Karita Mattila starred as Manon Lescaut in yesterday's Met simulcast of the opera of that name. Interviewed backstage by Renee Fleming after Act 1, Mattila rattled on about preparing for the role. She does her yoga, she said, so that she could do the split required in the next act. "I'm 47," she said, sliding low into a full split to Fleming's obvious surprise.
Meanwhile, in Clearwater the preseason joking continued. Chase Utley was responsible for the Pat Burrell caper. Yesterday it was Brett Myers, who orchestrated an elaborate practical joke on last year's rookie Kyle Kendrick. Myers got manager Charlie Manuel, assistant GM Ruben Amaro, Jr., Kendrick's agent, Comcast, beat writers, and players all to take part. Comcast filmed it all, with the unsuspecting Kendrick being called into Charlie's office and told that he was being traded to Japan. Amaro got him to sign papers, told him to clear out his stuff, etc. Other players acted dumbfounded and media members clustered with questions. Finally Myers let Crazy K know he had been punked.
From the realm of imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, yesterday Carlos Beltran predicted, a la Jimmy Rollins last year, that this year the Mets are the team to beat. It all seemed a bit lame, but Beltran, a guy who often seems limp, will now have to walk the walk.
