Hey All

Have to put a little humor in our day.. here's a good diet today.. while we
all wait out this Coney thing...

enjoy
Laura


This is a specially formulated diet designed to help women (and men) cope
with the
stress that builds up during the day.

BREAKFAST
    1 grapefruit
    1 slice whole-wheat toast
    1 cup skim milk

LUNCH
    small portion lean, steamed chicken with a cup of spinach
    1 cup herbal tea
    1 Hershey kiss

AFTERNOON TEA
    the rest of the kisses in the bag
    1 tub of Hagen Daas ice cream with choc-chip topping

DINNER
    4 bottles of wine (red or white)
    2 loaves garlic bread
    1 family size supreme pizza
    3 Snickers bars

LATE NIGHT SNACK
    whole frozen Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

REMEMBER:
    STRESSED SPELLED BACKWARDS IS "DESSERTS"


 Send this to all the women you know or ever knew,  and
you will immediately lose 10 pounds.*


*Results will vary.

http://www.geocities.com/coney36_nyy/

Hey everyone...so today is the day.  This is crunch time...do or
die...<sigh>  It was somewhat comforting to finally see some statements
from David...but dangit, could he be any more vague?  I hate not knowing
what's going to happen....really my gut is telling me he'll stay with the
Yankees...I so hope I'm right.  I mean, it just wouldn't be right any
other way!  I do think Laura is correct in thinking this to be more of a
pride issue than a financial one...let's just hope they can come to some
sort of compromise that makes both sides happy, there is so much good in
this "marriage" as they call it...:)

Keep hoping~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                    --KC <<<<:)

Thursday,December 7,2000
By GEORGE KING

PAST BALL: Expect David Cone to be wearing some other uniform next
season, as Yanks don't figure to reach contract with the pricey - and
aged - veteran before today's midnight deadline.
New York Post: Charles Wenzelberg

David Cone's Yankee career has one day left in it, unless the team and
the veteran righty can make up a ton of ground today and get a
contract done before midnight. According to a well-placed Yankee
source, the club never made an offer to the free agent. Nor has Cone
informed the Yankees what he is looking for.

"They talked in generalities, that's all," a source told The Post.
"There was never an offer."

In those talks, Cone was told the most the Yankees had to spend on a
potential No. 5 starter was $500,000, with a chance to reach $1
million to $1.5 million in incentives. Never was a guaranteed $500,000
put on the table.

By midnight tonight, the Yankees have to offer Cone salary arbitration
- something they won't do. If they don''t, Cone can't return to the
club until May 1. By then Cone will be 38 and in another uniform.

There is no chance the Yankees will offer Cone arbitration because the
most they could cut him would be $2.4 million, and that would leave
them paying Cone $9.6 million after they dumped $12 million on him
last season when he was 4-14 with a 6.91 ERA.

With Mike Mussina on board for $88.5 million and the Yankees expected
to offer Derek Jeter an eight-year deal worth $140 million and Mariano
Rivera a four-year pact for $36 million before Christmas, George
Steinbrenner has a rare case of the shorts.

So the Yanks plan to go with neophyte lefty Randy Keisler as the No. 5
starter with Adrian "El Duquecito" Hernandez as the backup plan.

El Duquecito, who has no major-league experience, is in the mix to
replace Jeff Nelson as the right-handed set up man.

The Yankees believe Cone has offers from other teams but aren't
convinced the Mets' interest is genuine despite rumblings across
baseball's landscape that Cone could return to Shea Stadium.

Cone, who is in Tampa but hasn't been spotted at the Yankees'
minor-league complex, has let agent Steve Fehr handle talks with the
Yankees.

After the Yankees copped their third straight World Series with a
five-game win over the Mets in the Subway Series, Cone said, "I don't
want to go out on this note."

However, it's hard to believe Cone is just going to pitch for teams
such as the Brewers, Devil Rays or Marlins.

At 38, Cone will want to be with a competitive club to offer
back-of-the-rotation help. Certainly the Mets qualify and the Red Sox
fall into that category, too.

Cone has long been a fan of Giant manager Dusty Baker. A third spin
with the Blue Jays could be a possibility, and re-unite Cone with
buddy David Wells.

