Mets All-Decade Team: Catcher

by Eric Simon on Dec 23, 2009 5:00 AM EST

Time for the aughts is running out, though the last Mets' baseball of the decade was played almost three months ago. It wasn't such a bad stretch: 815-805, a game per season above .500, two NLCS appearances, one pennant, Joe McEwing. What's not to like? The Mets had all sorts of seasons from 2000-2009.

- Two great seasons (2000, 2006)
- Two good seasons (2007, 2008)
- Three mediocre seasons (2001, 2002, 2005)
- Three terrible seasons (2003, 2004, 2009)

Willie Randolph was at the helm for one decent, two good, and one great season, and he was treated like a baby-eating pariah. Art Howe managed two of the three terrible teams and he was likewise driven away like a kitten-punching hobo. This isn't about the managers, though. A lot of good players flashed the orange-n-blue over the past ten years, and this series is about them.

Catcher

No surprises here: it's Mike Piazza. He was the Mets' catcher for more seasons -- six -- than anyone else this decade. His combined WAR of 14.8 was five times higher than the next closest guy on the list, Paul Lo Duca, who managed 2.8 WAR in two seasons with the Mets. Piazza hit the same number of homeruns -- 157 -- as every other player who caught at least one game for the Mets in the past decade*. Ramon Castro's 33 homeruns are the second-highest total for a catcher over that period, to give you a feel for how far behind Piazza everyone else lags. Just look at the list. It's Piazza and a bunch of nothing, basically. He dominates the pack in both quantity and quality of performance.

Num	Player	Seasons	PA	WAR
1	Mike Piazza	6	2,902	14.8
2	Paul Lo Duca	2	1,039	2.8
3	Ramon Castro	5	785	2.8
4	Vance Wilson	5	713	2.5
5	Brian Schneider	2	578	1.2

If the fact that Brian Schneider's two cruddy seasons with the Mets were enough to land him in the top five isn't enough to convince you of how sad this non-Piazza group is, I'm not sure what will. Maybe go hang out here instead.

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Looking at that list

the one other thing that jumps out at me is the lack of any real catching prospect over the last 10 years. Only Josh Thole has played the position under the age 25, and if you take away Hietpas’ and Gustavo Molina’s 8 combined plate appearances, the next youngest catcher was Vance Wilson at 27.

Now lets see if I can guess the rest of this all decade team. Delgado at first, I believe he’s had the most playing time there and there were no standouts. Fonzie at second (and I’m guessing Valentine’s one season is second because we’re that pathetic), Wright, Reyes, Cliff, Beltran, and Church. I’d also guess Endy is pretty high up on the outfield WAR list. For pitcher’s I’d think Glavine or Leiter. I don’t remember how well Leiter pitched for us, I was only 10 in 2000 and didn’t really pay to close attention in the horrible years of 2003 and 2004.

The Mets lobby Omar for a plan, and his plan, he likes his plan. The problem is that he didn't write his plan down 'cause that makes it paperwork, and that’s false hustle... Know what I’m sayin’?

by Evan_S on Dec 23, 2009 5:27 AM EST reply actions

There is/was Flores. He's not exactly an All-Star or anything, though.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"
Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Dec 23, 2009 8:35 AM EST up reply actions

I knew someone was gonna bring him up

That’s certainly one of Omar’s dumbest moves. All he had to do was put him on the 40 man roster, and we’d be looking at a future of Flores and Thole at catcher.

by Evan_S on Dec 23, 2009 8:48 AM EST up reply actions

How highly regarded was Flores at the time?

by DoghouseBlues on Dec 23, 2009 9:02 AM EST up reply actions

He was considered raw

But he was a catcher that looked like he was going to stick there and he already had power. I think Omar gambled that no one would keep someone that young at catcher on the MLB roster. He underestimated the general suck that is the Nationals.

by Lunkwill Fook on Dec 23, 2009 10:17 AM EST up reply actions

Now he wasn't as highly regarded, but I think this is a little interesting.

Austin Romine- Age 20 A+ Tampa:(481 PA) .276/.322/.441 .165 ISO, 13 home runs, 28 doubles, 6.2 BB%, 17.6 K% .347 wOBA
Jesus Flores- Age 21 A+ St. Lucie:(476 PA) .266/.335/.482 .216 ISO, 20 home runs, 32 doubles, 6.2 BB%, 29.4 K% .370 wOBA

Offensively Flores is considerably better with only the strikeouts a concern, Romine doesn’t have the same power but strikes out much less frequently. Defensively,I don’t know what the report on Flores was or the one on Romine is, but in 2008, at 19, Romine only caught 16 base stealers while allowing 75, while at 20 Flores caught 32, allowed 51 and at 21 caught 41 and allowed 65. Flores seemed like he was underrated at the time. I hope he comes back and has a strong season for the Nats.

by Evan_S on Dec 23, 2009 11:06 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, he was way underrated

But, more importantly, Austin Romine is one of the most OVERRATED prospects to come around in a while.

by Lunkwill Fook on Dec 23, 2009 11:55 AM EST up reply actions

Brian Schneider

Well, when you have Mike Piazza behind the plate for half the decade, there’s a reason Brian Schneider makes the top 5. I mean, off the top of your head, who were the top 5 Mets catchers of the 1990’s? Without looking anything up, here are my likely Top 5.

1. Mike Piazza
2. Todd Hundley
3. Todd Pratt
4. Mackey Sasser
5. Charlie O’Brien

I guess O’Brien was better than Schneider, but not by much. And Sasser was the inverse of Vance Wilson, a guy who couldn’t catch but could hit a little. My guess is that if you looked at the top catchers of the decade for other teams, you’d see lots of Brian Schneiders at #5. And Brian Schneider (granted, a better Brian Schneider) is almost certainly the top catcher on one other team’s list.

by Alex Nelson on Dec 23, 2009 9:04 AM EST reply actions

mackey sasser!

i used to have an old MLBPA ‘92 game on my Game Gear way back when, only had last names though. I always remembered seeing Sasser on my bench along with some guy named Boston, wondering who the hell they were. I never bothered to look it up, but nice to know Sasser’s first name.

