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During a live chat today at ESPN.com, baseball writer Jerry Crasnick was asked the following question regarding the Mets:
“Jerry, what is wrong with Oliver Perez and the Mets? It seems like they have been in
turmoil for some time now (since the epic collapse last season). Jose Reyes can’t shake his slump and everyone knows the offense is sparked by his ability to create runs with his legs. It seems like the team doesn’t want it badly enough right now. Thoughts?”
Crasnick’s response:
“Well, that’s the rap — that the Mets have too many low-key guys and Willie Randolph can’t seem to “light a fire” under them. Oliver Perez was a perpetual tease in Pittsburgh, so maybe he’s just come back to earth and he is what he is. He’s also a free agent this winter, so maybe that’s in his head.”
…perez’s contract situation going into the season was a heavily discussed topic between me and my friend pappy…we both feared his pending free agency would get into his head…i am not saying it is or isn’t the reason for his roller coaster performances but the Mets need this guy to settle down asap and become a rock in the middle of the rotation…
…as far as a fire, hopefully the mets ignite one in the desert this weekend…Let’s Go Mets…
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I doubt his contract ending at the end of this year is the reason for his troubles. Frankly that should be the last reason people should attribute to his awful start because this will only affect the offers he will get in FA. Also players tend to play better on their walk year.
As far as this weekend, it will definatly be a good test to compete against one of the better teams in the NL.
The team needs to show more fight thats for sure. Hopefully having alou in the lineup will accomplish that.
It’s really a misconception that players suddenly perform better in their contract years. It’s true for some (Manny is in for a huge year, for example) but many people fret when it’s their contract year and understand how much is riding with each start/at bat. Last year, Andruw Jones was in a contract year. That worked out awful. Last year Zambrano had an awful first half in a contract season, then settled down once he got a deal. And this season he seems to be very settled in and in fact is in great shape.
I won’t pretend that I know Ollie personally to speculate whether a contract season would get into his head; but from what I see with him on the mound it woulnd’t surprise me to find out it’s in the back of his mind and really affecting him. Not like he hasn’t been wild his whole career…
Frankly that should be the last reason people should attribute to his awful start because this will only affect the offers he will get in FA.
That’s precisely why it may have gotten into his head. I’m sure Bora$ said to him that all he needs another 15 win season (at least) so that he can tout him as the second coming of Vida Blue to some gullible GM. With a head case like Ollie, that’s probably the last thing he needs to hear. His internal dialogue probably goes something like this.
“OK, I need to pitch a good game tonight so I can get the big bucks next year”
*walks a batter*
“Oh no! I effed up! Now I’ll never get the big bucks!”
*walks another batter*
“Dios mio! I’m really screwing up! OK, I gotta get serious”
*hits a batter*
“AYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!”
and so on for the rest of the season.
Really funny comment by Xavier22…..
I thought you’re not supposed to laugh Spock.
I disagree, being a walk year for Perez could be a huge reason for his struggles this year. He’s going out there every game trying to strike everyone out and pitch a perfect game because era and strikeouts are what will bring him money. He isn’t trying to pitch to contact to get hitters out and may be pressing too much every pitch to make the perfect pitch causing him to be wild. He needs to relax and go out there have fun and just throw the ball and let the defense make plays.
I don’t think he’s consciously trying to strike people out. Perez is a strike out pitcher. He is effective with his control and ability to make batters miss. Besides, “pitching to contact” assumes he knows how to pitch to get outs, which would lower his ERA. And get the big bucks, which I certainly hope he’ll get elsewhere.
I live in the Philly TV market and get all the Phillie games on TV. It has been pointed out that the Phillies are largely made up of low-key guys – Utley, Howard, Burrell, Hammel….. Maybe the exception is Rollins.
So having a team of low-key, laid back guys doesn’t necessarily translate into not winning as a team.
your comment acts as if the Phillies have won something, they haven’t, unless you count getting swept out of the 1st round of the postseason something to smile about. Even more so, the Mets are essentially the same group of guys who were a pretty damn good team in ‘06. This whole “fire” issue is totally overblown, its just a way for people to attribute the Mets “bad” start to something. The media eats it up and so do the fans. The players simply are not playing up to their potentials right now, and we’re still in first. That is the only thing I know so far this season.
Listen I’m no Phillies fan but they did win the NL East last year. I agree the “fire” issue is overblown. My point is players can be laid back or low-key and win. But 2006 is over, having essentially the same team doesn’t necessarily translate into winning in 2008.
I don’t think “low-key” is the right wording. More like the Mets have a lot of “low-intensity” guys.
Does anyone else feel like we have to face every teams best 1-3 pitchers every series or atleast always get the teams ace? We get Webb, Owings and Haren this week next week we have Penny and the past week or so we got Smoltz, Hudson, Snell, Gorzelanny, Hamels and Zambrano. It would be nice to face some of these teams 4 and 5 pitchers once in awhile!