As for the Yankees using Keisler, a 24-year-old with four games (one
start) of big-league experience as the No. 5 starter, it's a risk.
However, if it doesn't work, the Yankees always have the wherewithal
to fix a problem in June.

Keisler, who beat the Red Sox, 6-2, in his major-league debut on Sept.
10 to stretch the Yankees' AL East lead to nine games, appeared in
three other games as a reliever and took a beating, finishing with a
1-0 record and an 11.81 ERA.
--
susan peters ~ [email protected]

Lawrence Rocca
Staff Writer

If David Cone is to continue his five-plus years association with the
Yankees, he must agree to their paltry contract offer by midnight
tonight. As of early last night, Cone had not given the Yankees an
indication in which direction he was leaning.

The Yankees have informally offered Cone a one-year, $500,000 contract
that includes performance bonuses. Even if Cone were to remain in the
starting rotation all season and earn all the bonuses, the aggregate
value of which are not known, the total value of the deal would in no
way approach the $12-million salary he was paid last season, when he
was a miserable 4-14.

Cone has said that money will not be a major factor in his decision
with regard to the Yankees, although it appears he is insulted by
their offer. It is clear Cone wants to remain in the starting
rotation. And his chances for that are murky, largely because Tom
Gordon is still unsigned.

The Yankees want to sign Gordon as a setup man, but suspect he will
sign for more money to be a closer with another team. Without Gordon,
rookie Adrian (El Duquecito) Hernandez would likely fill that setup
role. But if Gordon were the setup man, Hernandez would be in direct
competition with Cone for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Gordon has narrowed his choices to four teams, including the Yankees
and Cubs. He is expected to make a decision soon. If Cone is waiting
to see what Gordon decides, however, Gordon might not decide soon
enough for him.

Under the rules governing free agents, the Yankees must either sign
Cone or offer him salary arbitration by midnight tonight or else be
barred from signing him before May 1. The Yankees will not offer Cone
arbitration, leaving it up to the pitcher to decide his own fate.

The Mets have had internal discussions about Cone but are waiting to
see how their pursuit of Mike Hampton and other pitchers plays out.
--
susan peters ~ [email protected]

Thursday, December 7, 2000

By KEN DAVIDOFF
Staff Writer

As is only fitting for a pitcher whose career has been defined by
drama, David Cone's future with the Yankees is going down to the wire
today.

Cone's agent, Steve Fehr, spoke with Yankees general manager Brian
Cashman late Wednesday afternoon, and they plan to speak again today.
But late Wednesday night, the veteran pitcher sent out a signal that
it may be time to cut ties with the three-time defending World Series
champions.

"This is not about haggling over an extra half million dollars," Cone
said in a telephone interview from his Tampa, Fla., apartment. "It's
about where you feel most needed." The Yanks' need for Cone diminished
greatly when they signed free agent Mike Mussina last week; at best,
Cone would be the team's fifth starter in 2001.

Today is the deadline for teams to offer their free agents
arbitration, and the Yankees won't make such an offer to Cone. After
midnight, the Bombers can't sign Cone, who has been with them since
July 1995, to a major league contract until May 1.

While a parting of Cone and the Yankees seemed a real possibility, the
World Series champions will probably sign Dwight Gooden to a minor
league contract today. Gooden has been working out at the Yankees'
minor league complex in Tampa, and the two sides were close to
agreeing on a deal that would pay Gooden well below $1 million if he
makes the team out of spring training.

Luis Sojo's one-year, $500,000 contract, meanwhile, will be announced
as soon as today.

The Yankees, as of late Wednesday night, had not made a firm offer to
Cone, who went 4-14 with a 6.91 ERA last season while making $12
million. Yet they had made it clear how they saw him fitting into
their 2001 blueprint:
They were willing to pay him a salary with a $500,000 base, with more
money available in incentive clauses.

How much money in incentives remained unclear. Cashman planned to run
such a figure by George Steinbrenner before contacting Fehr today. To
date, however, Cone had expressed unwillingness to sign for such a low
base salary.

"There's a perception that I'm sitting on an offer from the Yankees,
but I don't know what it's worth right now," Cone said.

