This is not a fair statement at all. Come on.

As for this issue of teams passing on players on waivers… Manny Ramirez cleared waivers. And while I understand there were particular circumstances there… that's my point.

Unless one of those situations existed, I don't know how anyone can say that no other ML team was ever interested in him.

When it comes to clutchness, most in the sabermetric community have had it wrong for years, basing their opinions on poorly designed studies. Or simply parroting the popular party line based on blind faith.. \\Now Bill James himself has done a 180 on clutchness as you can read here where he’s done some new studies on it:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/11/30/james.clutch/index.html

Here are some salient quotes from the article:

• ... Back in the early days of sabermetrics, when dinosaurs roamed the American League Western Division, we made a very fundamental mistake. A friend of mine wrote an article asserting, essentially, that clutch hitters don't exist. At the time, we lacked any real ability to study the issue … The discussion has been premised upon an assertion, rather than flowing from the question itself.

And others are jumping on board with him. I’ve long believed that clutchness exists. You can’t watch some players for years like David Ortiz without thinking so. I’m glad Bill James now believes this as well, and has started to do research and studies to prove it.

Marlon Anderson has been clutch. At least for the Mets.

Schoeneweis is not clutch. At least not for the Mets. I don't know if this guy has ever been clutch for anyone. I doubt it. I am watching the civil rights game now and he just gave up the lead. Ugh.

I said quite clearly yesterday that the last spot on the roster could change many times this year. The have no money tied up as the did last year in players for this spot. ( Newhan & Franco ) They may even try to carry three catchers and use Castro as a pinch hitter for part of the year.

Also your comment about Church has hit a new low in being irrational. I know you do not like the guy but how do you know that not even one other major league team may have been interested in him.
If the Mets do not win the division it is not going to be because of Gotay. It is most likely going to be because the bullpen was not good enough.
If Gotay could have played any other position but 2nd base he would still be here. Did Gotay go to winter league and work on playing short or 3rd or outfield. Not that any of us are aware of, so his not being on this team is as much his fault as any ones.
Please don't give me the line the Mets should have told him to try and play other positions. If you want to stay in the majors you figure out a way. Joe McEwing did Chris Woodward did. Maybe Gotay should have worked harder.

Proof?

.256/.326/.409, 15 HR, 24 2B, 46 RBIs.

Give up? Those were the AAA stats Brandon Phillips posted in 2005 as a 24 year old. They look similar to the stats I posted above for Gotay, who put that line up as a 24 year old as well.

Again, not saying Gotay is going to develop into an All Star, cleanup hitting, second baseman. But, Phillips, like Gotay, was once a top prospect who was given up on and given a shot to play every day by his new team. Finally getting a chance to play every day, he produced a monster season at age 26.

So yeah, forgive me if I take issue with waiving a young, former top 2B prospect, who has some pop and has improved patience at the plate.

2006 AAA totals: .265/.321/.407, 12 HR, 28 2B, 64 RBIs

And he plays second base. Ryan Church plays a corner OF spot… big difference. Sure these aren't mind blowing numbers, but Gotay has shown that he was starting to put things together last season. He played very well when he was starting for us.

"But hey we can’t even say Gotay is a AAAA player, because he’s not even hit at the minor league level."

Yeah, who cares that he played well for us in the MAJOR LEAGUES last year.

.270 15 homeruns 43 doubles 70 RBI in less then 500 AB, on a bad offensive team, in a hitters doom of a park.. I'm pretty sure Church is more then a minor league caliber player.

But hey we can't even say Gotay is a AAAA player, because he's not even hit at the minor league level.

Thanks for proving that ryan Church is a minor league caliber player.Ever hear of AAAA caliber??? That's him 4A, ain't we lucky?

.343 17 homeruns 78 RBI, yeah Gotay has never even come close to those stats.

No, Keith. It does exist.

I guess you think Gotay can hit 15 homeruns and 43 doubles playing at RFK to. Overrated.

JK, clutch doesn't exist. But let's squash a long debate on this today. Agree to disagree here.

Gotay we got rid of despite the fact he "can't hit lefties in a small sampling
Church we got despite fact he can't hit lefties in a less small sampling. But he needs a chance.
Gotayt was traded because his fielding sucked and is being replaced by a guy who's fielding sucks….and whose hitting sucks.
Gotay is called a 25 year old minor leaguer so we dump him. But we get Church who is a 29 year old career minor leaguer.
Ruben Gotay is the mnost overrated player in Met history, since who, since Ryan Church!!!!!!
It won't matter that Tatis sucks they say because he's the 25th man. This is incorrect becasue on Randolph managed teams the last guy is the backup catcher.
One guy even said it ain't Church's fault he's on the Mets. Well it ain't Gotay's fault he ain't on the Mets.

Losing Gotay makes us a little weaker. One game two games maybe?? It makes the Braves a little better because they outrighted a 215 hitter for Gotay. So are they one game better , maybe two? No big deal you guys say BECAUSE WE LOST THE PENNANT BY ONE FREAKIN GAME and JULIO FRANCO'S BAT COST US MORE CLOSE GAMES THAN ONE.