METS NOTEBOOK
Zeile’s joker in laugher
BY DAVID LENNON
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
July 27, 2004
MONTREAL -- Todd Zeile is Mr. Zero no longer. Only two months from calling it a career, Zeile's bid to remain in the record book with one scoreless inning in his pitching statistics was wiped out in last night's 19-10 loss to the Expos.
With the Mets' bullpen toast, Zeile, a knuckleball "specialist," was summoned to pitch the eighth inning in relief of Mike Stanton. It was Zeile's second relief appearance and first since Sept. 4, 1992, when he fired a scoreless inning for the Rockies against the Dodgers at Coors Field.
"It's because of my ERA that [manager Art Howe] called on me," Zeile joked.
The Expos weren't intimidated. They ripped Zeile for four hits and five earned runs, including a three-run double by Tony Batista. That flawless ERA? It skyrocketed to 45.00 by the time Zeile finally got Nick Johnson to fly out to center to end the inning.
"Oh, well," Zeile said. "I can tell most people it's still zero and they'll have to go to the archives to look it up."
Zeile was the first position player to pitch for the Mets since Desi Relaford in 2001, and with a chance to "rally" the Mets in the ninth, he struck out with the bases loaded.
"I told Al [Leiter], it's amazing," Zeile said. "I pitch for one inning and I start hitting like a pitcher, too."
________________________________________
07/27/2004 12:10 AM ET
Zeile pitches eighth inning
Howe turns to veteran late in game to relieve bullpen
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
MONTREAL -- Art Howe had used five relief pitchers by the time the eighth inning rolled around Monday night and he wasn't about to see his bullpen taxed further.
So, rather than use Mike DeJean, whom he may need Tuesday night, or burn closer Braden Looper, Howe turned to Todd Zeile and asked the well-traveled veteran if he had a few pitches in his 38-year-old right arm. Zeile obliged but allowed five runs on four hits and two walks as the Expos went on to defeat the Mets, 19-10, at Olympic Stadium.
It was the second career appearance for Zeile, who also pitched a scoreless inning in 2002, while playing for Colorado. Zeile became the first position player to pitch for the Mets since Desi Relaford threw an inning against the Padres on May 17, 2001, at Shea Stadium.
"It wasn't a lot of fun," said Zeile, who threw 31 pitches, 18 for strikes. "You kind of saw how it unfolded. So when Art asked me if I'd be able to go out there for the eighth, I went inside and threw a couple to Rac [bullpen catcher Dave Racaniello]. If we scored some runs in the eighth inning, Mike [Stanton] would have stayed out there."
But New York didn't score in its half of the eighth and Zeile went to the mound for the first time since Sept. 14, 2002, when he tossed a scoreless inning against the Dodgers at Coors Field. Zeile even joked a little with his former manager Frank Robinson, for whom he played at the end of last season.
While Robinson understood Howe's reasoning for using Zeile on the mound, he didn't care for the concept.
"I told Frank to get in the box, but I think he might have taken me up on it," said Zeile, who added that other than the game against the Dodgers, he hasn't pitched since Little League. "Frank's an old-school guy. He doesn't want to see anything taken away from the game."
Zeile didn't look as if he was going to take much away from the game after he went to 0-2 on Jamie Carroll, the first batter he faced. But Carroll negotiated a walk and that opened the door for the big inning. Brian Schneider then singled on the first pitch he saw before Juan Rivera laced an 0-1 offering to center for an RBI single.
"You have to go in and try to get a hit," Schneider said. "But at the same time, you have to realize you have to have fun with it. You must have a mind-set of, 'If I make an out, I can't get mad.' It was a relief to get a hit off him because I don't want him to have that on me. After I got the hit, he looked over and smiled and I smiled at him."
Brad Wilkerson lined to shortstop, but Endy Chavez doubled into the left-field corner, bringing home another run.
