31
2010
You Are What Your 2-3-4 Starters Say You Are
An article by Doug Branch
Let me tell you one thing: All this blather that the games don’t count, and it’s still only spring training, the wind is the reason balls are flying into the stratosphere, etc, etc, is beyond worrisome. It’s downright frightful-and not a figment of Mets’ fans imagination.
The Mets pitching stinks and the only one who is oblivious to this hardened fact is Omar Minaya, the Architect. I haven’t seen slop served up like (pitchers and pitches) this since the first season of “OZ.” This group is hard-pressed to retire minor leaguer’s, let alone the big boys.
And, by all means, lets skip Johan Santana’s last spring start against the Marlins because we don’t want them knowing how he will pitch them on Opening Day! By the way, the Louisville Cardinals lit him up brighter than the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree shines in December, yesterday. So much for that wisdom.
As if the baseball world is clueless what the Mets Ace throws, and his sequence of pitches; fastball, change, change, fastball (according to one of those nerdy statistical sites, he throws 30% change-ups at this juncture of his career).
But if only we could clone him. Because what the Mets will be trotting out the next three games after Santana is junk. I mean, can Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, and Ollie Perez hurl a single one-two-three inning this spring? Can’t sugarcoat this: they’ve been pitiful (I’ll subtract Maine’s last start-but what is the over and under until he visits the DL-again? 10-20-30 games?) this spring.
Moreover, if the Perez Project does not yield positive results from the get-go, the Mets have to go to Plan B. Oh, Minaya passed on Plan B-or Plan A, when he did not ink Jason Marquis, Jon Garland, and Joel Pineiro. Not exactly world beaters but consistent 200-inning performers.
To say this rotation is wafer thin is akin to the Health-care Reform Bill being controversial.
Perez is close to being bundled in the same burnable burlap bag as the Knicks’ Eddie Curry. Both colossal wastes of humanity and greenbacks.
Lets face the hard facts: If the three aforementioned pitchers do not each start 30 games (minimum six innings per) the bullpen will be worn down to a nub by Memorial Day (assuming the Mets gather more than Frankie Rodriquez and Pedro Feliciano down there by April 5th, then move the burnout date to May 1st).
If Vegas posted odds on the troika achieving 180-plus innings on the hill, would the odds be closer to 10,000-1, or even money? Don’t answer that.
By the way, the number five starter is as irrelevant in April as “Mr. Irrelevant,” the last player chosen in the NFL Draft, is crowned during the same month. Good for Jon Niese that he wrestled away the spot from the journeyman Fernando Nieve. At least, Omar can stash the latter in the pen for depth-or be a viable set-up candidate.
(If the Yankees cut Chad Gaudin, he should be gobbled up and put behind Santana in the rotation. At the very least, behind Big Pelf.)
A week or two ago I was diametrically opposed to rushing Jenrry Mejia to the majors. Especially since he should be groomed as a starter with his electric stuff. Then before you can say, abysmal-about the pen, he is the frontrunner to be the team’s set-up man.
But with the season only days away, and the bullpen in complete tatters, how can you send him down now for more seasoning? The fireman has to be brought North to contain the conflagration. With Sean Green and Bobby Parnell sent to the minors, what’s left but loaners from the Mexican League, the indomitable Nelson Figueroa, and a couple of re-calls from Toyota.
Usually this close to the Opening Bell, one-maybe two slots, are still up for grabs. Not the entire grab-bag. Jerry Manuel has auditioned everyone except Mickey Rooney to become the bridge to F-Rod. The San Francisco Bay Bridge was sturdier during the 1989 World Series.
Pitching, Pitching, Pitching. Pelfrey, Maine, and Perez. Last place, last place, last place.