The right-hander, who turns 38 in January, declined to detail how much
interest he had received from other teams. But it's clear the Mets
will reach out to him if tomorrow passes with him still a free agent.
Other teams are likely to follow.

"I could go either way," Cone said. "Do I want the challenge of going
somewhere new, or do I slide into the No. 5 spot?"

If Cone doesn't sign, then the Yanks will look to Cuban refugee Adrian
"El Duquecito" Hernandez, rookie left-hander Randy Keisler, and Gooden
as their primary candidates for the No. 5 starting job.
--
susan peters ~ [email protected]

    By RONALD BLUM
    AP Sports Writer
    December 7, 2000

    NEW YORK (AP) -- David Cone decided Thursday he didn't want to be the 
New York
    Yankees' fifth starter and turned down the chance to remain with the 
World Series
    champions.

    Cone, coming off a 4-14 season, could have stayed for about $500,000 
guaranteed and
    the chance to earn more in performance bonuses. Because the free-agent 
pitcher wasn't
    offered salary arbitration, he is ineligible to re-sign with the Yankees 
until May 1.

    ``It seemed best for both sides to go their separate ways,'' said Cone's 
agent, Steve Fehr.
    ``I know David once said he wanted to remain a Yankee for the rest of 
his career, but
    sometimes circumstances change in ways you cannot quite foresee.''

    Cone, who had been with the Yankees since 1995, pitched a perfect game 
against
    Montreal in 1999 but has slumped since. He had a 6.91 ERA this season 
and pitched
    twice in the postseason, making two relief appearances for a total of 1 
1-3 innings.

    ``Maybe with what he wants to do now, he is better to go somewhere he is 
needed more, not a situation where he is a fifth starter,
    and the four ahead of him are potential All-Stars,'' Fehr said.

    Cone would have followed Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Orlando Hernandez 
and newly signed Mike Mussina in the Yankees'
    rotation. New York now will turn either to Cuban defector Adrian 
Hernandez -- not related to El Duque -- or one of its young
    pitchers. Dwight Gooden, who agreed Thursday to a minor league contract, 
is an outside possibility.

    Cone, who will be 38 next season, has a 184-116 career record with a 
3.40 ERA, also pitching for the New York Mets, Kansas City
    and Toronto. He won the AL Cy Young Award with the Royals in 1994 and 
has been a part of five World Series championship
    teams: Toronto in 1992 and the Yankees in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

    The Mets, possibly seeking replacements for Mike Hampton and Bobby J. 
Jones in their rotation, could have interest in him.

    ``We really have not had much contact with other clubs, really by 
design,'' Fehr said. ``I think he want to wait and figure out if it
    made sense to remain a Yankee.''

http://www.geocities.com/coney36_nyy/

Well...as heartbreaking as it is, I must say I can't really blame David
for the choice he is making.  It's important to him to be needed...he has
always been such a key ballplayer in his career and with this next year
most likely being his last ever in the game of baseball I'm sure he wants
to make the most of it--getting to his 200 wins and such...

This is a very sad day for dedicated Yankee-Cone fans...I do hope though
that you all will remain on this list and still follow Cone's career...:)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                 --KC <<<<:(

This is unfortunate, but I respect his decision.

KC...don't worry, I'll still remain on this list and follow his career.  
Hopefully, he can end it on a strong, positive note.


Jen

I really wanted to believe David would re-sign right to the end. I
guess it was denial...

It would have been wonderful to have him in pinstripes one more year,
especially since next year will be Paulie's and Tino's last year too.

I wish David happiness wherever he goes, but right now I feel like my
heart is breaking.
--
susan peters ~ [email protected]

My heart is breaking right along with you. :-( :-(  

Ya know, I just realized that when I went to Baltimore this September I
saw both Mussina's last start as an Oriole and Coney's last start as a
Yankee.  Mussina got a standing O as he left the mound.  Sad to say, Coney
did not get nearly the same kind of response when he left the mound, even
accounting for the fact that only 40% of Camden Yards was filled with
Yankee fans.

Well, if he joins a National League team, I may be able to see him at the
Vet next spring...

