In one of the seldom-made smarter moves on the Mets’ management part leading into 2010, Dickey was signed to a minor league contract, making his first appearance with the big club in May of this year.  And what has transpired is nothing short of magical.  Okay, fine.  It was more than what most expected from him (we’ll take our miracles where we can these days, thank you very much): he has gone 10-6 with a 2.91 ERA in 22 games started.

Yes, in a year when pitching had more question marks than exclamation points, R.A. Dickey provided a nice solid punctuation mark on the season’s starting pitchers.

According to Baseball Reference among other sites, Dickey last made $525,000 on the books for the Twins.  Since he signed a minor league contract, I cannot find record of what he is making for the Mets this year.  However, I guarantee you it is not enough since he really has been the Mets showstopper this year.

For THIS year, operative words.  Of course, with his performance, Dickey has grown on the fans and thus, now talk has occurred with the usual — Should we lock him up now or later?

When I initially had the idea for this column, I had wanted to talk about the ramification of perhaps offering a multi-year deal for R.A. Dickey, and I was going to argue against it for obvious reasons. One is, we’ve learned that offering a multi-year deal, especially to a pitcher, is not a very good idea (especially based on a one-year performance).  Two is, whenever the Mets think that lightning will strike twice, we learn time and again it certainly never does.  Third is Dickey’s not getting any younger.  I know knuckleballers tend to go for years and years, but to give him a multi-year deal would be shortsighted based on that and that alone.

Of course, with the news that Johan Santana is not only out for the year with season-ending shoulder surgery, the type of surgery he is due to get has been problematic for pitchers regaining their form, this might change some of the dynamic for the Mets pitching staff in 2011.  Santana’s surgery is bad news not just for Santana but for the Mets as well.  However, this is the time to think about Dickey’s future, since I think that the Mets also have to think in terms of Johan Santana NOT being “JOHAN SANTANA” of old.

Dickey is historically a below-.500 pitcher.  However, if he gets two more wins on the season, he will be exactly at .500 lifetime.  I think it would be premature to give him anything long-term.  A one-year contract, maybe.  With an option.  And that’s IT.  Based on his historical performance, the Mets should not be offering anybody, regardless of what they are making now or how well they perform as a pitcher, anything long-term.

I won’t disagree he is worth every penny he is earning, if not more.  In fact, Dickey himself is so humble that he is not taking any of this for granted.  He was even quoted as saying: “I want to continue to have the mentality that I’m entitled to nothing. That mentality helps me work well and continue to be good at my craft.”  A “problem” like R.A. Dickey is a good one for the Mets to have, right?  After this season though, I think any long-term contract for any pitcher, even R.A. Dickey who has proven his worth, would be problematic.

Lack of control was the Achilles heel of the Mets’ pitching staff in 2009.  Last year’s team finished next-to-last in the league in walks allowed and struggled to keep those extra runners from scoring.  However, a quick look at the current NL pitching stats reveals that the 2010 Mets are dead last in the National League in walks allowed.  So how is this year’s team doing so much better than last year’s team when it comes to keeping runs off the scoreboard?  (3.06 ERA in 2010 as opposed to a 4.45 ERA in 2009)  The answer is simple.  The Mets’ pitchers are thriving because the opposing batters aren’t driving the ball against them.

Last year, opposing batters hit .264 against the Mets and posted a .418 slugging percentage.  Both figures were above the league averages of .260 and .412.  Since the Mets were giving up so many extra-base hits (hence the .418 slugging percentage), all the free passes given up by the staff were constantly coming back to haunt them, as they were scoring on those long hits.

This year, it’s been a different story.  Mets pitchers have been very stingy in 2010 when it comes to giving up the long hit.  Other than John Maine’s five homers served up, no other pitcher has given up more than one home run.  The 12 home runs given up by the Mets in 22 games rank second in the NL to the St. Louis Cardinals, who have allowed 10 homers.  Not surprisingly, the Cardinals have the best record in the league at 15-7.

Jonathon Niese has allowed 11 doubles this year, but no other pitcher has surrendered more than five.  The 43 doubles given up by the Mets are slightly less than two per game.  What about triples?  You can count the number of three-base hits allowed by the Mets on one hand, as they have given up only five triples in 2010.

Whereas the 2009 Mets ranked above league averages in batting average against and slugging percentage against, the 2010 Mets are far below the NL averages.  This year, opponents are hitting a measly .236 against the Mets and slugging a paltry .354.  These numbers pale in comparison to the .258 and .407 league averages.

When starters like Mike Pelfrey (.200 BAA, .291 slugging pct.), Johan Santana (.223 BAA, .333 slugging pct.) and – don’t laugh at this one – Oliver Perez (.244 BAA, .333 slugging pct.) are keeping the opposition to singles and walks, it’s going to take several batters to score a run.  Case in point:  Do you remember the grand slam Johan Santana gave up to Josh Willingham on April 11?  That’s the only home run allowed by the threesome listed above.  Oliver Perez may be erratic on the mound with his control, but he hasn’t given up a homer yet and has only allowed five extra base hits in his four starts.

