Is Aaron Healthy?
Obviously we have not had enough time to discern Aaron's effectiveness in 2007, but I cannot help but get the feeling something is a bit off. I do not think think he is lapsing into a depression over not starting because he still cares. He is visibly pissed when he does not perform and though he prefers to start, he is still giving everything he has to relieving and I truly believe that.
It is too soon to really look at stats because he has decent enough stats for this time of year, but he just does not appear to be in vintage Heilman form. His K's are down, but again, it's 6.2 innings of ball. However, it should be noted that he has the least amount of innings pitched out of every Met pitcher. He has also only pitched two games in a row once this season. That coupled with his surgery for his tennis elbow and him sitting out some of the pre-season with tendinitis hints to me that something might be going on with him.
Though he isn't that far off pace of where he was the same time last year, he certainly is not getting much work comparatively with the other pitchers for being their go to arm outside of Billy Wagner. Consider me a bit concerned at this point and Jorge Sosa has been great at AAA and might become and important figure in this Mets bullpen before the year is out.
- Chan Ho got lit up again, but Carlos Gomez had a huge day at the plate in New Orleans' win over Albuquerque. Gomez went 2 for 5 with three runs scored and an RBI to inch closer back to .300.
- Kevin Mulvey pitched well in Binghamton's loss to New Hampshire. He went five innings and gave up four hits, three runs, no earned runs, and no walks while striking out three.
- Jon Niese had better days as he went 2.2 innings and gave up ten hits, six runs, and three earned runs as he dropped to 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA.
- Hey...maybe the Mets can recoup some of the $900,000 they gave Matt Durkin yet. He started for Savannah in their loss to Charleston and went 5.2 innings and gave up four hits, one run, no earned runs, and no walks while striking out four
[11:33] yankeescum: oh new york baseball, what a weekend
[11:33] me (aka the good guy): willie is a stupid man
[11:33] me (aka the good guy): really not a good manager
[11:34] yankeescum: can say the same for torre
[11:34] me (aka the good guy): of course
[11:34] yankeescum: he was exposed this weekend
[11:34] me (aka the good guy): i've been saying that for years!
[11:43] yankeescum: what happened to you guys....when I turned off the game it was 6-2 mets
[11:43] me (aka the good guy): Willie happened.
[11:44] yankeescum: who in your pen imploded?
[11:44] me (aka the good guy): Burgos had retired the first two handily.
[11:44] me (aka the good guy): Then Green dropped a ball.
[11:44] me (aka the good guy): With Kelly Johnson up (a lefty), Willie tries to get cute.
[11:45] me (aka the good guy): Burgos deals with lefties better than Schoenweiss and was cruising, but being a righty, he wanted the lefty/lefty matchup even if the lefty cannot get lefties out better than said righty.
[11:46] me (aka the good guy): so, he brings in Schoenweiss despite the fact Felciano is the only true lefty specialist.
[11:46] me (aka the good guy): Johnson gets on and then BAM!
[11:46] me (aka the good guy): Three run jack... 6-6.
[11:46] me (aka the good guy): Then Heilman gave up a three runs.
[11:46] me (aka the good guy): 9-6
[11:46] me (aka the good guy): game over.
[11:46] me (aka the good guy): fire willie.
[11:46] yankeescum: i hate when mgrs go with the lefty/lefty, righty/righty matchups because it's what your "supposed to do" per the book
[11:47] yankeescum: torre tried to get cute last night....used pettitte in the 6th
[11:47] me (aka the good guy): i saw that.
[11:47] me (aka the good guy): i'm not against that stuff though
[11:47] yankeescum: after throwing 90+ pitches on friday
[11:47] me (aka the good guy): out of the box thinking.
[11:47] me (aka the good guy): but he throws a side session on Sunday anyway probably
[11:47] me (aka the good guy): and it worked before, no?
[11:48] me (aka the good guy): not ideal, but your bullpen stinks.
[11:48] yankeescum: where the hell is farnsworth?
[11:48] me (aka the good guy): you'd rather have him in?
[11:48] yankeescum: let the bum earn his money
[11:48] yankeescum: torre doesnt even know who farnsworth is
[11:49] me (aka the good guy): ha
[11:49] me (aka the good guy): well, i'm not shocked willie is the way he is if he learned from Torre
[11:49] me (aka the good guy): Willie uses his gut too much instead of using his brain.
