NewsInbox: What free-agent pitcher suits Mets?
Beat reporter Marty Noble answers fans' questions
By Marty Noble / MLB.com
11/30/09 11:34 AM EST
I'm a true Mets fan and even though they won just 70 games last season, I still watched every game to evaluate the talent -- or lack thereof -- for the 2010 season. I'm willing to sign up for a .500 record or just below it if the organization signs players who make sense. They need a true No. 2 or No. 3 starting pitcher, such as Joel Pineiro or Jason Marquis. If they want to sign John Lackey and pay him $85 million for the next five years, I believe that would be too long of an investment.Daniel Murphy is not the answer at first base. The club should re-sign Carlos Delgado for one year, allowing him to demonstrate whether he has anything left. I believe he is an all around better player than Murphy, who seems like he cares, but I'm convinced he at best is a bench player. They should wait for Ike Davis to develop.
Also, get me a left fielder who is not 40 or a Double-A player. Finally, the team needs to play all-around, professional and sound baseball. I can accept losing if the organization is heading in the right direction. But I can't stand players who don't care and play sloppy.
-- John A., Whitestone, N.Y.
I agree with you on the pitching. Piniero, Marquis or Randy Wolf would be an asset, and not one that will restrict spending in other areas or another year. I'm not sure about Delgado. The Mets have questions about his ability to move at first base. Off what I saw in 2007 and the first half of 2008, I have questions about his willingness to move. His bat seemed potent in the games he played before his hip surgery developed in May.
I suspect you and the club aren't on the same page about Murphy. And I don't see how Murphy and Delgado fit in the same roster, particularly if a right-handed-hitting first baseman is needed. But you and the club seem to agree on Davis. And I have the same sense. Give him time to develop.
I'm a fellow retired Newsday person who moved to Herkimer nine years ago and still keep up with Mets. Not only should No. 17 be retired, Keith Hernandez should also be sent to the Hall of Fame as the best defensive first baseman.
-- Francis C., Herkimer, N.Y.
We share a Newsday past, but I am not yet retired. And as long as I'm writing, I will endorse the retirement of No. 17 in Hernandez's honor. I had re-thought my support of Hernandez for Cooperstown and had become less adamant than I was when he became eligible. But I sense that I put more weight on defense than most of my fellow Hall of Fame voters, particularly when considering the candidacy of a first baseman who might be involved in 10-12 plays each game. And after marveling at the performance of Mark Teixeira in the postseason, I am again supporting Hernandez for the Hall of Fame.
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There's not much I can do about his candidacy now. He is off the ballot and in the domain of the Veterans Committee. There is nobody I've watched play first base so aggressively, so expertly, with range and savvy comparable to Hernandez. And my sense of it is that an above-average first baseman makes the entire infield markedly better. I've written about this previously. Rick Sutcliffe and I have had a few extended conversations about the value of an exceptional first baseman. He is as convinced as I am.
Moreover, Hernandez was an exceptional hitter, one who became a greater challenge as the game developed. I think most of us are too caught up in home runs. What if Hernandez played his 6 1/2 seasons in New York at Yankee Stadium. I think an increase of 25 home runs would have resulted. Would that make him a Hall of Famer? To some, at least, he would have been a more viable candidate.
I'll try to find a comparative analysis I did some years ago between Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson and Hernandez. As I recall, it swayed a few voters. Look for it this week.
I talk about this all the time with my friends who are Yankees fans. Who was the better first baseman: Hernandez or Don Mattingly.
-- Ron P., Toms River, N.J.
Defensively, Hernandez, if only because he had more to do, i.e., handling more sacrifice bunt attempts and holding runners. The National League ran more than American League during his time. And Hernandez played so far from first base, he covered more territory than any first baseman I saw. He also was he conscience of the Mets' infield. Mattingly was terrific. And I saw him play the equivalent of three seasons in his prime. But I give my vote to Hernandez, followed by Teixeira, Mattingly, George Scott, J.T. Snow, John Olerud, Gil Hodges (didn't see him that much), Andres Galarraga, Derrek Lee and Rico Brogna.
I never saw enough of Wes Parker to judge.
What about Roy Campanella as an outstanding catcher? I really enjoyed watching him. It is not that the Mets are cheap, it's that general manager Omar Minaya doesn't select well.
-- Lallie M., Stuart, Fla.
When asked to compile a list of the top catchers I've seen, I mentioned only one catcher -- Johnny Bench, and I suggested the e-mail writer check out Yogi Berra. Campanella would be in anyone's top 10, I'm sure. Minaya has had his moments -- good and bad.
I saw that you got some grief by including Paul Blair on a list of best defensive center fielders. I think that shows, unfortunately, that if something didn't happen in the last 10 minutes, it must not be important. I started following baseball in 1966, and while boyhood memories can be distorted, I still don't know if I've seen a more graceful outfielder than Blair. He was like watching a ballet dancer glide across the stage. And Ken Berry was the first outfielder that I remember making an art out of robbing hitters of home runs. Berry was never a big name, but he was exciting to watch. Anyway, I am sure that you have thick skin, but I wanted to say that if you included Blair and Berry on the list (I never could find the original post), I'm sure it was a good one.
-- Dan J., Des Moines, Iowa.
Blair was all you said, and all I said in the first Inbox mention.
Marty Noble is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
