The Closer Situation
by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 10, 2011 7:59 PM EDT
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PrintAfter Sandy Alderson shrewdly traded away Francisco Rodriguez as his looming 2012 vest, Terry Collins announced that veteran Jason Isringhausen, fireballer Bobby Parnell, and rookie Pedro Beato all were in the running to close out games for the team. It soon became apparent that Izzy was the de facto closer, as he closed a bunch of games over the span of about a month, allowing him to reach the 300 save plateau. After that, it was announced that he would no longer close, and that Bobby Parnell would assume the role.
Since becoming the full-time closer, Parnell has been anything but lockdown, blowing 5 save opportunities in his last ten chances. Historically, Parnell has performed less-than-sterling in what ‘The Book' categorizes in High Leverage Situations- he walks more batters (4.78/9, as opposed to 4.47/9 in Moderate Leverage Situations, and 3.59/9 in Low Leverage Situations), has given up more home runs (1.13/9 as opposed to 0.80/9 in Moderate Leverage Situations, and 0.40/9 in Low Leverage Situations), and batters are hitting better against him (.326 BAA, as opposed to .307 in Moderate Leverage Situations, and .233 in Low Leverage Situations). His FIP/xFIP in High Leverage Situations is 4.63/4.45, a lot higher than it is in Low Leverage Situations (3.21/3.89) and Moderate Leverage Situations (3.72/3.71). Sure, in those High Leverage Situations, he's being BABIP'd to death (This season, his BABIP in those situations is .378), but all those walks (5.56/9 this season) and the drop in strikeouts (8.74/9, almost two full strikeouts less than his performance in Low and Moderate Leverage Situations) fall on his head.
As a result, Terry Collins has temporarily removed him from the closer role, using Josh Stinson and Manny Acosta in save situations. A recent SNY text poll revealed that a large majority of those who voted (I can't find the results, so I am going by memory) were weary of Parnell closing going forward, including the 2012 season. So, who are the possible candidates for the closer role in 2012?
Bobby Parnell
Despite everything mentioned above, Parnell is still among the best relievers that the Mets have this season (which is somewhat disheartening, since Fangraphs says he is worth only 0.3 WAR, as of 9/10). When he is on- when he can locate his explosive fastball and razor sharp slider- Parnell looks impressive. The problem is that Parnell does not always have command over his pitches. When he isn't able to control his slider, all Parnell really has is the heat- and, while 100 MPH+ fastballs are impressive, if they're as straight as Parnell's are, the batter can guess location and get his timing such that he smack the hell out of the ball. It is also important to note that, since we're the Mets and all, Bobby Parnell's fastball is the unluckiest fastball in the Major Leagues. Because luck is luck, it is liable to change on a whim. When Parnell's fastball- his main, bread-and-butter pitch- is luckier, Parnell as a relief pitcher will be more effective.
Manny Acosta
It's been a tale of two seasons for Acosta. After not making the team from Spring Training, he was brought up and posted a 9.35 ERA in 8.2 IP in June. Since then, he's posted a 1.86 ERA in 9.2 IP in July, 1.32 ERA in 13.2 IP in August, and, so far in September, a 1.50 ERA in 6 IP. He's slowly been weaned into progressively more and more important innings, and so far, Acosta has performed admirably. In the 7.1 High Leverage Innings he has pitched, he is sporting a 0.57 FIP and a 1.75 xFIP. His K/9 rate is higher (11.05/9, as opposed to 9.00/9 in Medium Leverage Situations, and 8.71/9 in Low Leverage Situations), and he has yet to give up a walk in a High Leverage situation as I write this. In such situations, batters are hitting .222 against him, and that's with a somewhat unlucky .333 BABIP. According to Terry Collins, Acosta has been more emotional since his recent renaissance began, which has translated into an adrenaline-boost in his fastball velocity (he's regularly hitting 97 MPH on the radar gun) and pitch control. "This guy, in the last six weeks, has not only amped it up emotionally, but his location and his pitches- he throws all his pitches for strikes. He's down in the zone. It's very impressive."