[11:49] yankeescum: fire 'em all
[11:49] me (aka the good guy): word up
That was from Monday....This was from today...
[16:51] yankeescum: I'd take el duque at this point. oh boy.
[16:52] me (aka the good guy): classic
[16:52] me (aka the good guy): you guys are in trouble
[16:52] me (aka the good guy): one game out of last.
[16:52] yankeescum: yes, it's quite concerning
[16:53] yankeescum: in true irony, arod having his best start ever and the yanks are flailing
Flailing indeed. With the loss to the D-Rays, they are now sitting in sole possession of last place. On April 24th 2005, the Yankees were tied for last place with the Devil Rays at 8-11. In 2004, they were 8-10 though they were not in last place. In fact, you would have to go all the back to 1985 to see the Yankees in sole possession of last place.
As I stated in the comments in yesterday's post, it is not that I think the Yankees are bad. Quite the contrary, but this division is simply to improved for their rotation. As of right now, their starters have a 5.65 ERA and 4.69 K/9. The obvious thing is that they will improve with Mussina, Wang, and Hughes in the fold, but that still does not set them to far above everyone else. I fully expect there to be one 90 win team in the AL East and that is the Red Sox based on the strength of their starting pitching. I envision the Yankees winning 88 games, which is certainly a respectable total but also not one that will get them their division or the Wild Card. I think they will hit, but they will not have a cake walk and will be challenged this year more than ever.
Labels: aaron heilman
posted by michael o. at 10:58 PM
37 Comments:
you guys disgust me.
Bunch of wise guys who think he is smarter than Willie.
Your arguments are so lame it's pathetic.
Why Willie didn't insert the pitcher in Alou's spot tonight?
Because Schoeneweis needs to pitch against Helton in the next inning, that's why. And he got the job done tonight. There is nothing wrong bringing him to pitch to Kelly Johnson on Sunday. Schoeneweis is totally capable of doing so, he just didn't execute, So move on. No need to make up some lame arguments to show Willie made the wrong move there.
Other team doesn't blow games? Well, today the Angels blew a 7 run lead. The mets blew a 3 run lead and the people here act like crying babies. Grow up.
This blog is a joke.
11:57 PM
above is a huge douche, you know nothing. go suck willie's dick. point is he's a marginal manager lacking needed experience -- let the first half be a learning period this year. willie needs to know what he has to put out there before he does. grow up, stop bashing mike, he puts together a quality blog.
2:49 AM
Willie is pretty good, better than most people here give him credit for. Yeah he makes tactical errors sometimes but he motivates his players like no one else. Overall he is an above average manager. Just wait til D Wright gets his shit together and Delgado too, this Mets team will really be great.
3:30 AM
I missed the discussion on Willie and I will say this. I do like that the players play real hard for him and that the players also happen to do the little things right. THat certainly helps the team.
BUT he is just a bad strategic manager.
My favorite 3 managers are Bobby Valentine, Mike Sciosia, and Bobby Cox. They have the perfect blend.
But whatever, Willie's going to make stupid ass mistakes but at the same time he's the "right guy" for the job with the way he's handled certain players. Which has to count for something.
Maybe not seeing the actual stupid ass moves gives me a little more positive outlook on him, but whatever.
JOe Torre is just simply one of the worst managers in the game. I think only 1 player gains anything from him and that's Derek Jeter.
I have yet to come to this site and NOT read "Carlos Gomez had a big day". He's having a big day every day. I <3 you Carlos Go-Go!
4:56 AM
willie did the right thing in bringing in schono. he's nasty on lefties. sometimes ur just gonna get burned. when u make the right move. just like sometimes u dont get burned when u make the wrong move. its a long season and those things balance themselves out.
heath bell is mowing them down in san diego. sick. why did he fall out of favor?
