Mini-Camp

[Guest themetfairy]

Agreed BG (and michigan). I have constantly said that, like Big Sid, each time out, Ollie Perez is the Met most likely to throw a no-hitter. He's also likely to walk 10. And he's likely to do both in the same game.

[Ceetar]

Santana's gonna be the guy most likely to do it, and if he stays healthy I think he just might. (in which he gets an extension, wins three rings and gets his number on the wall, etc)

I could see Perez doing it too. Wasn't it A.J. Burnett that did it with 9 walks? Or am I thinking of a different ex-Marlin?

I expect good things out of all our pitchers actually. I think they're all going to take a step forward in their careers. I think the Mets expect (but hopefully aren't relying on) good things as well. I think they may have overpaid for Lackey if they thought those three were going to open up at least two roster spots next year.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I don't think there's any evidence that Ollie Perez has any mental issues.

I do think that there's ample evidence that he's wildly inconsistent, usually settling somewhere in terms of seasonal performance in the range between "pretty good" and "most terrible regular starter in the majors." (He may also achieve this level of performance variance within the confines of a single game, or inning.)

Also, there is some evidence that-- like a lot of us-- he has problems keeping himself in shape. I sympathize. But I'm also not paid $12 million dollars annually to perform at an elite level athletically, and, by extension, to keep myself in good enough shape to do so.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Adam Rubin has lobby for conversation during mini-camp with Jerry Manuel... and succeeded. Although I have no idea what he means by "pull an Aaron Heilman" (Wait politely to be given a second chance at starting that never really comes? Have people yell untoward things about his parents after a few early season flame jobs?), interesting tidbits abound:

� I asked, since Daniel Murphy has played multiple positions during his career -- albeit struggling at times defensively -- if Murphy one day could be a Joe McEwing of sorts, with a better bat. Manuel suggested Mark DeRosa may be a better comparison. � Bobby Parnell is solely being looked at for a late-inning relief role. By the way, Parnell in no way pulled an Aaron Heilman, but he does envision himself one day as a starting pitcher. � Pat Misch, despite Omar Minaya mentioning him as a lefty bullpen candidate, is almost exclusively being looked at as a starting pitcher. Manuel believes that because Misch has a Tom Glavine-like style, it's not conducive to relief work. � Manuel confirmed Fernando Nieve is the fifth-starter frontrunner right now.

[metirish]

Pat Misch, despite Omar Minaya mentioning him as a lefty bullpen candidate, is almost exclusively being looked at as a starting pitcher. Manuel believes that because Misch has a Tom Glavine-like style, it's not conducive to relief work.

It's a small thing but lets have the manager and GM on the same page , the whole crew are down there.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I just gotta say, I like Nieve. I'm glad he's going to get a shot.

If he's good, or even serviceable, that's a nice benefit of having not chased down the middling free-agents who'd have cost him his job, maybe.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Aaron Heilman stated openly, and often, that he preferred to be a starter and that he wasn't happy in the bullpen. I'm sure that that's what Rubin is referring to regarding Parnell.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Aaron Heilman stated openly, and often, that he preferred to be a starter and that he wasn't happy in the bullpen. I'm sure that that's what Rubin is referring to regarding Parnell.[/quote:3tlu4bm2]

Only when asked, though, right?

Or is my memory just being REALLY kind to that sad-looking bastich?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I don't know whether or not Heilman required prompting, and if so, how much, but he definitely could have been more circumspect about his beef with his role.

[metirish]

A quick google search reveals his agent spoke openly about it.