Pedro Beato
Acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in the Rule 5 Draft, Beato was an early sensation, setting a new Mets club record for the longest scoreless inning streak to start a career, with 18.2 innings (in those innings, he allowed only 9 hits and 3 walks). Inevitably, Beato came back to earth. After an elbow injury sent him to the DL, Beato has pitched to mixed results, most of them poor. In 8.2 innings in May, he had a 6.23 ERA. In 12.2 innings in June, he had a 6.39 ERA. In 10.0 innings in July, he had a 1.08 ERA. In 13.1 innings in August, he had a 6.08 ERA. So far in September, he's pitched 4.0 innings, and has a 4.50 ERA. Beato's low K/9 rate and relatively high BB/9 rate are problematic. He currently possesses a 5.31 K/9 rate, and a 3.73 BB/9 rate, giving him a 1.42 K/BB ratio. Considering the poor results that he's had with a .247 BABIP, there's not much reason to believe that he'll be any more effective when his BABIP invariably goes up. With an 82.9% contact percentage, he needs that BABIP to be as low as possible- His 7.7 % swing and miss percentage isn't going to get things done. The potential might be there, though. In 2010 with AA-Bowie, Beato threw 59.2 innings (netting 16 saves) to a 2.11 ERA and 3.50 FIP, with a .271 BABIP. He struck out 7.54 batters per nine innings, and walked 2.87 per nine innings. So, against lesser competition, yes, Beato struck out more, walked fewer batters, and allowed fewer hits, all with a higher number of batters getting on base. Beato has a wide assortment of pitches, though none stand out as being much better or worse than any others- perhaps with the refinement of a pitch or two in Winterball, or Spring Training, Beato will be able to increase his Major League strikeout rate, and lower his Major League walk rate, and be a more effective relief pitcher.
Chris Capuano
Might Chris Capuano take a page out of Joel Hanrahan's book, and shift to a relief role as a closer? Hanrahan started his career as a starter, but never really distinguished himself. After being shifted to the bullpen in 2008, his career began to take off. The fulltime closer of the Pirates currently, he having an All-Star season, worth 2.0 WAR +/-, the best of his career. Capuano shows some pretty large variance in how effective he is based on how many times through the order he's pitched. In 2011, batters have hit .207/.261/.328 against him the first time through the order, .286/.359/.437 the second time through, 298/.335/.608, and (11 PA SSS) .800/.800/.900 the fourth time through. He also seems to tire early, as he has a 3.33 with 80 Ks in the first three innings of games (81 IP sample size), but a 5.35 ERA with 56 Ks in the next three (71 IP sample size). Although Capuano is going to throw 175+/- IP by season's end, his age and injury history have given him a stigma- can be an effective starting pitcher, repeating that in seasons to come? Capuano wanted to stay a starting pitcher in 2010, while the Brewers envisioned him having a bullpen role, which is why he and the his former team went their separate ways. Capuano was pitching in middle relief with the Brew Crew, however. Perhaps a more glorified position might cause him to rethink his career trajectory- closers generally make around the same money as much as low-to-moderate tier starting pitchers.
Other
There's going to be a bunch of established closers, or relief pitchers with a "closer's mentality" on the Free Agent market this winter, at varying prices and availability. The list includes:
Heath Bell, Jonathan Broxton, Matt Capps, Francisco Cordero, Octavio Dotel, Kyle Farnsworth, Frank Francisco, Jason Isringhausen, Brad Lidge, Mike MacDougal, Ryan Madson, Joe Nathan, Vicente Padilla, Jonathan Papelbon, Chad Qualls, Jon Rauch, Fernando Rodney, Francisco Rodriguez, Takashi Saito, George Sherrill, Kerry Wood, Joel Zumaya, and Jose Valverde
This FanPost was contributed by a member of the community and was not subject to any vetting or approval process. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions, reasoning skills, or attention to grammar and usage rules held by the editors of this site.
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Closer is in my opinion the stupidest role in baseball
A relief pitcher is a relief pitcher. Plain and simple. Let your better relievers pitch in the most important spot, not just the 9th inning. That being said I don’t really put too much into most relievers in baseball. Sure you have the ultra consistent good ones like Luke Gregorson, Mike Adams and Mariano Rivera. But most relief pitchers are very inconsistent. Good one season, bad the next. Good for 2 months, terrible for another 2 months. I prefer to just get pitchers with good skills, i.e. good fastball, good control, high strikeout rate, low walk rate etc. And I would ride the hot hand. No set closers. If you are pitching well lately, you get to pitch in a high leverage situation. Period.
