Oliver wanted more

[Frayed Knot]

Darren Oliver signs with Anaheim

Had a nice year for us - especially for someone coming out of retirement.
But he also worked mostly low-leverage innings and, at age 36, it's not the type of performance that would be a good bet to duplicate.

[Benjamin Grimm]

He's replaceable. He was useful, though. I'll mostly remember him for his six scoreless innings in this important game.

I'll also remember him as my choice to start Game 7 of the NLCS.

[Guest sharpie]

It occurs to me that with Oliver and Cliff Floyd gone and Milledge possibly on the trading block, there might be no African-American Mets next year.

[nymr83]

Los Mets don't like African Americans or Caucasians, they're looking into trading Wright, Loduca, and Glavine to the Tigers for Pudge and two Argentinians to be named later.
sc=very high, incase you couldn't figure it out

[metsmarathon]

sharpie wrote: It occurs to me that with Oliver and Cliff Floyd gone and Milledge possibly on the trading block, there might be no African-American Mets next year.

that's why if we trade lastings, it should be for dontrelle.

[Willets Point]

More?!

[Guest Edgy DC]

sharpie wrote: It occurs to me that with Oliver and Cliff Floyd gone and Milledge possibly on the trading block, there might be no African-American Mets next year.

Well, there's the manager. He counts, like, extra.

[metirish]

And now with Maz joining SNY that's two.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Is Mazzilli a Congolese name?

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Ben Johnson is a brother, I believe.

[Vic Sage]

Fred WILPON:
For what you are about to receive
May the lord make you truly thankful.

Darren OLIVER:
Please, sir... I want some more.

Omar MINAYA:
What?!

OLIVER:
Please, Omar... I want some more.

WILPON:
More!?

MINAYA:
Scratch him!

WILPON:
Cut him!

MINAYA:
release him!

WILPON:
bury him!

MINAYA:
Pounce him!
Trounce him!
Pick him up and bounce him!

WILPON:
Wait!
Before we kick him to the curb
Can you please remind me, Omar, of his name?

MINAYA:
O-li-ver.

WILPON & MINAYA:
Oliver Oliver
As ever before, you bums wanting more!
Oliver Oliver
But don't ask for more
When you don't know what's in store.

MINAYA:
There a dark, bad, franchise
in KC, where now stands Brian Bannister
You could end up there, getting beat on
daily, knocking you down till you fall on your fannister

WILPON & MINAYA:
Oliver Oliver
What will he do when he can't wear black and blue?
He will curse the day
Somebody named him
O-li-ver!

WILPON:
Oliver Oliver
As ever before, you boys wanting more!
Oliver Oliver
But don't ask for more
When you don't know what's in store.

MINAYA:
There's a team in Tampa
Long overdue for a winning year
If we push you out,
you can play in a dome and fall on your derriere!.

WILPON:
Oliver Oliver
As ever before, you boys wanting more!
Oliver Oliver
But don't ask for more
When you don't know what's in store.

MINAYA:
There's a team in SoCal
that's spending to stay competitive
But if they'll pay you that much,
go pitch for the Angels while we get repetitive!

WILPON:
Oliver Oliver
What will we do,
except to say tootle-oo?
We won't rue the day the Angels signed up
O-li-ver!

MINAYA:
Oliver...Oliver
ride him out on a rail,
let them put him on sale,
For the highest bid
Glad to be rid
Of

WILPON & MINAYA:
O-li-ver!

[Frayed Knot]

Tough to resist that Bannister line huh? ... just 'bout wrote itself I bet.

[Guest iramets]

You know, if they'd just change the team name to "The New York Ingrates" or something, I'd be okay with that.

Not that the Mets are especially strong in this unpleasant trait, but this does seem an odd quality of human nature, no? I mean, examine what's just happened here:

A pitcher has a good year for Team A in 2007. He wants a reward for his performance. Team A says "Whaddaya, nuts? You're 36 years old, you specialized low-impact innings, basically you suck eggs, and we're not buying. Sorry. Go peddle ya papers elsewhere, creep. We're done with ya."

But Teams B, C, and D, OTOH, madly bid for his services, on the theory that, since he had a good year in 2007 for Team A, he's a lot better prospect to give THEM a good year in 2008 than their current staff , which they of course are weeding of probable incompetents. So the pitcher signs up with Team C for money he earned pitching for Team A, which deems him unworthy of the raise in salary he craves.

It's not like this is top-secret classified information, is it? Oliver's age, his record, his salary demands, are all public information, and well scrutinized. So why does Anaheim look at it and say "Yum!" and dig in greedily and hungrily, while the Mets push back their plate and say, Uh, no, thank you, I'm full, honestly"? Familiarity breeds contempt?

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I liked Oliver well enough and he did a good job for the Mets last year, but he was (is) an aging middle reliever/spot starter. Not the type of player that I want to see the Mets extending too much money on.

The Angels also gave Gary Matthews, Jr. a multi-year deal worth $10 mil annually. It may be that the Angels aren't the best at value shopping. I say, let them be the one's to overpay for talent.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Ira, are you saying that the Mets should have retained Oliver in gratitude for his good 2007, despite his age?

Didn't you make the opposite argument in Glavine's case?