About the Author: Doug Branch
Doug has been sports writing since 1983. He first wrote about the Mets at spring training that year, and his first interviewee was surly catcher Ron Hodges. He currently writes for Mets Inside Pitch, among other magazines published by Scout Publishing-which is owned by Fox Sports. He began following the team during the Wes Westrum era, and redeemed many Borden milk coupons for free Saturday baseball. The night of Tom Seaver's imperfect game against the Cubs, he was in line to buy a ticket when the windows slammed shut and abject disappointment ensued.
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‘The San Francisco Bay Bridge was sturdier during the 1989 World Series.’
I was watching that game when that earthquake hit. Can’t believe it’s over 20 years ago now.
I agree about the state of our pitching right now. The only thing keeping me sane right is if you take a look at some of the stats on the other teams 1-4 in ST, their combined ERAs are even higher than ours – like the Yanks, Red Sox and Angels – to name a few.
I’m willing to reserve judgment until the bell rings opening day.
Here’s hoping once that happens, these ST stats will be just a distant memory, instead of ‘the handwriting was on the wall in ST’……
There is no conicidence our bullpen is made up of long relievers, spot starters… I know no one believes it, but Minaya has a plan…I just dont think its a very good one.
This Mejia shit bothers me though. We could have the next pedro in his prime, and they wanna groom him into a bullpen role. Im more than happy to give this season up and have mejia be our ace for years to come.
Besides. All we need to know about the long season that awaits is three of our position player starters will start the year in the DL.
Just not a very good omen.
Instead of using these guys, why don’t we just have Manny Acosta and 8 other schleps pitch an inning a day and get the innings in that way? Then we can trade off the starters (keeping only Santana) for hitters. A revolutionary new way to play beisbol. That is Omar’s real plan and he will reveal that at his next interview with Mike Duh. Stay tuned to hear all about it!
Great post!!!!!
Lili by little more ppl are starting to realize that perez is absolute garbage, and who’s to blame for that?? Our stupid ass gm who somehow bid against himself to sign him, how can u give a guy who’s never been consistant, walks the park, implodes in the worst way 36 million per 3 years???
I understand is only ST, but we as fans have absolutely no confidence in maine or pelfrey, and to make matter worst they stunk it up in ST.. if at least they would’ve given us 1 or 2 good shut down starts then u say there’s optimism, but the reality of it is we were expecting a better performance from this 3.. and it didn’t happen, ultimately, who’s gonna take the fall for this?? Minaya, after all, he signed perez, drafted pelfrey, traded and kept maine and convince himslef that this rotation is better that what the free agent pitchers were and that’s why he stayed intact and didn’t sign anybody..
Are you serious about Chad Gaudin!? You lost all credibility with that insane remark! He’s a BAD journeyman pitcher and has shown no reason to think he can fit right into the Mets’ rotation. I’m of the mindset to wait and see what type of team we have in the first few weeks of the season before I decide what items to throw at the T.V. I believe in the facts of the season played as true gauges to a team’s potential, despite what the spring has made evident. Did you forget how many time the Mets played inspired ball in march, only to fall flat from April to September? I will wait and see, you should do the same.
I’ve been staying all along that Perez suck….and I mean SUCK!!!
He’s a waste and should be arrested for impersonating a Baseball player.
Miniya keeps talking about what this dude did 2 years ago….that’s bullsh*t. If that’s the case why not get Seaver for what he did from 68-77? How about Doc from 84-90? Perez will never succeed in a Mets uniform and the only reason Miniya singed him is because he’s Hispanic.
Yeah I’m throwing it out there. Miniya signed Perez ONLY because he’s Hispanic!!!! Like he signed the rest of that garbage like Ramon matinez and them. Of course that bigot Bernazard had a lot to do with this.
The season is about to start with this trash in the rotation and we’re still dealing with the residue from Miniya’s cronyism. this dude is trash. this guy is worse than Victor Zambrano.
Any astute GM who REALLY is about winning would not have signed this Perez when there were other more established pitchers available.
And if Miniya is that horrible of a GM to believe that Perez has anything left he should be out of here along with perez.