I just got an e-mail from myself in the future. Here's the text:
Dateline: Wednesday April 9th 2008.
FLUSHING, NY – After a long off-season, filled with quarreling words and playful jabs, the Mets and Phillies finally came to blows on Tuesday in New York City.
Mets OF Carlos Beltran began the war of words when camp broke in February claiming, “I have no doubt that we're going to win in our division. So this year, to Jimmy Rollins, we are the team to beat.” Rollins, the reigning NL MVP, who last year said that the Phillies were the team to beat in 2007, called out Beltran for “plagiarizing” his comments. Tuesday, the words came to blows, when benches and bullpens cleared and a scrum erupted on the infield of Shea Stadium.
Let’s set the scene: Top of the first, none out, and the first pitch has just been thrown. Players were perched upon the top step of both dugouts, just waiting for their time to move. Pedro Martinez just delivered the first strike between the team to lead off batter Rollins, before the floodgates opened and the players poured onto the field.
“We’ve been waiting to knock each others lights out all off-season,” Mets 3B David Wright said after the game. Wright was ejected, along with the entire starting nine for the Mets, Rollins, and four others from the Philadelphia. The entire list includes: Wright, Martinez, Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Luis Castillo, Jose Reyes, Brian Schneider, Moises Alou, Ryan Church, Rollins, Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard, Brett Meyers, and Jayson Werth.
Along with the players, Mets third base coach Sandy Alomar Sr. and catching instructor Sandy Alomar Jr. were ejected for “tag teaming Phillies coach Charlie Manuel, and clothes lining him to the ground,” according to a statement from the umpiring crew after the game.
Another player ejected from the game was Marlins catcher Miguel Olivo, who was attending the game on his teams off day, charged the field looking to handle some unfinished business. Last year, the Mets and the Marlins faced off and Olivo and Alomar Sr. came to blows. Olivo landed a shot to Alomars head, who now is sporting a helmet to comply with the new MLB rules for base coaches. The helmet protected his head this time, and broke three of Olivo’s fingers as he tried to land a punch. Alomar Jr. also came to his fathers rescue, laying on Olivo until the fray was settled.
Most players involved in the altercation will likely be suspended and fined for their actions in Tuesday’s game. “It was worth it,” said Reyes, “They’ll know better next time. Don’t mess with the New York Mets.”
