31
2012
Should Dickey or Santana Get The Ball On Opening Day?
An article by 
Since becoming a Met in 2008, Johan Santana has been the team’s Opening Day starting pitcher when he’s been healthy enough to do so. Despite missing the last month of the 2010 season and all of the 2011 season, Santana was given the ball on Opening Day 2012, albeit with a strict pitch count. Santana pitched five scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves, helping the Mets to a 1-0 Opening Day victory.
But after a strong start, capped by his historic no-hitter against the Cardinals, Santana struggled mightily. After pitching his gem on June 1, Santana made ten starts. In those ten starts, the southpaw had an 8.27 ERA and 1.76 WHIP, with opponents hitting .327 against him. Compare that to his first 11 starts, which culminated with the no-hitter. In those games, Santana was superb (2.38 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, .200 batting average against).
R.A. Dickey, on the other hand, was consistently good all year, and at times was absolutely phenomenal.
The Mets’ resident knuckleballer and first-time All-Star became the team’s first 20-game winner since Frank Viola in 1990. Dickey finished at or near the top of the league in wins (20), ERA (2.73), WHIP (1.05), strikeouts (230), innings pitched (233⅔), games started (33), complete games (5) and shutouts (3). You name it, Dickey led it. Or he came close to leading it. But does that get him an Opening Day start from Terry Collins in 2013?
In the past, teams have given the ball to the pitcher with the reputation, and in some cases, the big-dollar contract. When healthy, Johan Santana has been one of the top pitchers in the game for the better part of the last decade. Meanwhile, Dickey had his first dominant season in 2012, although his previous two seasons in New York were quite good.
Given that bit of information, it would seem as if Johan Santana should get the ball on April 1, with Dickey taking the hill on Opening Day II. However, if the Mets want to truly reward Dickey, who was denied the honor of starting the All-Star Game in 2012, then Terry Collins should write his name on the lineup card on Opening Day.
Let’s face it. Santana gave us one of the biggest thrills in 2012 by pitching the franchise’s first no-hitter. No Mets fan will ever forget where he or she was when David Freese swung through Santana’s 134th pitch that night. But considering how “un-Santana-like” he was after that game and the fact that he was shut down in the middle of August, the Mets shouldn’t take a chance on starting Santana on Opening Day. Santana has already gotten the ball four times on the season’s first day. He’s gotten his respect. Now it’s time for him and team management to respect the team’s new ace and give R.A. Dickey the ball on Opening Day.
Dickey’s story has been a tremendous one to follow. He’s literally been through hell and back to make it to where he is today. Although he is only due to make $5 million in 2013, which is less than 20% of Santana’s $25.5 million salary for the year, Dickey has earned the right to be the Mets’ Opening Day starting pitcher.
By giving the ball to Dickey on April 1, it allows Santana to face opponents’ non-aces, giving the Mets a better opportunity to win, especially if Santana cannot go deep into games or pitches as ineffectively as he did after his no-hitter. Dickey fared extremely well against the best of the best in the National League, defeating the likes of Cliff Lee, Mark Buehrle, Lance Lynn, Gio Gonzalez, Josh Johnson and Adam Wainwright, to name a few. He also defeated Tampa Bay’s David Price by tossing a one-hitter against the Rays, the first of his two consecutive one-hitters in 2012.
When healthy, Johan Santana has been an incredible pitcher, one who is more than deserving of an Opening Day start. But the torch has now been passed.
R.A. Dickey is the new ace of the squad, and deserves to get the ball on Opening Day. Dickey set a franchise record by earning 27.0% of the team’s wins in 2012. Without question, he’ll give the Mets their best chance to start the 2013 campaign with a 1-0 record.
Dickey has climbed over many hills to get to where he is today. He should be allowed to climb one more hill on Opening Day.
About the Author: Ed Leyro
Ed Leyro was hatched in the Bronx, but spent most of his youth in Queens at Shea Stadium. Apparently, all that time spent at Mets games paid off as Ed met his wife (The Coop) for the first time at Citi Field during its inaugural season. Guess the 2009 season was good for something after all. In addition to his work at Mets Merized Online, Ed also owns, operates and is head janitor at Studious Metsimus, where he shares blogging duties with Joey Beartran. For those not in the know, Joey is a teddy bear dressed in a Mets hoodie. Clearly, Studious Metsimus is not your typical Mets blog.