B "sigh" G :-(

>From: Susan Peters <[email protected]>
>Reply-To: [email protected]
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: Heartbreaking
>Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2000 19:22:43 -0500
>
>Coney's Court! - http://ConeysCourt.listbot.com
>
>I really wanted to believe David would re-sign right to the end. I
>guess it was denial...
>
>It would have been wonderful to have him in pinstripes one more year,
>especially since next year will be Paulie's and Tino's last year too.
>
>I wish David happiness wherever he goes, but right now I feel like my
>heart is breaking.
>--
>susan peters ~ [email protected]
>


   Hey Everyone
     This is a sad day for all us Coney fans. I feel the same way that all 
of you feel Heartbroken and shocked. I really thought he was going to 
resign. I watched ESPN all day today so I could put my mind at ease and then 
they said he wasn't going to resign. I really can't belive it.
In October I ran into a friend of my family who is good friends with David 
and I asked her how he was and if she knew anything about him comming back 
this year or retiring etc and she said he probably wasn't comming back and 
when she said that I figuired that he didn't think the Yankees would offer 
him anything after his preformance this past season so when I heard the 
Yankees offered him something I said he must be thrilled and will jump at 
the chance to come back to the Yankees.I guess I was sadly mistaken. I'm 
sorry I'm rambling but I'm so devistated I can't think about anything else .
I do wish him the best of luck in the future where ever it may lead him

                  Cesca

I'm practically in tears, but somehow I think I'll be able to accept it; 
after all, it's surely understandable that a guy who doesn't know how much he 
has left in him and wants 200 wins should go elsewhere to find it, if the 
difference is between being a #5 starter and a #4 or even possibly a #3.  If 
better jobs await you that you know you can handle and have handled most of 
your career, why stay put in a rotation where progression is but an 
impossibility?  With a rotation as strong as the one the Yankees have, 
barring (God forbid) an injury, even if Cone were to have a handful of 
Koufax-like starts they'd never be able to promote him.  It's what's best for 
him, and even though in my heart of hearts I would've liked best for him to 
put on the Pinstripes next season, I also believe he made the right decision; 
maybe it's not the best one for the Yankees, but certainly it's best for him.

I guess what makes this easier to stomach is that I've been preparing myself 
for this moment since the All-Star break.  I thought for sure that once all 
the champagne had dried, the tickertape cleared away and the speeches 
delivered, Cone would've been the first one to have been gone.  We have to 
look at it as a blessing that Joe and George and Brian all gave him the 
chance to return if he so wished to.  I think they all had us fooled for a 
moment there that our wildest fantasies would actually come true, too.  But 
reality is never that simple, and it was inevitable that sooner or later we'd 
have to experience life without "Sweet David".  It's just sure gonna be hard 
next season watching Joe Oliver or some other rookie or free agent wear 
#36.... it's been so long that I couldn't even tell you who wore it before 
Cone did; I was barely into baseball in the middle of 1995 -- that's how long 
it's been for me, a whole "baseball lifetime"....

I have to look on the bright side, though.... At least he's not discussing 
the dreaded "R" word like the reporters all branded him with last year (and 
I'm not talking about the Royals or the Red Sox here...;)).  He's still a 
pitcher, even if his address has changed and his uniform a different color.  
He's still our David Cone, and true fans don't forget all he's accomplished 
already.  He'll always be a Yankee in our hearts.  Wherever you go, David, 
you court will be there right behind cheering on your every move, now and 
forever.

~PEN~

Awwww...pen-girl, what an eloquent post!  I am very happy for the existence 
of the Court right now, because elsewhere in the Yankee fan on-line 
universe, it seems around 80% of Yankee fans have now turned on Coney and 
concluding the worst about his character.  Even though I understand the 
anger as a phase of mourning, it's still galling that people who were 
supportive of Coney when he was doing well are now saying "don't let the 
door hit you on the way out."  On the other hand, I've noticed that I have 
much less fervor where baseball is concerned.  I don't see all non-Yankees 
as "the enemy" to be hated.  I guess Coney's previous reputation is also to 
blame for this, I don't remember this amount of anger when Girardi signed 
with the Cubs instead of re-signing with the Yankees just for back-up 
duty.  Sigh...

I wish our Sweet David well wherever he goes.. .

