Duque: "I no go to the bullpen."
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- February
- 15
PHOTO: Mets
Orlando Hernandez said he’s feeling better after offseason foot surgery and sees himself in the Mets’ rotation.
“I signed as a starting pitcher,” Hernandez said. “I no go to the bullpen.”
Of course, a lot can happen between now and the start of the season, but if Hernandez gets out of spring training healthy that would logically be the option. Anticipating the inevitable breakdown with Hernandez and maybe Pedro Martinez, one would figure Mike Pelfrey would get his fair share of starts.
Would you go with Hernandez and ease in Pelfrey, or would you go with Pelfrey from the start?
This entry was posted
on Friday, February 15th, 2008 at 12:23 pm by John Delcos.
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Pelf needs to work on his off speed pitches… I'd like to see him start in NO with Hernandez in the rotation until he breaks down…. put Armas in the long man role.. Use Sosa as a reliever
Aside from the mockery of The Duke's english language accent, I would certainly start the season with him as #5 (is there a better one in the Bigs?). The way I see it, if he goes down, and Pelf is lights out, how can he reasonably argue that he should start ahead of the kid?
It's a win-win, really
Go with Pelfrey. we all know plenty of "starters" that are now better relievers. El Duque better resign himself to possibly being a reliever or earning his starter position. As should Pedro… I think he needs to earn as well..
Hey Steve C: Why only the Latino's need to earn their position. Why not the White boys??
yea, Steve C. that's RIDICULOUS to think that Pedro needs to earn anything. Not to mention that El Duque was one of our more solid pitchers in 2007. Pelfrey is a young kid who hasnt really shut teams down in his brief career. If anyone, HE needs to earn it.
Do you even realize how a$$ backwards your comment is?
Steve – How many games did El Duque win last season? How many did Pelfrey win?
How many post-season starts and World Series rings does El Duque have? And how many does Pelfrey have? Answer those questions and you'll discover who 'earned' the right to be the 5th starter.
El Duque has NOTHING to earn or prove.
Pelfrey has everything to earn and prove.
Yeah, John….way to mock El Duques language barrier. Jeez!
Did I say the white boys didnt have to earn their keep?
the few we have? actually most of them did earn their keep and most of the people that collapsed werent the "white boys" and BTW thats really racist and unnecessary Mr. Padilla.
as for Ass backwards? um these guys got injured left right and sideways. everytime they were "ready" they failed again.
you better believe an injured player has to earn it. no matter the skin color. so keep color etc out of it.. and go with the fact that the team collapsed last year..end of story..
Healthy players always should get the benefit of the doubt. injured players get the leftovers…
Pelfrey needs to start in NO unless he completely dominates spring training and especially the end of spring training when most of the regulars start playing. IMO, the Mets did Pelfrey a huge disservice by rushing him to the majors in the first place
First, how is JD mocking El Duque when he was quoting him?
Pedro should never have to earn anything for the rest of his life. The guy is an incredible competitor and an incredible talent. He was awesome down the stretch last year after having rotator cuff surgery.
The El Duque situation is murkier, but I would just hand the 5th spot to him and put Pelfrey in AAA. You know we'll need Pelf eventually, and perhaps this would make him hungrier to make it back.
I do not see the title of this thread as a mock. It may be the medium where humor and sarcasm cannot be shown as easily. Never having met Mr. Hernandez I do not know how he speaks but I see this as being no different than people in the street or on tv miming Mutumbo with the finger and his taunts to opposing players about coming into the paint.
Besides, in the two years of John's blog I have never known him to mock or denigrate any ethnic or religious group.
Pedro is our number 2 and El Duque should be our #5. El Duque was our most effective pitcher last year at one point. He may be old but when healthy is still very effective. Pelf will just have to wait his turn like all the other rookies.
"El Duque was our most effective pitcher last year at one point. He may be old but when healthy is still very effective."
Bingo. He had a 30+ VORP last year. He is still very effective.
