As the New York Mets ponder the pros and cons of adding a Manny Ramirez, trading for a Jermaine Dye, or possibly signing Trevor Hoffman, perhaps it's time to remember that those who forget their history are usually doomed to repeat it.
When the New York Mets were born, their first-ever GM, George Weiss, had a very difficult decision to make. When looking at the pool of talent that was going to be available to him in the first-ever expansion draft, he chose to build the 1962 major league roster with the rest of baseball's discarded veterans, rather than other clubs' discarded younger players. The club's roster would be made up of former New York-area players that the hometown fans would be comfortable with during the inevitable losing that would follow. At least Weiss knew what he was doing was the lesser of evils, and he did construct the foundation of the 1969 Mets. However, since then, the Mets have little excuse for their knack for acquiring older veterans to play a significant role in the team's fortunes, only to find the said players at the end their rope.
For a variety of reasons, Mets GMs from Devine to Minaya have made this critical mistake. Some players’ careers were already terminal when the Mets acquired them, while others took a turn for the worse once they arrived in Shea due to injuries or poor performance. In each case, the Mets suffered because of shoddy decision-making, poor scouting or bad luck.
Warren Spahn – After a Hall of Fame career with the Braves of Boston and Milwaukee from 1946-63, Spahn had a down year in 1964, posting a 6-13 record with a 5.29 ERA. The Mets decided to purchase the 44-year old from the Braves in 1965 in order to draw fans to the budding franchise. The southpaw posted a ghastly 4-12 record before the Mets released him. He was picked up by the San Francisco Giants and there he finished the year, and his career.
Duke Snider – “The Duke” enjoyed a fruitful career as a Brooklyn Dodger but his productivity began to decline once the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, recording 370 at bats or less in each of his final seven seasons. The Mets acquired the aging New York idol in 1963 and though he played in his eighth All-Star game, it was his first in seven years and his slot on the roster was more sentimental than performance-related. He hit .243 with 14 home runs and 45 RBIs in his one season with the Mets, all down from his career average of .295, 31 home runs, and 101 RBIs. Like Spahn, Snider finished his career with the San Francisco Giants, but only recorded 167 at bats in his final season.
Willie Mays – Mays was the rookie of the year in 1951 and the player of the decade in the 1960’s. But from 1967-72, his production began to fall off. When the Mets traded Charlie Williams and cash to the San Francisco Giants for the legendary centerfielder in 1972, he produced a measly 14 home runs and 44 RBI in 404 at bats over the next two years. Mays retired as a Met with a .211 batting average in his final season, albeit he was voted to the All-Star team and appeared in a World Series.
Mickey Lolich – Best known for his performance in the 1968 World Series when he won three games en route to an MVP trophy, Lolich won 14 or more games for ten consecutive seasons, including 25 in 1971 and 22 in 1972. He had also struck out 200 or more batters seven times during his career. In 1975, during which he lost 18 games, his career appeared all but over. Yet, M Donald Grant and GM Joe McDonald didn't want to pay outfielder Rusty Staub what he was worth, and traded him to the Tigers for Lolich. In 1976, an out of shape Lolich went just 8-13 with a 3.22 ERA. He skipped the 1977 season before pitching two forgettable years for the Padres. Staub? He enjoyed three more years as a top-notch slugger, driving in more than 300 runs before becoming one of the game's best pinch-hitters. Staub wound up returning to the Mets a few years later, but was far from the player he was when he first departed.
George Foster – Foster peaked in 1977 with the Cincinnati Reds, belting 52 home runs, 149 RBIs, and posting a .320 average while earning the NL MVP award. His home runs and RBIs dropped each year through 1981 before the Mets traded for the slugger, and his acquisition (much like Pedro Martinez's two decades later), was heralded as “The Mets Are Now Credible.” However, his first year at Flushing was dreadful, as he hit just .247 with 13 home runs and 70 RBIs. It was a far cry from the powerful slugger they thought they were getting. Though history has treated him poorly, he did have two mildly productive seasons for the Mets in 1984-85, but even the presence of Keith Hernandez, Darryl Strawberry and later Gary Carter, couldn't get the former MVP's numbers back to where his paycheck demanded they be. For those who had waited years for Foster to be the player he was “supposed to be,” on June 5 of the 1986 season, he was hitting .270 with 10 home runs. Unfortunately, the rest of the season became a nightmare. He was released in August of 1986, after he was quoted saying that his benching was racially motivated. He played in a few games with the White Sox that season and then retired.
