Fans sound off as Mets' K-Rod returns

The message from Mets fans at Citi Field Saturdaywas mixed. Before the game, most said that if Francisco Rodriguez sticks to just using his hands to pitch, he'll be fine.

Then he came in to pitch in the top of the ninth and was greeted with loud boos and some applause.

He gave up a leadoff double to Greg Dobbs, which led to groans but no booing. and after he got out of the inning, there was just applause.

"Well, that's something that I cannot control," Rodriguez said of the reception. "Since it's kept out of my hands, the only thing I had to do out there is go do my job."

The Mets' closer was arrested Wednesday night after allegedly assaulting his fiancee's father in the players' family room at Citi Field and was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree harassment. But following Rodriguez's two-game placement on the restricted list after the incident, Mets fans were just glad to have him available out of the bullpen last night against the Phillies.

"I think he's a great pitcher; he's like the Mets' best reliever," said Raymond Eng, 39, of Jackson Heights, who sported a "K-Rod" jersey. "Whatever he does on the field and what happens off the field, that's his own personal business."

Toni Ferone, 45, from Plainview, said she would cheer Rodriguez, though she disapproved of his actions.

"I think it's terrible. He's in the spotlight and something like this happens," Ferone said. "It kind of brings him down a notch in the eyes of some of the fans."

She added that the timing of the incident couldn't have been worse. "I'm very nervous when he comes out, but the last week, he was like lights out, so he was kind of getting into his groove," she said. "And then something like this happens. It's a shame."

Bill Bagg, 32, from Scranton, Pa., also wore a Rodriguez shirt and said even if a Met weren't the focus of the incident, the charges wouldn't necessarily bother him. "It probably would if it came out against a Phillies player," he said. "But if it were somebody else, I wouldn't care."

Mike Macaluso, 30, from Mahanoy City, Pa., said that after the consecutive shutouts thrown by Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey the past two days, the Mets were lucky to have Rodriguez return.

"Glad he's back, glad he's back," he said. "Cause after Santana, thank God R.A. Dickey pitched the way he did. Santana says, 'I don't need K-Rod, I'll go the distance.' Nobody else on that staff will go the distance."

Even Brian Theibault, a 25-year-old Phillies fan from Wilmington, Del., took a measured response.

"I don't think he should disrespect his father-in-law like that," he said. "Whether you're a Phillies fan or a Mets fan, or anything like that, I think you should obviously respect your elders. I don't know exactly what the situation was, but I don't think you should ever go to that measure to prove a point."