"Pelf will just have to wait his turn like all the other rookies."
Another excellent point. Pelf made it to the bigs too easily. He needs to fight his way back to Flushing with designs on staying there for good.
To Jim (RE: Duque): NO WAY was I mocking Hernandez. It was a direct quote and I thought the best way to make his point.-JD
First off, the title is a direct quote and succinctly answers a question many Met fans have been asking. I find nothing wrong with using a player's direct quote to do so and feel it was far from a jab at Duque's proficiency in his second language. Also, since the Mets are going to need 10+ starting pitchers before all is said and done this season, having multiple contenders for the five-spot is a problem I enjoy having. Duque's propensity for lengthy warmups(some extending past gametime) does not bode well for bullpen duty. Ride the old dogs until they are ineffective or injured and know that Pelf, Vargas, etc. are in rhythm and pitching every fifth day in NO just in case.
I don't think my comment was racist Steve C. You, said that 2 Latino pitchers had to earn their wa, 3 Latino pitchers that did nothing but pitch well when they pitched last year. but the Anglo pitcher you wanted to give the job to, Pelfrey, even though he was atrociaous last year. He pitched good one game, which is enough I guess for bigots like you. You made remarks in other posts only telling Latinos to retire and so on and so on. You my not friend are definitely biased. I am calling you ourt for the sub-human you are.
And the collapse was Latino? The few white players on the team. What are you 1944? I guess John Maine has a perfect September with one good start, and Green was a HOFer down the stretch and LoDuca, oh he had a good game in Cincy. And Schoenweis and Wagnewr and Heilmann boy they were just wonderful. Open your eyes and stop with the bigotry. The whole team sucked down the stretche except for Pedro and Wright. And most of all GLAVINE. He gave the last game away without trying and couldn't wait to clear his locker. Yup, you sure got it worng, but I guess its hard to see through your hood.
Pelfrey is not ready and El duque was the most effective picther last yr.
Let Pelf go to NO and work on his confidence and his pitches.
When El duqe or Pedro gets hurt (pray they don't) then Pelf will be ready (hopefully).
For all politically correct people-Lighten up. That is how ElDuqe said it. Would you rather have JD misquote the guy?
Besides, El Duque to the pen is a moot point.
Mets are not gonna pay him 6MM to pitch 50inn.
And if they do it is b/c he is hurt or stinks, neither of which will be good.
Tony Armas is headed to NO as a backup SP for the big team unless one the the other SP gets hurt, he is lights out or Sosa stinks in ST.
Sosa has a ML deal. Armas only has a MiL deal.
El Duque was clearly the best fifth starter in MLB last year, if he's healthy he should be in the rotation. When he inevitably goes on the DL, Pelfrey will have been starting regularly in NO and hopefully show he's ready to come up and fill in, and maybe turn El Duque into Wally Pipp.
I never aid Pelfrey was perfect, he wasnt. El duque was far better when injury free, i never said he wasnt. my point was, if you are coming off an injury you have to prove your place.
Mr. Padilla, enoug alread. you dont know me, i dont know you. you have no clue about my ethnicity or my life. it sounds like you protest too much. maybe you dont like non latinos.
I believe in everyone being treated fairly. Last year there were moves made that should never have panned out like keeping delgado at cleanup he should have been put at the 7 spot much sooner than he was… That was my biggest sticking point. As for the pitching, you must be new to this blog because i was all over showenweiss et al for not being up to par. one of our bloggers here called him blowenweiss and I couldnt agree more. But as soon as i said smelgado everyone was up in arms.
This is a new year hopefully the team will bounce back.
Glavine did what glavine did, he was never a met, he tried but something inside got the better of him, good riddance.
All i ever care about is the team playing a good game.
New to this blog, no Sir I am not. But I have seen your posts and will let it go now because of what you just said.
El Duque's still quite good… when he's healthy.
The problem is… he's not going to stay healthy for long.
Alou's basically in the same boat.