Bobby Baseball - The future of Amazin' Avenue.
i agree 100%
Eventually someone will have the balls to try it and it will revolutionize the game. I just hope were that team
by ZZPops on Sep 10, 2011 10:08 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Agree, and disagree
The baseball establishment is sufficiently entrenched in the current way things are done that concepts that aren’t necessarily true, or can be explained in actuality differently than how the establishment explains it (the ‘closer mentality’, for example) become true via the perpetuation of the concept by everyone in the game. I think that, since players generally believe stuff like that, they unknowingly, or unthinkingly “play down” because they aren’t closers, if that makes sense.
Take pathogens, for example. In Europe, for hundreds of years, people believed that sicknesses were caused by evil spirits, black magic, whatever. Periodically, you’d have people who’d pick up knowledge from more their advanced Islamic neighbors, who believed in proper hygiene, and linked cleanliness with disease and health. Those people were exceptions to the rule, and by and large, everyone still was ignorant in regards to the causes and prevention of diseases.
Until the Joe Morgans of the world accept and regard as valid certain sabermetric principles, until ESPN accepts and regards as valid certain sabermetric principles, until current players themselves, or current little leaguers accept and regard as valid certain sabermetric principles, the people who do will be the exception to the rule, the odd-men out. The team could put certain policies in effect, but if the players/coaches/media don’t accept them, they ring kind of hollow.
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 10, 2011 11:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Tell the players/coaches to accept them or they don't have a job.
As for the media, fuck ’em.
Save Jenrry Mejia!
Keep Reyes, Trade Wilpon.
It's not necessarily a matter of listening and doing your job
It’s a matter of believing it. Case in point, a personal story: When I was in middle school and early in high school, I aspired to be a medical doctor. Obviously, you need to be smart to actually be a doctor. I’m fairly smart (not to boast, since it’s not much of a boast, as compared to some of the other people here, lawyers, law students, businessmen, whatever), netting a 91 average in high school. At some point, I convinced myself/was convinced that I wasn’t actually smart enough to be an actual MD. If someone told me at the time that I was, I’d be polite but shrug them off and disagree.
If you’re a generic middle relief pitcher, you have decent enough stuff but never really had an “important role”, you might be convinced ahead of time that you don’t have a closer’s mentality, have the tools a closer needs, whatever, even if someone says that you do, and that all of that stuff is BS, more or less. It’s like psyching yourself out- if you yourself don’t believe it, you might unintentionally, without even realizing it, be shooting yourself in the foot, confidence-wise.
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 11, 2011 1:20 AM EDT up reply actions
"The tools a closer needs"
I hate when people say Parnell has the “tools” to be a closer because of his fastball. Who says a closer needs a great fastball in order to get guys out? Who says he needs to strike out the side in order to be effective? Who says you can’t have a knuckleballing closer? Yeah, if he was an effective knuckleballer than he would be better suited in the rotation but I think you get my point.
Bobby Baseball - The future of Amazin' Avenue.
by Bobby Baseball on Sep 11, 2011 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Tools = Skills
I don’t think that there’s a one-fit solution for any specific role; for every player, it’s different.
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 11, 2011 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions
I am so damned happy F-Rod is gone.
that loser is whining again in Milwaukee.
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
by feslenraster on Sep 16, 2011 8:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Also, have you guys noticed how similar Parnell and Stinson look? This is Parnell
Bobby Baseball - The future of Amazin' Avenue.
And this is Stinson
Bobby Baseball - The future of Amazin' Avenue.
by Bobby Baseball on Sep 10, 2011 9:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Ever notice how you never see the two of them pitching in the same place at the same time?
THEY’RE THE SAME PERSON!!!
Bobby Parnell, you sly dog
Double your identity, double your chances to pitch…
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 10, 2011 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions
how can two ppl pitch at the same time in the same place?
Nets Mets Giants ALL DAY
by netsareboss on Sep 11, 2011 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions
That is an excellent point
I can't believe Evan_S neglected to consider this
Bobby Baseball - The future of Amazin' Avenue.
by Bobby Baseball on Sep 11, 2011 9:23 AM EDT up reply actions
This is the best chance
Alderson will have to bury the closer role for good for this organization.
Kicking knowledge in the face.
That should have been a long time ago
before having a pitcher with an unlucky fastball closing every game, and WAY before having your “closer” sit on the bench while watching Yadier Molina hit a home run.
