Author Archives: Joe Janish
Omar Minaya has stated on several occasions that the Mets would explore both external and internal options to fill the closer role in 2009. While most of the media has been focusing on those external possibilities, little has been made of the internal ones.
It’s doubtful the Mets would consider moving John Maine to the bullpen, considering that two rotation spots will be open, assuming both Oliver Perez and Pedro Martinez leave via free agency.
Scott Schoeneweis had some success closing for Cincinnati. However, neither he nor Pedro Feliciano would be ideal, as they have trouble retiring right-handed batters. Also, neither are dominating, and despite the Bob Wickmans of the world, I see the Mets choosing someone with more “filthy stuff” or velocity.
If that’s true, then Aaron Heilman, Duaner Sanchez, Joe Smith and Brian Stokes would be the top candidates.
Many fans dislike Heilman, but he has a 96-MPH fastball, a sinking change-up, and a decent slider – from the standpoint of pure “stuff”, Heilman is well-armed for the closer role.
If Sanchez can ever regain the strength and confidence that made him a lights-out setup man in 2006, he’d be the ideal choice.
Smith’s nasty slider and improvement against left-handed hitters makes him a candidate.
Stokes also reaches 96-MPH, but his breaking pitches are inconsistent. He would need to establish one above-average second pitch to be considered.
It appears that Eddie Kunz is being groomed for the role – despite Jerry Manuel’s reluctance to use him last season; Bobby Parnell didn’t show enough in his limited stint to be a clear candidate; Brant Rustich and Brad Holt are darkhorses, but have been impressive at the lower levels.
The bottom line is that it’s not inconceivable to think the Mets will find a closer from within. I’m not sure it would make sense to run auditions in spring training – what can you really learn from a handful of games against questionable competition?
In my mind, the Mets should decide who the closer will be from the outset, and commit to him at least through May – just as a team would with an established fireman. The closer-by-committee concept is unlikely to work with this group – they certainly didn’t respond well to the “setup man by committee” plan in 2008.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. With the Mets bullpen currently a disaster, manager Jerry Manuel acknowledged,
“I’ve got to use all the options that I have here… Everything from here on out is a possibility.”
If Manuel is serious about “everything”, I have a wacky idea: reverse the game.
In other words, start the relievers at the beginning of the game, and have your “starter” finish.
For example, tonight’s starter is Johan Santana. He’s counted on to throw at least six innings. So, instead of throwing the opening pitch, you hold him out until, say, the bottom of the fourth.
Meantime, Aaron Heilman starts the game and pitches the first inning. That’s right — Aaron Heilman. He always wanted to be a starter anyway, so here’s his big chance. He hasn’t shown the chutzpah necessary for the pressure of the late innings, so put him into the most tension-free situation — the first frame. When the second inning starts, split it between Pedro Feliciano and Joe Smith, depending on the batters due up. In the third, Eddie Kunz comes in. When the fourth inning rolls around, hand the ball to Johan and tell him, “it’s your ballgame from here.” Johan can then pitch his masterpiece, finish what he starts, and get the W (for a change).
The trick, of course, is to get through the first three innings without allowing too many runs — ideally, none at all. Essentially, that’s the same role the bullpen is handed at the end of the game — the only difference is, there’s less pressure at the beginning of the game.
Crazy? Of course. But then, 25 years ago, Tony LaRussa had this radical idea of using one guy for the ninth inning every game. And yes, there are flaws in the plan. For one, the idea looks really dumb if the other team scores six runs in the first three frames. The possibility of extra innings presents a problem as well.
But hey, it’s all about being creative — thinking “out of the box” as middle managers like to say. Continuing to do the same thing every day, and expecting different results, is just as crazy — if not crazier.
Next ideas on the agenda: moving Carlos Delgado to shortstop, coaxing Doug Flynn out of retirement, and batting Brian Schneider in the leadoff spot!
In March, when the Mets finalized their 25-man roster, one of the last cuts was Rule-5 pick Steven Register, a right-
handed pitcher plucked from the Colorado Rockies farm system.
Register appeared to be a good find, outpitching most of the other relief candidates in the spring and sporting a low-90s sinker and slider. The 25-year-old, however, was sent back to the Rockies, as the Mets couldn’t find room for him – opting instead for Matt Wise and Joe Smith – who posted an 8.59 ERA in the spring – and Jorge Sosa.