Bobby Bonilla – One brutal stretch with “Bobby Bo” wasn't enough for the Mets. Two different GMs thought he could make a difference in New York, and each was completely wrong. The first victim was Al Harazin, who signed Bonilla to a then-record $29 million contract. Surrounded by Andy Van Slyke and Barry Bonds in Pittsburgh, Bonilla enjoyed success that earned him three Silver Slugger awards. In New York, though he posted decent power numbers (19, 34, and 20 home runs from 1992-94), he failed to provide the leadership, consistency or accountability that he was noted for as a Pirate. Of course, in 1995, after he was dealt to the Orioles for “five-tool” prospect Alex Ochoa, he became a solid citizen again with Davey Johnson's Orioles. He helped the O's get to the 1996 ALCS, and then became a World Series winner with the Marlins in 1997. In 1999, for some inexplicable reason, ESPN expert Steve Phillips re-acquired Bonilla, and like Mo Vaughn would be a few years later, was out of shape, terrible in the field, and a huge cancer in the Mets' clubhouse. He hit just .160 with 4 home runs and 18 RBIs in 141 plate appearances that year, but the real fun was soon to follow. After he and Rickey Henderson were caught playing cards in the clubhouse during an 11-inning NLCS game six against the Braves, the Mets decided to pay out the remainder of his contract. The deal leaves the Mets responsible for paying him 25 payments of $1.19 million each July 1 from 2011 to 2035.
Carlos Baerga – From 1992-95, Baerga played Silver Slugger and All-Star caliber ball with the Cleveland Indians. While having a down year in 1996, batting .267 over 100 games with Cleveland, the Mets traded Jeff Kent and Jose Vizcaino for the veteran second baseman and former Yankees infielder Alvaro Espinoza. Baerga’s slump continued with the Mets, batting .267 and committing 27 errors over two and a half years in New York
Derek Bell – Bell had a career year with the Astros in 1998, batting .314 with 22 home runs and 108 RBIs. He followed that year with 121 fewer at bats, 10 fewer home runs, 42 fewer RBIs, and his batting average dropped to .236. The Mets had to take Bell in the Mike Hampton trade (which sent Roger Cedeno, Octavio Dotel and Kyle Kessell to Houston). His production picked up a bit in 2000 – 18 home runs, 69 RBIs and a .266 average – but most of his production came in the first half of that season. The NL champion Mets hoped for more from their starting right fielder, and his injury in the NLDS against San Francisco was the highlight of his Mets career, as it allowed Timo Perez to play RF for the Mets as they made it to the World Series. Just one year later, in spring training with the Pirates, upset with the fact that no one in the organization would promise him a starting job, he went into the self-named, “Operation Shutdown.” At last report, that operation is ongoing.
Mo Vaughn – The slugging first baseman had some very impressive offensive seasons in Boston, earning the AL MVP award in 1995 and belting 44 home run and 143 RBIs while batting .326 the following season. He played two decent years with the Angels, albeit his numbers continued to wane, before missing all of 2001 due to surgery on a ruptured tendon in his arm. Even though Vaughn, who had surgery on his knee a few years earlier, hadn’t played in over a year, the Mets decided to trade their most consistent pitcher, Kevin Appier, to Anaheim for the rights to the hefty lefty, adding him to the already supposedly potent offense Steve Phillips assembled consisting of Roberto Alomar, Mike Piazza and Jeremy Burnitz. His first and only full year with the Mets was his worst – and heaviest – since his second year in the big leagues, hitting just 26 home runs and 72 RBIs with a .259 batting average, and weighing in at 275 pounds. The next year, Vaughn played for about a month before a developing career-ending arthritis in his previously operated on left knee.
