N.Y. METS Burnitz could be all-star

NEWSDAY
CINCINNATI -- As All-Star auditions go, Jeromy Burnitz is building a strong case to represent the New York Mets in the Midsummer Classic.
Burnitz blasted a 444-foot home run in the seventh inning Friday that caromed off a catwalk connecting two steamship smokestacks at Great American Ball Park.
The three-run shot was his fifth home run in 34 at-bats. Burnitz has 16 overall despite missing a month with a broken left hand.
"I've been pretty much swinging the bat almost the same all season," Burnitz said. "What happens is [the home runs] just come in bunches like that."
Burnitz went 3-for-5 with a pair of singles, raising his average to .282, and nearly homered in the fifth inning, too.
Of all his recent home runs, however, Friday's shot not only broke open a 3-1 game in the seventh, but the spectacular home run was one of the farthest in the four-month history of the new ballpark.
Burnitz has nine home runs and 19 RBI in his last 22 games, and strangely enough, he credits last season's woes for his success this year.
His mantra is simple enough -- "get a good pitch, put your best swing on it" -- and that basic approach, Burnitz said, was born of last season's misery. He hit .215 with 19 home runs and 54 RBI last season.
"It was tough for me," Burnitz said. "But it might have been the best year I've ever had. I learned some lessons."
Burnitz's offensive surge is too late to help the Mets climb into contention but it could assist their efforts to trade him.