Comments on: Izzy Lightning In A Bottle?

By: METS62FAN

METS62FAN — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 14:40:37 +0000

t, THANKS, I’ve always felt like a minority of 1 in thinking Benitez was one of the best “in” season cloers of his time. sorta the polar opposite to Rivera where Mo shines under the pressure of the playoffs, “mando” shrank into oblivion despite being overpowering tyically from April thru September; the dusting off of the old Gen K issue reminds me of how two typically discarded other indstances ciombined with their demise to derail the entire Franchise through an entire 2 decades(90s). those other 2 uinstances? Tinm Leary’s arm “freezing off” in Chicago combined with dealing the cream of our young pitching crop to Mn for “SWEET MUSIC”
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEFDF1138F932A3575BC0A96F948260
After the dust settled, I believe it ultimately cost us 5 young arms (after unnamed were identified) returning Mn’s top LH SP for a team ill prepared to properly support him(sound familiar?).

By: t agee

t agee — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 00:17:39 +0000

Everyone remembers the blown saves, didn’t he blow one to us in the playoffs too? and the regular season against the Braves. Ugh.

The point TL Agee was making though is the little remembered fact of just how dominant he was for 3 years. Heck even Mariano has had a couple famous melt downs. 2001 game 7 AZ, 2004 Game 4 Boston. Of course 98% of the time, 8 pitches it’s over. No stress, no high wire act but that doesn’t change the fact that Benitez went 117/129. Pretty damn good if you ask me.

By: Bayonne Mets Fan

Bayonne Mets Fan — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 00:08:51 +0000

Right about Benitez but you know what Mets offensive hitter, and he’s a good one, is also horrible in big spots? Guess.

By: Ed Leyro

Ed Leyro — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 23:53:50 +0000

Not trying to defend Mariano here, but I’m assuming you’re referring to the three-year period from 2000-2002. It’s true that Benitez’s 117 saves were three more than Rivera’s 114, but Mariano was placed on the DL three times in 2002, thereby limiting his save opportunities (he only had 28 that year). Rivera also had four more blown saves than Benitez during that three-year stretch (16 for Rivera, 12 for Benitez), but I’ll always remember Benitez failing repeatedly in 1999 and 2000 in the playoffs.

He had a blown save in Game 4 of the 1999 NLDS, but Todd Pratt made everyone forget Benitez’s performance when he hit the walk-off home run. In Game 6 of the 1999 NLCS, with the Mets holding on to a 9-8 lead in the 10th inning, Benitez allowed the Braves to tie it in the bottom of the 10th.

In Game 2 of the 2000 NLDS, he gave up the game-tying three-run HR to J.T. Snow in the bottom of the ninth, in a game the Mets eventually won. Then he blew the save in Game 1 of the World Series, in a game that set the tone for the rest of the series.

Many Mets fans would remember Benitez failing in big spots. Mariano has failed so little in the postseason. So yes, Benitez technically had more saves from 2000-2002 and fewer blown saves, but man, was he horrible in big spots.

By: tlagee

tlagee — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 21:14:10 +0000

You wrote: “…perhaps Mets fans would never have been subjected to watching Armando Benitez…”

Mate – for a three year period, Benitez had more saves and the best save percentage in baseball – better then Mariano.

Just want to set the record straight.