Comments on: Could Mike Pelfrey Be A Reliever?

By: Donal

Donal — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:55:45 +0000

John, Pelf’s skill set really doesn’t translate to a closer. closers tend to be guys who can throw hard for 1 inning and come out to nifty music.

Pelf is a back of the rotation type. He’ll give you a bunch of mediocre innings with occasional good performance.

By: Metfan Lou

Metfan Lou — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:54:48 +0000

Yes I can see it now. Bottom of ninth 4-3 lead and Big Pelf comes in. Walks the first batter, walks to the back of the mound, takes cap off, sweat coming off the head, looks up at heaven, and goes back to the mound-DO I NEED TO GO ON?

By: Metsie

Metsie — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:53:11 +0000

Closer requires good internal makeup as much as it does good pitches.
You have to be one of those guys who can pretty much will themselves into striking a guy out or to hit into a DP.

Pelf is not that guy!

But Santana is!

If we find Johan has issues going more than 4 or 5 innings or has to miss starts due to soreness then I think he should get considered as a closer conversion.

It will make it easier to manage his soreness and rest, if Successful make him easier to trade provided we pay some of his salary, and you could always stretch him later on once the shoulder becomes more sound.

If we are going to convert any starter to closer Santana is the only one who has a reasonable chance of succeeding there.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:43:59 +0000

lol Thanks Des I’m glad someone caught the reference!

By: 86mets

86mets — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 04:49:32 +0000

Yes, but one must remember that Righetti and Eckersley each threw no-hitters before converting to the bullpen. Why don’t we wait for Pelfry to throw the Mets 1st ever No-No before moving him to the ‘pen, otherwise we’ll just trade him away and watch him throw a no-no for someone else (ala, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Doc Gooden, and David Cone)! LOL

Seriously though, this is a guy who implodes at the hint of adversity. Do you REALLY want him pitching the 9th inning with the game on the line? Granted, he’d come in to start the inning with no one on, but what happens if a grounder gets booted by the SS or 2B and puts the tying run on? Will he settle down and get the job done, or implode as he is want to do historically. An idea to ponder, perhaps seriously for a moment, but ultimately…….NO.

By: Des

Des — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:15:53 +0000

Oldtimer, if you still have a day job, you’d better not quit it. It has to be better than your jokes. lol.
P.S. John is a good writer and a good man.

By: oldtimer

oldtimer — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:58:24 +0000

My friend,dudd,has been suggesting this for a long time. Could John Delcos be another dudd alias?

By: MetsMagic

MetsMagic — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:19:17 +0000

Pelfrey is a sinkerballer with no real out pitch. He was rushed through the system before he could develop a third pitch, and honestly, the best thing for him and the Mets is a new change of pace. He’s had tremendous potential, and I’d rather see him reach it elsewhere than toil away here.

By: larman

larman — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 01:11:24 +0000

I don’t believe mike pelfrey can be a bullpen pitcher, he not around the strikezone, he walks to many batters at times, he’s suppose to be a sinker type pitcher, but he’s not, If he can’t win and even be a .500 pitcher, what makes the mets think he can. The mets need a new pitching coach like a tom sever type to boost the pitching staff with his kind of knack and knowledge. Mike pelfey is not in the same league calabria. When the mets make thr right choice as a organization, where like i said on metsblog, just give the mets new owners. new blood where they can find and make this organization the mets not only for now but for the future years ahead, The braves did, the phillies turned around, so why not the mets, don’t forget it was ownership in the early part of the year that made bad comments on david wright and jose reyes, and they want pelfrey to go to the bullpen really see what i mean.

By: Des

Des — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 01:02:13 +0000

Pelfrey and Parnell are tied for 17th out of 23 pitchers on the Mets 2011 roster with a WHIP of 1.47. But this isn’t the worst knock on him. With Thole or Paulino behind the plate, Mike has only 2 runner CS in 31 SB attempts. This is pathetic. He’s obviously slow to the plate and has a poor defensive catching staff. He needs a better slide step and a much better catcher than he’s had in 2011.

By: Des

Des — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:49:43 +0000

Metsie, I love your humor. Right on the money!

By: jessep

jessep — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:19:26 +0000

Pitches 1-15: 549 AB, 162H, 11HR, 60RBI, 40BB, .295 AVG, .341OBP, .413SLG
Pitches 16-30: 568AB, 164H, 16HR, 68RBI, 45BB, .289AVG, .346OBP, .440SLG
Pitches 31-45: 530AB, 157H, 12HR, 70RBI, 60BB, .297AVG, .371OBP, .446SLG
Pitches 46-60: 486AB, 122H, 10HR, 69RBI, .251AVG, .313OBP, .385SLG

I’m not sure he’d be any more effective as a reliever to be honest.

Pelfrey is a decent enough starter so long as you don’t go calling him your ace or anything crazy like that. He’s a #4/#5 on a great team. The problem is outside of Niese, the Mets don’t really have a guy they can call their #2 so that’s why all the questions center around Pelf.

If the Mets could afford to use Pelf as a #4 nobody would want to use him in relief.

By: Nester

Nester — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:11:11 +0000

Sorry John, this is borderline insane. Pelfrey is the worst candidate to be considered a reliever, well maybe Oliver Perez is worse.

By: Sach

Sach — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:05:17 +0000

No way! This dear in the headlight case would be even a worse closer than Parnell. Pelfrey struggles to pitch out of the stretch position. He tends to push the ball out of the stretch position and loses whatever little bite he has on pitches out of the wind-up. Let’s look at some Pelf splits from last year and I think this is borne out- No Runners On- 487PA .281BAA .316OBP 67SO 23BB, With Men On- 373PA .293BAA .380OBP 42SO 38BB, With RISP- 235PA .303BAA .396OBP 27SO 30BB. Plus Pelfrey takes a long time and needs a lot of pitches to warm-up.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:39:40 +0000

I would make him a 24th inning specialist only!

By: francis

francis — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:03:13 +0000

why not consider erratic starter Mike Pelfrey in the closer role?

uhh, because he’s not that good.

By: Hitman

Hitman — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 19:38:23 +0000

“As a closer, theoretically he would face only three hitters with the game in the balance. It is worth finding out if such pressure could jumpstart him.”

You know you’re talking about MIKE PELFREY, right? Haven’t we witnessed numerous times for years what happens whenever he’s under pressure? He folds like a tent. A new pitching role won’t shake that. No way he has the mentality to be a closer. Middle reliever? Maybe, but definitely not a closer.

By: K Maxx

K Maxx — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 19:27:22 +0000

No way. He implodes with runners on base how can he be a reliever?

By: Russell Zanca

Russell Zanca — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:38:21 +0000

What’s the harm in trying? I mean, he cannot do any more damage as a reliever than as a starter. Pretty uncomfortable with the prospect of this basket case closing. Takes nerves of steel. Cannot see Pelf dealing with that kind of pressure in any way, shape, or form! Middle innings when game is out of reach–practically–then appropriate to see what he can do.

By: NJstuckinTX

NJstuckinTX — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:07:47 +0000

Nice thought, but I always thought Pelf blew it right away and then settled in as the offense played catchup.