Shall We Deliberate Over the Matter of Rich Hill?

[Edgy MD]

I dreamed I saw Rich Hill last night, reported to be a target of interest for the Mets organization.



Hill is about as definitive a representative of "veteran lefthander" as there be. He's also a victim of the modern age, having participated in all or parts of 16 big league seasons, starting more often than relieving, but only notching 111 decisions. He's a guy you plug in when something else doesn't work out, but it usually works out with him, almost never posting an ERA over 4.00, sometimes having his control betray him, but always keeping the ball down. He throws curve after curve, in different spots and at any point in the count.



He's hit-and-miss on staying healthy, so as long as you're not looking for a guaranteed 30 starts, but using him as an insurance hedge on somebody else, he's a good guy to have in uniform, assuming you have room for him. He would also provide a rare time in Mets history (though I'm not sure if it would be the first) when a player in uniform was older than the manager.



[fimg=500]https://bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/Aow7_8EJpHKVaTC4jo63cpEtoLI=/1440x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-bostonglobe.s3.amazonaws.com/public/EQGIOBN4NJD6PEKBPOWG6XNLBY.jpg[/fimg]

[Benjamin Grimm]

Did he once throw a perfect game?

[Edgy MD]

Close. He's the only pitcher in big league history to have a perfect game wrecked by a fielding error in the ninth.



He ended up losing in the 10th on a walkoff homer.

[smg58]

Not sure of the need as a starter, or his willingness to take a bullpen role. But he's good when he's healthy, and has more lives than a cat.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I've confirmed that no Mets player has ever been older than his manager. But there have been a few times when an opposing player was older than the Mets manager.



Warren Spahn was older than Wes Westrum.



Hoyt Wilhelm was older than Gil Hodges and Yogi Berra.



Dave Guisti, Manny Mota, Willie McCovey, Vic Davalillo, Lou Brock, Gaylord Perry, Willie Stargell, Woodie Fryman, Phil Niekro, and Jim Kaat were older than Joe Torre.



Pete Rose, Tony Perez, and Jerry Koosman were older than Davey Johnson.



And Erik Kratz was older than Luis Rojas.



Nobody was older than Casey Stengel.

[Edgy MD]

My guess is that the closest Mets to "older than his manager" were Rusty Staub in 1984 and 1985, and maybe José Bautista in 2018.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Well, the closest is Joe Torre to Joe Torre.



After that, it's Robinson Cano/Luis Rojas. But your guess would have been correct prior to 2020.



Then:



Rusty Staub/Davey Johnson

Rene Rivera/Luis Rojas

Jerry Grote/Joe Torre

Jerry Koosman/Joe Torre

Larry Bowa/Davey Johnson

Mike Marshall/Joe Torre

Robinson Chirinos/Luis Rojas

Felix Millan/Joe Torre

Jose Cardenal/Joe Torre

Mike Torrez/Davey Johnson

Tom Paciorek/Davey Johnson

Rusty Staub/Joe Torre

Rick Cerone/Mike Cubbage



Staub and Johnson were born 427 days apart. Cano and Rojas 416.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

For a guy with his lengthy experience I barely ever taken notice of Rich Hill. The nondescript name (he should gone by Ricky Hill or Richie Hill), less-than-sexy numbers, the parade of employers, etc.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, I've almost called him "Ken Hill" once or twice already.

[Willets Point]

He also goes by Dick Mountain.

[smg58]

Willets Point wrote: He also goes by Dick Mountain.

I wasn't aware that his side hobby was common knowledge.

[Centerfield]

I'm guessing this dream dies if we sign Bauer today.

[LWFS]

He's got a big, loopy curveball and is basically the best case future Matz, or what Zito would be if Zito lasted.



Plus, he remembers the nineties. Like, in person! We need more of that on this TikTok-y, meme-talking, whippersnapper-heavy team.

[Edgy MD]

"Rich, what were you thinking when Freddie Freeman came up with tying runs on in the sixth?"



"Well, I got him on a change in the dirt in the first. And when I got two strikes this time, McCannsie signaled for another one of those. But I was all 'Don't go chasin' waterfalls!'"

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: "Well, I got him on a change in the dirt in the first. And when I got two strikes this time, McCannsie signaled for another one of those. But I was all 'Don't go chasin' waterfalls!'"

Jared Porter was offering some TLC and look at the trouble he got into.



Later

[LWFS]

Curveball porn? WHOOT, THERE IT IS*



[YOUTUBE]Zalb4aZD4Vo[/YOUTUBE]























*More dirty-Miami-bass-y/superior to (and released a month before) "Whoomp"

[MFS62]

From The Long Season(catcher to batter. Or was it Joe Garagiola's book?), "We both know what you're getting. But neither of us knows which direction it's coming from."



Later

[Fman99]

Curveball porn? WHOOT, THERE IT IS* [YOUTUBE]Zalb4aZD4Vo[/YOUTUBE]

For all the talk in the world of the 12-6 curveball this is a really nice 10:30-4:30 thing he has working.

[Edgy MD]

Also, 10:30-to-4:30 is my idea of a fine workday.