Roberto Alomar – As a Cleveland Indian in 2001, Alomar hit .336 with 20 home runs, 30 stolen bases, 100 RBIs, and 113 runs. That offseason, the Mets made a deal for Alomar, which sent Billy Traber, Matt Lawton and Alex Escobar to Cleveland, but Alomar did not produce in the New York limelight. He hit .266 with 11 home runs, 16 stolen bases, 53 RBIs and 73 runs while deteriorating defensively at second base. His career continued its downward spiral in Chicago with the White Sox and in Arizona with the Diamondbacks.
Moises Alou – The Mets signed the 40-year old Alou to a one-year deal for the 2007 season with an option for 2008. The six-time All-Star was productive with the Mets, but could not stay healthy. He missed several games over the summer of 2007 with a torn quadriceps muscle, but hit .341 in 328 at bats with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs, earning his 2008 team option. After missing the start of the season due to hernia surgery, Alou’s season (and possibly his career) was finished after he suffered a torn hamstring in AA Binghamton. He played in just 15 games for the Mets in 2008 before his body broke down, forcing the Mets to use a platoon in left field for the remainder of the season. However, like with Bell's injury, it opened the door for the young tandem of Daniel Muprhy and Nick Evans.
Luis Castillo – His best year came with the Marlins in 2000 when he batted .334 with a .418 OBP and 62 stolen bases. His production declined over the course of the decade, and the Mets acquired the three-time All-Star and Gold Glover from Minnesota in July of 2007. In his first off-season with the Mets, he had surgery on his right knee and he followed it up with a stint on the DL during the 2008 season. As a result, he has lost significant range in the field and his offensive numbers fell off. The slap hitter still has three years left on his 4-year, $25 million contract and the Mets are stuck with the deteriorating second baseman unless they can deal him elsewhere. They could always give him the “Bobby Bonilla Buyout,” right?
Pedro Martinez – Arguably the most dominant pitcher of his era, Martinez pitched seven illustrious seasons in Boston, where he achieved the summit of his fame. The Mets acquired the three-time Cy Young Award winner through free agency after the 2004 season, offering him a 4-year, $53 million contract. His first year with the Mets yielded the expected results: 15-8 record with 208 strikeouts and a 2.82 ERA. Perhaps had the Mets been able to make the postseason that year, and he had pitched a few gems in the playoffs, his name wouldn't be in this article. But they didn't and there is little doubt that had he been healthy, productive and a strong presence in the Mets' clubhouse, the club may have accomplished much more. But, after beginning the 2006 season 5-1, Martinez suffered a myriad of injuries over the next two years to his hip, calf, rotator cuff and most recently his hamstring, forcing him to miss most of the 2008 season and reinvent his pitching style. Though his return was admirable, it was not back to his original form. His contract with the Mets expired this year, and though his career may not yet be over, the best years of it have certainly passed.
The Kid” is back in New York. On Monday, Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter was introduced as the manager of the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. As he did for the 1986 World Series champion Mets, he will wear number 8, but this time it will be on a jersey of a different color.
“I’m just very proud to be back in New York and in this organization,” the former three-time Gold Glove award winner said at his press conference at Citibank Park.
Carter coached the Gulf Coast Mets in 2005, the A-level St. Lucie Mets in 2006, and most recently the Orange County Flyers of the Golden Baseball League in California. He had immediate success, leading all three teams to respective championship games (winning with the latter two) and earning Manager of the Year honors in each league.
“I’ve come here to try to provide a championship for the Ducks,” said the Fullerton, CA native. “I love to win and I hate to lose… at anything.”
Carter joins a staff that includes former Mets shortstop and manager, Bud Harrelson, who is a coach and Sr. Vice President of Baseball Operations, and former Met Kevin Baez, who coaches third base.
“No one played harder and worked harder than Gary Carter,” Harrelson said. “The way that Gary worked, if that rubs off on the Ducks, we’re going to be awesome.”
The Ducks, who were named the 2007 Independent Organization of the Year, celebrate their 10th anniversary next season. Players such as Edgardo Alfonso, Carlos Baerga, Juan Gonzalez, Bill Pulsipher, Nelson Figueroa, and the infamous John Rocker have come through the organization, which helps cultivate young talent and keep veteran players’ careers alive.
“The Atlantic League is known as the big leagues of the independent leagues,” Carter said. It is one of eight independent professional baseball leagues in the United States.
