lauderdale 1:05 p.m.
March 21 Braves Disney 1:05 p.m.
March 22 Braves Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 24 Astros Kissimmee 1:05 p.m.
March 25 Tigers Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 26 Cardinals Jupiter 1:05 p.m.
March 27 Nationals Port St. Lucie 7:10 p.m.
March 28 Marlins Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
March 29 Orioles Ft. Lauderdale 1:05 p.m.
March 30 Orioles Port St. Lucie 7:10 p.m.
March 31 Marlins Jupiter 7:05 p.m.
April 1 Cardinals Jupiter 1:05 p.m.
April 2 Orioles Port St. Lucie 1:10 p.m.
April 3 Red Sox Citi Field 6:10 p.m.
April 4 Red Sox Citi Field 1:10 p.m.
E-mail: popper@northjersey.com