5:18 AM
Funny part of all Willie debates is that the slightest criticism seems to elicit clamorous rancor. The positions are always strong - whether for or against. And of course, truthfully, real crit of Randolph has to be somewhere in between. It's totally right on mark to note how willingly & wholeheartedly his players play for him, which gets some boost obviously from the quality of the players that have been brought in to play for him, and I generally find his bench usage to be reasonably well played (since I'm not sure thought out is the way Willie works - which is no crit at all!). It's bullpen management that gets me all fired up; Willie has not shown the golden intuition that he sometimes has vis-a-vis the bench when it comes to the pen. He is not a thinking manager but an intuitive one. That often leads to remarkable whims but often underplays tactics. And given the team he has, that's generally acceptable.
Heilman is likely hurt, but the Mets are also likely very aware of the fact that they have no true righthanded set up complement until Mota comes back. Maybe that's why Willie is jiggering things so much. In the past two seasons, you could count on a heavy workload for Heilman, and I think they're very hesitant to do that right now. That said, Heilman has been way stronger the second half of the season the last two seasons, so his performance is not particulary glaring, just his usage.
Has a situational reliever ever won the rookie of the year? Might we ever get to consider that or is this just a morning revery? Joe Smith can be used so much, at least this early in the season, because he manages to get the job done on a minimum of pitches. Three pitches last night and his first big league win! It will be interesting to see how hitters adjust as the season progresses.
"In spring training, the Mets wanted to put Smith to the test, so they brought him in to face Manny Ramirez. He threw a slider behind Manny. Peterson told Smith in the dugout that the umpires had mentioned some new rules to him before the game, and one of those rules is that rookies are allowed to breathe when they pitch."
Man, I like Rick P. He just seems to simultaneously elevate and de-emphasize the whole process of pitching:
"'You don't need to be extraordinary,' he said.By being himself, and with the nasty slider he throws, Smith has been extraordinary, all the while looking like the kid next door." Natch.
Even better than recouping something on the $900,000 is that Durkin seems to be throwing strikes. He keeps it up and he may make it to the outskirts of the radar this season.
Mets ought to trade Chan Ho once Dave Williams, who will soon start to throw, is ready to pitch at Nworleans. His value is seemingly only going to go South (which would put him somewhere near Ecuador), and I'm sure the Yankees would take him!
Thought the same thing last season: Aaron Cook is a damn interesting pitcher. If he ever had an offense behind him, he'd turn into a pretty successful one.
Is there no end to Endy highlights? Hopefully he'll become the best paid 4th outfielder in baseball history. Gotta keep him in the fold!
6:39 AM
First off, the blog is not a joke. Can be a bit self centered at times, but what blog isnt.
But seriously, can we PLEASE stop with the Willie bashing? Please. Seriously. It's getting old.
- Nokes
8:48 AM
Benny, good to hear from you and to bring some clarity to the situation. As usual….spot on. As as I’ve stated many times including yesterday, his handling of players and the media is no small piece to the larger picture, but I cannot ignore certain things.
Why people live by the rule “if he is a big league manager, he must know what he doing” is beyond me. Can I be a big league manager? Not really, but I don’t work in baseball. Does that mean I do not have the mental capacity to evaluate what is going on the game of baseball? No. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and they are welcome to it. However, I am not obligated to subscribe to it as you are not obligated to subscribe to mine.
There seems to be two ways to go about not agreeing….get really offended and stick up for him like what I say really matters:
Your arguments are so lame it's pathetic.
And say something in a nice demeanor….
Willie is pretty good, better than most people here give him credit for. Yeah he makes tactical errors sometimes but he motivates his players like no one else. Overall he is an above average manager. Just wait til D Wright gets his shit together and Delgado too, this Mets team will really be great.
Ossy…I don’t think Scott is particularly shut down on lefties….but what EVERYONE is ignoring is this:
If Willie was going to leave Burgos in against Howard after a huge at-bat to Utley because he is testing him….
Then why take him out in a far less of dangerous situation against Johnson? Why not test him then too?
If he went lefty/lefty both times I can see some sort of thought pattern. DOES ANYONE NOT GET WHAT I’M SAYING? He says one thing and does two others. Does he check to see what Johnson does against lefties? Am I alone here? Am I the only one who is disconcerted about these types of things? Sorry, one big mistake when it counts could send the team home. I certainly have reasons to be concerned. If you do not want to be….fine by me. I wish I could let it roll off my back.
Heath Bell has been out of favor since day one. You know I was a big proponent of letting him get some sort of shot!!!!
