New RF No Prize for Sheffield

"I'm going to get myself into the lineup," Church vows.

NEW YORK -- The vastness of the outfield of Citi Field and the premium it places on outfield speed and savvy appear to run contradictory to the Mets' latest personnel plans, those intended to make Gary Sheffield a "somewhat serviceable" player.

One day after the club announced it had reached a contractual agreement with the veteran right-handed hitter, manager Jerry Manuel provided a more detailed account of his plan for shaving years off the bat of a 40-year-old player with 499 career home runs and removing considerable rust from Sheffield's never-extraordinary outfield skills.

And Manuel footnoted his plan with these words: "We're going to try to give him every opportunity to be somewhat serviceable to us as a player."

It didn't sound like a ringing endorsement.

Without saying the words, Manuel seemed to acknowledge the compromised nature of Sheffield's defense at a time when he was making plans to deal with an outfield at Citi that already is playing larger than most, if not all, in the National League, even Coors Field and AT&T Park. And without saying anything definite about how Sheffield will fit into his plans, the manager reiterated that whatever playing time Sheffield does get will be in right field, and that the revised plans might have incumbent right fielder RYAN CHURCH serving as an understudy at all three outfield positions.

"I'm just trying to get guys at-bats," Manuel said. "You can call it a platoon if you want."
Some players might call it something else.

"I'm not trying to develop or evolve," Manuel said. "I'm trying to win a championship. I'm trying to create an environment where players will have their best years."

But if Church plays three positions, then "platoon" doesn't apply. It may be that what Manuel has in mind is similar to what Jim Leyland, then managing the Pirates, did with his outfielders -- Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke and R.J. Reynolds -- in 1987 and '88. Reynolds, the least regular of the four, had 658 at-bats in the two seasons.

Church wants more than that. It is neither his choice nor his intent to forfeit at-bats.

"If you hit, you play," Church said. And he intends to hit. "I don't care where I play. If I play six different positions, fine. I'm going show up every day as if I'm in the lineup. If I'm not, I'm going to get myself into the lineup."

Even with the plans for Sheffield, Church, in the long run, may not be affected that much. His defense is highly regarded. His work in right field last season, before he suffered a second concussion on May 20, was at least equal to the work of any of those who played the position regularly in Shea Stadium's first 44 years.

Right field in Citi is far more challenging. AT&T Park had been the standard for degree of difficulty in right field with its alcoves, brick columns and chain-link fencing.

"It's not as bad as this," Church said Saturday.

Church had spent time before the game throwing balls against the various surfaces -- padded Modell's signage and unpadded diagonal concrete on either side and other padded surfaces. The concrete that slants down from the signage also is on angles not parallel with the rest of the wall.

"I like AT&T," Church said. "This one is going to play hard. I already told [Mets COO] Jeff [Wilpon] that they need to put padding on the concrete. Right now, if it hits the concrete to the left of the sign, you've got to run to the line to get the ricochet. If it runs to the right of the sign, Carlos [Beltran is] going to have to come back me up. If it hits the sign, it'll just drop straight down. And if it hits the [chain link], you can't be sure."

And this is an area the Mets expect to be covered by a 40-year-old who has morphed into a nearly full-time designated hitter. Sheffield has played 318 innings in right in the past three years.

Manuel acknowledged there is work to do with Sheffield. He has planned extra outfield sessions for Sheffield in Cincinnati on Wednesday and next weekend in Florida. He and third-base coach Razor Shines, a former outfielder, plan to work with Sheffield as if Spring Training were extended.

"But there's only so much you can train for," Manuel said. "It doesn't fit until you play."
The manager said he has no plans to play Sheffield in the field during the Mets' three-game series in Cincinnati. He didn't discount the second series in Miami. Sheffield is familiar with that park from his years with the Marlins.

By Marty Noble, MLB.com