All in the family...

Many people might scoff at Fred Wilpon's stated goal of brigning a "family atmosphere" to Shea, but we here at Itsmetsforme take it seriously. On fans' minds is the challenge of the post-Piazza landscape: what will the Mets do if Mike ends up going off into the DH-AL-gay-Playmate marrying sunset? Now unless your name is Guillermo Moto, you probably think Mike Piazza's been a pretty clean customer and solid citizen. So what do the Wild Card battling Mets catchers have to offer now that Mike's on the shelf?

Let's take a closer look at the current catching tandem's blotter, I mean, record.

CASTRO, RAMON
8/03
Florida Marlins catcher Ramon Castro was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on charges he raped a woman in his hotel room in August. A magistrate made the ruling after Castro's accuser testified during a preliminary hearing. The 28-year-old woman said she met Castro at the hotel's bar after a game between the Marlins and the Pittsburgh Pirates. She said she went to his room with another couple in the early morning hours of Aug. 28, and that Castro asked the other couple to leave, then attacked her. Castro's attorney, J. Alan Johnson, said his client is innocent and that hotel surveillance tapes will eventually prove that. Castro was allowed to remain free until trial, which wasn't immediately scheduled. Castro, a 27-year-old married father of two, was arrested after the woman went to police with her story. He was charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, sexual assault and unlawful restraint. The rape charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison, though under state sentencing guidelines it's unlikely Castro would receive such a sentence if he were convicted. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylc=X3oDMTA2YjBsdnJxBHNlYwN0aA--?slug=ap-marlins-castrocharged&prov=ap&type=lgns

DI FELICE, MIKE
Tuesday, August 21, 2001
DiFelice thrown out of Pittsburgh nightclub
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH -- Arizona Diamondbacks backup catcher Mike DiFelice was arrested outside a nightclub early Tuesday on charges he assaulted two women and punched a parking attendant.
Mike DiFelice CatcherArizona Diamondbacks
DiFelice, 32, posted $6,000 bond and was released from the Allegheny County Jail on Tuesday afternoon, where he was being held on two counts of simple assault and one count each of indecent assault, recklessly endangering another person and disorderly conduct. A preliminary hearing was set for Aug. 31.
Later Tuesday, it was announced by the baseball commissioner's office that DiFelice and Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Kevin Young were suspended for two games and were fined an undisclosed amount for an Aug. 14 fight. Both players appealed, meaning their penalties can't start until after a hearing before Paul Beeston, baseball's chief operating officer.
DiFelice, in town for a three-game series against the Pirates that began Tuesday night, declined to talk to reporters at the ballpark but issued a statement through the team that he couldn't comment because the matter was pending in court. He wasn't among the starters as the Diamondbacks lost 4-2.
The Diamondbacks issued a similar statement saying they were aware of the situation but would have no comment until the investigation was complete.
DiFelice was arrested about 1:25 a.m. when he punched a 24-year-old male valet parking attendant after he had been thrown out of the Area 51 nightclub, police said.
During the arrest, police said they learned that DiFelice had been thrown out of the club for allegedly assaulting two female patrons. Police refused to identify any of the victims.
A 28-year-old woman told police that DiFelice grabbed her buttocks after he began rubbing her arm and she told him to stop. A 35-year-old woman who had intervened told police DiFelice burned her buttocks with a cigarette lighter.
DiFelice then punched the younger woman in the face when she tried to help the other woman, police said.
DiFelice broke away from club security personnel and again attacked the younger woman before he was removed from the club, police said.
DiFelice's attorney, Paul Boas, did not return a call for comment Tuesday. There was no comment from the nightclub.
DiFelice is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the charges in Pittsburgh City Court on Aug. 31 at 1 p.m.
The Western Division-leading Diamondbacks obtained DiFelice and pitcher Albie Lopez last month from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. DiFelice was hitting .188 with two home runs and 10 RBI in 60 games going into the Tuesday night game.
DiFelice was 1-for-21 since coming to Arizona, getting his only hit in his last at-bat Sunday against Chicago.
During the Aug. 14 melee in Phoenix, DiFelice was involved in a fight at home plate with Young, and both benches emptied. Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon was angry at DiFelice after seeing videotape of the fight.
"That guy deliberately stood on Kevin and kneed him," McClendon said. "There's absolutely no excuse for that."
Frank Robinson, baseball's vice president for discipline, penalized DiFelice and Young "for fighting and provoking a bench-clearing incident." (espn)

Fred Wilpon's "Family-friendly"---the Oakland Raiders of Major League Baseball!!

For my money, this is a briliant smokescreen on Fred's part: Blathering on about Family values baseball all the while peppering the roster with "productive perps," like Castro, Lastings and Mike Defelice, and strippers husbands (UPDATE: Anna Benson! we barely knew ya! and I mean "barely"). Fred knows, good guys like toothless Tom Glavine keep the moral majority of his back, but when its crunchtime, Fred wants to know you've done hardtime! Face it, if you ain't got a rap sheet, you ain't Mets material!

So bring your families out to Shea, but just keep an eye on your wife, daughters, and grandma around these guys!