"I was laughing when I saw him in the bullpen," Chavez said. "He threw me two knuckleballs and a curveball. The knuckleball really moved. He got me with the first one, I said, 'Uh, oh.'"
Jose Vidro then walked to load the bases before Tony Batista cleared them with a three-run double. Zeile then got Nick Johnson to fly to center and Orlando Cabrera to ground to short to end the inning.
"I had some laughs with some of the guys on the other side because obviously I know them well," Zeile said. "I told them, "Why do you have to treat me like that?' It was more fun when you don't give up runs.
"The last time I did it, I had to work for the outs. I had as much luck as skill. I just hoped they would be laughing at me and the knuckler coming at them. Then just hit it at someone. This is not what I want to do for a living."
While Zeile was hoping to bring some levity to what was an otherwise forgettable evening for the Mets, Howe was reluctant to use him and felt bad afterwards that he had to press Zeile into service.
"If we had scored in the eighth, Mike would have gone back out there but I'm not going to waste Mike and not have him available tomorrow night. I didn't want Todd to get embarrassed but he took one for the team."
_________________________
Palm beach post.com
Sunday Pitch
Tom D'Angelo
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Tom D'Angelo spoke with the Mets' Todd Zeile, who formed a production company, Green Diamond Entertainment, and had a role in his first film, Dirty Deeds.
How did you become involved in the entertainment business?
I live in L.A. and have had a fascination with movies. A couple of years ago we formed a production company, Green Diamond Entertainment, a little baseball metaphor. Jason Giambi, Al Leiter, Tom Glavine and Mike Piazza are involved.
Tell me about Dirty Deeds.
Dirty Deeds is a teen caper comedy about a high school senior who tries to complete this legendary series of tasks over homecoming weekend. It's legendary in the school, the outrageous tasks, which are more outrageous as the film goes along.
What kind of review would you give yourself?
As a actor, I pulled it off. It certainly wasn't Oscar-winning material. It was pretty simple for me. This part was such a small part (a homeless person), it sort of fit my age group to give me an opportunity to do it.
How long did it take you to get that look?
That was about four or five days without shaving, so it was all natural, which is a blessing that I'm with the Mets and not across town (with the Yankees) because they would have made me shave after Day 1.
Compare playing baseball and acting.
It's much more difficult as an actor, because we really work a long time learning somebody else's words, and sort of make yourself vulnerable in a lot more ways than you do walking up to the plate. You may fail when you walk up to the plate, but you're going to get an opportunity to get up there and redeem yourself almost on a daily basis.
Who would be the best actor in baseball?
Mike Piazza does a good job. Mike's improved a lot. He does his commercials. When he was part of the production company, he told me I had a great deal having him as part of the company because I have an actor I can make work for free. I told him the problem with that is he's typecast -- he can only play himself.
Who would play Todd Zeile in the Todd Zeile story?
Anthony Hopkins. I could watch him in anything, so I think he could pull it off
__________________________________________
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED.com
Tom Verducci
Masters of the Mic: MLB
FIVE GUYS I'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE BOOTH
1. Cal Ripken Jr.: Nobody knows and has a passion for the nuances of the game like Cal. He once gave me a private dissertation on positioning for and taking cutoff throws as a third baseman. I loved it. He's so good that every night you would learn at least three things.
2. Al Leiter: He's already had a guest star run at FOX, displaying his knowledge, enthusiasm and down-to-earth manner.
3. Todd Zeile: Smart, witty and well-rounded, Zeile would make a smooth transition into the broadcast booth. And he has hundreds of ex-teammates to cultivate as sources.
4. Trevor Hoffman: Pitchers seem to make good analysts, if only because so much of the game's strategy goes through the mound. Hoffman is both bright and funny and is never in danger of taking himself too seriously.
5. Tony Clark: It's hard to find someone in the game more respected than Clark. He's a well-spoken clubhouse leader, active union leader and well-traveled veteran.
