Reading the papers…
Many of you had your Howie Rose colored glasses on last year, even Phillies fans know the real deal about Four Inning Pedro (from Phillyburbs).
Now begins the reality: In his 20 starts last season, Martinez lasted more than six innings only twice. In 2007, he started only five games, missing most of the season because of a torn rotator cuff, and in just one of those five starts did he reach the seventh inning. In 2006, he pitched at least seven innings only once in his last nine starts. The Phillies can’t afford to settle for a starter who, at best, could be expected to give them only five good innings each time out. They need more than that. And even that expectation, given Martinez’s performance last season, is wishful thinking.
Pedro was good until June 6, 2006 and then smiled his way through not being very useful.
Also in the News, a suggestion that the problems with the Mets go beyond injuries.
“I understand that NY teams play under different rules and FA signings are the M.O., but without the influx of talent from the amateur draft, international scouting and shrewd trades it is difficult to have balance and cohesiveness. More importantly, the vulnerability to injuries is exacerbated by their impotent system. If you evaluate the Minaya regime, it is difficult to identify a plan or philosophy beyond acquiring high priced FA talent.” More here.
And to wrap everything up, that same article observes that the um Minaya “marketing plan” didn’t work.
Virtually all of the holes will have to be addressed via free agency. Prospect Jon Niese or Brad Holt can be used as the fifth starter next season, but no one else in the minor-league system is remotely ready to plug a vacancy on Opening Day 2010. That’s a damning indictment. Since Fernando Martinez and Deolis Guerra, who was traded in the Santana deal, signed as 16-year-olds the summer after Pedro Martinez’s addition, that pipeline of Latin American talent has failed to follow. The international signings had been intended to offset the draft picks forfeited for signing free agents. The bottom line: Money, not Pedro’s reputation, results in international signings. And the Mets simply were outbid for the top talent; or they didn’t have the inside track, according to sources, because of special assistant Ramon Pena’s less-than-stellar reputation in the Dominican Republic, the area he oversees. More in the news.
I know if anyone mentions Los Mets without directing people to a website you run the risk of being called a racist…but it was really obvious that Omar came to town with a certain plan. I think Carlos Delgado said it best in 2005.
Another team that grossly underestimated the total package that is Carlos Delgado was the Mets. New GM Omar Minaya and his assistant, Tony Bernazard, a former official with the players’ association misplayed the race card. They approached Delgado as a fellow Latino, instead of, first, as a man. Mistake.
“At the beginning, that was their approach,†Delgado said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re Latin, American or Italian, if we’re going to talk business, talk business. I’m not doing you any favours, you’re not doing me any favours because we’re speaking in Spanish. I’m a man first. I am nobody to tell anybody how to approach me. You do what you have to do, then, I decide what I want to do.
Sure is ironic that a scout is saying the Latin American signings have dried up. I really worry about what ill-advised free agent signings loom for this off-season, but it’s not like I can advocate an internal rebuilding since we have no farm. There’s a storm on the horizon and I see 20,000 people sitting at games in 2011.
In other Mets newspaper stuff…the Daily News went in depth about the Dykstra stuff. I don’t like doing the personal life stuff so I’ll just give you the link.
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