Actually I just looked up some stats, based on ESPN’s depth charts, the Mets have faced the opposing teams 1-3 starting pitchers 17 out of 26 games and are 8-9 in those games. They are 6-3 vs other teams 4-5 starting pitchers. Of course their offense looks bad at times because you can’t expect to score alot of runs on Zambrano, Hamels, Sheets, Smoltz and Hudson (when they were both healthy at the beginning of the season). and thats just a couple of the aces and top 2 pitchers we’ve faced in only 26 games this year!
no, i get what you’re saying Wally, and by no means am I using ‘06 as some sort of reason why this team should be winning, more proving the point that the “Fire” issue is overblown, because that team, sure it had Lo Duca, but one guy does not suddenly make an entire team full of fire. They just did their thing, like you were saying the Phills do. All in all I think we agree. It’s really about the players playing well. Everyone was saying how Reyes had his “fire” back when he had that good week, and now, it’s gone? No, he’s just not playing very well, that’s what happens.
Oh I gotcha. Sorry, I had misunderstood you. You’re right. When teams win or players perform well, they’re perceived as having “fire” or “fight”. When they’re slumping and not playing well, they’re seen as lacking it.
If it’s in his head he has only himself and Scott Boras to blame. I’m pretty sure the Mets would have liked to talk about a long-term deal to lock him up, but Perez made it very, very clear that he was not interested. He was determined to test the free agent market.
Anyway, he’s too flighty to let something like that bother him. His problem is a lack of focus. He has good talent, but he can’t seem to bear down and take the bull by the horns. I also don’t think of him as a MENSA candidate, meaning that he doesn’t strike me as being particularly bright or a good student of the game. I wonder how much he actually studies up on the hitters and their tendencies. He doesn’t strike me as the cerebral kind, so he’s not getting nearly the most out of his talent.
I’m quite sure he will leave the Mets after this season and although he is one of my favorites on the team behind John Maine and David Wright, I’m beginning to think that maybe that won’t be quite the loss I thought it would be.
Well, someone made the point in the game post that he looks like he is pitching to make his numbers look good. Like he was pitching not to get hit. Maybe trying for more strikeouts.
I think Perez is the worst kind of guy to be in a walk year because I think it is in his head. He’s pitching for his contract every time out.
this is what I meant over the winter when I said I didn’t think ollie has the smarts to be an ace. Getting into his head is easier than getting into paris hilton.
the mets record on may 2, 2007 was 16-10
the mets record on may 2, 2008 was 14-12
not that much of difference
stop being so logical youre disturbing the bridge-jumping procession.
Juding by how last season ended up, saying the 2 records on this date are almost identical isn’t encouraging, in the least bit.
I think the team will be fine, and don’t agree with all the Fire Willy bs….but still I don’t expect this team to just “be in it” I expect this team to win the division by at least 5 games
Good point! The Mets are in the hunt still. You’d think the Mets record was 9-16 with the way fans are calling for Willie’s dismissal. Firing Willie now would be an absolute panic move and I would argue make the players feel even more pressure.
The May 2, 2007, Mets were playing well. Jose Reyes was being a sparkplug. Beltran was slugging.
The general problem with these Mets isn’t their record, which is okay for the moment — it’s how poorly they play in their losses.
And yet they’re only a half game out of first place! Beltran will hit. Reyes? We’ll see about Reyes.
Beltran will certainly hit, although I recall another injury-hampered season when he wore the orange and blue while not hitting very much at all.
The thing is, when the pre-second half of ‘07 Mets struggled, it wasn’t because of their heads not being in the game, it was because they just lost, as most sports teams will do from time to time. When they’re struggling now… they just look listless.
is Beltran injury hampered right now? is that what you’re implying? because he’s not, he actually looks just fine out there in the field and he has hit the ball hard numerous times. He’s just in one of his slumps that Met fans need to get used to. He’ll end the year with his numbers, don’t worry, and he’ll be a big part of this team winning games.
i shoudl also add the difference between a guy like Beltran and Delgado, is when Delagdo doesn’ t hit, he’s useless, when Beltran doesn’t hit, he’s still playing gold glove D in CF.
Ding Ding Ding Andrew.
Anyone interested in a Trades Allowed Fantasy League on MLB.com, there will be a live draft tonight @ 10:00pm during the Mets game.
LEAGUE ID: 69004
LEAGUE PASSWORD: fantasy08
or email me & I will send you the link
BklynMetFan08@yahoo.com
How about giving Mr. Met at shot at managing…Willie’s head is just as big, thinks he knows everything….at least Mr. Met shows some life…
The mets should have locked in Oliver Peh-Rez for 2 or 3 years so that he didn’t have to worry about his contract. Not to give him excuses but the water main break, plus facing his former team made me believe he was due to a vintage 2 inning 7 walk game.
Now, I might be wrong, but I think that they offered him something and he decided to go to arbitration, so his screw-ups, if they are, in fact do to it being his walk year, are his own doing, and not because the Mets failed to lock him up.
Boras would never have allowed it.
Pappy? Pappy Drew-it?