Akino
aka BG (o:P

Well, I'm proud of myself.  I'm coping better than I expected.  This is 
incredibly hard for me, but I think I've been successful at putting it into 
perspective.  Death is a tragedy; a pitcher pitching on another team is 
nothing of the sort, even though it's painful.

I've always considered myself a "team above the players" kind of fan.  I've 
been sad when other players have left, but it's always been clear to me that 
the Yankees are more important than they are.  I'd say, "If Boomer is facing 
the Yankees, I hope he pitches well and gets a no-decision but the Yankees 
pull out the win once he leaves the game."  I'm a little shocked at myself 
to realize that if Cone faces the Yanks, I don't want the Yankees to get a 
single hit off him, and I want him to get that win.  I'm not used to 
thinking that way.  Unless it comes down to Game 7 of the World Series, I 
want him to be successful and the Yankees can just win another day.  I'm 
still evaluating what that means for me as a Yankee fan.

I hope David will find a place where he is happy, and a team that has a good 
offense and can give him some goddamn run support!  If it comes down to him 
being more successful on another team than he would be with the Yankees, 
then he ought to go, even though it's painful for me.  It'd be selfish of me 
to want him to stay with my team when his well-being would be better served 
elsewhere.  Now I just need to trust him that he will do what's right for 
him, and that's good enough for me.

Hmmm, do the White Sox need a pitcher?  ;-)  (See, I can even joke about it 
a little.  That's a good sign.)

Hope you all are managing to deal with this as well.  We do need to band 
together while others are lashing out at David.

Yours,
Britt

>From: "Britt Gordon-McKeon" <[email protected]>
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: Re: Heartbreaking
>Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 07:34:58
>
>Coney's Court! - http://ConeysCourt.listbot.com
>
>Well, I'm proud of myself.  I'm coping better than I expected.  This is
>incredibly hard for me, but I think I've been successful at putting it into
>perspective.  Death is a tragedy; a pitcher pitching on another team is
>nothing of the sort, even though it's painful.
>
>I've always considered myself a "team above the players" kind of fan.  I've
>been sad when other players have left, but it's always been clear to me 
>that
>the Yankees are more important than they are.  I'd say, "If Boomer is 
>facing
>the Yankees, I hope he pitches well and gets a no-decision but the Yankees
>pull out the win once he leaves the game."  I'm a little shocked at myself
>to realize that if Cone faces the Yanks, I don't want the Yankees to get a
>single hit off him, and I want him to get that win.  I'm not used to
>thinking that way.  Unless it comes down to Game 7 of the World Series, I
>want him to be successful and the Yankees can just win another day.  I'm
>still evaluating what that means for me as a Yankee fan.
>
>I hope David will find a place where he is happy, and a team that has a 
>good
>offense and can give him some goddamn run support!  If it comes down to him
>being more successful on another team than he would be with the Yankees,
>then he ought to go, even though it's painful for me.  It'd be selfish of 
>me
>to want him to stay with my team when his well-being would be better served
>elsewhere.  Now I just need to trust him that he will do what's right for
>him, and that's good enough for me.
>
>Hmmm, do the White Sox need a pitcher?  ;-)  (See, I can even joke about it
>a little.  That's a good sign.)
>
>Hope you all are managing to deal with this as well.  We do need to band
>together while others are lashing out at David.
>
>Yours,
>Britt
>__________



              Britt, Kc  and everyone!
         I'm not coping to well I'm freaking out! I'm crying and mad all at 
the same time.I wanted to post this message beacuse I know where Britt is 
comming from. When David Wells got traded I said to myself when the Yankees 
play him in a regular season game I hope we win but I hope he dose well and 
gets a N.D . I feel the same way about coney. No matter who he ends up with 
I hope he dose well.
these players become part of our families and no matter what happens we 
always want the best for them. It's hard to let him go but maybe he feels 
it's time to mve on and start a new chapter in career. We all do the same 
thing in a way find out what suits our needs and move on. I will miss him so 
much it hurts and I will continue to say my novenas that he comes back to 
the Yankees!!

              
Cesca__________________________________________________________________________

Good morning all

Well need-less-to say, I feel very out-of-sorts this morning.  After reading
all the NY papers on-line (and btw.. there were some nice pictures of David)
things seem a bit more clear as to why David left.   I think what hit me
though is this all whole 'parting of ways'.  Cashman, they said, spoke w/ a
knot in his throat.. and said David would always be a Yankee. (that was hard
to read).

