10
2012
Heilman Signs With The Mariners
An article by Craig Lerner
Free Agent right-handed reliever Aaron Heilman signed a Minor League deal with Seattle on Tuesday and will get a shot in Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.
The former Met Heilman was initially shipped to Seattle in the three team, 12 player trade that landed the Mets J.J. Putz before the 2009 season.
Heilman, 33, has been one of baseball’s most durable bullpen men over the past six years. He appeared in 70 or more games each season from 2006-10 while with the Mets, Cubs and D-backs and figures to get a good shot as a veteran reliever with the young Mariners bullpen.
In nine years in the Majors, he has a 35-46 record with a 4.40 ERA and 16 saves in 477 appearances.
Heilman’s best season was in ’07 with the Mets when he went 7-7 with a 3.03 ERA and 1.070 WHIP in 86 innings over a career-high 81 appearances.
His lowest moment also came with the Mets when he served up the game-winning two-run home run to Yadier Molina in game 7 of the 2006 NLCS.
The top of the ninth. After Heilman struck out Jim Edmonds to begin the inning, he allowed Scott Rolen to reach with a single to left field. And then Shea Stadium fell silent when Heilman hung a changeup to Molina, who deposited the pitch over the left-field wall to give the Cardinals all the runs they needed.
About the Author: Craig Lerner
I'm a data analyst and researcher for a leading news agency who loves life and is hooked on the Mets. I love following the Amateur Draft and have a particular fondness for the Mets Minor Leagues who I follow each day. Give me a cold beer, a summer day, and a Mets game, and I'm good to go.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 26 | 18 | .591 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 22 | .511 | 3.5 |
| Phillies | 21 | 24 | .467 | 5.5 |
| Mets | 17 | 25 | .405 | 8.0 |
| Marlins | 13 | 32 | .289 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/21/2013
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No love lost here. He was primarily a two-pitch pitcher – fastball and change-up. (he had a slider and a curve that didn’t work). Teams could and would wait him out and then smack the ball.
Extremely over rated when he was with the Mets and unfortunately most Mets fans found out the hard way in the playoffs.
Ironically, the Mariners turned around and traded Heilman to the Cubs for Ronny Cedeno and Garret Olson, two recent additions of the Mets.
Good luck Aaron. You had a few good years (2005-2007) with the Mets and a few bad games. But you gave it all you had and never complained. Man up? You did. Now that the sun is setting on your career, I want you to know some New York fans appreciated your stoic tenacity. He was a good man and a smart man.
(Aaron’s worst mistake was insisting on a starting role with the Mets while he lacked more than a couple of good pitches. He had more than his share of problems with lefties.)
All is forgiven Aaron, that HR you gave up to Yadier Molina wasn’t your fault. Forget that another pitch could have been called or or maybe you could have shaken LoDuca off, it’s not your fault or his.
Years later, according to some like t agee it’s all The Wilpons..and Omar’s fault and because you gave up that HR to Molina nothing has been right for the last 25 years but don’t worry because all of you guys have been exonerated. Everything is the Wilpon’s fault.
Bayonne – happy new year. If you were refering to me, I’m not t agee but tlagee.
The pitch that Heilman threw was not Omar’s or Freddie’s falut. That one was on Heilman for throwing it.
Listen, it’s easier to guess a two pitch pitcher and Molina guessed right.
When I look back on how crappy (for the most part) that ’07 and ’08′ BP was – especially considering the money spent on it, it’s a wonder we actually went down to the last couple of days before we were eliminated.
Don’t forget in that game that that Heilman gave up the HR Beltran and Jose Valentin both had chances to put the Mets ahead and win the game.
Your just trying to put the blame on Omar Minaya. That is EXACTLY what you are saying.
And the Mets had plenty of chances to win games with their bats during that same collapse that very year
So don’t try to put the loss of that game on the Front Office because you’re not fooling anyone with your vanilla way of putting it – your still blaming the loss on Omar and you are 100% wrong. But you already give excuses for everything Sandy does.
Your not fooling anyone, srt.
You wrote: “Don’t forget in that game that that Heilman gave up the HR Beltran and Jose Valentin both had chances to put the Mets ahead and win the game. ”
Jose Valentin had singled leading off the inning followed by Chavez – so I’m not sure why you’re pointing the finger at Valentin. Maybe you meant Reyes?
