You know, I was just thinking something last night that was borne out completely by tonight’s Mets game, in which Mike Pelfrey went the full 9 innings, throwing 108 pitches: if you go into a big series or the postseason without Wagner, your #2 starter behind Santana has to be Pelfrey. I am not sure I really trust Pelfrey quite enough to think him more effective in a big game than Maine or Perez; but I’m quite certain that I trust his ability, more than theirs (or certainly Pedro’s) to go 7 or 8 or 9 innings. And if your starter goes 8, for example, you retain the ability to go lefty-righty-lefty with the specialists and not have to rely on the closer you don’t have.
PS: Daniel Murphy is the new Ty Wigginton. Discuss.
10 thoughts on “He Could. Go. All. The. Way.”
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hey non-baseball comment, as hard as it is to ignore Big Pelf’s start, pass this idea along to the Red State folks.
Contrast Obama at military age with McCain, meaning, when Obama was sitting in Ayers’ living room, what was Mac doing at the same age?
That’s a good concept.
“When McCain was [age X,] dropping bombs on Communists in North Vietnam, Obama at that age was meeting with domestic terrorists”
Conceptually that idea needs alot of work, but it’s a sound blaster.
Please, no politics in the baseball threads, no baseball in the politics threads.
Daniel Murphy is the new Ty Wigginton. Discuss.
If that means he’ll bring Chris (and Anna) Benson to Queens, send him back to AA now!
I know they are watching Pelfrey’s innings, since he is way over what he has ever done, but I think the WAY he worked yesterday is what is important. He can go 8 or 9, same as Santana, same as Seaver did. Pedro in his heyday did the same? What is the main difference? Game time, plain and simple.
When a pitcher works quickly, it not only helps his fielders, but dramatically improves his stamina. Don’t think so? A good pitcher is really focusing on his job, and it’s easier to do that ina 2 hour game than a 3 hour one. And for those of you who think concentration and focus doesn’t take everything out of you, check out competetive chess. Want your starters to last deep, and this will happen as I’ve written before? Work quickly.
Daryl:
Your ideas intrigue me. How do I subscribe to your newsletter?
Seriously, that is an interesting observation. Whatever the case may be, I hope that John Maine was taking notes. 108 pitches in 9 innings? That’s Maine after two times through the batting order.
And I agree with the (other) Crank. There’s just no way you can keep Pelfrey out of the rotation IF the Mets are playing into October. But, when you think about it, the really only viable option is Maine then. Obviously Santana stays, and there’s no way Perez is out the way he’s going and the way he pitches in big games. And I don’t think Pedro is suited for the bullpen (setting aside the ’99 ALDS). But we’ll cross that bridge when we hopefully get there.
How about a post-season rotation of Santana, Pelfrey, Maine, and Perez with Pedro as the closer. Pedro certainly can’t go more than six, but if he only goes one inning, could he go every day?
Pedro probably can’t pitch back-to-back days. Plus, if he pitches well down the stretch, he’ll inevitably get a shot to start in the postseason based on the fact that he’s Pedro.
Maine is a “swing a miss” guy (that and all the foul balls are why his pitch counts skyrocket) and should be in the bullpen in the playoffs. He is the only starter who could be an asset in the pen, and an improvement over the current group of “hold your breath” options.
Pedro can’t do the pen b/c it takes him five days of work to get ready for a start. Perez is too inconsistent, even given his great last month. And Santana and Pelf are our two best starters.
I think that if Billy isn’t coming back anytime soon, they should bring up Neise (great AA / AAA season) to test him as #5 the rest of the year, and get Maine used to the pen. Probably will happen after 9/1.
I apologize crank, it won’t happen again.
The new Wiggy? Well we of course have no way of knowing yet. What I like about Murphy is his patience, and his ability to keep the hands and weight back until he has too. Which makes him harder to fool. Yet he still shows a lack sometimes (the last inning of the last Pirate game when he swung at the first pitch).
And crankycon, if you want to fund a newsletter, no problems. Seven figures OK? Anyone see the Seaver interview last night? When he said he had an approximate pitch count of 135, and knew when to take himself out. And how he would NEVER waste pitches on the no. 8 guys? Nothing like hearing from the master.