The bullpen has been even better than the starters when it comes to keeping the opposition to one base at a time.  The four most used relievers this year have been Hisanori Takahashi (14.1 IP), Fernando Nieve (13.0 IP), Francisco Rodriguez (10.2 IP) and Pedro Feliciano (10.2 IP).  Here are their figures in batting average against and slugging percentage against:

• Hisanori Takahashi:  .216 BAA, .314 slugging pct.
• Fernando Nieve:  .191 BAA, .234 slugging pct.
• Francisco Rodriguez:  .167 BAA, .222 slugging pct.
• Pedro Feliciano:  .091 BAA, .091 slugging pct.

The Mets’ most-used relievers have combined to allow only 29 hits in 48.2 innings, of which only nine have gone for extra bases (all doubles).  No triples or home runs have been hit against the Fab Four.  In fact, Pedro Feliciano has faced 42 batters this season and has yet to give up an extra-base hit to any of them, holding them to just three singles.

The Mets must continue to be stingy with the long hits because they’re about to travel to Citizens Bank Park, home of the longball lovin’ Phillies.  The Phillies’ game is simple.  For them, they still think chicks dig the longball and singles are for wimps.  More than one-third of their hits have gone for extra bases (72 XBH out of 193 total hits).  Basically, if they don’t drive, they don’t thrive.

The Phillies are no longer using a lefty-laden lineup as four of their regulars bat from the right side (Carlos Ruiz, Juan Castro, Placido Polanco and Jayson Werth), three bat from the left side (Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Raul Ibañez) and one is a crybaby switch-hitter (Shane Victorino).  The Mets won’t be able to trot out Perpetual Pedro to conquer to army of southpaws the Phillies used to send up to the plate because their lineup is more balanced now.  It will take the combined efforts of all the pitchers, regardless of which hand they use to throw the baseball, to silence the Phillies’ potent bats.

If the Mets pitchers continue to limit the long hits, their success in the standings should continue as well.  After all, runners traveling 90 feet at a time are much better than baseballs traveling 400 feet at a time.  Good luck to the Mets this weekend in Philadelphia.   Remember:  Don’t let the Phillies drive.  Then you’ll continue to thrive.  And hopes will stay alive.

According to ProSportsDaily.com Manuel was asked if the emergence of Fernando Nieve in the pen could free up Mejia to become a starter, Manuel declined, instead noting that he’d like to work him more into a late-inning role.

“Not for me at this point,” Manual said. “I just think there’s tremendous value for a young player to come to the big leagues and maybe the role might not seem as prominent, but the experience being gained here is invaluable for him, even if he has to go back at some point. Even if he stays all year and pitches as a starter in winter ball, I see this as a very valuable lesson for him in going forward.”

While there has been a roar among Mets fans wishing that Mejia would be in the minors readying for a starting job, Manuel feels Mejia is not suited for starting job in the rotation, at least for now.

“I don’t think he has had enough of his repertoire to show,” he said. “He’s been mostly a one-pitch or two-pitch guy, but as a starter, the repertoire of the curveball, the change-up, the sinker, all those type of things are needed.”

It isn’t hard for any Met fan to make a decision about weather to have Mejia become a starting pitcher. As much of a key member of the pitching staff Mejia is, I would love to see him stay in the bullpen and continue working on his pitches, stamina, and his emotions in tough situations. I would hate to see him become a starter way too soon and completely loose his cool.

Ok that’s a bit extreme but the Yankees always seem to get all the attention. It takes guts to be a Met fan. We EARN our attention, both in good and bad ways but we do earn it.

The first week of the season is behind us and the Mets definitely earned their record of 2-4 against those National League East , ahem, juggernauts, Florida Marlins and Washington Nationals.

Even Johan Santana took his dose of Kryptonite against the Nats with a loss on Sunday, giving up a grand slam in the first inning. At least the Mets were kind enough to allow me to enjoy the rest of the day promptly.

Some of you may already want to throw in the towel. The calls for Manuel and Minaya’s head are on the streets. I for one will abreact these dark emotions. Big word huh? It’s a coping mechanism, so says my therapist. Not that a Met fan would actually see a therapist.

Anyway, the main topic of this off-season was the pitching staff, or as I like to call it, One Man and a Little Hazy. So in keeping with my therapist’s desire to keep me rooted in the here and now, I give you my All Time Mets Pitching Staff’s…plus one.

Staff ace, the real Mr. Met, Tom “Terrific” Seaver. I can easily wow you with his stats, 311 career wins, 2.86 career ERA, 3640 strikeouts. Three time Cy Young award winner. I much rather do this. In the time Tom Seaver was a Met from 1967 to 1977, including his return in ’83, the team won 936 games. Tom Seaver won 198 of them. That’s about 21% of the time the Mets won, it was due to George Thomas Seaver. No pitcher with a team as umm, eclectic as the Mets could have done more. Semper Fi Mr. Met.

