Happy Saturday.
I’ve read a couple of posts on the rotation. And, I agree, you don’t mess with the ace.
Given that: Johan Santana SHOULD be starting today.
He started Monday, right? Well, five days from Monday is TODAY. And, five days from today is next Thursday, against the Phillies.
If you don’t mess with your ace, that’s the way to go.
Why not? Willie Randolph said he didn’t consider it. Personally, and I can’t get anybody on the Mets to confirm this, was so they could give Pedro Martinez the Shea opener. Otherwise, if Martinez didn’t get hurt, he would have gone tomorrow on normal rest.
Of course, that’s with a four man rotation, which is what the Mets did last year because of the off-days.
I think there’s some indecision here. If not, then why juggle the rotation after the rainout and screw with Mike Pelfrey’s routine.
Hell, I want him vs. Braves based on last year’s game.
13 Comments
wait, so Johan should start today, and where does that leave Maine?
JD,
You are essentially questioning the wisdom of using a 5-man rotation when the Mets didn’t have to, and there may be some merit to that argument. Personally, I think the #1 reason the Mets chose to go w/ a 5-man rotation was to give Pedro more rest b/w starts b/c 1) historically, he pitches better w/ an extra day’s rest; and 2) to give his body more time to recuperate and thereby avoid injury (now a moot point). But that said, once the Mets decided to go w/ a 5-man rotation – a decision made weeks ago – Santana knew that he’d start Monday against the Fish, and then Sunday against the Bravos. So presumably, he has been preparing himself based on this schedule. So I say again: YOU DO NOT MESS WITH YOUR ACE, particularly when the team has invested $140M into his success, and when his left arm may stand as the only thing b/w the Mets and nauseating mediocrity.
I think the differing info you hear from Willie is because Rick Petersen and Guy Conti are in charge of the pitching staff and Willie is asked questions before he gets filled in on the plan from those guys. IMO, when it comes to who starts who RP is in charge and Willie is along for the ride.
With Pedro in the rotation I have no problem with the way they set it up to start the year. They play from April 15th to 30th with no off day, so expecting Pedro to make 7 or 8 starts in a row all on 4 days rest just isnt a good idea.
Now that Pedro is out, Santana Maine & Perez should be pitching as soon as possible with Pelfrey and whoever #5 is slotting in around them. Until Pedro comes back and they shift back to the other plan.
“why juggle the rotation after the rainout and screw with Mike Pelfrey’s routine.”
You juggle with Pelfrey because he has sucked, he’s the 6th man in a 5 man rotation. If you’re lucky rain outs and off days will push him off until he’s in the minors where he belongs.
letsgometsgo,
You make a very good point that Mike Pelfrey’s “routine,” which has been basically to walk the ballpark and get hammered, is less important than the hot dog vendors’ “routine.” Those guys need to stay on schedule!
Hopefully we get two wins this weekend.
I look forward to seeing Maine continue from ST and following Ollie’s stellar performance.
If we can walk out of April and pitch Mike as little as possible that would be a good thing. Rainouts and the wierd April schedule is our friend.
Delcos, you question upsetting Pelfrey’s schedule…but you’re ok with messing with Santana’s schedule? what’s with that?
JM: Good catch. The hot dog vendors are certainly more consistent than Pelfrey! If Pelf misses enough time, maybe he’ll forget how to pitch so badly!
MetsFan: As usual, you miss the point. It amazes me how one person can be so consistently out in left field. ... My point was the original schedule should have been with four guys because of the off-days.
That way, if you have a rainout, you push everybody back one day. Given that, had there been no rainout on Friday, Santana would start. But once you go with five this early and you have a rainout, it screws everything up. Originally, Randolph said he would push everybody back one day. Why is it so hard for him to say something and follow through with it?
I would rather have Pelfrey pitch against a team he’s had success against than the Phillies, which have lefty-hitting Utley and Howard.
If you’re the Mets why make things more difficult for the guy who can least afford the distraction?
My point WAS to keep on Santana on schedule, which would have been last Monday, today, and next Thursday.-JD
I would assume someone spoke with Santana and asked how he felt on pitching on more days rest than usual… I can care less about when Pelfrey pitches. Who IMO, should still be in AAA figuring out why he cannot throw with confidence. Once he starts dominating in AAA then bring him up and see what he can do. I say give Jon Niese and Nelson Figueroa a few starts.
Pelfey does not have enough Precedence in his MLB pitching to enough think about where he should be placed when delays happen.
and you say I don’t make sense half the time. That’s ok, your non metsie friend jk never makes sense…...