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It depends on what happens this spring assuming both are still here. At this point if Johan is healthy it should be his assignment to lose. I can already imagine the ovation and a pre-game ceremony with a video of the no-hitter highlights. lol I need to get some sleep.
If I was a betting man my money would be on Santana because I feel there’s only a 50-50 chance Dickey will be on the Opening Day roster. With no money to spend and few chips to trade, a Cy Young caliber pitcher with just a $5 million price tag has got to bring back an outfielder or two. The team is thinner at OF and C and BP than they are in the SP positions, so I would expect him to move.
On Wright, they will make the colossal mistake of re-signing him when a year later Flores would be ready at minimum wage.
They will make an offer…but I think Wright refuses to sign…if he wanted to sign a below-market contract, this would’ve been wrapped up already…
Mets are not going to sign ANYBODY at market-level value…
If you are a good player…the mets will have to OVERPAY you DRAMATICALLY to come here..
If you are not a good player…and there is someone else that offers you a contract….the mets will still have to pay more for you to come here…
If you are NOT a good player…and NOONE ELSE WANTS YOU…then Sandy will take advantage of the fact that you dont want to play in the Mexican League this year…and you just might fit the bill here…
Sandy Alderson would have to offer David a contract that avg 30 mil a year for 7 years to makeup for the fact that he will be play in an empty and hostile environment for the rest of his career…and folks will blame him for being overpaid while Sandy is no longer GM
That’s reality folks
If you go based on body of work, of course it’s Santana. But if Dickey is the NL Cy Young winner, how can he not start?
That’s a tough one, but I’d lean toward Johan. I think Mets are 4-0 with Santana on Opening Day assignments unless I’m mistaken.
I agree with Barry. If Dickey wins the Cy Young you have to give him the opening day nod. Do we open at home?
We do. The opener is at Citi Field on April 1 against the Padres. It’s a 1:10 PM start, which would favor Dickey, who was 13-1 in day games in 2012. (7-5 in night games)
Hi Ed, thank you. I’m not used to writers answering back. I’m hoping it’s Dickey and of course I’m hoping he’s still with us.
Same here, Frank. Carlos Beltran got us Zack Wheeler and I’m sure Dickey would get us a top prospect as well. But unlike Beltran, Dickey is one of the biggest fan-favorites the Mets have had in the past few years. It would be difficult to see him traded, especially after all the success he’s had here.
Ed,
If trading Dickey brings back “a top prospect” and nothing else, there’s no way I’d trade him. BUT, if he could bring back a young catching prospect, a promising young major-league ready outfielder and at least one other player, I’d listen.
I’m always afraid of young catching prospects because of the wear and tear they get behind the plate. They could easily fizzle or be a shadow of their former selves at a young age. That’s why many stud catchers end up playing other positions, like Johnny Bench, Joe Torre and Craig Biggio. Even Bryce Harper was drafted as a catcher, but the Nationals were wise to move him out from behind the plate so he could last longer.
If the Mets were in the American League, at least they could prolong their catcher’s career by having him DH a few games a week, like Joe Mauer or Victor Martinez. But look at Mike Piazza. His last good year was in 2002, when he was 33 for most of the season, and even in that season, he only hit .280 and drove in 98 runs, a far cry from his usual .320, 110-120 RBI seasons he produced before then.
If Dickey is traded for a stud catching prospect, the Mets would have to get a few good young players for that to be a good trade.
That’s one reason I have a bad feeling that Piazza might go into the HOF as a Dodger. Except for batting average (.331 vs .296), OBP and OPS, Piazza had better number with the Mets in HR, RBI, R. I dont think it’s a slam dunk he goes in as a Met.
Dickey is the one who just won 20 games and would give the Mets the best shot at winning against another team’s number one starter. So as long as he’s not traded, it’s a no brained that he gets the ball.
Dickey without a doubt. For the last three seasons, Dickey has been they only good thing about the Mets. Time for him to get the recognition he richly deserves. And a contract to match.
I wouldn’t be surprised if both are gone by the time the season starts myself…
That said Dickey should get it! Earned it.
Where there might be wiggle room is if we start the season on the road which would allow us to start Santana the first game of the season and let Dickey pitch the home opener.