As it turned out, Wise went on the DL a week into the season, Sosa was released in May, and Smith pitched well once the “real games” began. The strange thing about keeping Smith, at the time, was that in addition to the high ERA, he had options left, and could have been sent to the minors temporarily to keep Register around a little longer. But the decision to keep Smith turned out to be the correct one. As for Sosa and Wise, well, you be the judge.
Of course, ‘hindsight is 20-20,’ so it’s easy to criticize the moves now. And perhaps Register would not have pitched well and eventually returned to the Rockies anyway.
What bothered me at the time was that the Mets weren’t able to negotiate a trade with the Rockies to keep Register in the Mets organization. After all, he seemed to impress the team’s coaching staff – who spent significant time working with him to improve his mechanics and repertoire.
Register was recently called up by the Rockies, appeared in one game, struck out the only batter he faced and returned to Triple-A Colorado Springs.
In 48 games as a closer for Colorado Springs this year, Register has a 5-2 record with 16 saves and a 3.28 ERA. He’s struck out 45 batters in 49 innings, allowing 45 hits and only 15 walks. In the homer-happy Pacific Coast League (PCL), Register has given up three home runs.
No use crying over spilt milk, but it would have been nice to have Steven Register in the organization right now.
After the Mets’ loss against the Marlins on July 28 - a game in which Fernando Tatis went 2-for-4 with a triple and 2 RBI - Mets manager Jerry Manuel publicly announced that Tatis would be the starting left fielder, saying:
“He right now is our leftfielder. There is no question about it.”
Since that proclamation, however, Tatis has started only one game in left field. Instead, he’s started in right field, while left has been manned by a group including Marlon Anderson, Nick Evans, Endy Chavez, and most recently Daniel Murphy.
OK, no big deal - the key has been Tatis in the starting lineup.
Rather, the big deal is that Tatis is only 5-for-21 (.238) with one RBI, one run scored, and no extra-base hits since being named a regular. This is a far cry from the July numbers (.397 AVG, .463 OBP, .767 SLG) that earned him a starting role.
Granted, Tatis does have a 10-game hitting streak going, so perhaps this recent stretch is a simple hiccup.
If not, the corner outfield positions are a concern – particularly since Ryan Church’s return has hit another snag. The Mets are counting on the suddenly struggling Tatis and the unproven platoon of Evans and Murphy to fill what are traditionally ‘offensive’ positions. If these three don’t provide significant offense, their inexperience in the outfield becomes detrimentally counter-productive.
Strangely, the Mets are looking at Rich Aurilia (as linked to by Cerrone earlier today), who has zero experience in the outfield. He’s a nice hitter, but will he hit enough to make up for his glovework? Not likely.
The Mets may have a short leash on the Evans and Murphy experiment, hoping one or both can blossom while Omar Minaya watches the waiver wire for a legitimate outfielder with a power bat. For example, Aubrey Huff might be a nice addition, but at what cost? The Mets have too many ‘untouchables’ in the high minors and can’t afford to deal any of their MLB-ready arms considering the state of the pitching staff. One would hope that if Evans continues to struggle, Val Pascucci will at least get a look.
After the trading deadline passed, Minaya claimed that trading a few of the Mets prospects wasn’t worth a ‘rental” playe’ – a bold statement for a team desperate. I’m not sure I agree, considering that a few of the ‘rentals’ that changed teams would have turned into draft picks in the offseason (as Type “A” or Type “B” free agents), while the other ‘rentals’ would not have cost the Mets their elite prospects.
But there’s still time for one of these prospects to show us why they weren’t dealt, and for Minaya to swing a waiver deal. Let’s hope that two months from now, Minaya’s non-moves prior to the deadline make him look like a genius.
Through their first 83 games of the season, the Mets have committed 58 errors – the third-highest total in the NL. Startlingly, the infield is responsible for 43 of them. Add in the catchers and pitchers, and the total swells to 52.
Taking it one step further, according to the Hardball Times, the Mets’ infield has a “Revised Zone Rating” (RZR) of .742, which is dead last in all of MLB (the league average is almost 40 points higher, at about .780).