The Ducks have been to the playoffs every season since their 2004 championship run, but have not made it back to the top of the Atlantic League since. Carter aims to change that.
“There is nothing that could ever replace winning a championship,” he said. “I played in one World Series, right here in New York, and there was nothing like it.”
Carter hit a two-out, two-one fastball into left field in the tenth inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series to begin a late rally that ended with the most notorious error in baseball history – a grounder through Bill Buckner’s legs. Though Carter spent most of his 18-year career in Montreal, and went into the Hall of Fame as an Expo, he still feels at home in New York.
“In a lot of ways I feel like my identity, a lot of it, came from being here in New York,” he said. “Coming to New York was probably the best thing that could have happened to me.”
His 324 homeruns rank him fourth behind Mike Piazza, Carlton Fisk, and Johnny Bench for career homeruns by a catcher.
“The focus has been placed more on handling the pitchers, who are the higher paid players of today, but I think the emphasis is reverting back to the era in which Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Lance Parrish and myself played in – where there were more power hitting-type catchers.”
Carter worked as a television analyst for the Florida Marlins for three years after he retired, but decided to pursue a managerial career instead.
“My passion is being in uniform, and being on the field working with the up and coming superstars of the future,” he said, looking as comfortable as ever behind the microphones and in front of the cameras. “Hopefully this will lead to a major league job.”
Though he hopes to crack back into the big leagues as a manager, he has his immediate sights set on winning another championship, in another league, with another team. With the same wide-eyed grin and driven attitude that opposing players hated and Mets fans loved, he might just do it.
“It’s kind of nice to be 54 years old and still be called ‘The Kid.’”
Most of the Yankees fans I know rooted for the Rays to win the World Series. That would be like me cheering for the Nationals if they clashed with the Red Sox in late October.
Maybe the Yankees fans I spoke to (who are also New York Giants fans) were already in NFL-mode and were taking their anti-Eagles sentiments out on the Phillies. Maybe the Rays’ jump from last place in 2007 to first place in 2008 was too much of a feel-good story to root against. Maybe they just liked the mohawks.
I understand that fans with no stake in a series are inclined to root for the underdog (the Rays were the underdog in terms of star-power and payroll), or for their team’s league, but shouldn’t there be an unwritten rule in the imaginary “Book of Fandom” that states that no fan shall, under any circumstances, root for a team in his/her team’s division, unless the outcome directly effects his/her team?
Sure, the 108-year Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is more than twice as old as the Mets-Phillies 47-year dispute that has heightened since Jimmy Rollins’ and Carlos Beltran’s tit-for-tat preseason guarantees, but that doesn’t mean that Yankees fans should forget about the other teams in the AL East.
It feels like not all that long ago the Mets’ most heated division rivalry came against the Braves. Today it is against the Phillies. This is not to say that the storied Yankees-Red Sox rivalry will fade if Boston is in last place and New York is battling Tampa for first, but a new rivalry may bud, and eventually blossom.
Where will that benevolence toward Tampa be when the Rays make their bid for the division again next year? At what point does the AL East stretch beyond Boston and New York to include Toronto, Baltimore and now, Tampa?
Yankees fans, the Rays are your enemies. They are one of the four teams that you should want to lose at all costs, unless their opponent is in the Wild Card race with the Yankees.
It is the offseason for all but two Major League Baseball teams: the Phillies and the Rays. The rest of the bunch, which includes the $2.13 billion worth of New York baseball, are discussing trades, contracts, free agents and other personnel changes to make their team a contender next season.
How do the Mets and Yankees become World Series-caliber clubs?
The formula is different for every team. One might need an ace, while another needs a big left-handed bat in the lineup. One might need an “in-your-face” manager, while another needs a free-spending general manger.
One fact that remains a constant for teams in any sport is that selfish players do not help win championships.
Stats gauge a player’s individual performance, but they can’t measure the level of the player’s will to win. Self-serving athletes are the worst teammates because in inevitable situations when the team needs an individual sacrifice, they don’t do what it takes to win.
One player, no matter how talented, cannot win a championship by himself. Allen Iverson couldn’t do it, nor could Terrell Owens, nor Barry Bonds.
Sure, there are exceptions.
