Familia vs Armando

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Familia, with save No. 37 today is within six saves of the team's single-season record of 43, set by Armando Benitez in 2001.

He's got less than a month to get those six, which might be tough. But considering he wasn't even the closer when the season started, this is amazing!

Benitez (2001) -- 43
Benitez (2000) -- 41
Wagner (2006) -- 40
Franco (1998) -- 38
Familia (2015) -- 37
Franco (1997) -- 36
Rodriguez (2009) -- 35
Wagner (2007) -- 34
Franco (1990) -- 33
Benitez (2002) -- 33

I know Benitez' tenure ended in an ugly way, but should he be in the conversation for the Mets Hall of Fame at some point?

Kudos again to the Ultimate Mets Database for having all these things!

http://ultimatemets.com/yrleaders.php?cattype=p#sv

[Edgy MD]

Should he be? Yes.

Will he be? Anything is possible in the fullness of time, but a lot would have to change.

[Zvon]

I do not want to mention Familia and _______ in the same sentence until after this season is over. Some trauma you never recover from.

[Lefty Specialist]

Zvon wrote: I do not want to mention Familia and _______ in the same sentence until after this season is over. Some trauma you never recover from.

Well, Familia would have to.......oh, I see what you mean.

[soupcan]

Whenever there is an Armando thread I wait gleefully for Centerfield to comment.

[nymr83]

Benitez belongs in the Hall of Piece of Shit Choke Artists, next to Kenny Rogers.

[Edgy MD]

Where does Leiter go? And Franco?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Benitez was fucking great. At his peak, he was as good as any Mets reliever ever and the contenders are an extremely short list anyways. Whaddya want from relievers? That they should never give up a run? The best relievers come into situations where there's practically no margin for error and expectations for these guys are always distorted. They're hardly ever as blameworthy as they're made out to be when they blow an outing.

[Edgy MD]

Kenny Rogers went 5-1 down the stretch for a Mets team that ultimately needed a one-game play-in to get in the post-season at all. Any Mets fan who runs into him should kiss his filthy mouth.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Edgy MD wrote: Kenny Rogers went 5-1 down the stretch for a Mets team that ultimately needed a one-game play-in to get in the post-season at all. Any Mets fan who runs into him should kiss his filthy mouth.

Kenny Rogers was fucking great in 1999 for the Mets. The way he's remembered for that last pitch of the season is about as fair as reducing Beltran's Mets legacy to you know what.

[G-Fafif]

I propose a blanket pardon for all alleged Met villains from Met playoff teams if the Mets win the 2015 World Series. We should be in that good a mood (I include myself and my grudge toward whathisname the former Brave lefty).

[batmagadanleadoff]

G-Fafif wrote: I propose a blanket pardon for all alleged Met villains from Met playoff teams if the Mets win the 2015 World Series. We should be in that good a mood (I include myself and my grudge toward whathisname the former Brave lefty).

I dunno. (See, Timo Perez.)

[seawolf17]

G-Fafif wrote: I propose a blanket pardon for all alleged Met villains from Met playoff teams if the Mets win the 2015 World Series. We should be in that good a mood (I include myself and my grudge toward whathisname the former Brave lefty).

Everybody else, yes. But him? No.

[batmagadanleadoff]

seawolf17 wrote: G-Fafif wrote: I propose a blanket pardon for all alleged Met villains from Met playoff teams if the Mets win the 2015 World Series. We should be in that good a mood (I include myself and my grudge toward whathisname the former Brave lefty). Everybody else, yes. But him? No.

Since when did whathisname the former Brave lefty ever pitch for the Mets in the post-season? He's not even eligible for the proposed pardon.

[seawolf17]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: seawolf17 wrote: G-Fafif wrote: I propose a blanket pardon for all alleged Met villains from Met playoff teams if the Mets win the 2015 World Series. We should be in that good a mood (I include myself and my grudge toward whathisname the former Brave lefty). Everybody else, yes. But him? No. Since when did whathisname the former Brave lefty ever pitch for the Mets in the post-season? He's not even eligible for the proposed pardon.

YES! Good point.

[G-Fafif]

2006.

[G-Fafif]

We wouldn't have to fully forgive the foibles, but we'd have to readily acknowledge the contributions. Timo catalyzed the Mets in 2 playoff rounds. Armando was lights-out in '99 regular season. Rogers never lost at Shea. The former Brave won a pair of games in '06 postseason. Beltran was Beltran most of the time.

Maybe 30 days of goodwill toward Mets until our preferred narratives inevitably take hold again.

[Ceetar]

G-Fafif wrote: 2006.

cruised and costed in an easy Dodgers series.

Pitched great in the Beltran opener.

Mostly kept them in the game 5 thanks to an early Willie hook. 4+, gave up 2 in 4th, single, double in 5th followed by an IBB and a hook.

That's what makes it so galling. He'd really started washing some of that Braves taint off and boom.

