Wag the Dog
A great man (Einstein?) once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Mel Rojas. Armando Benitez. Braden Looper. Billy Wagner. In just 71 games, Billy Wagner has already blown more saves this season (4) than he did all of last season (3). He's also blown as many saves as he blew in all of 2004, and one more than he blew in all of 2003. The Mets are 44-27 and by all rights they should be at least 46-25. These meltdowns are all fun and games when you've got a 9 and 1/2 game lead in your division, and the other 4 teams couldn't win a game if you spotted them 5 runs, but come October, this shit's unacceptable.
In a perfect world, we would have a Mo Rivera, a Trevor Hoffman, or even a young Papelbon who we could throw out there in the 9th and not think about it. But Mo Rivera's not walking through that door, and Trevor Hoffman's not walking through that door. (Larry Bird's not walking through that door either.) So I say this to you, my friends: FUCK closers. Mel Rojas. Armando Benitez. Braden Looper. Billy Wagner. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. This concept is obviously not going to work, ever, at Shea Stadium. Maybe we can start fresh in 2009 at GEICO Field, but for now, I give up. So what's to be done? Simple. Remember the mid-'80s? Those halcyon days of piano-ties, Crocodile Dundee, Bananarama albums, and rampant cocaine use? Well, back then, teams didn't have "closers" per se. Sure, there was the occassional Bruce Sutter who would pile up the stats, but most teams had a few relief pitchers who worked in tandem to close out games. Hell, the 1986 Mets used both Roger McDowell and Jesse Orosco at the end of games, and they had 22 and 21 saves, respectively.
So, Willie: You're in the 7th inning and you've got Aaron Heilman in the game, and he's cruising? Leave him in there. Let him pitch 3. Or you've got Duaner in the game in the eighth and he's untouchable? Let him finish what he started. And as for Billy? Use him just like Duaner: Give him the occassional 8th-9th inning and see what happens. This should happen. This HAS to happen. But, alas, no way in HELL this ever happens. Willie's going to keep relying on Wagner, night in and night out, sink or swim, all the way into October. And you know what? That's the definition of insanity.
(1) Wagner did something much more important than just blow the game last night: He screwed up what was going to be a great title to today's post: "Zorro IV: The Legend of the Enchanted Cycle." What a night for the two Joses. This Valentin kid is unbelievable. He's got a bright future for sure.
(2) Joe Mays had absolutely nothing, and the Mets should've shelled him five ways til Tuesday. X-Man was a particularly notorious culprit, leaving about 26 men on base. Delgado also did nothing.
(3) Thanks, Yankees. Your work is now done. Please resume losing.
So Pedro takes the hill today. It's hard to say this is a must-win with such a large lead in the division. But gee whiz - win this game, please.
posted by Toasty Joe at 9:51 AM
9 Comments:
I watched Heillman on Friday Night & wondered:
Just what game is Rick Peterson looking up for "FOX Saturday Baseball";
Hurst was the only-consisten Red Sox Pitcher;
Gooden almost blew the the Series by whatever he took up his nose;
Roger Clemens has NEVER WON in Shea Stadium.
12:27 PM
In response to your opening quote, here is a nice article about John Paplebon and it mixes in Larry Bird in the ultimat if it ain't broke don't fix it scenario.
It is especially relevant because it is about a closer, but I don't completely agree. Wagner has stumbled no doubt, but he is better than Loops and Armando. We know that.
X-Man was the real goat yesterday. Ouch.
12:57 PM
Is he really better than Armando? Remember, Armando would go through stretches where he was eye-poppingly good, but you never had faith in him in a big spot. That sure sounds like Wagner to me. In fact, in his four years with the Mets, Armando blew 6 saves in '99, 6 in '00, 3 in '01 and 4 in '02. Wagner is on pace to shatter all four.
1:28 PM
Listen, on one hand Wagner hasn't given up a run since the Yanks meltdown, so these things happen. On the other hand I agree with Toasty Joe's gut that I don't have the utmost confidence in this guy to get it done in a big spot. There is no chance Willie is going to bullpen-by-committee, so why waste time thinking about it? Instead, you should be thinking about 3 years from now when the Mets are paying Billy Wagner $11 million and he is a middle reliever for a team like the Milwaukee Brewers.
1:29 PM
Yeah, but Armando is like A-Rod.....a proven loser. You know they cannot do it in a truly big spot. We don't know that about Wagner yet.
1:30 PM
Well, I will say that Billy's got a postseason ERA of 9.64 and is 0-1 in save opportunities. Hardly awe-inspiring. For what it's worth, Armando is 3.56 with an appalling 4-for-10 in save opportunities.
1:34 PM
Oh, and Count, I realize the committee approach is never going to happen, but it should. Put it this way: You can't manage your bullpen like you've got Mo Rivera when you don't have Mo Rivera. What the Mets do have is a very deep bullpen that would allow them to do what Davey Johnson did in '86.
1:56 PM
this is completely off topic, but i saw that nickname thing, and i think billy wagner should be called llama =)
3:41 PM
I actually call him "alpaca hick" when the mood strikes... and it struck last night.
9:21 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home