I've had this happen before in my life as a Yankee fan, but usually, it was
b/c George just traded away my favorites.  It was David's choice to go and I
think that is why it is so difficult to absorb.  I bleed pinstripes.. thus..
my loyalty will never change.  But, I will follow David and hope he gets the
200 wins that he truly deserves!

As for the forums and what BG mentioned about the negativity.. that is no
surprise.. It is for that reason I really don't post much on forum boards..
the problem is, that people just don't think before they write and therefore
do not realize how mean-spirited their words can be towards others.

Take care and try to have a good day!
Laura

Hey guys,

David was on the FAN today w/Suzyn Waldman. Here's a link to the phone
interview he did, which uses RealPlayer. It's about 7 minutes long,
and really worth listening to!

http://www.cbsnewyork.com/wfan/audio/index
--
susan peters ~ [email protected]

I'm assuming many of you are in NY and have read the articles in the
papers today, so I'm not posting them all. However, this is one you
shouldn't miss:

Club, pitcher agree: time to move on

by Lawrence Rocca
Staff Writer, COMPILED BY GREG GUTES

So often dramatic and heroic and poignant, David Cone's career with
the Yankees came to a muted and melancholy end last night.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman phoned Cone at his Tampa home at
about 5 p.m., at which time it was agreed that the pitcher and the
team would part ways. Cashman said the decision was reached "amicably,
not angrily." Cone said: "In the end, we mutually agreed to part on a
good note." The Yankees told Cone weeks ago that if he wanted to
remain with the team, he would have to do so for a base salary of
$500,000 - after getting $12 million in 2000 -and some incentives that
they never detailed for him. But because the Yankees never made Cone a
formal offer, they effectively put him in the position of having to
beg for a deal. A proud man who valued his place with the Yankees but
also his dignity, Cone never made a formal contract request.

Asked why he thought talks between him and the Yankees never really
progressed, Cone was diplomatic.

"It's tough to speak for the Yankees," Cone said. "Brian Cashman said
they were tapped out after they signed [Mike] Mussina. Even the
Yankees have limitations to their payroll." The Yankees will pay
Mussina $88.5 million for six years, a contract some people thought
might enhance Cone's chances of being retained. But the Yankees
decided that with four solid starters and a projected payroll of $112
million, they could afford to go with a bargain at the fifth spot.

If Cone were willing to pitch for the low salary and be skipped over
whenever off-days dictated, they would have been happy to have him be
that pitcher. If not, they would be content to use pitchers such as
Adrian (El Duquecito) Hernandez, Randy Keisler or Dwight Gooden, who
signed a minor-league contract yesterday. (Luis Sojo also signed a
one-year deal yesterday.) Cone spoke often in recent years about how
he hoped his association with the Yankees would end on positive terms,
and so he and Cashman did their best to salvage any and all positive
feelings yesterday. Cashman felt it was important to phone Cone
directly to resolve the issue and Cone sincerely appreciated the
gesture, saying: "Brian Cashman was a class act to the end." Cone had
not heard from Joe Torre as of 7 last night. Cone said he would likely
send the manager a note to express his feelings about playing for him
the past five years, during which time Cone helped deliver four World
Series rings.

"He was a great Yankee and he will always be a Yankee, no matter what
uniform he will be wearing," Cashman said. "I thanked him. I told him
I'll be rooting for him no matter what uniform he would be wearing and
he said he'd be rooting for us.

"Neither of us were crying, but it was an emotional time. He's been
great for us. He's one of the reasons we have all the hardware we
have. But that was then, this is now." The circumstances of Cone's
departure could not be in any sharper contrast to those surrounding
his arrival. His acquisition from the Blue Jays in July, 1995, for
three minor-league pitchers was a key moment in the franchise revival
that has become their latest dynasty.

Cone pitched superbly for the Yankees for his first four-plus years,
but all of his pitching credibility was erased by his miserable 2000
season, in which he was 4-14 with a 6.91 ERA. Cone will be 38 next
season and did not have an arm problem last year, a sign to the
Yankees that he has little left in his career. When that became
evident to him, he decided to take his chances elsewhere.

