Oliver Perez is an asshole

[Ceetar]

Well supposedly all he has to do is hang out in sunny Florida, but I still don't know if the Mets guarenteed a return. Just like spring training means nothing, neither does extended spring training.

It doesn't matter if the anonymous whiners have "the teams best interest" in mind. If that's the case, why aren't they advocating the release of Gary Matthews, or the firing of Jerry Manuel. Cause they like them better as a person? Players don't decide what's best for the team. And I still doubt it went down like that. I think most major league players would think Perez would be just fine. Just like they never believe they themselves could possibly fail, they don't think their teammates can either. They always have the talent and ability to win.


err..what' is "nuanced reporting?" and why does what Steve Trachsel did a decade ago have any real relevance on Ollie? I'm sure I could give you dozens of examples where a guy struggled in the rotation, went to the bullpen or had a skipped start and found himself in the rotation again. Didn't Carlos Zambrano already go Rotation->Bullpen->Rotation this year?

[duan]

attgig wrote: so, going by the showbiz correspondent analogy of demeaning and underminding ollie's career, can ollie say... be put in as the catcher and have him catch dickey one batter, and then catch some fastballer? or if it's the major league lifestyle, if he's not promised nice hotel rooms in his contract, can they make his room be the best western across the street? or the locker room attendants maybe not do his laundry or accidently change the back of his jersey from perez to isuck? or how about the guys who think he's a ahole for not accepting a aaa assignment maybe screw with him?

look I'm not arguing that Oliver Perez comes out of this well, I just think it's too simplistic to say "he should just accept going to AAA" as if it's a capital crime if he doesn't.

I do worry that if Omar isn't able to make it happen there's something deeply fucked up in his relationship with Oliver Perez where he's not able to explain how it IS a good idea in a convincing enough matter, but we don't know what they're saying to each other either.

[duan]

Ceetar wrote: err..what' is "nuanced reporting?" and why does what Steve Trachsel did a decade ago have any real relevance on Ollie? I'm sure I could give you dozens of examples where a guy struggled in the rotation, went to the bullpen or had a skipped start and found himself in the rotation again. Didn't Carlos Zambrano already go Rotation->Bullpen->Rotation this year?

them be adam rubin's words, but I'd suggest that he's inferring that a few reporters have talked to Boras and going by what they've alluded to that off the record Boras has acknowledged that he's been trying to talk Oliver Perez into it.

No idea whether that's true but that's what I'd read between the lines.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Howie joins the pile-on.

His behavior towards his employers and his teammates has morphed from desultory to criminal. He is stealing money, not because of his poor performance, but because he continues to refuse the Mets� request to go down to the minor leagues to try and get straightened out.

[metirish]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Howie joins the pile-on. His behavior towards his employers and his teammates has morphed from desultory to criminal. He is stealing money, not because of his poor performance, but because he continues to refuse the Mets� request to go down to the minor leagues to try and get straightened out.

I find it really helps if you read that in Howie's voice. .....

[Chad ochoseis]

Howie wrote: It�s clear that his own teammates are fed up with him and his overtly selfish ways

New information, or just based on the two unnamed Met sources?

Howie wrote: One quick travel note��going from Milwaukee to San Diego is like the part of the Wizard of Oz where the movie goes from black and white to color.

Great cheap shot/non-sequitur, Howie. Milwaukee's a perfectly OK place.

[Guest themetfairy]

Chad Ochoseis wrote: Howie wrote: One quick travel note��going from Milwaukee to San Diego is like the part of the Wizard of Oz where the movie goes from black and white to color. Great cheap shot/non-sequitur, Howie. Milwaukee's a perfectly OK place.

Agreed. Not to dis San Diego, which is lovely, but I really enjoyed my visit to Milwaukee. A nice town with very knowledgeable baseball fans.

[Guest attgig]

pete gammons is saying that boras requested a shrink for ollie....

http://www.metsblog.com/2010/06/01/news-boras-asked-mets-to-send-ollie-to-shrink/

[Guest Edgy DC]

Chad Ochoseis wrote: Great cheap shot/non-sequitur, Howie. Milwaukee's a perfectly OK place.

Unfortunately, pretty much the whole blog post is a cheap shot.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

attgig wrote: pete gammons is saying that boras requested a shrink for ollie.... http://www.metsblog.com/2010/06/01/news-boras-asked-mets-to-send-ollie-to-shrink/

Well, I know I have in the past referred to Perez as a million dollar talent with a ten cent head, but I have refrained from using that terminology since I know that Edgy (and likely some others) found it distasteful and cheap. It would appear that to at least some extent, Boras has some of the same feelings toward his client.

