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According to Dan Graziano and Jeremy Cothran of the Star-Ledger, Billy Wagner thinks Aaron Heilman is the team’s closer of the future, “They just don’t know it yet.”
The Philadelphia Daily News reports on Johan Santana’s first start, adding, “If only the Mets had Santana last September, when they blew a seven-game lead in the NL East with 17 games left, allowing the Phillies to win the division.”
…they’re incapable of going five minutes without bringing it up…
By the way, Mets Walk-offs is now Mets Wall-offs.
In a column for Gotham Baseball, Mark Healey wonders how Luis Castillo could be ‘a bit banged up’ while not running hard in the first inning of yesterday’s game, yet not be ‘a bit banged up’ while stealing second a few innings later.
Speaking of Healey, also at Gotham Baseball, he is asking fans to vote on the cover for his next magazine.
Lastly, in a post to Big League Stew, ‘Duk asks his readers to help name Eric Gagne’s beard.
In a column for Gotham Baseball, Mark Healey wonders how Luis Castillo could be ‘a bit banged up’ while not running hard in the first inning of yesterday’s game, yet not be ‘a bit banged up’ while stealing second a few innings later.
That is a very good point. Luis must’ve had a brain fart or something, but I am not at all worried about Castillo not hustling on that one play. Willy was just covering up for “his guy” by saying he’s a little banged up. It was a mistake yes, but now he knows. I just hope his dam knees hold up for 4 years.
“The Philadelphia Daily News reports on Johan Santana’s first start, adding, “If only the Mets had Santana last September, when they blew a seven-game lead in the NL East with 17 games left, allowing the Phillies to win the division.”
…they’re incapable of going five minutes without bringing it up…”
Matt, you know that’s a wire report, right? The very same one that is on ESPN and SI.com – there’s no anti-Mets Philly spin.
Actually there is a spin. While the article is the same on ESPN, Yahoo and SI.com, it has been altered in the Philly Daily News article…..
For example, one quote states: “But Santana — who was traded to the Mets from Minnesota this winter and signed a $137.5 million, six-year contract — dazzled Monday from beginning to end”
Philadelphia Daily News: Santana – who was traded to the Mets from Minnesota this winter and wound up signing a $137.5 million, 6-year contract with New York – didn’t need much help in his debut
So basically this is an admission, on the record, that the Phillies did not actually win the division, but were “allowed” to win the win the division due to the Mets choking at the end.
Geez, seems like the Phillies can’t even be seen as winning a division on their own, in their own town. ROFL!
Yes they are incapable of going 5 minutes without bringing it up. But aren’t we incapable of going 10 without bringing it up?
I personally hate measuring this year on a last-year yardstick. This year has nothing to do with last year.
That’s why sports are great.
“This year has nothing to do with last year.”
THANK YOU for someone finally saying it. Different team, different time.
Let’s Go Mets.
I disagree, this season has everything to do with last season. I hope in July when Delgado and company get bored they remember what happened and have a realy crystal clear vision of Philly celebrating their division title.
Well, you dwell, and I’ll look forward.
When you’ve won one World Series in 120 years, you can;t go 5 minutes without bringing up ANY of your division titles.
I hope the Phillies fans continue to savor it – because it’s never going to get any better for their complete and pathetic loser of a franchise.
That’s pretty high praise, coming from one of this generation’s premier closers.
If it keeps Heilman around, I’ll sign for it. They should have locked Heilman up long-term in the offseason. This guy has been one of the NL’s best set-up men for two and a half years, and seems to only get noticed when he gives it up. I’m a bit biased because he’s one of my favorites, but he deserves a long-term deal, and I’d have no problem trying him out as a closer once Wags is gone.
I agree, signing him and hopefully retaining pedro and ollie are very big priorities going forward
I’m fully confident that Pedro will have a great season and eventually resign, but I want to see how Perez handles his contract year before resigning him. He’s another of my faves, and I think he’ll do very well, maybe even win 15 or more games again, but I want to see some more proof in the pudding before giving him a long-term deal.
With a Boras client, though, isn’t there this paradox that the better he does, the LESS likely it is he will re-sign?
maybe we can have Arod talk some sense into him? (that just sounds odd….)
Brilliant!
I totally agree. I have been a big fan of Heilman since they moved him to the bullpen. He has that killer instinct, good control, and can be nasty for an inning at a time. With relief pitchers, their failures are always noticed more than their success. Especially middle relievers who are just a bridge from the first guy that matters to the second guy that matters. The numbers don’t lie though, and at a position where inconsistency is by far the norm, Heilman has been surprisingly consistent. I definitely agree with Wagner.
count me in for aaron as closer-in-waiting. he’s got the stuff, and he’s got the bulldog attitude. he should remain a Met for life! he makes me less nervous than wags does anymore too…
i love heilman also, but before weanoint him the teams closer of the future, i would want to see if k-rod would like that distinction next winter.
castillo is one of the hardest working players on the roster. he is the definition of gamer playing last year with terrible knees. i hope we don’t need to listen to this garbage all year. this happens on every team.
heilman is throwing the ball very well. the pen is going to be much better this year especially with the starters going deeper into games.
Philly fans/media do a hell of a lot of talking for a team that won as many playoff games as the Mets last season.
Hey Matt-
I know its been brought up in a few other threads, but any chance we can get that pregame video up on the site?
I’ve tried. It’s not happening, at least via SNY.
ugh, thats a shame. They seem to have the postgame show up on their website (and seemingly will have each one from every game available for download)…sucks they won’t do the pregame too.