Quality relief pitching
First of all, yes, the closer role is very much overrated. It´s certainly highly questionable to pay somebody who´s likely to pitch merely 60-70, albeit usually higher leverage IP per season 10-15 mio $ per year (or even more in some weird cases) – and you pay the top SP in the league who´ll give you 3 to 4 times of that IP total around 20-25 mio $ even if their innings generally aren´t necessarily all less important. Certainly an odd investment of available funds and certainly a pretty bad idea in terms of payroll management.
That said, I´m not convinced that the role of “closer” is as nonsensical as some make it out to be. Major leaguers play up to 162 regular season games which is absolutely a grind considering travelling, sleeping & eating at odd hours, sleeping in a different bed almost every other night, besides the stress of usually 20-30 or so mid-distance flights over a little more than half the year. And that´s not even considering the aspect of actually playing Baseball every day vs. pretty good competition. For that reason players usually tend to look for routines or defined roles. It´s generally no problem for a member of the starting rotation who knows he´ll generally go every 5th or 6th day and will have his between-starts routine. A starting position player knows his role and can pretty much focus on it in general. A position player on the bench usually knows his spot in the PH pecking order and can generally relax for the first few innings of a game or – for example the backup C – can be pretty sure not to play that day, barring an injury or a manager who tends to do lefty / righty switches. Knowing some players, that routine and knowing your place & a defined role is a key part of managing those stressful 6-7 months of Baseball.
For this very reason, relievers generally ask for some sort of defined role. The traditional “closer” can generally sleep through the first 7 innings of a game if he wishes, knowing he won´t be needed. Most teams have another “close & late” type of reliever or two which also know that they won´t be used with 2 on and 2 out in the 5th inning and can adjust their routine accordingly. So, having defined “bullpen” roles – whatever the definition is, seems like a pretty sound idea – at least over the long haul of a 162 game season when no player is capable of keeping 100 % of focus each & every day.
A second part of the “closer” concept is the intimidation factor. For example, when you´re playing the Yankees and are trailing 2-3 in the 7th inning, you know you better score soon because you´re likely to face Mariano Rivera in the 9th inning who is pretty close to automatic. That means you are more likely to “press” in the 7th vs. the less talented setup reliever or tiring starting pitcher than if you´re already facing Rivera in the 7th, knowing he won´t be in there later anymore and you´ll have an easier task ahead. Now, this is tough to quantify and not every player may be susceptible to this. However, again, if you have played at any sort of higher level, it does play a role.
That said, the Mets main problem right now isn´t the lack of a dominating or “proven” closer, it´s the lack of quality and dominating relief pitching.
Bobby Parnell for now looks a lot like the 2nd coming of Matt Lindstrom and probably isn´t suited for any high leverage situations at this point. Be it in the 9th in a “save” situation or be it in the 8th vs. the middle of the opposing lineup.
Jason Isringhausen has been mediocre and doing it with smokes and mirrors. A nice story as he approaches the end of his career but certainly not a candidate for a high leverage role in 2012.
Pedro Beato needs to find a pitch that gets hitters to swing & miss. With more experience, I see him as a pretty promising middle reliever who can go multiple innings at times. But he´s not really suited for a high leverage role where you´re looking for a strikeout.
Manny Acosta has made strides. That said, he seems a little fragile mentally and the high HR totals against aren´t exactly confidence builders – even if they generally came in the 1st half. I do see him as a potential high-leverage guy if he keeps this up though. Probably not as a “closer” – at least not in games with leads of 2 runs or less. However, certainly as potentially one piece of a late-inning trio. He somewhat reminds me of Guillermo Mota as a Met when he was – briefly – very good.
Josh Stinson looks very promising. His two pitch fastball / slider mix seems to play vs. major leaguers as well. Don´t think he has the lights out stuff of a true late inning shutdown type reliever, especially lacking an out pitch vs. LH bats – though when you think of it, he could eventually emerge as a Mike Adams type force if all goes well. Certainly a bit early asking him to fulfill such a role in 2012 – but he could eventually earn it.
The best idea for 2012 to me is to sign a veteran “closer” like Joe Nathan to a 1-year, 6 mio $ type deal (assuming the Twins decline his 12 mio $ option for 2012, which I assume they will and he doesn´t re-sign there which he has indicated). In addition, I believe the Mets will bring in multiple other relievers from the outside via trade or – smaller scale – free agent signings – possibly parting ways with Parnell or Beato in the process.