A psychologist may help his control and confidence, but there is more to it than that in my opinion, as evidenced by his loss of velocity. I say set him up with the best sports psychologist in the Buffalo area while he works on his arm strength with the Bisons. If no one of sufficient credentials is acceptable to Boras, then get Perez with one from the New York City area between his starts in Buffalo.

[bmfc1]

Bob Klapisch--surprise--says that the Mets are at fault and that Boras is screwing them over as retribution for the Beltran mess from last winter:

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/060210_Klapisch_Mets_too_gutless_to_stand_up_to_Ollie.html

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's nauseating. This whole thing is so aswirl in opininon stated as fact.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: That's nauseating. This whole thing is so aswirl in opininon stated as fact.

Isn't most things regarding the Mets these days?

And poorly researched. i'm still waiting for the article that talks about the sports pscyhatrist, compares Perez to Pelfrey, and predicts Perez going to him and coming back and going 10-1 down the stretch.

You don't see a lot mentioning Warthen changing Perez's mechanics this offseason/Spring and how it may affect his velocity, or how he did the same with Maine who after blowing him off threw 3 Quality Starts.

Where's the reporter-science telling how how Perez's surgery would have affected his velocity? I'm sure we could get some pitcher turned talking head to mimic a delivery in some studio and indicate something right?

In fact, almost everything is reported as "get Perez out of here" and "how he's hurting the team." and "how it's best for the Mets if he's in Buffalo."


funny, I thought it'd be best for the Mets if he performed like he did in '07-'08 like he was signed to do.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Wow, that's horrible. And gee whiz, Klap says all those things about Boras without even calling him for a comment or to discuss those things. Life as a lazy columnist is pretty sweet, especially when you can take a event and just turn it through your template -- Mets are bad -- and crank out something like in a half hour, leaving the other 7.5 hours of the work day to dream about Derek Jeter's greatness.

[bmfc1]

One of my favorite things about the CPF is MGIM's column critiques. MGIM, you should be an ombudsman.

[Centerfield]

That's a great article. His main points are:

1. The Mets suck. They are too gutless and cheap to cut Perez. If the Mets wanted to win, they'd cut him loose right now.
2. The Mets suck. This is their own fault. They shouldn't have pissed off Boras last winter about Beltran.
3. The Mets suck. They should have never signed Perez to such a big contract in the first place.
4. Perez sucks. He's dumb and has a dead arm.
5. Perez is smart. He knows he sucks and is daring Wilpon to fire him.
6. The Mets suck. They should never have signed Perez to such a big contract in the first place.
7. Wilpon should release him. It's having a bad effect on the other players and preventing them from winning.
8. The Mets suck. Releasing Perez won't change that.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Guest

[bmfc1]

CF gets a BOC nomination for that.

[bmfc1]

The Times says that the Mets want to resolve this by the weekend and that they're talking with Boras.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/sports/baseball/02citifield.html?ref=sports

First class travel? Major league per diem? He's already making $12M per year and he'll be playing along side guys making about $3000/month. He'll be as popular with his Buffalo teammates as he is in NY.

Key passages:

In order to activate Niese, the Mets will have to take someone off the 25-man roster, and they desperately want that player to be Oliver Perez, one of three left-handers whacked around Monday in an 18-6 loss to the Padres.

...

The Mets are working with Scott Boras, the agent for Perez, in the hopes that Perez will accept a temporary demotion by the weekend. General Manager Omar Minaya has been in contact with Boras, who is believed to be open to the idea of trying to help the Mets persuade Perez he should accept the assignment.

The Mets are trying to make the move as painless as possible for Perez, offering certain perks that a minor leaguer normally would not get, including first-class travel and a major league per diem.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Wow, that's horrible. And gee whiz, Klap says all those things about Boras without even calling him for a comment or to discuss those things. Life as a lazy columnist is pretty sweet, especially when you can take a event and just turn it through your template -- Mets are bad -- and crank out something like in a half hour, leaving the other 7.5 hours of the work day to dream about Derek Jeter's greatness.

(Slow Klap)

[Chad ochoseis]

I strongly suspect that Klapisch, just in case, had an article in his top drawer that began as follows:

The Mets threw $20 million down the toilet today.

