METS FIND RELIGION

The Mets have hired Brett Butler, senior member of the born-again God Squad, as a minor league outfield coach. His primary purpose with the Mets will be to help Roger Cedeno become a competent center fielder. Let me be frank is wishing him, good fuggin luck. Apparently coach Gary Petitis--a terrific center fielder in his day---alone won't enough to help cure Cedeno's woeful approach to the position, so perhaps Butler's presence will bring some divine intervention.

The Post reports:

Butler has a connection with Cedeno, who was his Dodger teammate in 1996-97, the same period Butler went through a well-publicized battle against throat cancer.

In fact, with Butler limited to 81 starts in center field during the 1996 and '97 seasons, Cedeno was one of his primary fill-ins, playing 102 games in center with 72 starts. That was before Cedeno galvanized a reputation as a poor outfielder, a distinction he only enhanced last season with the Mets when he played strictly left field.

It's going to take a whole lot more than the Lord to give Cedeno a clue out there, but then again, a little Jesus never hurt anybody.