DG, I know man. I don’t know why people get their panties in a bundle from what a lowly blogger with 300 hits a day says. Really amazing.
Has a situational reliever ever won the rookie of the year?
Honestly? He could if no one has a particularly huge year, but Josh Hamilton is the early odds on favorite.
What can you possibly trade park for?
If you don’t like negative talk about Willie, then do not come here. Honestly….it doesn’t happen every day and this is a long season. People get bashed on blogs. Go read somewhere else if it really gets to you and you want to here nothing but positive stuff about the Mets. If you want to try and have some discourse, please, come and discuss it. But if hearing anything bad about Willie truly ruins your day and you simply cannot believe it/get over it, there are plenty of places to go.
9:16 AM
mike, i was going to say this before i read the massive list of comments and now i guess i'll still say it:
you know i love your blog/writing/general attitude like we all love chuck norris, but dude you are fixating.
Yesterday you wrote "I'm done harping on this topic...."
That was nice to see.
But then today I come back and you have transcribed countless text messages about Willie not to mention the insane amount of time you spent writing about him in the comments section?
Whatever bro, I still like reading your stuff more than almost anything else I read about anything (you don't really know me but I think that's a pretty big compliment) -- but if you haven't noticed everyone rationale is pretty much in agreement that willie does quirky things but overall is doing a good job. you yourself agree with that but you are fixating. that makes people like anonymous fixate in response. (anonymous -- i'm not going to judge you for posting anonymous borderline vitriol -- but you lost credibility when you freaked out in this post's first comment although i did more or less agree with all you spewed in yesterday's comments).
anyway did everyone notice how enthusiastically endy hugged willie after the drag bunt last night? i don't want to start harping, but i think it's clear that willie's leadership and good coaching outweigh his wierd moves.
btw, i never check our espn fantasy league because its too much of pain in the ass to sign out of my friend's insider account and sign into my fantasy squad, but i assume i'm still in first place? anyone want to trade for hamilton? mike? anybody? who's got beltran?
9:16 AM
you posted while i was posted and now i'm getting sucked in....
because willie is not saying one thing and doing two others. he's saying flat out that he's going to test his bullpen in unpredictable ways and that's what he's doing which is wierd but consistent and his prerogative.
plus, maybe burgos failed the test and that's why he didn't test him again. maybe he has other reasons. whatever.
9:23 AM
reyes better not be starting to slump. in my other league i wanted him so bad and another mets fan drafted before me. so i just traded hafner and crawford for him. couldn't stand the thought of his upcoming historic season going to someone else.
just thought I'd change the subject (to reyes, not my other fantasy team (where i also have hamilton))
9:25 AM
Jake,
I only commented because people keep commenting. What can I say…it’s a hot topic. I never said the players do not like Willie and you know I agree. But take that away and he’s Art Howe. Also, it is partially frustrating because he is good in other areas and craps the bed in others. If he could eradicate certain things he could be the perfect manager…Frankly the anonymous posts are annoying….but whatever
But again. You don’t like to read negative things about Willie don’. Last I checked I could write about whatever I so choose. Start paying me and I’ll take requests.
RE: Fantasy…..
1Mojo Risin127.5+16.5
2Team Moose Kn...117.5-2.5
3Team Oliver109+4
You dropped out of first and are in 2nd with me hot on your heals. I’m sure someone wants Hamilton, but I think a lot of people would be skeptical to give up too much for him with concerns he might come down to earth….that and they are going to keep trying to find playing time for five guys in four spots. Edwin is too good to bench him forever, Freel just got an extension….they thought they got rid of the overcrowding finally when they dealt Kearns….SURPRISE!!! Now they have the problem all over again. I guess it’s a good one to have. Why not start getting some time at first and make the rotation bigger?
9:30 AM
plus, maybe burgos failed the test and that's why he didn't test him again.
Then he tested him the next day? Whatever man, you think he's sharp. I don't.
9:31 AM
I read all blogs, but this one makes me laugh.
I do agree with Jake in saying one day you were done with the topic, but the next day is more of the same.....meh, to each his own.
I guess my point is; no manager is perfect. If he was, his team would win the World Series every year. Willie will make mistakes, and so will the opposing manager.
