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During yesterday’s loss to the Tigers, Mike Pelfrey started and pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just a base hit and striking out one while facing Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera, among others.
Pelfrey, on experience, while talking to reporters…
“Last year was the first time in my life I actually had to handle adversity. The games have always kind of come easy for me. I’ve been able to throw the fastball and get by with it. Last year I struggled. It was tough going through it for the first time. I tried to stay positive, and I’d like to think I’ve learned from it and it’s made me a better person and a better competitor.”
…some fans and baseball people are so quick to judge, that failure is often seen as a bad thing…the reality is that by failing, in baseball and in life, it provides an experience to adjust, get up, get better, learn and move forward with more knowledge than ever before…so, the next time failure is on the horizon, we can avoid it…i’m looking right at you, Jose Reyes…
For more on Pelfrey, read reports in the Daily News, New York Post, Newsday, the Journal News, the Star-Ledger, MLB.com and the Bergen Record.
So far, so good.
I have a feeling Pelfrey will be needed sooner rather than later.
Are you suggesting the first dose of adversity that Reyes has experienced in his professional baseball career was last year?
That’s ridiculous. Reyes and Pelfrey is a horrible comparison.
this isn’t the first time I’ve heard that about Reyes… he’s pretty young and was an almost instant all-star.
Good points about having to realize your limitations before you canimprove on them.
In some ways, it is harder for a stud prospect to adjust to a higher level than it is for a more average player.
The Pelfs of the world, as he noted, often get by on pure talent all their live, and a good FB in this case. His other pitches aren’t as developed, since he frankly never really needed them.
But, other guys without the pure “stuff” (Mulvey maybe?) have to develop all their pitches, and the more mental aspects of pitching, to keep moving up.
The key then is for the Pelfrey type to work hard to develop his full talent (the infamous secondary pitches) if he wants to reach his full potential (which Plef seems to be embracing the concept of doing).
As Matt said, until you get humbled, you often don’t realize what needs to be done to reach the top. Some guys mope or get an attitude, and some buckle down and get serious.
that K on a 2-2 count on a “nasty slider” (according to the tiger’s announcers, it was too early in the season to be throwing that nasty of a slider!) is a great sign to me, that’s the type of thing we saw against the Braves in his breakout game last season…if he can gain confidence in those secondary pitchers, I think he’s a fixture in the rotation this summer. If he can’t learn off-speed pitching with pedro, johan, and duque around, he never will!
good point about being where he can learn from the best. A huge advantage being able to work with Pedro in the pen on certain pitches, and the mental aspects of the game.
Also, keep in mind that the Mets really need this guy to settle into the rotation for 2009. With potentially 2 spots to fill, they need to build a rotation somehow 9and really could use at least 1 guy that isn’t making a ton of money!)
I think it’s great that Pelfrey realizes this now. He is still really young and still has the opportunity to turn into a stud pitcher. I think once he gets the mental aspect of the Majors down he is going to be one hell of a pitcher
“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.” – Vince Lombardi
I thought he looked a lot better when he came back last year. Hope he earns that 5 spot (and is good enough to keep it).
Did anyone catch Marty Noble’s claim that “the Mets probably won’t even need a fifth starter until their 17th game”? If the Mets break camp with four starters, they only make it through the rotation once having received proper rest. Maine–assuming he’s the third starter–would be scheduled to pitch the home opener (not going to happen) and also that Saturday, on three days rest. Perez would also have to pitch on three days rest, following Maine on each appearance. What the hell is Noble talking about?
The Mets are breaking camp with five starters, Pelfrey will go north if El Duque isn’t ready, and Pedro is pitching the home opener.