NEW YORK -- For the most part, Joe Smith is enjoying his first month as a big leaguer. He fits in well in the clubhouse -- his primary residence is under the wing of Aaron Sele -- he's pitching well and is being given innings of significance to work. He's making more -- $370,000 -- than most people who were attending college this time last year, and most of his "firsts" have been positive.
But not all of them.
One he would have preferred to miss, his first ticket, happened on Wednesday -- $115 for illegal parking in Long Island City. He wasn't real pleased.
"The sign said 'No standing.' Well, I wasn't standing. I was parking," Smith said. "If they mean 'No parking,' shouldn't it say 'No parking?' I mean, I just figured they didn't want anyone standing there. I don't know why. I mean, obviously, there are a few things I don't know about New York.
"But there was a lot of room to park."
Clearly, Smith is learning. He drove to Shea on Friday afternoon, only the second time he's done so without following John Maine, and the first such trip on which he didn't get lost. And he made it back on Saturday without incident, escort or a citation.