Longterm, I believe someone like Jenry Mejia or Jeurys Familia could become a very intriguing in-house option for a high-leverage bullpen role – in case they prove to brittle for a SP role (like Jonathan Papelbon for example) or others fill the gapping rotations holes so there´s no room for all the promising high ceiling arms (hoping for a little luck that some of them stay healthy or actually approach their ceilings. However. that´s certainly not a viable option for 2012.
by Doob on Sep 11, 2011 2:35 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Too long, didnt read
groop·think/ˈgro͞opˌTHiNGk/
Preferably spelled in all caps
Noun: The practice of thinking or making decisions as a group, such as no i in trading.
by Dandy Salderson on Sep 11, 2011 8:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Again, disagree to a degree, based on my reply above to you
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 11, 2011 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions
.
Manny Acosta has made strides. That said, he seems a little fragile mentally
Save Jenrry Mejia!
Keep Reyes, Trade Wilpon.
Lol, I'll admit I kinda trailed off reading halfway, so...
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 458 posts (08/24/11)
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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 11, 2011 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Do you bagree that he bagrees with you?
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 458 posts (08/24/11)
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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 11, 2011 7:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
This should have been a fan short story.Some good points especially if Beato can find and bottle that pitch
that makes hitters swing and miss.
by Putnan Prince on Sep 12, 2011 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions
why did people vote for free agency? I'm tired of signing old fogies
and having them for 3-4 years at a time while our young guys become elite “closers” elsewhere.
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
Omar is gone
We can now sign old fogies for 1 year contracts. Like we did with Capuano and Isringhausen and Hairston, which in my opinion were all successful contracts.
Bobby Baseball - The future of Amazin' Avenue.
by Bobby Baseball on Sep 11, 2011 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
unfortunately I doubt signing any elite closer out there
is going to be easy. Freakin’ Omar changed the standard, after all.
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
by feslenraster on Sep 13, 2011 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions
No, you aren't going to get an elite closer for a reasonable contract
But you can get someone good.
Bobby Baseball - The future of Amazin' Avenue.
by Bobby Baseball on Sep 13, 2011 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Acosta
I think Acosta needs a shot, Parnell just doesn’t have it in my opinion
Insert witty signature here
rest of season use different guys
stuff isnt enough to be a closer. Let guys try to close. Parnell has failed again and again. he has stufff but cant close. Give Acosta and Stinson, and maybe some others guys a shot. figure we play .500 ball. so there are 10 more games to close. a few guys could each get 3 more chances.
Any task BIG or small, Do it well or not at all
by Rickfansince76 on Sep 11, 2011 12:24 PM EDT reply actions
It's more for 2012, not the two weeks left of 2011
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 11, 2011 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions
exactly and if we use a few different guy we may find a hidden gem
hell even try Bautista abd Schwinden
Any task BIG or small, Do it well or not at all
by Rickfansince76 on Sep 12, 2011 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I wouldn't try Batista.
He’s 41. If he’s a part of the team next year, several things have gone terribly wrong.
"And that's why anybody who invested with Lenny Dykstra should really call that number. Lawyers are standing by."
by BobbyV_Incognito on Sep 12, 2011 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions
LOL what?
Chamption of the R.A. Dickey Face contest and "Cromulent Photoshopper Extraordinaire" of Amazin' Avenue!
You might know me as mistermet.
by Steve Schreiber on Sep 12, 2011 9:58 PM EDT up reply actions
good grief.
so Parnell blows a few here and there.
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
by feslenraster on Sep 13, 2011 9:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Something I thought of the other day...
Johan Santana. Obviously we have to give him his rotation spot back, but at some point he may not be able to handle 200+ innings anymore. Maybe 2-3 years down the road he could pull a John Smoltz and be a dominant closer.
To say that Parnel is the best reliever compared to the rest of the bullpen is akin to saying that kerosene
is slightly less flammable than gasoline.
Unfortunatley, more or less
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 13, 2011 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions
The poll results are interesting
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 458 posts (08/24/11)
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by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Sep 13, 2011 12:24 AM EDT reply actions
for a moment I thought we were at Metsblog
when people voted for free agency (!!!)