Actually, I think Willie’s game management in that last inning was terrible. He had runners on first and second no out and we were behind by two runs. You need a bunt there. Instead he puts up Cliff Floyd who had a grand total of 2 at bats (0 for 2) in the previous 6 games. Why? because he had bad wheels. Why is that a terrible decision? Because if Floyd hit the ball on the ground it was a sure double play. I was saying this before he struck out.
Glavine should have been put in to bunt in that situation. In the end it wouldn’t have made a difference but I thought Willie’s choice of Floyd was idiotic.
Reyes lined out, Lo Duca walked and Beltran struck out.
Jose Valentin had singled leading off the inning followed by Chavez – so I’m not sure why you’re pointing the finger at Valentin. Maybe you meant Reyes?”
Bottom of the sixth, bases loaded, 1 out, the place is rocking, mets with all the momentum after chavez’ amazing catch, valentine step up, then struck out on a pitch on the floor… horrible strike out.. that is what bayonne meant about valentine
Fair enough Alex. I selectively forgot that. Thanks for reminding me.
Once again, facts allude you. SRT was talking about 07 and 08 and you are talking about ONE game in 06. Not even on the same page or year but keep making accusations at someone.
………..and your buddy calls me a baiter…………..geez
You’re really funny Kay. Calling oout a poster and in the same tiny paragraph whining about being called out yourself. You sandy worshippers are so soft. All you can do is tryt to dish out faulty criticism at others who don’t worship alse gods, but get a litle back and the flood of tears comes immediately. I see why you all follow and worship. you’re all too soft to stand up for your own opinions.
Why post an opinion when you will just twist it into your lies to fit your agenda. The whole worship crap is getting old now, not creative to come up with another immature label that means nothing to what any of us actually say?
Omar, be nice. remember….. would not want you out of here again my friend..
Wow, how truly disrespectful and blind you are to what is I am sure of the most classy and fair poster on this entire blog. Your bias absolutely amazes me. Find me one post where SRT is claiming Sandy is a god and has no faults. Find me one post where she puts all the blame on Omar. This damn witch hunt has to stop on here or it will be the down fall of the site. Every post turns into some damn Omar vs Sandy debate. There is much more to baseball than this.
I don’t recall assigning blame to anyone. But since you brought it up, just who exactly was responsible for that god-awful BP at those prices?
Somehow Sandy was. i’m sure of it!
LOL
I have no idea why a handful of posters here have to turn every single post into an ‘Omar vs. Sandy’ debate.
As Kay pointed out, I was referring to ’07 and ’08 and someone pings me on one pitch by Heilman in ’06 post season.
Fun times….
srt it was YOU who turned it into a Sandy vs. Omar, not me.
Sigh….you’re just exhausting, Bayonne.
well that’s exactly what you’re doing. If you’re gonna sit here a few years later and complain about the money spent on the bullpens of 07 & 08 and then say you wonder why the Mets weren’t eliminated earlier you’re second guessing with your bookkeeper’s visor on and blaming the GM.
That is exactly what you are saying. Mets had plenty of opportunities to win games in both of those collapses with their bats as well.
It is not 2nd guessing because she along with many others said going into those seasons not enough was done to the BP, especially during the season when they had noticed that their fortunes had changed.
As for you saying she turned it into a Sandy vs Omar debate? I seriously think you are letting this stuff get to your head. I think you are paranoid and now think that every comment is about the same two things. I wonder if we went to your house if there would be all kinds of newspaper articles with words circled in red pasted all over your walls? Seriously, many of us come here to debate much more than this idiotic debate over Sandy vs Omar. Hell, how can you even debate the topic until Sandy is no longer here?
Even though I referred to 06 when srt actually mentioned 07 & 08 my main point STILL applies.
SRT is looking to blame Omar for those collapses when it was the play on the field and regardless of the bullpen both collapses the players had chances to win those games and left runners on base in many key spots in BOTH collapses. And when Omar did not replace Wagner when he went down I agreed with it AT THE TIME because I felt any reliever they had then should have been able to close out games and unfortunately that did not happen. So if i was to look back NOW and say Wagner should have been replaced than I would be 2nd guessing – which is what srt is EXACTLY doing anyway.