But maybe the bigger picture here is THIS is this: The Mets are so good right now the only thing we can 'complain' about is how the manager uses his bullpen?
Everything (with the exception of Wright) seems to be clicking. So, I'll just sit back and read the critics. Some may be right, some maybe be wrong. As long as the Mets keep winning, then I really do not and should not care.
And Benny - PLEASE make wins a friggin' category next year!!!
- Nokes
10:00 AM
Nokes....I tried to be done, but I got pulled back in.
10:08 AM
I don't understand why Willie is such holy ground. If a player was playing spectacular defense, but wasn't hitting, would we not all acknowledge his defense, but criticize his hitting, hoping that he soon turns things around so we could have an all around solid player?
I think it's the same with Willie. There's no doubt the team loves him, and he's a great leader (Mike has expressed this several times in the past). However, he does do "quirky" (read: misguided) things quite often (Mike is addressing this now).
In short, I think we all agree that Willie is close to being a fantastic manager. He just need to iron out his "quirks." Why that's such a bad thing to say about some one, I don't know.
10:09 AM
i never said i think he's sharp. or dumb. enigmatic, if i had to choose a word.
10:35 AM
I actually like the quality starts category. Probably because I get screwed on wins most years and pick decent pitchers who happen to never win.
It also gives good pitchers on bad teams some more value. In the end, the better pitchers still lead the league in quality wins so there is some merit to the category. It just takes a bit more of the team element off of the pitcher so run support and bad bullpens factor less into their success.
It individualizes the league a bit more and helps isolate a players performance rather than his performance as a byproduct of the teams (i.e. Traxx's 13 QS vs. his 15 wins).
10:55 AM
Agree that this blog makes one laugh. On the whole the Willie "bashing," which isn't really the right word for what happens here, is purely situational. Well, Willie's first season, it was a lot more common (but man, he deserved it).
And there's another point: I don't think any of us would not agree to the fact that Willie has seriously improved since his rookie managerial season. He's an intuitive kind of manager, and that is bound to make some of his moves seem inconsistent (and then too he's human so of course he's nothing but inconsistent).
But the whole nature of Mike's enterprise is to talk Mets baseball with detours into other interesting, occasionally salacious areas of popular culture. Compare the whining on other Mets blogs and add the absence of idiocy for the most part on this one, I just don't see the crit.
12:52 PM
Yes, but I get hurt with having the Set-up guys. I think Rouch has 2 wins and Matt Capps has two wins. Each time I think they have a win, I realize, 'Crap. Wins is not a category. Well that sucks.'
- Nokes
12:58 PM
Ah...good point. There also are those gems when a reliever picks up five or so wins. But there is still holds which makes them useful.
The only negative is when there is no QS, the win is lost in never never land. But just like relievers haves holds and saves, the starter has a category that is solely his and I like that. I'm sure Rauch has lost some people a few wins but they get to keep them with QSs.
Thank you DG for seeing through to the core of this site, which surprisingly is not to bash Willie. If I feel like harping on something (anything) I can.
Overall, I think I do far less whining/complaining than most.
1:27 PM
Did everyone see this? I'm too lazy to use the hyperlink, but go here and click on 'chico's wild pitch' and sit through the annoying right guard commercial. You will be glad you did.
http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/multimedia/tp_archive.jsp?c_id=was
1:47 PM
All the comments on the comments on Willie are entertaining, but Casey Stengel and John McGraw would be second guessed right and left if Al Gore had invented the internet earlier.
1:49 PM
Um.....it's 9-0 Rockies.
Hello? Mike Pelfrey?? Looking for the Mike Pelfrey who picthed for the Mets in Spring Training.
- Nokes
2:16 PM
Pelfrey did not look major league ready today. No other way to say it.
2:22 PM
Sidd....I'm voting that for comment of the year. Very tasty.
Pelf! I still have faith. His stuff is too good for him not to succeed and I do not see why it cannot be now. It's just so perplexing that he gets so little swings and misses. He's got a ++ fastball and decent (improving) secondary stuff.
I think it's a matter of just getting something to click with him, but that would be the trick, huh? To figure that one out?
2:29 PM
10-0 is going to eat into their fun differential a bit...
Let's hope they get some vanity runs here.