Nov.19th 2008

Aaron Heilman doesn't necessarily want out of New York. He just wants out of the bullpen. But if the Mets insist he remain a reliever, Heilman wants to be traded. "The object the entire time has never been to get out of New York," Heilman's agent Mark Rodgers told the Daily News. "The object is to get out of the bullpen. The most success he's ever had as a pitcher has been as a starting pitcher. He was drafted by the Mets as a starting pitcher." A source with knowledge of the Mets' internal discussions suggested there's an organizational split about Heilman - with chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon wanting him to remain and other key front-office personnel favoring a trade. There isn't a shortage of teams that want Heilman as a starter, with the Rockies believed to be among at least six teams intrigued. The Mets have remained adamant that Heilman, who turned 30 last week, will not be considered for a rotation spot. A Met official Wednesday reiterated that the organization is giving no consideration to using Heilman as a starter in '09. That's the case even with Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey and John Maine the only established starters under the team's control. Heilman made 25 starts for the Mets between 2003 and '05. He went 5-13 with a 5.93 ERA. Those statistics include the very beginning of his major-league career, when he struggled before lowering his arm angle. The Mets, fairly or unfairly, have viewed Heilman as primarily a fastball-changeup pitcher, which makes him better suited for relief work. The last time the Mets even allowed for the possibility of Heilman moving back to the rotation came during spring training in 2006. Before that, he had spent the offseason participating in winter ball in the Dominican Republic in an attempt to regain a starting role. He dominated in the Grapefruit League that year, with a 1.29 ERA and 11 strikeouts and no walks in 14 innings. The Mets instead awarded Brian Bannister that fifth starter's role, albeit after the rookie posted a 0.95 ERA in the spring. Heilman came to believe that the battle was heavily weighted against him, and that the Mets had let him go to winter ball to prepare for a starting role only to appease him. The righthander did go on to excel in a relief role in '06, combining with Duaner Sanchez and then Guillermo Mota to serve as a bridge to Billy Wagner. That was until, of course, Heilman served up that homer to Yadier Molina in Game 7 of the NLCS. Heilman's starting resume includes an April 15, 2005 one-hit shutout against the Marlins, in which Luis Castillo's fourth-inning infield single was the lone hit. Heilman has four years, 123 days of major-league service time. He is arbitration eligible, and can't be a free agent until after the 2010 season - his six-year service time threshold. Although Heilman often gets flak on talk radio because of his desire to return to starting, he is never disruptive in the clubhouse and addresses the subject only when asked. "The objective is not to be traded," Rodgers said. "The objective is to get out of the bullpen." Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2008/11/19/2008-11-19_aaron_heilman_wants_starting_role_with_m.html#ixzz0dqRlrQ8u

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Flerg. It's like I was quoting this:

Although Heilman often gets flak on talk radio because of his desire to return to starting, he is never disruptive in the clubhouse and addresses the subject only when asked.

I do like the idea of Murph as SuperDan.

And I like Nieve... but if Niese's better in ST, does he get the slot? Figs?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Has he started any games since he left the Mets? I'm guessing he probably hasn't.

[Guest holychicken]

What else would explain ollie's issues if it isn't mental? Does his arm change length after every pitch and seemingly get stuck at the "bad" length when he starts to walk people or something doesn't go his way? It may be hard to prove one way or another, but how else would you explain it? He certainly looks like he gets frazzled easily and often when he gets that look, there is a good chance they are in for a long inning.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

RE: Aaron f'ing Heilman

70 games. In all of them, he was taking some other guy's ball.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

What else would explain ollie's issues if it isn't mental? Does his arm change length after every pitch and seemingly get stuck at the "bad" length when he starts to walk people or something doesn't go his way? It may be hard to prove one way or another, but how else would you explain it? He certainly looks like he gets frazzled easily and often when he gets that look, there is a good chance they are in for a long inning.[/quote:1rl63v81]


Well last season he was dealing with tendonitis, a kind of niggling injury that isn't completely devastating, just enough to mess up max effort. I think that's part of it. It was bad enough to eventually require surgery. I think he might be an idiot for allowing himself to get into the kind of shape where tendonitis could develop, but seems like nobody considers the fact that physical woes have anything to do with it.

[metsmarathon]

I don't think there's any evidence Oliver Perez ever had any mental issues.[/quote:3lq9ho6m]

if by mental issues, we mean a lack of focus, or maybe confidence, or perhaps even a stubborness against instruction, then, sure, he's probably got mental issues in the same sense that all of us probably have mental issues.

if by mental issues, you mean something that can and should be diagnsed and treated by a trained professional, and perhaps even be treated pharmacologically, then no, i don't think there's any evidence that he has them, and get rather annoyed when "mental problems" get tossed around as an easy insult (not to, uh, be that guy).

[metirish]

Ollie was a pretty good student with Peterson.