"I can only assume they feel they have other options," Cone said. "Now
I'm looking for a place that will allow me to prove I can still pitch.
I'm going to kind of regroup and figure out who wants me." The most
logical destinations for Cone are the Mets and Royals, the first two
teams for which he played, but the Red Sox and Giants also have been
reported as possible destinations.

Whether or not the Mets re-sign Mike Hampton, they will need a fifth
starter. And if they lose Hampton, they will need any positive
publicity they can get. The Mets would satisfy Cone's desire to stay
in New York and he would make an easy transition to the team, being as
close as he is with reliever John Franco.

The Royals also would make sense for Cone, who could play in front of
his parents and hometown friends while serving as a senior statesman
on a young and improving team that would provide him great run
support.

Cone will start sorting through his options today, now that other
clubs know for sure he will not return to the Yankees. He saved last
night for reflection on his five-plus years in pinstripes.

"It's been a marvelous, marvelous run," said Cone, whose last pitch as
a Yankee was popped up by Mike Piazza to end the fifth inning of World
Series Game 4. "Obviously, last year was a tough year, but the team
still won the World Series. That made it easier to take that bad year,
to know I didn't prevent us from winning.

"It's been a great run. Nobody can take those years away from us. It
was an honor and a privilege to play with them." Thanks for the
Memories Oct. 22, 1996-With the Yankees trailing the Braves two games
to none in the World Series and facing three games in Atlanta, David
Cone combines with Mariano Rivera, Graeme Lloyd and John Wetteland for
a 5-2 victory. It is the first in what will become a record 14
straight World Series victories for the Yankees.

July 18, 1999-Cone pitches the 14th perfect game in modern major-
league history, striking out 10 in a 6-0 victory over the Expos at
Yankee Stadium on Yogi Berra Day. Overcoming a 33-minute rain delay
and 95-degree heat, Cone throws 68 of his 88 pitches for strikes and
goes to a two-ball count only five times. The crowd at the Stadium
includes Don Larsen, who pitched the only perfect game in World Series
history in 1956.

Sept. 2, 1996-In his first major- league appearance since undergoing
surgery on May 10 to remove a life-threatening aneurysm from his
pitching shoulder, Cone pitches no-hit ball for seven innings against
the Athletics in Oakland before Joe Torre removes him after 85 pitches
for precautionary reasons. "I'm not going to look back and say this
was a once-in-a-lifetime chance," Cone says.

Sept. 26, 1998-Cone earns his 20th victory, 10 years after his most
recent 20-victory season, with a 3-1 win over the Devil Rays. After
Rivera saves it, catcher Joe Girardi marches into the clubhouse and
bear-hugs Cone while both weep.

Oct. 8, 1995 -It may seem these days as if the Yankees have won
forever, but on this day, they are four outs away from reaching their
first League Championship Series since 1981. With the Division Series
against the Mariners tied at two games, Cone strikes out nine in seven
innings and takes a 4-2 lead into the eighth inning of the deciding
Game 5 in Seattle. But Ken Griffey Jr.homers, and with two outs, a
3-and-2 count and the bases loaded, Cone bounces a split-fingered
fastball to Doug Strange, forcing home Tino Martinez, of all people,
and tying the score. The Yankees go on to lose in 10 innings, 6-5.

Calling it his toughest loss ever, Cone says, "Part of the
disappointment is you don't know what the team is going to look like
next year." Well, that one worked out OK.


--
susan peters ~ [email protected]

http://www.geocities.com/coney36_nyy/

Hi everyone...I read through everyone's posts and I just wanted to thank
you all for your compassionate words and feelings.  This is quite an
emotional time for all of us, and really with all of that negativity out
there in other places towards David I was so thankful to read what you all
had to say.  It makes me feel better just knowing that I'm not the only
one who can understand why David felt the need to move on, and that it
*wasn't* about the money for him.  Of course he will be missed as a
Yankee, that goes without saying, but the fact that we can put his
happiness ahead of our own really says something I think...and well, I
just wanted to thank you all for being the people you are, and making this
list what it is....

To David Cone in 2001!! :)
                                          -- KC <<<<:)