Jeff Wilpon, rather than give Ollie Perez a chance to work out his own problems, succumbed to pressure and exercised the nuclear option, cutting the pitcher who just two years ago went 3-0 with an 0.89 ERA against the Mets' two most feared rivals, the Yankees and Phillies.

Perez has great stuff and still has time to become a top-flight major league pitcher. And, if he does, every win chalked up to him for some other team will be a reminder of how foolish and gutless the Mets were in cutting him rather than standing up to his critics.


Etc., etc., etc.

[Theoldmole]

CF reads Klapisch so I don't have to. And I couldn't. Couldn't get halfway through.

[MFS62]

The Mets can solve the Ollie situation and while they're at it, earn the undying gratitude of an entire nation. They can solve both problems by stuffing Ollie Perez in the leaking oil pipe in the gulf. Don't worry about how big the pipe is, I'm sure Ollie's ego is big enough to fill it.

Later

[Centerfield]

Chad Ochoseis wrote: I strongly suspect that Klapisch, just in case, had an article in his top drawer that began as follows: The Mets threw $20 million down the toilet today. Jeff Wilpon, rather than give Ollie Perez a chance to work out his own problems, succumbed to pressure and exercised the nuclear option, cutting the pitcher who just two years ago went 3-0 with an 0.89 ERA against the Mets' two most feared rivals, the Yankees and Phillies. Perez has great stuff and still has time to become a top-flight major league pitcher. And, if he does, every win chalked up to him for some other team will be a reminder of how foolish and gutless the Mets were in cutting him rather than standing up to his critics. Etc., etc., etc.

The Mets, having been foolish enough to sign him to that ridiculous 3 year, $36 million contract, should have been honorable enough to stand behind him and help him through his struggle instead of cutting bait at the first sign of trouble.

Pitchers bounce back all the time, it just takes time and patience. Look at how the Yankees were with Philip Hughes. If Hughes had been a Met, he would have been shuttled out ages ago. Instead, the Yankees are reaping the benefits of their loyalty.

Of course, the Yankees could afford to be patient with Hughes, because they weren't dumb enough to give him a ridiculous 3 year, $36 million contract....

[Benjamin Grimm]

Although he hasn't pitched in what seems like forever, Oliver Perez still leads the Mets in walks.

Oliver Perez	33
Mike Pelfrey	31
Johan Santana	30
John Maine	25
Hisanori Takahashi	20
Fernando Nieve	19
Jon Niese	19
Pedro Feliciano	14
Raul Valdes	13
Jenrry Mejia	13
Francisco Rodriguez	12
R. A. Dickey	10
Ryota Igarashi	9
Manny Acosta	8

[metirish]

Acosta with only 8 walks, he should pitch more often.

Edited June 16, 2010 by Guest

[Zvon]

From CBSsportsline::

Perez going to be out a while: The Daily News reports that Oliver Perez (knee tendinitis) is receiving treatment in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and has yet to begin his rehab. Perez is unlikely to return to the Mets when eligible on June 21.

I'd love to see Ollie come back for us this season and do something good,
anything good, from any pitching position or spot we put him in.

But I really think our relationship has suffered permanent damage.

[Fman99]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Although he hasn't pitched in what seems like forever, Oliver Perez still leads the Mets in walks. Oliver Perez 33 Mike Pelfrey 31 Johan Santana 30 John Maine 25 Hisanori Takahashi 20 Fernando Nieve 19 Jon Niese 19 Pedro Feliciano 14 Raul Valdes 13 Jenrry Mejia 13 Francisco Rodriguez 12 R. A. Dickey 10 Ryota Igarashi 9 Manny Acosta 8

That is an amazing stat. Hasn't pitched in the majors since May 31st, hasn't started since May 14th.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

It's all the more amazing for putting him just outside the top 10-- tied for 16th, 12 off your leader, superhuman base-giver-awayer Clayton Kershaw-- in the National League for walks allowed. (Again, he hasn't started for a month.)

[Benjamin Grimm]

Maybe that's why he didn't want to go to the minors. He wanted to keep himself in the race for the NL lead in walks. (Does he get some kind of incentive bonus if he wins the walk title?)

[Fman99]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Maybe that's why he didn't want to go to the minors. He wanted to keep himself in the race for the NL lead in walks. (Does he get some kind of incentive bonus if he wins the walk title?)