2:29 PM
DG hit the nail on the head.
This blog owns.
2:44 PM
1. i think willie has done a decent job while being manager of the mets, however, that does not mean that he shouldn't be second guessed by bloggers, reporters, and casual fans. no one, and i mean no one, is above criticism, no matter how good they are. it also doesn't matter what experience someone has in managing. just because i have never managed an mlb team, doesn't mean i can't have an opinion about it. we also know that willie is trying his best to win games, no one doubts that. however, we will not always agree on the best way to go about it. and everyone should understand that.
2. i think mike is pretty good in stating his opinions and sees both sides of an argument well. that's one of the reason's why i read this blog. it is not overly "homeriffic" and it is not too overly dramatic when the mets are not playing so well. mike gets high marks for putting things in perspective.
3. not willie bashing but i'm not sure you need to pull pelfrey there in the 3rd today. i don't want to see the bullpen worn out before the end of the season. i know sele's been good and needs some work but was it necessary? i was thinking this before sele even came into the game...
2:46 PM
Kenny...you son of a....
AE...that's where you are wrong. No opinions are allowed.
As for Pelf getting pulled in the 3rd, I'm torn. On one hand, you have Josh Fogg on the mound. A six run deficit is hard, though not impossible. If you pull him and the bullpen holds them, you have a chance.
On the other hand, you have a young kid who has throw 61 pitches and gotten beaten up. With all the challenging Willie likes to do, it would have been OK in my book to say, "you have 40 pitches to get through the 5th inning".
It should be noted I did not see the game and he could have had zero on the mound today. I'm just tossing out to thoughts that ran through my head.
2:57 PM
Pelfrey's just not getting the ball to the bottom of the zone, hitting too many bats. I don't know, was ST a mirage? Or was it that early spring people, especially minor leaguers just don't work at bats? Bigger question is how do the Mets demote him without ruining the little confidence he's showing if this continues? Jorge Sosa has got to be tantalizing if you're Omar Minaya at the moment.
3:19 PM
DG...good foreshadowing for tomorrow's post. That is unless I go all Michael Kay - homer type stuff since I'm obviously not allowed to say bad things.
4:28 PM
Not being able to watch the game at all day, and reviewing the box score only, did Joe Smith really need to pitch today? Hasn't he, like, pitched in every game already?
And I think it's time to officially start worrying about David Wright.
That being said, games like these happen.
5:17 PM
Count...do not question why he was in. Only blindly obey. And yes, he is a rookie and leading the pen in innings I believe.
5:30 PM
Smith's highest inning total was 67.2 last year...he's on pace for 89.1. Ideally, you do not want him cresting 90 in his first season and being used in 97 games, which he is also on pace for.
But who else did they really have to use? Heilman might have some issues, and might have been used if this was last year, but he's probably not pitching two days in a row to go in a losing game. Wagner is not coming in.
Only other option was Schoeneweis and with the off-day, he might have been the best choice. He had a day off after going yesterday and there was an off-day tomorrow. But the options were limited since Sele didn't go more than two, which he needed to do.
But yeah, I think Joe Smith needs to be watched since he is quickly becoming the go to guy.
5:40 PM
Smith threw three pitches yesterday (plus warmup etc.) and 14 today. As long as he avoids throwing more than 20 - 25 pitches each time out, you've got to figure that he's not taxing too much of himself, at least short term. Cumulatively over 90 - 100 games, who knows? I'm sure he'll tire as he approaches his max innings. I've got to say that each time the camera shows him loosening up, he just shines that aura of "I'm on it." Still, Mota should be a nice pickup after game 50.
Mike, I forebode from my abode to yours! But don't get into the I can't criticize mode. Personally, there are few people I find more annoying than Michael Kay!
6:06 PM
Jake, I hope you know, you don't have ot keep signing in/out to your friends insider account. Becuase ESPN fucked up soooo bad, you get the ESPN INsider for free!
So umm, start checking it.
One thing I like about Quality Starts over Wins is that, a pitcher can give up 10 runs in 5 innings, but have his offense score 11 and get the "win". That's ridiculous. But, then there are time where a guy pitches 8 innings of 1 run ball and gets NOTHING. I hate that. Might as well reward the start.
8:07 PM
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