Oh well, thanks for trying.
Everyone should take a look at sports illustrated online. They have re-posted an article from april 1 1985 about the then new Mets phenom known as Sidd Finch. Outstanding article about the mets and the new pitcher that could throw 168 mph.
Ha, I just saw that as well. Its a beast of an article if you need to kill sometime at work….
So was his offspeed pitch 120?
Yea it took time to read, but well-written and very entertaining…and certainly appropriate for todays date.
Nolan ryans fastball was a change-up compared to Finch.
I’d think that if you can throw a fastball at 168mph, you wouldn’t really need an off-speed pitch…maybe just a two-seamer that comes in at 150mph
I was in college when this piece was first published, and a fellow Mets fan friend of mine bought it hook line and sinker. I had to burst his bubble, to his disappointment and embarrassment.
Why does everyone insist that Heilman wants to become a starter? I know that he said that he wanted to a few years back when he was beaten out by Tyler Yates and Brian Bannister, but he hasn’t mentioned it in a while (from anything I have read).
So, Francessa says that Heilman will bolt as soon as possible with his condecending way of speaking and then writers report it as accurate. We all know that these people we listen to and read actually have no idea what is going on in the locker room. Maybe Heilman loves the clubhouse and the city. Maybe he likes being a set-up guy and thinks that his style makes him a better reliever than starter. Maybe he doesn’t feel that he can be a great starter. Who knows? I don’t, writers don’t, francessa doesn’t. Only Heilman actually knows. I would trust wagner over any other sorce on the subject other than heilman himself.
Well said. And above all Francessa knows nothing to begin with, let alone what is in Heilman’s head.
It is a much different option though if he is signing (and getting paid) to be the closer (post-Wags), as opposed to a set up guy.
Actually, closers seem to get paid the same as 5th starts these days anyway.
Try to extend him for 3/30 right now. Then decide if he starts, closes, or just is a really highly paid set up guy!
10 million a year for Heilman? What the hell are you gonna charge for hotdogs if you give Heilman 10 million bucks?
thats pretty pricey… keep in mind, the mets are functioning under a certain budget (luxury tax threashold). Wags was given $10 mil/year, but he is also one of the best closers in baseball. It would be tough to spend that on an unproven closer. People like Tom Gordon and Armando Benitez have proven that the 9th inning is a much different story than the 8th.
10 mil is also a lot to pay a 5th starter. It is something that the mets will be reluctant to give to Ollie who would be a 3 or 4 again next year.
That sort of money for a set up guy would be very silly.
I definitely want to keep him, but I wouldn’t want to go overboard and pay through the nose to keep him. He is good, but not great.
yea, this makes no sense…
considering Heilman owes the Mets two more years of arbitration you are basically offering him 20-25 mil to give away one year of free agency. How does that work?
Middle relievers make 5 mil max on the open market, and Aaron will make much less over the next two years avoiding arbitration.
I’d over him 3,4,5,6 with a team option on the fourth year.
He gives away one or two years of free agency and gets 11 mil for it. Thats more in line with the current market. He’ll end up closing for two years after Wagner and hit the free agent market with that on his resume as well.
This is off topic, but indulge me. What a great freaking day yesterday was. Obviously Santana was all that was hoped for. But what really made my day complete was seeing a former Met I liked, Gomez go 2/5 with 2 Runs and 2 SB’s during his first game, even while the fans were cheering for the guy he replaced. Well done Gogo.
And….
A formet Met I can so do without Tom Glavine, with his slow pitch softball ability, only able to go five innings, get no decision, and by all accounts look even worse than his stat line.
Seeing Glavine have 44 pitches after two innings made me smirk. How much more does this guy even have?
And Milledge had a nice day for the ‘Spos, scoring 3 runs and hitting a homer.
Hahahaha, Philly can keep harping on it…It only points out the fact that the Mets handed the Phillies the division by choking…Therefore taking away some credit from the Phils for actually winning…
In addition, what exactly did the Phils do once the Mets handed them a playoff spot on a silver platter??? They went and got swept by the Rockies!!! They didn’t even win ONE playoff game…
So it also points out that the Phillies haven’t won a single playoff game since 1993!!! 1993!!!! Hahahahaha!
I just tickets online for Friday 4/18 in Philly for first Met game…Saturday is completely sold out.
I have heard some folks talking about tailgating on Saturday….anyone going on 4/18?
Contrary to what Mike Fransessa was spewing forth earlier today, Billy Wagner only has 1 year plus an option remaining, while Heilman owes the Mets two more years of arbitration. Meaning that the Mets could choose to let Wagner walk and let Heilman close for a year, or they could keep Wagner and then have to replace both of them.
Feliciano will also be a FA at the same time as Heilman btw.
thats not counting this year, I should make that clear.
Anyway, Heilman cant leave before Wagner is the point…
they can both leave after next year though, right? or was this his first year of arbitration?
Heilman has arbitration for 2009 and 2010. This was his first year. (same with Feliciano)
Wanger is under contract for 2009 with a 2010 team option.
I keep a nifty (albiet plain) html document which details guys contracts and service time and all.
I wish someone would host it, I’ve let all my sites go over the years.
Willie Randolph just said he could see Aaron Heilman’s future as a closer. “I don’t see why not,’’ Randolph said. “He looks a lot stronger and has a good fastball. I would say that’s a possibility. A good possibility.’’