THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9504020147
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
While they were on strike as members of the New York Mets' 40-man roster, centerfielder Ricky Otero and catcher Alberto Castillo could be seen almost daily at the club's minor league complex, often in workout clothes.
Their personal situations were such that the Mets winked and allowed them to use their facilities despite the technicality of their work status.
``The union has said they shouldn't do that, and ownership has said we shouldn't let them in,'' minor league director Steve Phillips said. ``But they don't interrupt anything. . . . . It's not the end of the world, really, so we've let them in to work out.''
Castillo, 25, with a wife and two children, has an apartment in Port St. Lucie. Otero, 22, was unable to return home to Puerto Rico and spent the winter working out and doing odd jobs around the complex.
Both players are financially strapped. The Mets have continued to pay Otero's living expenses. Castillo and his wife have gotten by on her part-time job at a publishing firm. However, when Castillo's father died last week in the Dominican Republic, Castillo could not afford to go home for the funeral.
ARRIVAL DELAYED: All indications are that touted righthanders Jason Isringhausen and Paul Wilson will start the season at Double-A Binghamton.
Isringhausen, 22, pitched the second half of last season there, but the Mets want him to get more seasoning before coming to Norfolk.
Wilson, 22, the Mets' first draft pick last June, did not pitch above Class A last year. He failed to win a game in 11 starts, going 0-7 at two different levels despite striking out 50 in 49 1/3 innings.
WASHINGTON'S RETURN: Against his wishes, longtime major league infielder Ron Washington will coach third base again for the Tides after two seasons as manager at Class A Capital City.
Washington coached third for the Tides in 1991 and 1992.
``I want to manage, but if I got to coach again, Norfolk is where I want to go,'' Washington said. ``We've got some young kids going there, and (the Mets) figure I can be of some kind of help to them.
``The last two years, they've been having some young kids coming through Norfolk that they thought should've been ready for the show and they ain't been ready.
``The two years I was there, the kids that came though who were supposed to go to the big leagues went up. They want these guys to sort of get themselves right. They think I can help them handle it.''
COOK CAN'T GO: Mike Cook, who had 19 of the Tides' 29 saves last season, had offseason shoulder surgery but suffered a relapse a couple weeks ago and will stay in Florida when the season begins. by CNB