Billy Wagner is glad his pal Tom Glavine has the opportunity to go home and pitch for Atlanta. But Wagner believes the Mets are worse off without the veteran lefty.
Talking to The Post over the phone yesterday, the Mets’ All-Star closer weighed in on losing Glavine to the rival Braves via free agency. Wagner lockered next to Glavine in the Shea clubhouse and the two became close.
“As a teammate, you hate it because of what he brings to his team,” Wagner said of Glavine. “You just lost 200 innings and 13 wins and that actually translates to losing 26 games if he has that big year. But as a friend, I’m happy for him.”
Wagner also touched on Glavine’s presence. Back in spring training, Willie Randolph called him maybe the biggest leader on the team.
“We lose a lot of leadership and a lot of glue that kept that team together in some tough times,” Wagner said. “There’s nobody else in that clubhouse who can fill that role.”
Wagner was certainly understanding of Glavine’s decision, though. Said the reliever, “I talked to him. It was pretty obvious he was going to. He asked me and I told him I would. If I could stay at home, I would definitely do that.”
SUBWAY SERIES DATES
The Mets’ 2008 schedule is now out, and their season opener is on Tuesday, April 1, in Miami against the Marlins. The Mets start the year with a six-game road trip against Florida and Atlanta, the fourth time in the last five years that the Mets will start a season on the road.
The Mets open at Shea on Tuesday, April 8, against the Phillies.
In an interesting and probably unfortunate quirk, the Mets could have a rough stretch beginning in mid-May. From May 9 to June 8, they have a grand total of one day off, playing 30 games in 31 days.
As for the two Subway Series matchups against the Yankees, the Mets will play in The Bronx from May 16-18 and at Shea from June 27-29 (the other AL teams on the schedule are the Rangers, Mariners and Angels). They end the regular season on Sept. 28 at home against Florida, which will be Shea’s last-ever regular-season contest.