K-Rod hopes to win back Mets fans

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Francisco Rodriguez took the mound Thursday in a Mets uniform for the first time since Aug. 14, his final appearance before season-ending surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb.

That was only half the story, considering that K-Rod injured the thumb three days earlier by punching the father of his girlfriend, a mistake that still haunts Rodriguez seven months later.

Now he mixes in anger-management courses with his spring training workload, but Rodriguez has seemed fine with that. In looking ahead to his return to New York, however, K-Rod realizes that this could be the most challenging season of his career

"Absolutely," he said after throwing a scoreless inning against the Cardinals. "It's pretty clear that whatever I used to do, I got to do double, because I got to make up trying to win the confidence of the New York Mets fans once again.

"I believe to get their respect once again, I have to go out there and compete and get my job done. That's the only way that I can win the confidence of them back and hopefully find a way for them to give me one more chance to go out there and prove what I'm capable [of doing]."

Rodriguez has more at stake than his popularity. If he finishes 55 games - something he did for five straight years before last season's injury-shortened campaign - his $17.5-million option automatically vests for 2012.

That instantly would make him the highest-paid closer in the game, and that stipulation is why his agent, Paul Kinzer, and union head Michael Weiner have said they will closely examine how Rodriguez is used this season.

Despite the staggering sum, K-Rod says it is not a concern.

"Honestly, I don't care, because I'm really grateful for what I have, and I don't really worry about what I don't have," Rodriguez said. "I just want to take it one day at a time, working, trying to get saves and wrap up Ws, and the rest is going to take care of itself. I honestly can't care less about that because it seems to be like more people worry about that than I do. Whatever's going to happen is going to happen."

Rodriguez also has to focus on getting ready. Because of his off-field issues and the rehab for his hand, he pitched in only one winter league game this offseason. As a result, he plans to stack up appearances in the Grapefruit League to make sure he's in shape.

"Obviously, the more that I'm going to throw, I'm going to feel a lot stronger," Rodriguez said. "I'm thinking to throw at least between 10 and 15 outings this spring to try and make up the time that I lost."