Without getting too technical, “RZR” is the percentage of balls fielded cleanly. So, in other words, around 26 percent of ground balls, line drives and pop ups have fallen safely through or around the Mets’ infield. Again, the league average is about 17 percent making it through.
Whether you swear by fielding stats or not, the bottom line is that the Mets’ infield defense can be described as “porous,” and is a bigger factor in their inconsistencies than many people realize.
… added to by Ted Berg…
Say what you will about the Mets’ infield defense, that same page of stats shows their outfield defense as among the best in the game. My guess is that this has something to do with Endy Chavez and Angel Pagan getting more playing time in left than anyone would have guessed and Ryan Church being a better fielder than a lot of us expected. It doesn’t hurt that Carlos Beltran has been statistically one of the very best defensive center fielders in the game for several seasons now.
Mets outfielders boast an RZR of .916, third best in the Majors, and they’ve made 144 plays out of their zone (OOZ), the highest tally in the bigs.
Since being named the interim manager, Jerry Manuel has been filling tape recorders with priceless quips and proclamations. This “breath of fresh air” was immediately embraced by the media, and we fans were fed the idea that the Mets would immediately start fighting for first place.
After a week, however, the Mets under Manuel are 3-4. Manuel’s promises about bullpen roles, resting starters on the road, and a new offensive attack have fallen by the wayside. For many, the talk from Manuel has been a lot of hot air – after all, actions speak louder than words.
On the other hand, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and a sub-.500 team can’t suddenly turn into a contender with the flip of a switch. The hiring of Jerry Manuel was one step of many in the process.
The buzz from Shea is that internal meetings are occurring now, “and changes are coming”.
We’ve heard enough talk. I, Joe Janish, am willing to give Manuel and the team’s front office 30 or so days to get these changes implemented. No doubt we’ll see obvious moves – such as personnel adjustments affecting Carlos Delgado and Oliver Perez. We should also see more roles evolving, particularly at second base and in the outfield. An energy spark from the farm system is a must – be it an arm or a position player or both – because the Mets have little in the way of trading chips for an impact player (think: 2005, when the promotions of Robinson Cano and Chien-Ming Wang boosted the Yankees).
At the same time, I fully expect Omar Minaya to continue working the phones to land someone who can make a difference. In addition, let’s look for the relievers to eventually settle into roles, the hitters to start bringing a game plan to the plate, and the team as a whole keep its focus and spirit no matter what the score.
As Ron Darling suggested, a month is a fair amount of time. Let’s talk then.
It was reported by the Los Angeles Times that Las Vegas oddsmakers have adjusted their expectations of the Mets.
From the story:
“… once they picked up standout pitcher Johan Santana during the off-season, they were immediately installed as a heavy favorite for the NL pennant. Just look back to February when New York was listed at +175 at Betonline.com, the best odds of any team to represent the NL in the World Series.
The Mets were even made a strong favorite to win this season’s World Series with 5.5-1 odds at Bodoglife.com. Only the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox had better numbers at 3.5-1.
But by the time the Mets replaced Randolph with interim Manager Jerry Manuel on Tuesday, their odds had already dropped to 6-1 to win the NL pennant, behind Chicago (9-4), Arizona (4-1) and Philadelphia (9-2).”
Personally, I’m happy to see the odds stacking against the Mets. It turns them into underdogs — and isn’t the nature of a Mets fan to root for the underdog? Otherwise we’d be watching ballgames in the Bronx.
Moving beyond the question of why Willie Randolph was fired and how it was handled, 
the next head-scratcher is why Jerry Manuel – and not Ken Oberkfell – was named the interim manager.
Yes, Manuel has previous managing experience, and in fact was named the 2000 AL Manager of the Year. But, he’s not the type of guy who will light a fire under anyone’s backside, and was not known as an on-field tactician – in the AL no less, where the strategy compares to a game of checkers. In other words, Manuel is basically the same manager as Willie Randolph.
Randolph’s removal should not have been a ‘change for the sake of change.’ It should have been a calculated move to turn the Mets’ season into a winning direction. If you have the foresight to announce the firing right after the tabloids go to press, you should also have the sagacity to put the right guy in place: Ken Oberkfell.
