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Eric Pfahler at the TC Palm catches up with Oliver Perez, and discusses his expectations for this year.
Perez, as quoted by Pfahler:
“Right now, I’m just trying to learn about last year. That was a really good year for me. I have to take the routine I was making and I have to learn about the bad things I was doing so I don’t make too many mistakes this year.”
“The most important thing is to get healthy, get starts and get 200 innings.”
The closest Perez has come to pitching 200 innings was in 2004 when he threw 196 for the Pirates.
…to me, ollie has never given the most compelling interviews, but i do love how simplistic they are…he always seems focused on becoming a better pitcher and doing the best job he can on each start, what more can you ask…
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Ollie, I have confidence in you. Though in the shadow of greatness this is the season you have the potential to add your name to the pantheon. You have the stuff, you have the help you need, you have the smarts.
Oliver Perez, 2008 Cy Young Award Winner. Entirely possible.
I love Ollie and the emotion he plays with, that he’s on the top step, and his nassssty stuff, but I don’t think he has the smarts. he just doesn’t strike me as a thinker.
That’s the catchers job.
Don’t shake off the catcher Meat!
“doesn’t stike me as a thinker…” you know this because you’ve had deep philosophical discussison of Proust, Socrates and Marx in person with Ollie?
Brillant…just brilliant…
Do you understand that the phrase “doesn’t strike me” means “in my opinion”? Obviously I don’t “know” it, it’s my opinion based on watching him and hearing him. And I’m hardly the first to opine that he’s got a million dollar arm and a ten cent head (his sometime lack of focus, his interviews, some in game decisions). Everyone has opinions on players, regardless of what they “know”, don’t they?
I’d like to see what your interviews sound like in some country where you learned the language as an adult. Ten cent head, jeez. He has a reputation in the clubhouse as a witty and intelligent guy. But when I said he has the smarts it has nothing to do with his English language skills. It means he knows what is working for him (and what isn’t) on any given day. He knows hitters and how to get them to lunge for the outside slider and to pop up in most any situation. As a fly-ball hitter I expect he will benefit from an improved defense behind him.
Game 7 2006 NLCS: 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 H. Effing genius in my opinion.
I’m not talking about how well he speaks english, and while I’ve read that he’s a funny guy, funny doesn’t mean witty. I am not talking about his ability to communicate in english.
I know what you meant by “smarts”, and that’s exactly what I was speaking to, and I disagree with you. Last year, I don’tthink he showed much in-game adjustment at all, his slider was either working or it wasn’t. And when he lost his feel in-game, he tended to not be able to recover. Maybe he just can’t reign in his emotions.
Again, I love him and his slider, and while this increasingly seems like I’m saying he’s an idiot, I’m not…I just happen to think that he’s not a very cerebral guy – and like stickguy said, it’s the catcher’s job to think, anyway. Ollie throws, that’s it. And him doing that consistently well is all I really care about. If you’re taking it personally, or think that I’m attacking Ollie or something, I’m not.
He seems like he is just uncomfortable with the interviews and the in the spotlight nature of things. Doesnt mean he isnt smart.
could be
You don’t need to think with a slider like his.
Honestly, in Ollie’s case, I think thinking is counter-productive.
Throw strikes. Keep your composure and let your filthy stuff do the rest.
Keep the walks down, otherwise the guy is tough to hit.
He could respond in 1word answers to everything for all I care, as long as he gets the job done on the mound, I am happy. This kid has had my respect ever since the 2006 NLCS. I hope he has a monster year.
Seems like a quiet guy, lets his arm do the talking :)
It would really be a shame if the Mets let OP go. After Omar did such a great job sneaking him out of Pittsburgh.
I still say that Omar making Maine, OP and Duque appear almost out of thin air more than makes up the dissappointment of giving away Kazmir.
If Ollie has a year similar to 2007 (or hopefully better) and Pedro pitches like he did during 5 starts of 07 or like he did in ‘05, it will be an interesting dilema for the Mets in the ‘08 off season. Both of their contracts end and I don’t expect either to sign an extension prior to the 08 off-season since OP is a Boras client and the Mets will want to wait to see how Pedro pitches before exploring an extension with him.
If both have good healthy seasons, they could easily expect to get offers of around 13 to 15 mil per year and maybe more given the lack of pitching out there. I can’t see the Mets signing both of them with Johan making 20 million.
I can see them signing both. Why? Pedro might want to stay around for two or three more years, to be the “other #1″ with Johan. Ollie probably realizes that The Jacket pretty much saved his career. As much as it might piss off Bora$$hole, Ollie just might stay for a 4-year, $56 million stint.
Plus, with the rise of SNY, one thing that the Mets have is money, even after signing Johan to his extension.
Delgado will be off the books next year, so that’s 15 million which would cancel out one of the 2 pitchers.
And if (asking for miracle here) F Mart can replace Alou, that’s another 8 million saved.
