GREAT SCOTT! Scott Rice, who played 14 years in the minors with stops on teams like the Bowie Baysox (inset), has carved some early success in his new role as a reliever for the Mets this season. (
)
The wait was worth it in so many ways.
After spending a baseball lifetime in the minors, Scott Rice leads the Mets in appearances this year with 10. The lefty’s ERA is 1.00 and yesterday he got out of the biggest jam of his major league life when Jayson Werth grounded into an eighth-inning double play on a 3-0 sinker with no outs and runners on first and second following a single and a walk.
Rice then struck out Bryce Harper with a split-fingered fastball as the Mets came away with the 2-0 win at Citi Field and a series victory over the Nationals. The Mets had lost seven straight series to the Nationals.
Here is the lesson from Rice’s 14-year winding journey to the majors:
“If there is something in life you want to do, make sure you do it,’’ Rice said. “This is what I always wanted to do.’’
The minor league stops include places like Ottawa, the Atlantic League Long Island Ducks, Albuquerque and Aberdeen. He was the 44th player selected in the 1999 draft, taken by the Orioles, and didn’t make it to the majors until this year. He’s also been with the Rangers, Dodgers, Padres, Rockies, Cubs, back to the Dodgers and now the Mets.
He’s been a life-saver for manager Terry Collins.
“It’s a great story,’’ Collins said. “When I told him he made the club he said, ‘It’s been worth the wait.’ ’’
On this day, Rice said he was expecting Werth to be swinging 3-0. No one else did.
“Jayson Werth is paid a lot of money to drive in runs and he’s going to be hacking in those types of situations,’’ Rice said. “I was just thinking, let’s get a ground ball, and let’s get out of it. I was having a little bit of trouble getting the ball over the plate today but I was able to make the pitch when it mattered.’’
PHOTOS: SCOTT RICE THROUGH THE YEARS
That’s what this game is all about.
“Looking back, I was trying to do too much,’’ Werth admitted. “I was trying to win the game right there. The situation got the best of me. It was probably one of the dumber things I’ve done on the field in a while. Look no further than right here. That’s where the game was lost. We had a chance to win the game. I feel like I pretty much blew it.’’
For all of Matt Harvey’s success, the Mets are going to need contributions from players like Rice, who is finally living the dream.
What kept Rice, 31, going all those years?
“Just the fact that I knew I had the ability,’’ he said. “I was just waiting for someone to give me the opportunity. I’m really so thankful for Terry, Dan [Warthen] and [general manager] Sandy [Alderson] for believing in me.’’
Rice is not intimidated because “I played against all these guys.”
“Jayson Werth was with the Orioles when I was there,” he said. “He probably doesn’t remember me, but I remember him. I played against Ryan Howard coming up, so I don’t feel intimidated against these guys. It’s a bigger situation, a bigger stadium, but other than that it’s the same game I’ve been playing my whole life.’’
LaTroy Hawkins has pitched in the majors the last 19 years. When asked if he would have waited 14 years to get his shot, Hawkins, who got a big out to end the sixth inning, said, “No way.’’
“Rice has a good sinker,” Hawkins said. “I don’t know how he was in the minors all those years.’’
Noted Rice of the journey, “It’s really all I know, being a baseball player.
“This is my job. I never wanted to switch careers. As long as they wanted to give me a uniform, I’m staying. All my coaches and friends who have been released always told me, ‘As long as you have a uniform, don’t quit.’ They’re so happy that I’m able to live out the career they were hoping to have. I’m doing this for everybody.’’
The dream lives.