A quality start, eh. I wonder whe this psuedo stat first came into existance. Whenever it was, the Mets are obsessed with it. John Maine was terrific yesterday in his best start of the year. Hopefully its a signal that he’s back. But for Mets fans game almost seems like one they’ve seen before. The starter keeps them into the game thru six and then the Mets use three relievers to hold down the win. The more pitrchers in, the incresed likelihood that one of them is no at their best that day. Yesterdays game is the scenario that Omar Minaya set up in the off season when he added JJ Putz and Francisco Rodriguez. One or two guys get them to the 8th and a sigh of relief. The Mets starters are going to have to get much deeper into games or they will not win the division this year. They will wear down the bullpen again. The Mets have played 19 games and four Mets relievers – Sean Green, Bobby Parnell, Pedro Feliciano and Putz have already appeared in more than half of the games. And this number does not take into account the number of times they’ve had to get up and get ready, but don’t appear.

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I’m afraid so. Recent roster moves with pitchers are fanatasy baseball like- Darren O’Day, Nelson Figueroa and now Casey Fossum. The Mets are treating pitchers like disposable free moves in your Yahoo league. After today’s performance by Oliver Perez, they should have demoted him to the bullpen and named Fossum to start in his place. Intead they put Fossum on the scrap heap for the waiver vultures to feed upon.

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Maybe.

But what did everyone expect? When executives became obsessed with wearing out starters, teams began carrying more pitchers on there staffs. During the late 80′s it wasn’t unusual for staffs to be carrying nine pitchers for periods, with the norm being ten. Then the number became eleven or twelve. And now its not surprising to see teams carrying 13 pitchers on 25 man rosters.

The game has changed subtly in the last 20 years. We’ve seen the complete game become rare. Not only is it not allowed in the minor leagues, guidelines are in place which limit pitch counts early in the season to 75, forcing managers to use more relievers. The policy is carrying over to the major league level as unintentional ceilings are embedded into a starters training early in career. Hence the five inning quality start in the minds of many.

In golf, it might be similar to the conditioning that goes into playing 18 holes. If young golfers were conditioned to go 12 holes, it would be quite a shock to go the extra three holes.

But this seems to be the way that baseball has chosen to go in protecting its best young pitchers with limits. Monetary investments in talent have advanced, and the precaution is understandable.

Nonetheless, for Mets starters 100 pitches are going to have to get more than 15 outs. Better command and more first pitch strikes please. Getting only five innings means the club will have to use 4 relievers, with JJ Putz and Francisco Rodriguez being limited to an inning.

Last night playing a run down, Jerry Manuel opted to attempt to get a run or more by forcing the Marlins to pitch to Gary Sheffield with a runner in scoring position or Jose Reyes with 2 on. It was the smart thing to do at this point in the game and season. It was a vary good time to use the power the Mets had on the bench.

Maine pitched well and only faced 18 hitters in five innings. I’ll take that every time. His pitch count – eighty three was solid as well. With the lead or playing at home, Maine might have stayed for another 4 or 5 outs which would have gotten the club into the 7th. Its the kind of start that they will look for from Livan Hernandez tonight.

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1. The rotation is consistent. If the Club uses the starters they are leaving camp with the majority of the season, it will be similar to the 1986 staff of Doc Gooden, Rick Aguilera, Bobby Ojeda, Ron Darling and Sid Fernandez. For this year’s Mets it means staying healthy, too. But today questions need to be answered about Oliver Perez, John Maine and Mike Pelfrey. It can happen though.

2. The outfield defense will need to hold up at home. If we find that this is happening, it will lilley mean that other things are going well, too.

3. The bullpen lives up to advance billing. Its a potential place of dominance.

4. David Wright, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran need to play as if they are in the prime of their careers.

The first item is the one that gives me pause on opening day and may be the real key to the season with the other three more easy to obtain. If the starting five produce, the Mets can get back to the World Series and indeed win beacuse of the pitching depth that they have.

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Hopefully muzzled, but his loud mouth still is affecting the Yankees and their ill fated move of Joba Chamberlain to the rotation. He’s been silent and unseen, maybe because his father told him to leave running baseball to the experts. Wallace Mathews was right in saying it was a mistake to move Chamberlain out of the bullpen to the rotation, but showed uncharacteristic cowardice in not pointing out that Hank Steinbrenner is the one whom intimidated Yankee baseball people in moving Chamberlain to the bullpen. And I have no idea why unless Mathews is worried about his Yankee access.

Chamberlain – like any effective setup guy – is equal in value to an everyday player. Chamberlain was an intimidating force whom shut down two innings for the Yankees. The inexperienced Steinbrenner was ill equiped to know this and threw his baseball people under the bus in a fit of arrogant zeal. The Yankees lost as a result. Chamberalin may never approach his dominace as a starter that he did as a reliever because of Hank Steibrenner.

