1.   El Duque rode a boat to the Bahamas in December with his girlfriend and six other refugee, including a catcher on the Cuban team.

2.   He has made fast friends with other Mets, including catcher Todd Hundley.

3.   He has been advised by several people, including former catcher Gary Carter, who had several surgeries, to avoid surgery, no matter the severity.

4.   Some players, including Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca, were stopped at the front gate and searched.

5.   The Dodgers are willing to include catcher Chad Kreuter in a package with Sheffield to offset a loss of Lopez.

6.   The starting infield, including catcher Todd Green, is coming off surgery.

7.   Seven, including All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez, have season-ending injuries.

8.   The group includes catcher Alberto Hernandez, who is not related to Orlando, and outfielder Yoel Pedroso.