Also, Alou and Duque should come off the books. Bringing up F-Mart and Pelfrey to replace them will help save some money too. However, isn’t everyone hoping we pull Tex? That’ll cost us mucho dinero.
getting Tex might be a pipe dream though, not only will he demand a monster contract, but who knows if he wants to play in NY.
Well, I think Tex is also a Boras boy, I checked, he is, so basically who ever offers the most $$ gets Tex. Problem is, the Hankees have a lot of payroll opening up next, about $55M worth, and they have a HUGE hole at first.
Would the Hankees want the two biggest position player contracts in baseball (Arod and Tex)? I think that wouldn’t bother them.
and don’t forget that Citibank is gracious enough to pay most of Johan’s annual salary with the naming rights for CitiField money ($20M/year for 20 years)
The Mets have tons of money now. I think the days of lowballing Vlad Guerrero are over, I hope!
I really hope Ollie can mature enough to become (at least) consistently good. No more fooling around with arm slots becasue you’re bored in the middle of a game. I love love love watching him pitch when he’s got it going, and have to leave the room when he doesn’t.
I don’t think its being bored. Peterson said he drops it out of habit and in big game situations when his instincts take over.
Huh? Other than his bad game against Florida down the stretch Ollie has been money in big games.
He owned the Yanks and Braves last year.
I was referring specifically to one game, after which Lo Duca said somethihg to the effect that he was having such a great game, that he started fooling around. I didn’t mean that literally.
if they both have good years i think the mets need to try and sign BOTH of them…they are going to need someone to pitch and hopefully they (ollie and pedro) could be somewhat reasonable….i cant stand that freakin boras….
ollie is going to have a big year. he clearly learned a lot last year. free agency ($), pedro, and santana will keep him focused
pettitte: clemens told me that both roger and his wife took hgh
You are really getting a kick out of this Clemens fiasco, huh?
Not that I blame you…it is fun watching somebody as unlikable and arrogant as Clemens destroy himself in front of our eyes…
everybody makes mistake. his continued denial is sad. say your sorry roga.
exactly, if he just admitted right away (same with Bonds btw) I would be willing to give a pass.
But when you add an A-hole personality (again, same with Bonds) to the arrogant denials, well you just feel insulted and then you find yourself rooting for the public demise of these bums!
I guess this is like Clemens throwing the shattered barrel of Piazza’s bat right back at him again! “Oh I thought it was the ball” Sure roger, a baseball, something that you have handled over 1000 times a day throughout your life is suddenly impossible to tell apart from a piece of wood. Jerk.
Did Petite actually say that now in an official setting, or is that just wishful thinking or a rumor?
congressman waxman read his affadavit aloud today at the hearings
OP and Maine need to be locked up…They are solid and a good compliment to Johan…I would take them being a 2-3 or 3-4 punch…If Pelfrey can fall into place this year…I think the 4 of them could anchor this staff and be very, very effective…I know OP is a free agent at the end of the season, stupid Boras, but I find it hard to believe, unless he has a meltdown of a year, that the Mets to not pay the man…
If it continues to be a priority for the Mets to stay below the luxury tax level, I’m not sure they’re going to be able to sign each and every player we want them to sign. I understand the Mets wishes to stay below this threshold if it doesn’t make sense to go above it and there is compelling evidence, in that 6 of the previous 8 WS teams have stayed below this level. The fact that the threshold amount increases each year ($155M this year, $162M, i think, next year) helps a little bit but the rate of salary increases in our beloved sport pretty much levels things out again. Next year, assuming Pedro and Ollie and Maine all do well, lot so of fans will want all 3 back and the latter 2 signed long term. Or worse, they’ll ask to add CC Sabathia at a contact similar to Johan’s. People will want to put Texeira at 1B, too. We will almost certainly need a new left fielder. There could be spots to fill in the bullpen. Unless money is no object, which again isn’t always the best way to go, there’s no realistic way to sign all of these players.
I, for one, am going to enjoy the heck out of 2008 and hope that I can be at Shea when we raise a WS trophy.
It’d be nice to bring up F-Mart and Pelf to replace Alou and Duque, respectively. And then one of the college kids we drafted to replace Schoes big contract. Re: Tex, I’d hope Carp or Evans does well enough to bring up and then go after a FA or trade for a 1B the following year (larger crop).
I would be surprised if FM is ready to be the full time LF in 2009. He still needs 1.5-2 years in AA and AAA by most normal courses of promotion.
I think they’ll fill 1B or LF with a solid middle of the order bat, and fill the other position with someone lesser.
It would make the most sense to sign Tex and just wait for FM to be ready for LF. Assuming Church can be a 6th hitter on 2009 I think that will be fine. Not sure how they can sign him without getting up to or past that 155 threshold unless they let Perez and Duque go and replace them with Pelfrey a low end signing.
