Fate smiled on me Sunday.
A rain delay came at the same time my son asked me to take him to the movies. So, instead of watching the last three innings, I saw Tom Cruise and the latest Mission: Impossible movie. Sometimes it seems like the Mets’ bullpen is its own kind of mission impossible, too. Anyway, the movie was fine and forgettable but it sounds like the relievers were the exact opposite Sunday.
So, what do you do if you’re Terry Collins yesterday? It’s the seventh inning and back-to-back extra inning games have your pen in a bad spot. It’s too early for Tyler Clippard or Jeurys Familia and they can use a blow, anyway. Hansel Robles and Sean Gilmartin are likely out due to multi-inning outings Saturday. That leaves Bobby Parnell, who melted down Friday, and Carlos Torres, who has pitched in back-to-back games and you’d like to see if you could avoid using him for a third day in a row.
And your recently acquired LOOGY who turns the average RHB into 1911 MVP winner Tyrus Raymond Cobb.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a guy to bring in at the start of the seventh inning who could go multiple frames? Someone like, oh maybe Alex Torres? Everyone was so eager to run him out of town yet this is the spot that he would have been perfect for. Despite criminal misuse this year, nine times Torres was asked to pitch more than an inning and in those games he logged 16.1 IP and allowed 3 ER.
Maybe it would have made no difference. Perhaps Torres would have been equally bad – that possibility certainly exists. But because of the insistence on carrying a reliever who is so limited in his utility, using Parnell was actually the best option at this point.
Right now everyone is up in arms over Parnell and not without justification. Yet somehow the guy who is as useful as mammary glands on a bull gets off without any scrutiny. You hear everyone today screaming for Sandy Alderson to get another reliever like Clippard or call up any of a handful of relievers to replace Parnell. But that’s only half of the problem.
How about the guy with the 13.50 ERA and the 2.400 WHIP with the Mets, the one with the 1.000 OPS against LHB, the ones he’s supposed to dominate? Can we eliminate him, too? The bottom line for me is anyone who advocates for the LOOGY strategy has no reason to complain over this meltdown. Not only was the LOOGY a direct party to it, his mere presence on the roster kept a reliever who could have helped from being in the pen.
So, when you’re bitching about Parnell, bitch about the LOOGY, too.
I think mission impossible for this team is beating Pittsburgh
or the Cubs.
0-13 for the combined pair.
same as SF Giants – so far 0-7 against cubs and pirates.
We were complaining before that the Mets were needlessly operating with an 8 man pen. Now they are down to a 6 man pen.
7 works for nearly all the other clubs, so why won’t Sandy try it with the Mets?
at this point Torres is likely the best of all the possible worst options. He sucks, but less so than Parnell who should be put on DL (or DFAd) and sent away and Oh No who should be DFAd.
Looking over the arms that have cleared waivers, there aint a lot to be thrilled with. We will pay the price over and over again for the effects of doping/cheating by Mejia.
I like Erik Goeddel. He’s made six rehab appearances and probably needs four or so more but should be ready to help in another 10 days or so.
and Black has looked better of late. We forget that he was supposed to be our primary 7th inning guy this year. Another big loss the pen had to overcome.
I dont know if you’re watching him live, but the stats indicate he’s getting worse.
Had 11 walks in his first 14.1 IP during Jun/July, and 5 walks in his last 5.1 IP in August.
I don’t think we’ll see him this year, even in September
So with Montero now down for the season, and Alderson proclaiming no trades for pen arms, we now see the landscape in front of us. I wish we had traded for Kimbrel.
What?!? Terry Collins yelling at him didn’t cure everything that ailed him? What terrible kind of world are we living in?
Still a total mystery with no disclosure of why. Anderson quoted as saying “back to ground zero” for an unknown issue with no diagnosis and no way to treat.
Can someone please look at this game and tell me why the Mets don’t have any help in the minors? I wrote Hutchinson and Rice yesterday, but what about Tim Stauffer? The guy is a beast in a great hitting league.
Also, look who hit the game tying two-run double in the bottom of the ninth, to avoid a Black meltdown loss, and the game winning homer in the 12th. Gotta love Vegas. Kirkkk almost back.
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2015_08_17_iowaaa_lvgaaa_1&t=g_box&sid=t400
excellent points about a short pen and Collins playing the hand he’s dealt.
I wonder what kind of season Alex Torres would have given the team if he wasn’t force fed a role for which he was totally unequipped. He’s always had trouble getting lefties out and yet Terry insisted that he be the guy to face lefties when Blevins went down.
One thing is for sure: Parnell has been terrible and can not be relied on in any high leverage situation. Either option him to Vegas or stick him in a mop up role in the pen. He is doing his best Mel Rojas/Aaron Heilman impression and it’s killing a potential playoff team.
Parnell sent to DL. Given that or DFA or option to LV. In any case, were not gonna see him again mercifully.