So regardless if I answered with what happened in 06, the same applies to 07 &08 in that the players themselves had chances to close both of those deals and did not. Look at the individual performances and we can argue who to blame on the field.
But it was not the Wilpons or Omar who blew those collapses. If you think so than you are copping out and second guessing.
The simple fact is you are just looking to be an a**-hole any chance you get and it’s really gotten to be pathetic.
Wrong, but thanks for playing.
I was commenting on the multitude of blown saves and BP meltdowns in ’07 and ’08. Wasn’t even remotely talking about that 8th inning debacle by Heilman in ’06.
Heilman was an average pitcher who went through some good streaks. As a starter, he would one-hit a team one day and be knocked out in the third inning the next time he faced them – because he was a two pitch pitcher.
This is from a report on the game:
‘A .216 hitter with only six home runs during the regular season, Molina drove the first pitch he saw from reliever Aaron Heilman into New York’s bullpen for a 3-1 lead in the ninth.
“I just left it up,” Heilman said. “I was just trying to throw it down and away. Instead it stayed right over the middle of the plate.” ‘
You can’t let a .216 hitter beat you in that situation. Good to great pitchers don’t – average pitchers do.
So taguchi a 266 hitter with 2 HR in 500 at bats during the season homer off wagner on game 2, While i understand you’re POV, heilman was the hotter guy out of the bullpen, before allowing that single to rolen and that HR to molina he had 6.1 IP 1 ER 6 K’s and 1 BB. if you remember the day before wagner came in on a 4-0 lead in the 9th inning and he gave up 2 runs before shutting the door and struggle mightily trhoughout the playoffs as he usually did (11.30 ERA in the playoffs)..
Again – fair point Alex. However, Wagner was challenging a guy with his best pitch and the guy beat him – Heilman just served up a meatball in the 9th inning of Game seven.
Yes, it happens. But I (along with many other Mets fans probably including you) really thought that the Mets were a team of destiny after Chavez’ catch. That loss gutted me.
Hey – I was at Shea for a doubleheader – for you youngsters that was when you could see two regularly scheduled games for the price of one – in 1971 and saw Ron Swoboda strike out 8 times vs the Phillies!!! 8 times!!! You’d score that: KKKKKKKK.
Now do you hear me bitchin’ about how Rocky cost us the division that year? I also lived through the magnificent Mets of 1976 – 1983…… Do you hear me whinning? During that time Jerry Koosman, the greatest lefty pitcher in Mets history lost 20 games in one season!! 20 games with an ERA around 3.50!
I saw the Mets when Pedro Bourbon, Pat Zachary, and Randy Nieman were the team’s aces! I lived through Ron Hodges, Doug Flynn and the automatic double play machine known as Joe Torre! Saint Joe was also the team’s manager a little later. He was one of the worst manager’s in team history – of course things changed later for him when he managed Jeter and Rivera, etc…
Do you guys have any idea what it was like to root for a team whose big name player was LEE MAZZILLI????????
Trust me, all this will pass!!! Being a Mets fan builds character!!! In 10 years you’ll all be fondly remembering the 06,07,08 Mets as the good ‘ole days!!!
JJ — I was there when Choo Choo Coleman was the man. He was called a great low ball catcher and he could run. But he couldn’t do much else. Top this my friends.
Des,
You are my kind of fan!
Yes I can top that! Harry Chiti because “you gotta have a catcher otherwise you got alot of passed balls!”
Who was/is your least favorite Met of all-time?
Heilman was very good in 06 and parts of 07N but once the wheels fell off they were gone forever. I think the fans got on him prematurely, but once they did he could not shake it off – NY Syndrome
Kay — It’s New York. There is always a lot of hating going on. Otherwise it’s no fun to some fans. Yup, Aaron was a guy who fans ganged up long before there was a reason to hate him. In fact during the years 2005-2007, Aaron’s WHIP was better, sometimes by a lot, than the Mets WHIP as a team. In 2008, his WHIP shot up, so he became persona non grata, and he was gone after the season. Aaron’s SO/BB with the Mets was always pretty good, ranging from 1.24 to 3.15 — yes Aaron deserved better treatment by Mets fans. He was quite good in his prime with the Mets.
Steve “The Human Rain Delay” Trachsel was a guy who drove Mets fans nuts. Rumor has it, he has quit the game, but some fans claim he’s just between pitches.