K-Rod reflects on life with Brewers, Mets

Now part of a pennant race for the first time in three years, Francisco Rodriguez shook his head sideways Friday when a reporter asked him whether he was keeping track of the Mets.

"Not really," K-Rod said. " . . . The only thing that I know is that Reyes is hurt."

Ouch!

Rodriguez made his first Citi Field appearance as a visitor since his July 12 trade to the Brewers, and while the Mets' season has turned south in the interim, K-Rod's career path has not proceeded quite as he would prefer.

Despite agreeing to waive his infamous $17.5-million vesting option for next year in return for a relatively modest $500,000 payment, Rodriguez is not closing games for Milwaukee, which began Friday's action leading the National League Central by 61/2 games over St. Louis.

As the eighth-inning setup man for surging closer John Axford, who has converted his last 33 save opportunities, K-Rod put together a 2.03 ERA in 131/3 innings over 14 games, striking out 18 and walking five. He has zero saves, as he has yet to be deployed in a ninth-inning save situation.

"I thought he'd have more chances, the way we were going," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "We play so many close games that I thought there was going to be a lot of opportunities."

"When I came here, I was told that I'd be closing games," Rodriguez said matter-of-factly. "Unfortunately for me, I haven't gotten the opportunity, but Ax is doing a great job. We've got something nice going on right now. I didn't want to come here and try to mess with their chemistry. They already had this.

"I just kind of sit back and lie off and fit with them, as much as possible. Every time the opportunity comes up, just make sure to get it done. That's the bottom line. Be patient."

It would've been shocking to hear such words out of K-Rod's mouth during the previous two seasons. Yet he did behave differently this year, after taking the winter to rehabilitate both physically and emotionally from his Aug. 11, 2010, arrest for allegedly assaulting the grandfather of his children. He eventually pleaded guilty to one count of attempted assault and two counts of disorderly conduct, avoiding jail time.

When a reporter asked him to reflect upon his 21/2 years with the Mets, Rodriguez volunteered something approaching the full story. "I had some good moments here, and obviously I had bad moments," he said. "I was looking forward to seeing my old teammates, try to say hi to them. They were great to me. They stood behind me, with my struggles, the moments off the field. I have a lot of good friends there."

Hmm . . . not sure about the "great friends" part, but it exemplified, once more, the newly mellow K-Rod. A man who can calmly discuss past mistakes and current complaints. Who also can critique his potential successor in Flushing, Bobby Parnell, without sounding malicious.

"That kid's got great stuff," Rodriguez said of Parnell. "I love him to death. He shows up to the stadium and works hard. Unfortunately, he's not getting the job done. He's leaving the ball up. He's not making quality pitches when he needs to.

" . . . He might have to get a little mean. He has to start busting people in, get a little angry out there, when he has the ball."

Didn't see that one coming.

And don't see this one coming. Said the impending free agent Rodriguez, when asked about returning to the Mets this winter: "The door is always still open. I don't want to burn bridges and say I'm not coming here because they traded me. Definitely, I've got an open mind. I'm open to come here to New York once again in the future."

Probably not in the near future. But if K-Rod manages to stay this calm and this successful, down the line . . . never say never.