Oberkfell is many of the things Randolph was not. He’s fiery, aggressive, and has many years of minor league managerial experience. He’s managed at nearly every level of the Mets’ organization and therefore is more than familiar with their top prospects.
In fact, rumor has it that Oberkfell is also a trusted advisor to Tony Bernazard – a stark contrast to the questionable relationship he had with Randolph.
So why has Oberkfell been promoted to, essentially, look over the shoulder of Jerry Manuel? Is he around as a consultant, or a manager-in-waiting? If Oberkfell is the guy who the Mets believe can change the tone of the team, why wait to give him the reins? He spent 16 years in MLB clubhouses as a player, and has been managing for another 16 years, so he’s far from ‘green.’ Clearly his time is now.
What is more disconcerting is that Oberkfell’s new role is the caretaker of batting gloves (a.ka., first base coach), while Luis Aguayo was installed in the more prominent position of third-base coach. Why in the world was Aguayo — previously the Mets’ “Field Coordinator” — given such an important job?
Maybe the team’s decision makers are unsure of how Oberkfell will handle the media circus of New York. But, after watching the way they bungled this managerial change, he can’t do any worse.
…added to by Matthew Cerrone…
I’m with you, Joe. Like I said yesterday, I have talked with people who have played for Obie, I have talked with people who have covered Obie, and I have even talked to Obie, and the sense I get is that he’ll make a terrific major league manager, assuming he wants the job.
There is some indication he is more than happy about the idea of simply being a coach right now.
The thing is, if a new manager is brought it during the off-season, who will bring in his own coaches, I fear that the organization will lose Oberkfell altogether.
Two weeks ago, Willie Randolph ‘rested’ Carlos Delgado two games in a row, gave a few bench players the chance to start, and inserted a green rookie into the lineup. The result was seven wins in the team’s next nine games.
More importantly, it appeared as though their attitude had evolved, delivering come-from-behind wins and showing a ‘fight’ we haven’t seen since 2006.
Heck, even Delgado started hustling.
But it wasn’t enough of a spark, and the fire went out quickly.
Now the Mets are back to where they were before ‘the meeting,’ and
Maybe it’s batting Carlos Beltran leadoff, or sending Oliver Perez to the bullpen, or promoting Mike Carp and Val Pascucci and putting them both in the starting lineup. It’s more likely none of those illogical ideas, but the point is, what’s been done for the past 167 games has not been working.
It’s time to try something different – very different.
The Arizona Diamondbacks (36-31) defeated the Mets (31-34) by a score of 5 to 4 at Shea Stadium this afternoon.
For a full recap, boxscore, stats, etc., go to SNY.tv.
Billy Wagner blew his third consecutive save opportunity — the first time he’s done that since 2000 — in wasting a tremendous effort by Johan Santana.
Wagner didn’t lose the game by himself, though. After Santana had shut out the D’Backs for seven innings, Joe Smith allowed a walk, a single, and a two-run triple to cut the Mets’ lead in half.
The Mets had a great chance to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, but the Diamondbacks made spectacular defensive plays on balls hit by David Wright and Damion Easley to deny a Mets win.
Those defensive plays continued the D’Backs momentum, as they quickly scored the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth off reliever and loser Aaron Heilman.
- What more can go wrong for the Mets? They finally get great efforts from starting pitchers, and the previously reliable bullpen gives them away. They hit the ball hard, and the opposition makes “web gem” defensive plays. It’s getting to a point where we as fans are waiting to see how the Mets will lose the game this time, rather than how they’ll pull out a win.
- Santana was spectacular, allowing only three hits and three walks in a 115-pitch effort. His only mistake was not pitching two more innings.
- Until the ninth, Ramon Castro was the second-best story of the game. Getting his first start since missing his wake-up call on Sunday in San Diego, Castro redeemed himself with a double and a solo homer, and he threw out a runner attempting to steal third.
- This might have been the most devastating loss of the season, and there’s not much else to say. We can however, look at Santana’s performance as a positive.
The Mets open a three-game series against the Texas Rangers on Friday night at 7:10 pm at Shea Stadium. Oliver Perez is scheduled to start for the Mets, with Scott Feldman going to the hill for Texas.
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