Here is an interview I conduced with author and Sports Illustrated columnist Jeff Pearlman, who wrote the New York Times bestselling book on the New York Mets, “The Bad Guys Won”. The book is a must read and is available at Amazon.com. Enjoy.
MMO – The Mets came out like gangbusters this offseason and signed Michael Cuddyer to a two year, $21 million dollar contract as soon as free agency started. However aside from picking up a bat for the bench, it ended up being all they did. Did they do enough to win 89 games as Sandy Alderson said on MLB Network, and is this a team that will be playing October baseball as the manager and players are saying?
Jeff – No. They remain a bad team with some good young pitching. But that wasn’t much of a splash, and you have a franchise player (David Wright) in decline, a painfully sub-mediocre lineup and a thin bench. Eighty nine losses are much more likely. Bummer.
MMO – The Mets currently have six very capable MLB starters for their rotation, plus three more top pitching prospect who are MLB ready – or close to it – in the minors. It is often said that you can never have enough pitching, and Sandy reiterated that on Monday. He’s been getting a lot of heat for not moving one of his pitching prospects to fill a glaring need at shortstop. Is he doing the right thing by hanging onto all this pitching depth?
Jeff – No, they need offense, they need a shortstop. Right now they’re dealing from a position of pure strength—because potential is the most enticing drug in sports. Of those six pitchers, how many are truly going to become great? Not just Bobby Jones or Craig Swan, but legitimate 15-to-20-game winners? Maybe two—max. But we don’t know. No one knows. So trade now, and hope you’ve peddled the right ones.
MMO – Can you draw any comparisons between the 1986 Mets team that your best-selling book was based on and this Mets team? Are there any similarities in makeup, style, philosophy, etc.?
Jeff – Honestly, I see none. That was a very special and unique cast of characters. This is a so-so Met team playing in a blah era.
MMO – Give me a preseason prediction. Who are the three division winners in the NL and your two wild cards.
Jeff – Nationals, Pirates, Dodgers, (WC: Cardinals Giants)
MMO – If the Mets could do one thing better than they showed last season, aside from winning more games, what should they work on improving?
Jeff – You touched on it, but they need a competent shortstop in the worst way imaginable. It’s not a singular skill, but it’s a gaping hole that has sat there, oozing and open, since Jose Reyes left.
MMO – Is Terry Collins the manager to lead this team to the postseason? Give me your thoughts on him as a manager.
Jeff – I honestly think Terry Collins has done wonders with a shit roster. I’m not saying he’s Joe Torre, but look what he’s been handed. A bunch of young pitchers and a brutal offense. What do people expect of him? Seriously? As for the playoffs—I doubt it. Because I think, by the All-Star break, Wally Backman is managing.
MMO – Speaking of, why is Wally Backman still toiling in the minors and do you think we’ll ever see him as a major league skipper someday, perhaps even guiding the Mets?
Jeff – Wally is a great guy and a motivational manager who’s had some legit success. But the whole domestic violence thing has plagued him. He’s also a bit unpredictable—chasing down reporters after games in indy ball, etc. So … it’s been hard. But he’d be perfect for a young team like the Mets. Kids listen to him.
MMO – The Madoff situation is in the rear view mirror (so they say) and It’s been 5 years since Alderson replaced Minaya. Did the Mets finally fix their image problem?
Jeff – No. They fix it when they’re good. Madoff was brutal, but it’d be significantly less brutal had the team been winning 95 games a year.
MMO – Ken Rosenthal pointed some sharp criticism at Mets ownership last month, calling their bottom 10 payroll an embarrassment for a team in MLB’s number one market. Fair or foul?
Jeff – 100% fair. If you’re gonna charge this much for tickets, parking, food, etc, and you’re playing in New York, you can at least spend money on players and try to win.
MMO – Who will be this season’s biggest free agent busts?
Jeff – No way Jon Lester can live up to the money. No possible way. I also hate the addition of Hanley Ramirez in Boston. He’s a paycheck player and a locker room fungus. Never met a player who liked him.
MMO – Who will be the first manager to get fired in 2015?
Jeff – Terry Collins. Sorry.
MMO – Which MLB teams improved the most this offseason?
Jeff – I love what the White Sox are doing, and the Nationals are just a beast.
MMO – Thanks for your time, Jeff. Enjoy the new baseball season.
