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Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 2, 2001
Mets mourn the loss of talented prospect
PITTSBURGH -- All the giddy, April excitement that baseball brings in the hours before opening day had been lost. A joyless 3-2 Mets victory over Pittsburgh ended the exhibition season, and the players filed out of PNC Park in virtual quiet.
The memory of outfielder Brian Cole will linger in the minds of those who knew him best.
Cole, 22, one of the top prospects in the Mets organization, died Saturday of injuries sustained when he was ejected from his SUV after it crashed in the Florida Panhandle.
Cole was driving from spring training in Port St. Lucie to his home in Meridian, Miss., with his cousin, Ryan Cole. Brian apparently swerved to avoid another vehicle when he lost control of his Ford Explorer. Ryan Cole was wearing a seat belt; Brian Cole was not, according to a police report.
The one-car accident occurred on Interstate 10 near State Highway 286, just south of the Georgia border and about 45 miles northwest of Tallahassee.
"He had a chance to be a real impact player," said Mets batting coach Dave Engle, who managed Cole at Class A St. Lucie.
Sunday, the Mets held a prayer service in Port St. Lucie and canceled all minor-league workouts. The organization is expected to announce plans for a Cole tribute today. Funeral arrangements are pending. Cole was single and the youngest of five siblings.
Along with the memories of a polite Southerner with quiet confidence and surprising power to go with speed and defense, minor-league teammate Jason Phillips recalled how Cole never wore a seat belt.
A week earlier, Phillips said, a woman backed into Cole's SUV in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant. Cole was driving home to get it repaired before flying to Binghamton, N.Y., to open the Double-A season.
An 18th-round draft selection by the Mets in 1998, Cole turned down a Florida State football scholarship. He hit .316 with 50 stolen bases and 18 home runs in Class A Columbia, then batted .312 with 54 steals and 15 homers in 91 games before his promotion to Binghamton.
CUBS: Right-handed reliever Tom Gordon was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right triceps muscle. The designation was retroactive to March 23, meaning he'll be eligible to return to the active roster Saturday.
GIANTS: A young girl who announced the batting order in the third inning of the Giants-A's exhibition game in San Francisco pronounced infielder Russ Davis' name "Roos." For the rest of the game, the crowd chanted "Roos! Roos!" whenever he came up to bat. "It's amazing how fast 40,000 people caught on to it," Davis said. "I get a bad feeling that's going to stick with me the whole year."
PADRES: Rickey Henderson, who joined San Diego with just two weeks left in spring training, was reassigned to the minor-league camp as the team cut to its opening roster of 25.
PHILLIES: Time has expired on Philadelphia's first attempt to reach an agreement on a contract extension with third baseman Scott Rolen. General manager Ed Wade remainedoptimistic the team will reach an agreement with Rolen even though he admitted the deal the sides are talking about is complicated. It is believed part of the deal involves an out clause Rolen would like in the contract.
REDS: Ken Griffey's pulled hamstring will keep him out of the opening lineup. The injury that Griffey suffered a week ago prevented him from running hard during a workout Sunday and prompted manager Bob Boone to drop his name from the starting lineup. Griffey will be available to pinch hit during today's game against the Braves. Michael Tucker will replace Griffey in centerfield.