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
by feslenraster on Sep 13, 2011 9:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Unfortunately
I don’t think any of these guys are the answer. It definitely is not Beato, as mentioned strikes out too few and walks too many. Parnell, to me, is not the closer of the future. That is unless he learns to control his BB/9 and keep runners off the bases. If he can’t ever master that, he can’t be the closer. Also, he needs more movement on his pitches. If there was some way to incorporate some rise or even dip to his fastball, he’d be a lot more dominant in his outings. Acosta looked good this year, but we have to remember he could go back to the old Acosta at some point. I don’t consider Capuano a real option at closer. He has more value to me as a starter or even long reliever if we are able to find someone else to put into the rotation.
Maybe our closer of the future is still developing in the minors, or maybe someone like Stinson can emerge and become a force in that role. But for now, the sad truth is we don’t have a closer, or for that matter, an elite relief pitcher.
that's true Metscity
but would you rather the Mets develop see what they have, or waste money and picks on an elite closer? we tried that many times before and its not like it succeeded very well.
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
by feslenraster on Sep 13, 2011 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I never said we should spend
I was just pointing out we don’t have our ace of the bullpen yet. None of those 3 are the answer to me. Like I said in my last sentence, maybe it’s someone still in the minors, or even Stinson. My main point is that we are in a transition period now that we traded away Rodriguez, even though that was the right move to make in trading him.
no I know
I think we basically agree on the same idea-develop within- but I still wouldn’t mind giving Parnell, Acosta a shot.
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
by feslenraster on Sep 13, 2011 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Well
We have to give them a shot. There really is no other choice. Parnell, not surprisingly, has blown some really frustrating games lately. Acosta has looked better, to be honest, but can he do that for a full season? I don’t know. This is one of his better stretches since he’s been with the Mets. But with that in mind. I say try Stinson out too. It wouldn’t hurt at this point.
agreed, any of the three should have a shot
I just hope they re-sign Reyes and plug in the holes as the rookies develop. Let’s not do the old Omar song and dance routine
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
by feslenraster on Sep 13, 2011 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Why not?
It’s not like I’m suggesting someone who’s not already in the bullpen. Plus, nobody is running away with the job either. Might as well try all possible candidates.
To anyone who voted for a Free Agent,
Who is your first choice?
Down 2 in the bottom of the ninth?
Lets Bring in Willie Harris!
Shaq
oh wait, wrong sport
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
by feslenraster on Sep 15, 2011 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Shaq?
Brett Favre is a better choice
Down 2 in the bottom of the ninth?
Lets Bring in Willie Harris!
Ultimately, the Mets are just going to have to actually start developing good relief pitchers
Arguably the most mind-boggling of all of Omar’s failures (and, of course, some of the blame has to go to those who were handling the Mets’ pre-Omar drafts) is the inability to generate relievers from the farm.
In 7 years since Omar became GM, the Mets have had exactly two homegrown players debut in the majors and go on to become even slightly significant bullpen pieces for us: Joe Smith and Bobby Parnell.
and Joe Smith is doing very well with the Indians, thank you very much OMAR
albeit in a ROOGY role.
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
by feslenraster on Sep 16, 2011 8:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Darren O'Day says hi from Texas!
Chamption of the R.A. Dickey Face contest and "Cromulent Photoshopper Extraordinaire" of Amazin' Avenue!
You might know me as mistermet.
by Steve Schreiber on Sep 16, 2011 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions
It's also funny considering how many early picks Omar wasted on relievers.
You’d think that we’d at least have a stable of good young relievers, but sadly none of those guys have made it and stuck in the majors (and I’m not counting Parnell among those guys…he seemed to be drafted as a starter).
I understand it’s a small sample, but at the same time…that’s what you get for drafting relievers early in the draft instead of going for talented starters/position players.
Chamption of the R.A. Dickey Face contest and "Cromulent Photoshopper Extraordinaire" of Amazin' Avenue!
You might know me as mistermet.
by Steve Schreiber on Sep 16, 2011 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions
indeed
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
by feslenraster on Sep 17, 2011 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Ahem.
I believe you’re forgetting about the one-and-only Ruff Ryder, Mr. Edward Cory Kunz.
"And that's why anybody who invested with Lenny Dykstra should really call that number. Lawyers are standing by."
by BobbyV_Incognito on Sep 16, 2011 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions
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