Injured foot keeps Garth Brooks on the sidelines

VERO BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Country singer Garth Brooks, a non-roster invitee with the New York Mets this spring, was scratched from Sunday's exhibition game against the Los Angeles Dodgers because of

Sunday, March 5th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

VERO BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Country singer Garth Brooks, a non-roster invitee with the New York Mets this spring, was scratched from Sunday's exhibition game against the Los Angeles Dodgers because of a bruised left foot.

Brooks was scheduled to make the 21-mile trip from Port St. Lucie, Fla., to Holman Stadium, but didn't because of soreness in his foot. The Mets listed him as day-to-day.

Brooks was injured Saturday when he fouled a ball off his foot in batting practice. Nevertheless, he entered the game against the Dodgers in Port St. Lucie in the eighth, took a called third strike in his only plate appearance, and caught a fly ball to end a 7-3 Mets' victory.

"It was the hardest I hit a ball all day," Brooks later said of the foul. Todd Zeile hit a three-run homer, and Charlie Hayes added a two-run shot as the Mets beat the Dodgers 10-7 Sunday.