I really hate to say this, but I’m pretty sure one of the following with occur with Teixeira. Either Atlanta will find a way to coax Boras and his client into signing long-term with the Braves during (unlikely) the season, or the more likely scenario, Boras uses the Mets and Yankees against one another to drive up the price and Mark eventually signs with the Yankees as to follow in the footsteps of one of his idols, Don Mattingly. Even though he’s not with the Yankee organization right now, I’m sure Tex wouldn’t mind occupying the same position on the same team of a player he looked up to.
This’ll be his third year in the Minors. Plus, even if we brought him up to platoon with someone and bat him 7th to relieve any pressure, he could have a good year. I’m just saying that if salaries become a concern, he’s a cheaper option than some FA.
It’s also possible that F-Mart takes a step back this year and doesn’t become anything we’re hoping for. Hate to be the glass half empty guy, but those are the facts. There will be a lot of questions to answer after this season, however answering them will, as usual, depend on how this season goes, who performs, and how far we make it into October.
It’s hard to predict what Pedro will do, he’s just so freakin’ bizzare!
If he’s healthy, he should pitch well.
“what more can you ask…”
SIGN HIM! thats about it…
This is going to be a terrific rotation.
I think El Duque should head to the pen and make room for Pelf.
I think Johan could have 20 wins, Pedro could have 10, Maine and Perez both can get 15-19 and Pelf definitely can get 10. That is a SICK rotation….
I may be in the minority here, but I really think that Pedro is ready to go. Healthy, happy, etc. I think he is going to use Johan as a measuing stick against himself, much like he did with Schilling in Boston. I think it will make him focused and may make a run at a Cy Young award, just to prove a point. I hope it ends with a WS banner, like Boston, just not with the ill feelings.
agreed…pedro doesn’t have the stuff he did 5 years ago, but his stuff now is very similar to what Maddux had in his prime. There is no reason why pedro can’t be as dominating as maddux was in his prime.
Right now for Pedro it’s all about location and movement, not pure velocity.
I totally agree
Pelf needs to be in AAA for the first half of the season. On Mets Hot Stove, they mentioned that Pedro and Santana could each get 20 starts b4 the All Star break, based on schedule and days off, etc. That would be awesome because it would mean less work for Duque and little need to call up Pelfrey.
I’m actually excited to see what Perez learns from Santana, being a lefty as well. The Mets won’t go to arbitration, but Perez won’t extend b4 FA. He should definitely test the Market, I just hope we can bring him back. You’ve got to figure that all these guys would want to stay with the Mets, the way the team is being shaped to win.
You would think that, but Boras has a reputation for brainwashing his clients into thinking that their team doesn’t want them and convinces them to go after the big bucks. He did that with ARod until Arod had enough.
If you read some of my prediction posts on Oliver Perez for 2008 – you will see I agree with CaseStreet whole heartedly.
Ollie problem in Pittsburgh was that he was “the man” at age 23-24 and had no one to teach him how to be a major league pitcher. Coaches are well and good – but kids in their early 20’s don’t like to be coached – especially when they have had success doing it their way (see 2004) Pittsburgh had no veteran leadership.
Fast forward to the mets and you have El Duque, Pedro, Tom Glavine, Billy Wagner, etc … and now Johan – and I think you have a recipe for a HUGE year.
Ollie against other teams #4 starter = a 20 win season and a shot at the Cy Young in 2008.
That’s true about kids in their early 20’s don’t like to be coached, just look at Pelfrey. Didn’t he just say screw the coaches, I’m pitching the way I’m going to pitch because it’s worked for me in the past.
yeah, he did say that. And it’s funny, because though that remark comes off as unseemly, sometimes that’s exactly what pitchers need to do to be successful. Whatever, I just hope whatever he does works.
I love watching Perez pitch. He has great stuff and when he’s on he looks like he has so much fun out there.
How come I can pick up jerseys for every random Yankee at Modell’s but not Ollie? They need to get on this.
Well, the debate about being able to sign Pedro and OP to extensions (major $) really points out how important it is to work home grown young talent into the mix. Especially if you want to add a guy like Tiex.
Every Martinez (replacing Alou) lets you spend money elsewhere. Same in the pen if you can fill out the back end with cheap guys.
Basically, if you save money on the situational guys, you can pay more for key guys.
Saw a good summary on the Delcos blog. In a nutshell, you have core guys, role players and supporting cast.
Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Santana, Wagner, etc. are the core guys, and eat up a big chunk of payroll.
CHurch, Schneider, Castillo, Duque and Pelfrey are more role players, and get paid relatively little.
The bench and back end of the pen are situational guys and shouldn’t eat up lots of salary.
So, every time you can slot in a role player (or ideally a core guy) that doesn’t make much money, it frees up the $$ to use elsewhere.
Martinez and Pelfrey as regulars in 2009 will help. Church too, if he deserves the job still.