Backing up Seaver I give you Dwight Eugene Gooden. Perhaps the biggest icon the team had since Seaver himself, the Doctor racked up insanely impressive numbers. He set the rookie record for strikeouts with 276 in 1984 while winning the Rookie of the Year. His follow up season the Doctor earned the Cy Young award by way of the pitching Triple Crown, leading the NL in Wins, K’s and ERA. His off field troubles are the only thing that kept Doc out of Cooperstown. Bittersweet memories fade hard.

Rounding out the top three I have Nolan Ryan. Now some of you might not think Ryan should be considered since he’s so synonymous with Texas. I can’t hold that against you but how can the Mets not include this Hall of Famer, arguably one of the best pitchers ever, at their number three starter? 7 no hitters, including one at the ripe old age of 44. He’s tied with Bob Feller for most one hitters with 12. He’s the All Time leader in strikeouts with 5714, and yes the Mets traded him in 1972 for Jim Fregosi. Just to let you know, Omar Minaya was 14 years old. It happens.

Towing the rubber is our number four pitcher, Johan Santana. Johan is one of the best left handed pitchers in the game today. He averages about 15 wins a season, an ERA around 3+, and well over 200 K’s a year. A two time Cy Young award winner, Johan will hopefully be a cornerstone for the franchise for years to come. That’s of course until they trade him to Cincinnati for…oh wait, we’d never do that.

Rounding out the staff is tough. Usually the 5th starter on a club wears the oft overused title of “journeyman” or “quality arm”. However, this is my fantasy and I’m going with Jerry Koosman. Granted all you Coneheads are freaking out now. It’s ok have a Zoloft, yummy. Jerry Koosman along with Tom Seaver, practically saved the Mets from complete obscurity. “Cool Hand” Kooz won 140 games as a Metropolitan with an impressive ERA of 3.09. He will be remembered for his incredible 1969 season where he went 17-9 with a 2.28 ERA and 6 shutouts. Not too bad for a 26 year old.

Closing it out I give you Mr. Brooklyn himself, Johnny Franco. If there ever was a Met that was more New York than Franco, I don’t think I ever met him. He looked like the guy who could be sitting next to you in a bar in Queens but he pitched like the guy who should be in the Hall of Fame. With 424 career saves, the most by a left handed reliever, John was the brick wall, all 5 foot 10, 170 pound frame, the Mets could ever want. While Tug made us all remember that “Ya Gotta Believe” John Franco made hitters say “Fuhgettaboutit” and go home, bat dragging behind them.

Well there you have it. My All Time Mets Pitching Staff…plus one. We’re a week in and sure we’ve seen the team sputter a bit. Look at the bright side seriously; we got Jose Reyes back and Carlos Beltran is around the corner. Have some faith! Or have a good therapist that doesn’t mind prescribing good meds,  we have a long way to go.

Which brings me to this next piece I just found in the New York Daily News from last week, as John Harper asked Mets’ ace Santana what he thought of the guys who will follow him in said rotation.  Talk about glass half full.  For kicks, let’s compare what Santana said in the article to what I would say.

OLIVER PEREZ

Johan S: I saw a different Ollie (at minicamp three weeks ago). He’s hungry. He still needs to be Ollie Perez, the guy who has fun, but seeing him very positive, very challenging now, I’m expecting a lot from him. His knee is healthy, too. People don’t know there were times last year he wasn’t even able to walk on it.

Mikey J: If Omar Minaya backed up a Brinks truck to the East River and shoveled out $36 million into the water, we would say he was crazy, right?  Giving that amount to Ollie P over three years was stupid, so apparently Minaya would rather be stupid than crazy.

MIKE PELFREY

Johan S: He’s got the stuff to be great. Man, if I had his stuff, oh, my God. That sinker that he throws at 95, it’s unbelievable. It’s a matter of consistency and being more mature, and I really believe he’s a more mature pitcher after feeling like he had to step in for me (late) last season.

Mikey J: Um, Big Pelf had a very average season, and he didn’t step into anything.  And dude just couldn’t stop licking himself.  No guy who wants to aspire to even be the temporary #1 pitcher gets the “yips” and balks three times in an inning.  Oh wait, there’s Rick Ankiel.  Anyway, if Johan really did have Pelfrey’s stuff, he would be saying “oh my God!” for real.

JOHN MAINE

Johan S: Being pain-free makes all the difference. That thing in his shoulder, he couldn’t pitch with it. He’s got the stuff and he’s got the mentality, and now he’s healthy again.

Mikey J: Hearing John Maine is “healthy again” is like hearing that Brett Favre is “ready to retire” from the NFL.  But Maine will give us a quality 75 to 150 innings before spending August and September on the DL again.

Thanks, Johan.  We are glad you are optimistic and look forward to you being one of the team’s few bright spots.  And we thank you for not wanting to go back to Minnesota just yet.