Mets fans are a picky lot. Given a clear shot to sign the guy with the most saves ever in one season, that season being the most recent season, I haven’t seen a lot of “Oh Boy!” enthusiasm for that guy’s arrival. But he is arriving, crazy arm angles, dropping velocity and all. Reliable sources are reporting Francisco Rodriguez is our new closer, ye olde physical pending. K-Rod is coming for three seasons at a cost of $37 million plus incentives. I’m trying to think how much incentive one needs on top of $37 million over three years, but if they make him pitch better, then okey-doke.
After attempting to convince myself Sunday that I didn’t especially want K-Rod, I’m kind of glad he’s here. He won’t be the definitive bullpen or overall 2009 answer unto himself, but short of an indelible period at the end of a sentence, he’s the best punctuation with which we could hope to halt the opposition in our next flight of final innings.
This whole cult of the closer thing doesn’t sit right with me, but that’s the way baseball is these days. I was pretty happy for those ten or so minutes between the demise of Wagner and the elevation of Ayala last August when Jerry mixed and matched and we were doing all right. That’s apparently not a viable long-term strategy. So we may as well go with the guy who’s had the most success and isn’t too old and hasn’t yet been hurt. At this juncture three years ago, save for age and injury history, that was Billy Wagner. He worked out for the most part. He did make me nervous, I won’t deny it. But they all make me nervous. Looper had that one really good year and he made me nervous. I had more patience for Armando longer than most Mets fans and he made me nervous. Full medicine cabinets of Xanax were devoured during the Franco era, and he was pretty decent.
It comes with the territory. K-Rod will blow up at some point. Wagner did. Looper did. Benitez did. Johnny did. You could rationalize their misfires as isolated, and it would be fair. But you couldn’t rationalize away what was in your gut. The last closer who didn’t make me nervous over the long haul as a rule was Randy Myers, and his haul wasn’t all that long. Thinking about Randall K. makes me wonder why we can’t grow and groom our own closer. My impulse was to go for Billy in ’05 just as it’s been to go for somebody with a name in ’08, but what if we had focused Heilman on that role after his successful conversion to the pen back then? It almost seems like twitchy cheating to constantly throw money at the problem. The money (except for the end of 2008 and all of 2009) wasn’t ill-spent on Billy Wagner, but why is that always the answer? Would the roof cave in if Closer X got the job coming out of Spring Training and made his way, absorbing the bumps, the bruises and the boos until they became less frequent?
In New York, for the Mets, with us, probably. Too bad.
Welcome Mr. Rodriguez. You’re one of the best if not the best. Don’t take it personally if our acid starts churning…now.
Hi Greg,
Indeed we're a better club now but still need a set-up man to reach that ninth.
KRod might prevent the Mets from setting a record for most consecutive years blowing a post-season berth on the final day (the Dodgers also did it in 1950 and 1951).
Maybe playing the 2009 season from the get-go with a manager and pitching coach who think starters ought to hang in long enough to hear “Sweet Caroline” will translate into a bullpen that isn't wrung out and panting by July — and therefore maybe will be a little better at getting the ball safely to Mr. Rodriguez than last year's dodgy, overused bunch were.
I think New Yorkers' expectations of closers are greatly inflated due to proximity to that guy across town. And heck, he's blown a World Series!
I've always felt that, if they didn't make a mistake, they missed an opportunity to be bold and creative when they spent after Wagner rather than roll the dice with Heilman after 2005. That in a nutshell is sort of my issue with Omar. They say he's bold and creative but really he's rich and safe. Both are effective means to an end but I prefer the former in a matter of taste.
I also don't think the Mets need another dancer on the team.
the Dodgers also did it in 1950 and 1951
And they did it while entertaining at the original Citi Field. I'm sorry, it's just another notch on my laundry list against that freakin place. Pay no mind.
I'm happy. I'm hesitant. Faith and Fear. S.O.S.D.D.
I will give good cheer to Frankie when the Mets season begins. Hopefully he's wearing 62. I can't imagine his reception being pretty if he forces Johan to give up 57. Then again, if he does, think about all those new t-shirt sales the Wilpons could rake in…
I was skeptical during the lead up, but now I'm kind of excited. It seems like the team got a decent deal. Five years, even at his age, would have been too much and too scary, but three seems fair for everyone involved. And, in terms of personality and theatrics, I'm hoping that he and Reyes spend a week of Spring Training choreographing an epic, 15-minute celebratory handshake to be debuted on April 10 at Dolphin Stadium.
I guess our GM still has the magic touch since -once again- he signs a big name…
But excuse me if I don't get excited. With this team I find it smarter to take a wait and see approach..
Rich
Now let's see if this is the 7th day & Omar rests…
I'm with you, I'd like to see a more concerted effort to develop our own, Billy Beane style and then sell/trade them off after 3-4 years. With this signing we have the perfect opportunity to groom the next closer, start him off as understudy and then by KRod's last year he is ready to take over.
We never did this with Wagner so when he got hurt we had no one to step up so once again we have to pay someone big bucks.
Kevin,
Just occured to me — the Mets actually own the record for consecutive years blowing it on the last day of the season AT HOME!. While Brooklyn lost the 1950 pennant to Philadelphia at Ebbets Field, the following year they lost it to Bobby Thompson and the Giants at Greg's beloved Polo Grounds.
Whoops, scratch that idea. I forgot who also wears 62 in this town. Though it would be kind of funny to hear Yankee fans piss and moan about it.
I agree, although I don't see the dancing as a big issue. It's just a shame to be paying a fortune to two closers when we could've done otherwise. But Heilman's a mystery wrapped in an enigma, so who knows how he would've done.