Kobe Bryant won championships in L.A., but that was when Shaq was playing center. He made the Lakers choose between him and the Big Aristotle, and ever since Kobe became the sole star on the Lakers, they have not won a championship.
Plaxico Burress is one of the most talented receivers in the NFL, and his play helped the Giants get to and win Super Bowl XLII. However, his constant friction with Head Coach Tom Coughlin and failure to attend team meetings cause distractions in the locker room and set a bad example for younger players who aspire to reach Plax’s star status.
When Manny Ramirez is on a team, they usually make it to the postseason – he has been to the playoffs ten times in his sixteen-year career. But when he has a problem off the field, he quits when he is on the field, and that led the Red Sox to trade him so that they could make the playoffs.
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Selfish players are usually more damaging to football teams, hockey teams and even basketball teams than they are to baseball teams. The natural rigidity of the game allows individual performances to add up to a “team effort” more so than in other team sports.
Thus, baseball is driven by statistics and records. Since players are compensated for their individual efforts rather than their team’s performance, the motivation to sacrifice personal stats for the good of the team is not there for all players. A player can make a lot more money by hitting 50 home runs than by winning a World Series.
Unfortunately, many of the most talented players in their respective leagues are also the most selfish. But as Richard Hoffer noted in a 1998 Sports Illustrated article, “there’s good selfish and there’s bad selfish.”
Good selfish is playing hurt, even if you might not be the best option on the field. Bad selfish is going for the RBI, rather than hitting behind the runner to move him over.
So who cares if Pete Rose changed his jersey nine times during his record-breaking game so that he could sell them, as long as he helped the team win? And who cares if Reggie Jackson fought with Billy Martin all season, as long as he crushed postseason home runs?
Stats are tangible, but do not tell the whole story about a player. Egotistical players have the potential to ruin a team, no matter how many home runs they hit, touchdowns they score, or three-pointers they drain.
Stephon Marbury is about as talented a guard as there is, but did he help the Knicks win any championships? No. Instead, he flew home when he learned he wasn’t starting.
John Abraham was the Jets’ franchise player, but did he lead Gang Green to a Super Bowl? No. He didn’t show up to training camp and refused to play in the playoffs because he didn’t want to risk re-injuring a sprained knee with his contract expiring.
Latrell Sprewell choked his coach, refused a three-year, $21 million contract from the Timberwolves, stating, “I have a family to feed,” and then went bankrupt. Did he win any championships? No.
Alex Rodriguez is arguably (it isn’t much of an argument) the best player in baseball, but he has been criticized for padding his stats when the game is already decided and for not performing well in the playoffs. He also left the All-Star game, which was held in his own stadium, to attend a party he was throwing. Oh yea, and he hasn’t won a World Series yet either.
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So for teams like the Mets, who narrowly missed the playoffs by suffering their second straight late-season collapse, and the Yankees, who have the highest payroll in the MLB, how do you take that next step toward becoming a contender?
Before sinking all of their money into Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia, the Mets and Yankees should take a gander at the character of the two teams who found their way to the 2008 World Series.
The Mets and Yankees were statistically on the same level, if not better, than the Phillies and Rays. Greg Dobbs was the only Phillies position player to bat over .300 in the regular season, and he barely did so. The Rays don’t have a single player with more than 20 at bats that hit .300. The Yankees hit just as many home runs as the Rays and the Mets scored equally as many runs as the Phillies. Mets starters recorded a 3.82 ERA as compared to the Phillies’ 4.30, but it was the Phillies’ relief pitching that dominated the Mets’. And though the Rays’ bullpen was superior to the Yankees’, it was Tampa’s starting rotation that outshined that of the Bronx Bombers, throwing seven complete games compared to the Yankees’ one.
Simply put, adding up the statistics doesn’t necessarily translate to wins and losses. The Rays and Phillies hit when they needed to hit, got solid pitching performances when they needed lights-out pitching, held leads late in games, and staged comebacks in dire situations. This speaks to the teams’ attitudes more than it does their talent.
“You don’t see a lot of guys that have statistical numbers play well in these championship series,” Manuel said in an October New York Times article. “What you see is usually the little second baseman or somebody like that carries off the M.V.P. trophy that nobody expected him to do. That’s because he’s comfortable in playing that form of baseball, so therefore when the stage comes, it’s not a struggle for him.”