[batmagadanleadoff]

G-Fafif wrote: 2006.

Holy moley. The Alzheimer's is coming to get me.

[HahnSolo]

Rogers never gets a chance to choke if the two guys who should have closed the game out before him actually did so.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Back to Familia and his chase for the record, updated after tonight's glorious win.

Benitez (2001) -- 43
Benitez (2000) -- 41
Wagner (2006) -- 40
Familia (2015) -- 38
Franco (1998) -- 38
Franco (1997) -- 36
Rodriguez (2009) -- 35
Wagner (2007) -- 34
Franco (1990) -- 33
Benitez (2002) -- 33

[Zvon]

G-Fafif wrote: We wouldn't have to fully forgive the foibles, but we'd have to readily acknowledge the contributions. Timo catalyzed the Mets in 2 playoff rounds. Armando was lights-out in '99 regular season. Rogers never lost at Shea. The former Brave won a pair of games in '06 postseason. Beltran was Beltran most of the time. Maybe 30 days of goodwill toward Mets until our preferred narratives inevitably take hold again.

It only takes a moment to be traumatized and all the good stuff seeps down the drain. In Armando's case, a collection of moments.
I mean, I remember the good stuff. I'm aware of it. But it doesn't balance out. For me, anyway.

I know. It's not fair.

[G-Fafif]

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: Back to Familia and his chase for the record, updated after tonight's glorious win. Benitez (2001) -- 43 Benitez (2000) -- 41 Wagner (2006) -- 40 Familia (2015) -- 38 Franco (1998) -- 38 Franco (1997) -- 36 Rodriguez (2009) -- 35 Wagner (2007) -- 34 Franco (1990) -- 33 Benitez (2002) -- 33

Would love Familia to have the record, provided the saves are in service to needing him to pitch the ninth. I have this horrible vision of applauding a Jeurys-rigged 44th save and then seeing him lit up when they restart the clock in the part of the year that succeeds the regular season should the Mets be there and Collins being all, "You know, he used a lot of bullets getting to that record, and that was important to him and his agent..."

Also have horrible vision of whatever happened to Bobby Thigpen after his 57-save season?

But I'd love him to have it.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Would love Familia to have the record, provided the saves are in service to needing him to pitch the ninth. I have this horrible vision of applauding a Jeurys-rigged 44th save and then seeing him lit up when they restart the clock in the part of the year that succeeds the regular season should the Mets be there and Collins being all, "You know, he used a lot of bullets getting to that record, and that was important to him and his agent..." Also have horrible vision of whatever happened to Bobby Thigpen after his 57-save season? But I'd love him to have it.

Good call. I just like the idea of him getting a record because it means we're winning games!

[G-Fafif]

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: Would love Familia to have the record, provided the saves are in service to needing him to pitch the ninth. I have this horrible vision of applauding a Jeurys-rigged 44th save and then seeing him lit up when they restart the clock in the part of the year that succeeds the regular season should the Mets be there and Collins being all, "You know, he used a lot of bullets getting to that record, and that was important to him and his agent..." Also have horrible vision of whatever happened to Bobby Thigpen after his 57-save season? But I'd love him to have it. Good call. I just like the idea of him getting a record because it means we're winning games!

That would be the best part.

[stevejrogers]

We wouldn't have to fully forgive the foibles, but we'd have to readily acknowledge the contributions. Timo catalyzed the Mets in 2 playoff rounds. Armando was lights-out in '99 regular season. Rogers never lost at Shea. The former Brave won a pair of games in '06 postseason. Beltran was Beltran most of the time. Maybe 30 days of goodwill toward Mets until our preferred narratives inevitably take hold again. It only takes a moment to be traumatized and all the good stuff seeps down the drain. In Armando's case, a collection of moments. I mean, I remember the good stuff. I'm aware of it. But it doesn't balance out. For me, anyway. I know. It's not fair.

Still trying to figure the moments this author thought traumatized Mets fans to the point of making Messy Fiasco the most hated player in Met history, and the 4th most hated in his rankings.

Hated By: Mets Fans. In a long line of underachieving Mets players, Orosco might just take the cake. He wasted a lot of time in New York in the minds of Mets fans, and that must have been infuriating. He wasn't that mean of a guy or anything, but he never seemed to realize his potential, and that was bad enough in the minds of Mets fans.

Really?! More so than the players listed so far in this thread? On top of his performance in the 1986 postseason?

[Benjamin Grimm]

That's nuts. I have nothing but good memories of Jesse Orosco.

[Edgy MD]

It must be true. This is Rantsports we're talking about.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: It must be true. This is Rantsports we're talking about.

The pinnacle of sports journalism, that place.

[stevejrogers]

Edgy MD wrote: It must be true. This is Rantsports we're talking about.

Some of the picks are spot on, but the majority, like the Orosco one, are pretty much WTF!? Like the author knew a old-ish Met fan in the office and asked "hey, first name that comes to mind when I say spotty reliever?"