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David Lennon of Newsday links the SI preview of the Mets and has some frank words for the tenure of Omar Minaya. Its fair to believe that unless the Mets win a World Series during Minaya’s tenure, the Willie Randolph years will be a topic for discussion. Says Lennon:

But who blew it last season? Willie Randolph’s slow start? Omar Minaya’s reluctance to trade for Manny Ramirez at the deadline? Or a complete breakdown of the bullpen after Billy Wagner’s season-ending surgery?

If you believe this year’s team is a bona fide World Series contender, as many do, that essentially gives Minaya a pass. It’s the GM, with the backing of the ownership’s checkbook, that assembled this club over the winter. Tim Redding already is looking like a mistake at $2.25 million, but the bullpen apparently has been fixed, and that clearly was the Mets’ fatal flaw last season.

Jerry Manuel, signed to a two-year contract, is really the one who will be feeling the heat if the Mets get off to the same start as last season. I’m not saying that’s going to happen, but that deal doesn’t buy Manuel a lot of job security. With the expectations placed on this club, starting with this week’s SI cover, Manuel has never faced this type of pressure in the manager’s seat. Not in New York.

I believe Manuel is up to the task, but it’s just something to think about.

I have to agree with much of what Lennon says, and I fault Omar Minaya much more that I do Randolph for the failure during the manager’s tenure. The Tim Redding signing was curious to begin with as their were already pitchers on the 40 man roster who would have been able to fill Reddings role. Say Brian Stokes. But the signing itself was understandable as the Mets generally faltered when their fifth starter took the mound.

But it brings into question Minaya’s judgement on major league talent. Redding is now injured and will likley not provide support to the staff for some time. His acquisitions of the last few years – Brian Schneider, Ryan Church, Luis Castillo are not stars nor have they been particularly productive. Nevermind the disasterous signings of some aging latin stars which caused him some uncomfortable personal scrutiny.

But he’s been pretty good at the draft – Bobby Parnell, Mike Pelfrey, Daniel Murphy, Jon Niese and the promising Josh Thole are his. Players used to acquire current players Johan Santana and JJ Putz like Joe Smith and Kevin Mulvey were also drafted by the Minaya regime. The Mets current imvestment in its academies in the Caribbean also are proving fruitful.

It was Minaya’s hands-on approach and faith in his interpersonal skill which undermined Randolph’s credibilty with his players. The strange role that Tony Bernazard played behind the scenes with latin players was certainly unproductive and helped cause tension in the clubhouse.

Hopefully Jerry Manuel’s personality will command the respect that Randolph had bled away over the seasons. In the beginning, Minaya’s interpersonal skills had been seen by most observers – including this one – as a positive. He became the face of the franchise, but overreached into the psyche of individual players. More than anything else, Minaya and Bernazard’s meddling served to fuel the collapse of 2007 and the malaise at the beginning of last season.

Jerry Manuel halted the slide and began to install a swagger that the 2006 team had. This is Manuel’s team and not Minaya-Bernazrd’s. And it is a very good thing.

Today’s replay in the clubhouse of the seventh game in 2006 against the Cardinals was a bitter pill, but a good one to swallow again. It hardens and creates resolve of purpose.

Aside from Tim Redding, Minaya did a good job in the off season. If the new back end of the bullpen reminds of the 1990 Red’s Nasty Boys the Mets can win this thing. He added considerable major league depth and helped ready some young everyday talent in Murphy and Nick Evans. The Mets need their starters to stay healthy and one to emerge as a clear number two. These are not hard things in a grand picture. But Minaya-Bernazard will have to let it be Jerry Manuel’s clubhouse.

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If the answer is yes, its a good thing.

Not unlike a certain current political figure, Mets GM Omar Minaya was seen often in Messianic visions. But the realities of baseball set in which delivered things accustomed. A loss in the NLCS. A historic September collapse. His hand picked manager messily fired during the season. Another collapse – albeit understandable with a makeshift bullpen. Predicatable media suggestions for his ouster.

No longer was Minaya’s people skills and rock star status enough. But it was never going to be enough anyhow. It had to come from the field and the original Minaya blueprint somehow assumed to circumvent that reality. No, his unique way with people would not be enough. In fact the structure put in place at the beginning of his tenure may well have been the real reason for the epic collapse of 2007. He created a power vaccum that circumvented the manager who’d potentially been a powerful one with his own New York street cred in Willie Randolph.

But it became all wrong and Minaya was left no other choice than to let Willie Randolph go in what proved to be a sloppy, classless manner. He may prove to be a lucky man that Jerry Manuel was available to be given the job on an interim basis.

It quickly became clear the interim tag would be removed from Manuel. The club played differently and responded to all things baseball differently. Not that is was just Randolph. It was something far more subtle in a shift in energy and influence from Minaya to Manuel.

Faced with the “Three Headed Monster” of Frank Cashen, Al Harazin and Joe McIlvaine, Davey Johnson was quoted as saying in 1985 the Mets needed to speak with one voice. He took alot of heat but Johnson had been right. Only when the team on the field’s strongest influence came from the field did the team begin to succeed. And Johnson and the Mets demise after the 1990 season should have been predicatable when two of his coaches were fired. The same was done to Randolph when Minaya fired Rick Down during the season.