People keep harping on the fact that the Mets are 14-12, but it you watch this team day in and day out it’s clear that a lot of what hurt the team last season is still around now. The apathy is still there, as well as the lack of execution. So they’ve beaten up on the Nationals and won series against Philly without Rollins and the Braves without Chipper, so what? It’s clear that this team still has their heads up their butts.
Maybe your heads up your butt?
Seems like the club got excited when Santana threw his first pitch of the spring, but it has since waned. They need someone, anyone to be a sparkplug. Wright and Wagner are not enough. I wonder if it has anything to do with Julio Franco. Maybe he was that presence that instilled the good ethics. You can point at his departure time as the start of their decline in consistent play.
I really don’t understand this “intensity” garbage. Baseball is not football, where adrenaline rage can help you by overpowering other players. It’s a game of precision, timing, and judgment. Beltran chest-bumping Delgado is not going to help either of them other than to get some beer-crazed fan orgasmic. Now if you want to say they aren’t trying, that’s different. (I don’t agree, but at least it has a passing connection to the actual game being played.)
Lacadaisical i think soots them now. Sorry about the spelling.
Your general point is true, but I think there is something to the “intensity” idea even in baseball. The best examples I can think of are players who always give tough ABs and pitchers who show guts in difficult situations — they just will not give in. I credit Duaner Sanchez for having that quality; he showed it the other night. Heilman not so much. D Wright has that “tough AB” quality; Beltran, not really. There are teams, and there have been teams, that are known for showing that kind of grit up and down the lineup. I don’t think the Mets are terrible in that regard, but I don’t think they’re great. Chase Utley doesn’t have to say much or chest-bump anyone to inspire his team. The kind of ABs he regularly has does it.
I like your point about players giving tough AB’s and battling. I don’t know that the Mets have a lot of players that do this.
I should perhaps also add that a player seems either to have this ability or not have this ability. I don’t know that it can be taught.
Don’t we all wish the Mets went out and got Fukodome last offseason? That dude can straight-up battle.
Unfortunately, the Mets released one of the best battlers on their roster, Ruben Gotay.
Also, are people yet ready to accept that Marlon Anderson is not a “pinch-hitter extraordinaire”?
He’s a September hitter extraordinaire!
Gotay plays subpar defense, and can’t hit from the right side. He has a decent bat from the left side, but very little power. For all his “battling”, he never walks.
Shrug.
I don’t see why people are down on Ollie any more then usual. This is Ollie being Ollie. He will throw a couple disasters every season, a couple gems, and the rest of the year gor 5-6 innings and give up 2 runs.
So he just through his craptapulous disaster. Glad to have it out of the way.
Did some number crunching. Through 26 games, Mets starters are averaging 5.6 innings per start. Johan is at 6.95, Figgy is 5.8; Pelfrey at 5.5; Maine at 5.44: and Ollie at 4.83 (if you toss the 1.2 abortion last start, he’s still only at 5.5.) The Mets have to have more innings from their starters, or the bullpen will not last. Unfortunately, when you throw 100 pitches in 5 innings, you will not last. Willie has little choice at that point to call the bullpen. The Jacket has got to get them to throw strikes. Walks are bad, but so are deep counts. 15 pitch innings is what we’re looking for.
Not to make you do more work, but how does that compare to the rest of the league?
I’d guess average, or barely below average.
Everyone’s in the same boat we are.
Reyes
Church
Wright
Beltran
Alou
Delgado
Casanova
Castillo
Maine
alouuuuuuuu
Niccee Moises is back…im excited to see how our offense looks at full strength….Also, Derick Turnbow was just realesed by Milwaukee..I know he’s been really bad but how do people feel about takign a flier on him?
I never have an issue taking a flyer ona guy with stuff like Turnbow’s Shea is a good flyball park, and maybe Peterson can help. It worked with Mota for a year. And Turnbow was very good a couple years ago.
Willie is a nice guy, but a championship manager he is not. This team needs (at least) someone with a liilt emore grit and fire in the belly to advance to the next level. Problem is even if they dump wilie which I think they should and did after last year, they wotn find their long term manager to take the position in mid season, I think they should turn to an internal candidate for the short term and think long term going into next year. I have had enough of the Willie Randolph experience….show Delgado and castillo the dor as well.
If the contract is what screwing w/Ollie’s head, if I were the Mets, I would make an offer if he continues to implode. The latter gives us leverage cause Boris can’t chance his client to lose his value and at the same time lift this pressure off Ollie’s shoulders.
boras 9 times out of 10 gets crazy money for his clients (zito, arod, beltran, magglio…) but there is that 1 time out of 10 where his game plan needs to be adapted to fit the overall needs of his client.
perez has has found the ideal niche for himself in the mets fold.
minaya would have been more than happy to give him a fair extension ahead of this year’s arb hearing to lock him up for this year and probably 2 or 3 more gtd with performance options. and that would have been out of perez’s flighty head.
now he is going to put undo pressure on himself all year, and when all is said and done and he goes 9-12 with a 4.8 ERA he will be getting the kyle lohse jeff weaver treatment in off season.