Duaner Sanchez, the reliever best known for nearly derailing the 2006 Mets due to a taxi cab accident, is back in New York pitching for the Long Island Ducks. I had a chance to catch up with Sanchez this week before the Ducks took on the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at Bethpage Bank Park in Central Islip. During the conversation he updated us on his health, reflected on his unfortunate taxicab accident in Miami, and gave his thoughts on the media and talk radio.

Sanchez was very open to discussing his current situation. He’s gone from throwing in the mid to high nineties to relying mostly on changeups. Despite that, he believes he is more of a “pitcher” than a “thrower,” citing the ability to locate his pitches better now than before the surgery. He is open about discussing that fateful night in South Florida when he got into a taxi cab looking to find a place to eat. That cab ride, if he doesn’t make it back to the big leagues, may have cost him a career that was on the rise. The accident separated his shoulder, which led to a hairline fracture the following spring, which ultimately robbed him of his velocity. He would return to pitch out of the bullpen in 2008, but the Mets would release him during spring training the following year. After a brief stint with San Diego he was released, and spent 2010 pitching in the Mexican League and Canadian American Association. This spring he received a couple of minor league offers, but felt pitching in the Atlantic League would allow him to showcase his talents on a broader scale, versus limiting his opportunity to one organization. It also gave him the chance to face more big league caliber players than during his previous Independent League stint.

The elephant in the room quickly came up as I asked him about the infamous cab ride. You don’t sense any bitterness or anger from him when talking about the accident. He is quick to point out how much misinformation there is regarding the time of the incident. “A lot of people said it was two, three in the morning, it wasn’t,” Sanchez said. “It was like 6:30 in the afternoon. We had a day off in Miami, who doesn’t go out to eat?” This led me to ask him his thoughts on the media, and how it impacts the players.

In an era where fans and radio blowhards are able to spout off about the players without recourse, often citing erroneous facts or misinformation, Sanchez actually took it upon himself to defend his former manager last summer. While driving back home after a game, he was listening to Tony Paige on the WFAN overnight. This was in August and Mets fans were disgusted with the teams play. Jerry Manuel was the object of their ire that night. Sanchez wasn’t going to just listen to his former skipper get roasted, so he decided to call into the show and defend him. “I got a little pissed about the talking they were doing with Jerry Manuel, which is unfair. I called and defended him because he had nothing to work with. They gotta blame somebody, so they blame it on him, which is unfair.”

Sanchez admitted he didn’t listen to talk radio, or read the newspapers when he played here. “It’s better that way,” he said. He also pointed out how the fans, and even the media, really have no idea what is going on. “We all know not to talk stuff like that around the media. We talk when we need to talk, and let it be.”

Sanchez is also adamant he is not done pitching in the big leagues. “I am going to finish what I started. I am not done,” Sanchez said. “I want to be able to finish my career on my own terms.”

Going into last night’s action he’s allowed three runs in three innings, while walking four, and striking out three.

The Mets and WFAN

WFAN has been the Mets flagship station since their inception in 1987. During that time we have seen some controversial moments between the team and the station. Davey Johnson, Buddy Harrelson, and Jeff Torborg had infamous spats with on air personalities. Who could forget the time Mike Francesa called Bobby Valentine a “loser” during a late season losing streak in 1999.

Although Sanchez calling WFAN was mostly benign, there were a couple of instances where that type of situation got testy. Kevin McReynolds wife, annoyed that Chris Russo and Francesa were mocking her husband’s weight, called the station to defend her husband. In 1991 Gregg Jefferies typed an open letter to the station pleading for the support of his teammates. That incident made a bad situation worse, and Jefferies was sent to Kansas City at the end of the season.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: Atlantic League, Duaner Sanchez, Jerry Manuel, Long Island Ducks, New York Mets, WFAN