Post by shea05 on Nov 5, 2007 9:49:58 GMT -5
BY JIM BAUMBACH
Pedro Martinez, if you're reading this, please don't throw a fit just yet. Give me a chance to explain.
I know Curt Schilling is far from your best friend - surely you're not having sleepovers, as Alex Rodriguez would say - but let's put aside your personal issues for a second.
Truthfully, honestly, don't you think the Mets would be better off with Schilling in the rotation next year as opposed to any other free-agent pitcher who's out there? And you know he's better than any pitcher in the system.So why shouldn't the Mets go for Schilling?
To me, it's almost a no-brainer, for these reasons:
1. He wants only a one-year deal.
There are no better free-agent signings these days than short-term ones, and the Mets know it. Remember, they did not fall for Barry Zito last year because of the seven-year commitment he sought (and received). Signing Schilling gives the organization another year to find and develop more young pitchers to eventually take over.
2. The National League factor.
Anyone who saw Schilling pitch this past season, especially late in the year, knows he is far from his old self. His once-feared fastball now sits in the mid-to-upper 80s, and he's become incredibly reliant on having good command. But let's not overstate the situation. His statistics - 9-8, 3.87 ERA, 165 hits, 23 walks and 101 strikeouts in 151 innings - are impressive for an American League East pitcher. Put him in the NL, pitching half his games at Shea Stadium, and it's reasonable to expect a better season. Case in point: Pedro's ERA went from 3.90 ('04) to 2.82 ('05) and his WHIP dropped from 1.17 ('04) to .95 ('05).
3. He's a big-game pitcher.
Tom Glavine had a nice run with the Mets, though he will be remembered for coming up small when the Mets desperately needed an ace. How do you think Schilling would have fared in that spot? Schilling is 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 19 postseason starts, and you can make the case that he's the best big-game pitcher to come along in years.
4. He wants to pitch for the Mets.
Well, we think so. He's acting as his own agent, and on his blog last week, he included the Mets on a list of 13 teams in which he's interested. He's made no secret of the fact that his first choice is to return to the Red Sox, but it's difficult to predict whether that's going to happen. A large reason to have an agent representing a player is to keep the player's personal feelings out of the negotiations, and there's no telling how that will factor into this situation. Plus, the Red Sox have several up-and-coming pitchers, which makes Schilling's $13-million request even more unattractive.
5. He can't hurt this clubhouse.
Obviously, Schilling is a larger-than-life personality, which could present a problem with the New York media. He's had no problems in the past criticizing New York reporters, in some cases even by name, in posts on fan message boards and on his own blog. But although this certainly is cause for concern, I'll counteract this with two points: (1) Remember how much Pedro quarreled with the Boston media, and, at times, management? He's done fine here, don't you think? (2) The Mets' clubhouse showed some cracks last season leading up to and during the team's historic collapse. Adding Schilling could be volcanic. But at the same time, winning cures all. In the offseason, you worry about building the best team. Worry about chemistry later.
6. He hates the Yankees.
During the summer, while the Yankees were struggling and the Mets were cruising, one prominent agent asked me if I thought the Mets finally had taken back their share of fan attention in New York. He was surprised to hear that the Mets still were lagging behind, even during a time when they clearly were the better team. Signing Schilling, who played such a big role in ending The Curse, will go a long way in turning the Yankees and Mets into a real rivalry, and thus giving the Mets their share of the back pages. It would have to be attractive to Schilling to be known as a Yankee-killer, ending his Hall of Fame-caliber career with back-to-back world championships with the Red Sox and the Mets.
So, Pedro, that's my case.
If the Mets decide to chase Schilling, let's see you do the right thing and give it your blessing.
As much as you guys didn't see eye-to-eye in 2004, you really seemed to feed off each other, to prove to each other who the real ace of that Red Sox team really, truly was.
Four years later, maybe you'll go at it again.
Pedro Martinez, if you're reading this, please don't throw a fit just yet. Give me a chance to explain.
I know Curt Schilling is far from your best friend - surely you're not having sleepovers, as Alex Rodriguez would say - but let's put aside your personal issues for a second.
Truthfully, honestly, don't you think the Mets would be better off with Schilling in the rotation next year as opposed to any other free-agent pitcher who's out there? And you know he's better than any pitcher in the system.So why shouldn't the Mets go for Schilling?
To me, it's almost a no-brainer, for these reasons:
1. He wants only a one-year deal.
There are no better free-agent signings these days than short-term ones, and the Mets know it. Remember, they did not fall for Barry Zito last year because of the seven-year commitment he sought (and received). Signing Schilling gives the organization another year to find and develop more young pitchers to eventually take over.
2. The National League factor.
Anyone who saw Schilling pitch this past season, especially late in the year, knows he is far from his old self. His once-feared fastball now sits in the mid-to-upper 80s, and he's become incredibly reliant on having good command. But let's not overstate the situation. His statistics - 9-8, 3.87 ERA, 165 hits, 23 walks and 101 strikeouts in 151 innings - are impressive for an American League East pitcher. Put him in the NL, pitching half his games at Shea Stadium, and it's reasonable to expect a better season. Case in point: Pedro's ERA went from 3.90 ('04) to 2.82 ('05) and his WHIP dropped from 1.17 ('04) to .95 ('05).
3. He's a big-game pitcher.
Tom Glavine had a nice run with the Mets, though he will be remembered for coming up small when the Mets desperately needed an ace. How do you think Schilling would have fared in that spot? Schilling is 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 19 postseason starts, and you can make the case that he's the best big-game pitcher to come along in years.
4. He wants to pitch for the Mets.
Well, we think so. He's acting as his own agent, and on his blog last week, he included the Mets on a list of 13 teams in which he's interested. He's made no secret of the fact that his first choice is to return to the Red Sox, but it's difficult to predict whether that's going to happen. A large reason to have an agent representing a player is to keep the player's personal feelings out of the negotiations, and there's no telling how that will factor into this situation. Plus, the Red Sox have several up-and-coming pitchers, which makes Schilling's $13-million request even more unattractive.
5. He can't hurt this clubhouse.
Obviously, Schilling is a larger-than-life personality, which could present a problem with the New York media. He's had no problems in the past criticizing New York reporters, in some cases even by name, in posts on fan message boards and on his own blog. But although this certainly is cause for concern, I'll counteract this with two points: (1) Remember how much Pedro quarreled with the Boston media, and, at times, management? He's done fine here, don't you think? (2) The Mets' clubhouse showed some cracks last season leading up to and during the team's historic collapse. Adding Schilling could be volcanic. But at the same time, winning cures all. In the offseason, you worry about building the best team. Worry about chemistry later.
6. He hates the Yankees.
During the summer, while the Yankees were struggling and the Mets were cruising, one prominent agent asked me if I thought the Mets finally had taken back their share of fan attention in New York. He was surprised to hear that the Mets still were lagging behind, even during a time when they clearly were the better team. Signing Schilling, who played such a big role in ending The Curse, will go a long way in turning the Yankees and Mets into a real rivalry, and thus giving the Mets their share of the back pages. It would have to be attractive to Schilling to be known as a Yankee-killer, ending his Hall of Fame-caliber career with back-to-back world championships with the Red Sox and the Mets.
So, Pedro, that's my case.
If the Mets decide to chase Schilling, let's see you do the right thing and give it your blessing.
As much as you guys didn't see eye-to-eye in 2004, you really seemed to feed off each other, to prove to each other who the real ace of that Red Sox team really, truly was.
Four years later, maybe you'll go at it again.
from newsday...
www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-spjim045446418nov04,0,5529310.story
I think it brings up a bunch of good reasons to sign him..