This is not to say that the Mets and Yankees are all prima donnas while the Rays and Phillies are a bunch of Rudys, giving 110% every step of the way. But when Alex Rodriguez sulks in the dugout while having an 0-for-4 night rather than cheering his teammates on, or when Jose Reyes argues with Jerry Manuel and rips his jersey off while leaving the game, it brings the morale of the whole team down.
Players like Mark DeRosa, who selflessly plays all four infield positions and the corner outfield spots, and Sandy Alomar Jr., who in 2006 helped groom catchers Russell Martin and Dioner Navarro while they were his competition, are there to win.
So when Omar Minaya and Brian Cashman decide this offseason whom to pay millions of dollars, they need to look past the numbers on the stat sheets and explore players’ character. Sign athletes who want to win a World Series, and avoid those who are just looking to earn a bigger paycheck.
Selfish players are selfish because they focus on their individual performance instead of the outcome of the game. But that is the nature of the beast in Major League Baseball. If management is going to pay $40 million dollars for home runs, why even practice situational hitting?
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/how-much-is-your-team-worth-2008/
In the 1961 classic, The Hustler, "Fast" Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) has Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) against the ropes in an all-night, one-on-one pool tournament. He could have put Fats away at any point, but his enormous ego and weakness for JTS Brown lead to his embarrassing and utter demise.
In the 2008 National League Wild Card race, the New York Mets had the Brewers pinned to the mat. In fact, they had the Phillies beat in the race for the division title, leading their rivals by four games with 17 to play. The Mets could have put either of these teams away, but their lousy bullpen and inability to get clutch hits brought about their second straight late-season collapse.
This weekend was one of the most depressing of 2008 as the Mets squandered their postseason hopes, and my all-time favorite actor, Paul Newman, lost his life to lung cancer.
Newman fought an unwinnable battle all summer against an incurable disease, much in the same fashion that he refused to lay down when he boxed the much larger Dragline (George Kennedy) in Cool Hand Luke. At least he fought.
The Mets showed this year that they had talent, youth and potential, but when it came down to the big spots, they didn't have enough heart or determination, both key ingredients in playoff teams. Here are some stats that illustrate this:
- 29 blown saves, 16 since the All-Star break
- 7-10 record to close the season
- 5 runs scored in their last three games
How about these series of events, which I was unfortunate enough to witness from a lodge box at the fifth-to-last game at Shea Stadium versus the Chicago Cubs: Bottom of the ninth, score tied 6-6, no outs. Daniel Murphy is on third base after leading off the inning with a triple. David Wright strikes out. Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran are intentionally walked to load the bases for Ryan Church, who precedes to hit into a fielder's choice, taking away the game-winning sacrifice fly opportunity that had been available after Murphy's triple. Ramon Castro follows by striking out on three pitches and effectively deflating the stadium of hope. The Cubs go on to score three runs off Luis Ayala in the top of the tenth and the Mets go down in order in the bottom half of the inning, blowing the one-game lead they had over the Brewers in the wildcard race at the beginning of the day.
This game was a microcosm of the Mets' season. Runners stranded in scoring position and close games blown by the bullpen have left a bad taste in Mets fans' mouths.
Granted, the collapse was not as dramatic as last season's plummet from first place – the Amazins had a seven game lead with 17 to play – but it stings more. Not only did the Mets acquire arguably the best pitcher in the game in Johan Santana this off-season (who performed brilliantly all year long), but they let it come down to the last game of the season once again, dragging their fans through all 162 games to watch their team fall one game short again. They blew it at home in the last-ever game played at Shea Stadium, while the Brewers simultaneously won their final game with a six-game-old manager.
So who is to blame?
The Manager? Jerry Manuel took a team that was 34-35 under Willy Randolph and went 55-38, putting them in a spot where they should have made the playoffs. He lightened the mood in the clubhouse, played the hot hand all season, and became an instant darling to a New York media that eats coaches and players alive. However, he let the Mets go 7-10 in the most important stretch of the season.
