- What was your favorite Mets moment?
- Is their an optimal number of innings pitched or a minimum body of work that a young pitcher should have before being promoted to the Major Leagues?
- Why are pitch counts so important?
- I assume you’re familiar with the Verducci Effect, what are your thoughts on it?
In this clip, Rick discusses his friendship with Willie Randolph, and how special it was to get within one out of the World Series with a rotation comprised of Tom Glavine, Steve Trachsel, John Maine, and Oliver Perez, who was called up from AAA and ultimately found himself pitching in game seven of the NLCS.
Rick explains how economics figures into the equation, but ultimately if a prospect is obviously better than someone already on the Major League roster, why hold him back?
Rick explains why it is essential to monitor a pitcher’s pitch counts, and that besides a decline in performance it’s also a matter of preventing injuries.
Rick totally shocked me when I learned that it was he who told Tom Verducci about the effects of increasing a pitchers workload too fast in his formative years.
I will post the rest of my interview with former Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson later this week.
We congratulate Rick and wish him the best of luck with his new team the Milwaukee Brewers. He inherits a staff with a great young starter in Yovani Gallardo, but also a staff with many challenges as well.
We are pleased to announce that Rick has agreed to periodically share his unique perspectives on pitching and baseball, as a contributing writer for Mets Merized Online. We are honored to have him share his insights with our readers.
Finally, for all of you aspiring pitchers out there, check out 3PSports.com to learn more about the importance of performance based behaviors and how they can help you improve your performance and minimize injuries.
*Mets Merized Online Needs Your Help*
You know the more I think about it, the more I realize how lucky we were to even get as far as we did with the post season rotation in 2006. I heard that recording and I have to agree that we really pushd it to the limit with those guys. Maine was a complete nobody and Perez was a Pirates reject. Trachsel was never anything more than a number 4 type pitcher and even Glavine was a number 3 pitcher at best. It also shows how important it is to have a great bullpen. Our bullpen was one of the best in 2006.
The beginning of the end for the Mets started when Omar Minaya decided to let Chad Bradford and Darren Oliver go.
Did Rick mention his involvement in the Zambrano trade? Why did he sign off on it? Does he regret his “10 minutes to fix” comment? Why was it that everytime he went to the mound to calm down a pitcher, the picher would give up a huge hit and eventually implode? What did he say to the pitcher that caused that to happen?
I know these questions are rude – they’re meant to make a point – I was never a big fan of his, I thought he lived off a relationship with the Wilpons and was a self promoter.
Having said that, I wish him only good luck with the Brewers and his reunion with Willie Randolph – an unqualified Mets manager second only to Joe Torre.
The trade was made by Duquette and Mets ownership signed off on it. Peterson gave his opinion on it, but only an idiot would believe Peterson made the trade. Or Al Leiter or John Franco for that matter who also said Zambrano would be a great addition.
As for your other criticisms they are invalid like your entire comment and you can say those things about any pitching coach or manager.
Why did Pettite serve up a homer to Vladimir one pitch after Girardi visited him on the mound? Maybe the Yanks should fire Girardi, he sucks.
Peter, I agree with you that only an idiot would believe that Peterson made the trade – but as the so called (By Fred Wilpon no less) Chairman of the Board of Mets pitching, only an idiot would belive that his ok of the trade didn’t weigh heavy on the final decision particularly with his insurance of success with Zambrano.
And, you’re right about Franco and Leiter having a say in the trade too. After all, they were two washed up lefties on a bad team who weren’t all that interested in having a young lefty take their spot.
As far as my “other criticisms”, are you saying I’m not allowed to express an opinion here? Lighten up, Pal.