If the lesson holds and the club become’s the manager’s and not the GM’s in perception, it could turn out to be a very good thing indeed.

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And do Jerry Manuel’s comments let the cat out of the bag?

Manuel managed the White Sox when Albert Belle and Frank Thomas were there, so he’s accustomed to dealing with star players who can be difficult to handle. Manuel said that Ramirez’s bat would take care of any perceived problems.

David Wright’s statement of support and Jeff Wilpon’s denial leave it less than certain what the Mets will do, and it could be part of the sort of high stakes poker played by Scott Boras. It’s a sure bet that Boras would love to draw the Mets into a bidding war with the Dodgers for Ramirez while at the same time getting the Mets to resign Oliver Perez.

At any rate, I admire the Wilpons and Minaya from not getting into a bidding blitz. The beginning of spring training is over the near horizon and will seem like its upon us after Sunday’s Super Bowl. It’s easy to see why the Mets can feel they can stand pat with the players they have. Aside from his curious acquisition of multiple left-handed light hitting outfielders, Minaya’s done well. He took care of the last two innings in a manner which exceeded expectations and the pieces are there to refit the bullpen in a new, more confident image.

But virtually nothing was done for the line-up and the bench. Alex Cora is a net equal to Damon Easley and there are way too many lefty-hitting outfielders to choose from. It appears that fo the right side the club is depending on Fernando Tatis to have the same kind of year along with the development of Nick Evans power.

Its not hard to see what the acquisition of Ramirez would mean in the fourth hole batting in front of Wright and Delgado. Let’s face it, Ramirez is the most dangerous right handed hitter to play in the big leagues since, well, maybe never. The size of ballparks has changed in the NL and teams can get out slugged more frequently than in previuos years. No wonder teams carry 13 pitchers.

But maybe its that the Mets do not have the money to compete as they once did before Jack Madoff. With the first morning of pitchers and catchers maybe two weeks away, the cards that the Mets have are playing will be flipped up on the table. If neither Ramirez or Perez or at least a Ben Sheets is not signed, then it will be clear the poker hand they had wasn’t very good.

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Yesterday’s signing of Tim Redding will make even more sense if Mets GM Omar Minaya signs another starter. For a contending team, Redding can be considered no more that a back of the rotation asset.

So what’s next? It appears that the Mets have not improved their offer to Derek Lowe, and the loss of John Smoltz may force the Braves into negotiations for Lowe. Or so hopes Scott Boras as he also represents Oliver Perez.

If reports are accurate that Minaya perfers Perez, the acquisition of Lowe by the Braves would force the Mets to not be outbid for Perez.

Word that the Mets won’t be going any further for a starter, however, would not good news for Met fans. It makes the signing of Redding a cost saving move and the only starter they bring in. This could signal that Jack Madoff caused more problems for the Wilpons than they’d care to admit.

True, the Mets spent their money this off season in their bullpen with the acquisition of Francisco Ronriguez and JJ Putz. But alot of money came off the books, too. Its why an innings eater like Lowe makes so much sense.

The Mets need another starter if they are to contend this season.

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I love not having to wait until the morning to see the box score. If you’re under 35, you have no idea what I’m talking about.

I know Met fans were so happy for Aaron Heilman. Six straight outs. He vultred that win a bit yesterday, but justice was served. If Heilman is going to be ok, it could mean alot for that bullpen. I’ve always liked the kid.

Speaking of kid….how about Dan Murphy? Two more hits tonight with one in the first in front of Wright’s homer. I can’t imagine any player that Minaya brought in could have had the impact that Murphy has had. It reminds of Gregg Jefferries’ 1988 August call-up. Damn, that’s now 20 years ago. What an tired old blow hard I’m becoming.

Here’s hoping Murphy’s Mets days are more memorable than Jefferries. What a great thing for the organization it will be if they can develop a young everyday player in Murphy.

Do the Mets try to sign Oliver Perez afterall? I’d say its changed to yes, but its Scott Boras as his agent. However, the Mets have always had a fairly constructive relationship with Boras. It may be because around baseball, the Mets have always been considered as one of the better paying clubs.

Perez is young, healthy, energetic and seems to thrive on the big stage. New York’s baseball teams have a tendency not to let those kind of pitchers get away. Or they bring them back like an Andy Pettitte or Roger Clemens.

It would be nice going into next season knowing that Perez, John Maine, Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana will be four starters that open the gates of the new ball park.

So if the team finishes well, it can comfortably resign Perez and Delgado. Dan Murphy can either play left or he can be farmed out this winter to learn to play second base. Add a power bat for the outfield corner. Maybe even Manny Ramirez if the club decides Murphy can play 2nd. This would leave more valuable time to develop Fernando Martinez.

The emergence of Dan Murphy as a viable everyday player has changed everything for the Mets. In just a few days, one young virtually unknown player from AA made the overall Met outlook for this year and beyond much brighter.

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