The General Manager? Omar Minaya is responsible for bringing in Santana, Delgado and Beltran, three core players whose 2008 numbers speak for themselves. He also signed Wright and Jose Reyes, the homegrown core of the Mets, cheap. He did, however, rely heavily on older players like Moises Alou, Pedro Martinez and Luis Castillo, who either got injured or underperformed. Plus, he let a few relievers like Darren Oliver and Chad Bradford.
The Core? Beltran and Delgado had slow starts, but finished the season strong and clutch. Wright tied the Mets single-season RBI record (124) held by Mike Piazza. Reyes led the NL in hits with 204 while also swiping 56 bases. They do deserve some blame for not coming through in big spots down the stretch, but they shouldn't have been in that spot to begin with.
The Bullpen? The Mets lost their closer, Billy Wagner, to injury and were never able to recover, but the bullpen was in trouble before Wagner went down. All year Manuel had to play mix and match games with pitchers like Joe Smith who could only get righties out and Pedro Feliciano who could only pitch to lefties. Players like Aaron Heilman and Duaner Sanchez, who have proven track records, came up short all season.
Everyone deserves some blame for "collapse part duex," but that does not mean that the team needs a dramatic shakeup. Wright and Reyes should not be traded, Manuel should come back next season, and Minaya should not be blamed for the poor performances of players who underachieved.
The Mets are so close to becoming a World Series-caliber team. The solution lies in cutting dead weight (Martinez, Alou, Castillo, Heilman, Marlon Anderson, Scott Schoeneweis…) and adding a vocal leader and/or a tough ballplayer. The Mets need a Keith Hernandez to teach the team how to win, and a Lenny Dykstra to put on a gutsy display of balls-to-the-wall baseball.
But where do the Mets look to find this grit and guidance?
First, lets focus on second base, where they need a steady presence. Jeff Kent is a free agent and is a proven veteran (not to mention a former Met.) His play is still respectable, but he turned 40 this year and unless he is willing to sign a one or two-year deal, he isn't worth the money. Orlando Hudson is also available and would provide speed, solid offense, Gold Glove defense, and most importantly, charisma. Rich Aurilia is 37, but his play has been steady throughout his career. He also can play all four infield positions. Another guy is Joe Crede, who is known for his spectacular defense. He is a third baseman who, if he could be taught to play second, puts up respectable numbers for the position.
Depending on whether Daniel Murphy is converted from outfield to second base (he is a natural third baseman), the Mets may need to acquire a new outfielder. The Padres have a one-year, $9 million option on Brian Giles, but he is a pesky player with solid offensive stats that the Mets could use in left field. Slugger Adam Dunn is available, and though he boasts a meager .247 lifetime average, he has hit 40 homeruns six years in a row. However, he is notorious for striking out and coming up short in the clutch, both qualities of which the Mets do not need more. David Dejesus had the highest batting average with runners in scoring position this season and is a Brooklyn native. He is not a free agent, but could be a trade possibility from the small market Royals of Kansas City. The Diamondbacks need a second baseman with Hudson on the market and there has been buzz about possibly dealing one of the gutsiest, grittiest and dirtiest players in the game, Eric Byrnes, for Luis Castillo. Sign me up!
The Mets have options with pitching. Santana, Mike Pelfry and John Maine are all solid starters that will be back next year. Oliver Perez is a free agent and unless he is willing to sign for relatively cheap (which he won't because Scott Boras is his agent), he will be pitching elsewhere. The Mets could spend their money on a big name pitcher like C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, Derek Lowe, or Ryan Dempster, or they could go after Esteban Loaiza, Brett Tomko, Claudio Vargas, or Randy Wolf, all of whom are free agents. They need to acquire a few live arms for the bullpen, and young pitchers would be optimal for this role. However, with Wagner's Mets career over, Minaya may consider spending money on a new closer. Here are some options from the free agent market: Joe Borowski, Kerry Wood, Kyle Farnsworth, Brian Fuentes, Francisco Rodriguez, Rafael Soriano.
The bottom line is that it doesnt matter who the Mets sign, the players they have now have to step up and face the clutch situations head on, like Paul Newman faced the Bolivian Army in the final scene of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
The Mets have to stop handing teams playoff berths on silver platters. Let Newman stick to the charity.
R.I.P. Paul Newman.
Don't rest until you put together a playoff team, Mets.
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