"I only wanted a few things out of life -- a wife, children, to play baseball and to hunt deer." - Turk Wendell

by Rey-O on Dec 23, 2009 9:32 AM EST up reply actions

Darryl Boston

the Mets tried to corner the market on Darryl’s back in the day

"[The Giants] beat us down. We were beat by a grown-man team, a team we want to be like one day. They came in here and took it to us. Out-manned us, out-gunned us. ... It wasn't even close." - Raheem Morris, 9/27/09

by cjmulrain on Dec 23, 2009 9:48 AM EST up reply actions

"Game Gear"

Whoa . . . that’s a flashback.

"He's definitely mixing it into his repertoire. That's French for 'repertoire' " - Keith Hernandez

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Dec 23, 2009 9:50 AM EST up reply actions

Mackey Sasser

Was my f-ing favorite as a kid.

Of course, as a kid, I had very little taste.

(The fact that I was an attempted-catcher with a throwing bugaboo also was part of that, I think.)

by LeiterMilnerFasterStronger on Dec 23, 2009 5:02 PM EST up reply actions

This list cannot possibly be correct.

Omir Santos and his mighty lightning powers are clearly #1.

"He's definitely mixing it into his repertoire. That's French for 'repertoire' " - Keith Hernandez

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Dec 23, 2009 9:29 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

The evidence:

"He's definitely mixing it into his repertoire. That's French for 'repertoire' " - Keith Hernandez

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Dec 23, 2009 9:35 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

"He's definitely mixing it into his repertoire. That's French for 'repertoire' " - Keith Hernandez

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Dec 23, 2009 9:35 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs

thank you

for saving me the keystrokes. Omir had more impact on the Mets than anyone in the Schnieder family outside of his wife’s pleasing figure. Also, he can tell the future.

I.M. Forme
"When you get yourself into trouble is when you feel you have to do something, and then you get yourself in trouble." --Omar Minaya

by itsmetsforme on Dec 23, 2009 11:07 AM EST up reply actions

At the CitiField store

That shirt is already on the clearance rack with the Gary Sheffield and J.J. Putz shirts. And Omir is obviously still on the team. In hindsight, it might not have been profitable to give Omir Santos the opportunity to design his own shirt.

Trying to believe is my full-time occupation.

by Preach19 on Dec 23, 2009 11:28 AM EST up reply actions

If it's on clearance, I might buy one.

I will wear it to every Mets game I attend in 2010.

"He's definitely mixing it into his repertoire. That's French for 'repertoire' " - Keith Hernandez

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Dec 23, 2009 11:30 AM EST up reply actions

It was $5 or $10 I think

So it’s a steal if you want to merge AC/DC lighting with a quick swing.

Trying to believe is my full-time occupation.

by Preach19 on Dec 23, 2009 11:54 AM EST up reply actions

Eric

Stop promoting your other website here.

by James Kannengieser on Dec 23, 2009 10:16 AM EST reply actions

Simon is obviously looking to become a wealthy man

because everyone knows WARriors and Sabes love puppies. It’s their value over replacement cats.

I.M. Forme
"When you get yourself into trouble is when you feel you have to do something, and then you get yourself in trouble." --Omar Minaya

by itsmetsforme on Dec 23, 2009 11:09 AM EST up reply actions

Cats are just as awesome as puppies

by Evan_S on Dec 23, 2009 11:10 AM EST up reply actions

let's see some data then

I.M. Forme
"When you get yourself into trouble is when you feel you have to do something, and then you get yourself in trouble." --Omar Minaya

by itsmetsforme on Dec 23, 2009 12:05 PM EST up reply actions

I like that

WARriors

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Dec 23, 2009 12:25 PM EST up reply actions

yes I'm proud to claim that I coined that

I.M. Forme
"When you get yourself into trouble is when you feel you have to do something, and then you get yourself in trouble." --Omar Minaya

by itsmetsforme on Dec 23, 2009 12:53 PM EST up reply actions

Had to Rec this for the puppies

they’re sooooo cute. How adorable is Finley the golden retriever and Hazel the poodle mix?

by Evan_S on Dec 23, 2009 11:09 AM EST reply actions

Atticus is a poseur

I.M. Forme
"When you get yourself into trouble is when you feel you have to do something, and then you get yourself in trouble." --Omar Minaya

by itsmetsforme on Dec 23, 2009 11:11 AM EST up reply actions

Current Mets Roster

I was mortified just now to see the Mets current roster. I cannot believe what a collection of misfits , has beens, never-wuzzes, bums, and question marks, that Omar has collected. Take out the big five, Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Johan and Frankie, and the roster is that of a last place team. Even if Reyes, Beltran and Johan are one hundred percent next year, what kind of supporting staff do they have? John Maine? Ollie P? Murphy? Pagan? Henry Blanco? Big Stupid? Bobby P? Cora? Castillo? What a collection! Good work Omar. What’s even more terrifying is the rest of the 40 man roster. A bunch of career minor leaguers! OK, now put the big five back into the equation. They are STILL a last place team! Omar the idiot sits on his ass, while the Nationals narrow the gap between the Mets and the East Division cellar. Thank you, Omar the Clueless Wonder! Happy Holidays! Why doesn’t someone just shoot him and put us all out of his misery?

by TomSeaver on Dec 23, 2009 12:09 PM EST reply actions