Darren Oliver and the Mets Dynasty That Wasn't
If the last four seasons of Mets baseball have proven anything, it's that winning takes 25 guys, a number that jumps to 35-40 over the course of a regular season.
To me, the single biggest difference between the 2006 team and the '07-'09 varieties was depth. Remember all the injuries to the pitching staff in 2006? Remember all the games Chad Bradford held for us in relief? How many games Endy Chavez won with a walk-off hit after Jose Valentin had tied it?
Sure, Beltran, Delgado, Wright, and Reyes all had monster years. There's no question that those guys were the driving force for that team. But around any "driving force" there's an edifice that chugs along with it; that edifice was strong top to bottom in 2006, and it's been seriously lacking ever since.
To me, a guy who epitomizes that distinction is Darren Oliver. Oliver was our long relief specialist in '06, racking up a 3.44 ERA in 81 innings across 45 games.
In one of the more puzzling moves of his tenure, Omar Minaya decided to let Oliver walk. Oliver signed with Anaheim, with whom he has posted a 15-3 record the past three seasons; in 2009 he sported a fancy 2.71 ERA, besting the 2.88 he set in 2008 (he had a 3.78 ERA in '07).
Meanwhile the Mets have had a string of altogether forgettable mop-up men since parting ways with Oliver. Aaron Sele was handed the job in '07. Jorge Sosa followed, for a time, in '08. This year it was Brian Stokes, I guess.
The decision to let Oliver walk has proven emblematic of the post-2006 Omar Minaya regime. He's done a great job reeling in the big ticket free agents, he's paid a lot of attention to guys 1-5 on the roster, but when it comes to guys 20-25, the same level of attention hasn't been paid.
You want to know why that Mets dynasty never materialized after 2006? A big part of the reason is that our top guys had to be the ones winning us the games; guys like Marlon Anderson simply couldn't do it. When our starter had an off-day, there was no Darren Oliver to hold the deficit where it was and give us a chance to come back.
* * * * *
I wrote last year that it takes a village to win a championship. Maybe moves like signing Henry Blanco and Chris Coste signal a rededication to the back end of the roster. My concern is that there's not enough dollars or players to fill all the team's holes in one offseason, and even if there were, do I trust Minaya has sufficient interest in this element of team construction?
Darren Oliver is an interesting proposition for the Mets. The Angels didn't offer him arbitration, so there should be a lot of competition for him. Based on his track record there's no reason to think he can't be a productive player again in 2010.
I'm not saying he's the answer. But in this offseason of Holliday, Halladay, Bay, and Lackey, it's worth remembering that those aren't the only guys who will be on the Mets next year. A little of those guys goes a long way; but a little of guys like Oliver and Bradford, even if it never wins you a backpage, can end up winning you a lot of ballgames.
It's too late for the mid-'00s dynasty; that ship has sailed. When the next would-be dynasty comes around though, I suspect it will be built both on superstars and talented role players in equal measure.
- A.F.O.M.G.
To me, the single biggest difference between the 2006 team and the '07-'09 varieties was depth. Remember all the injuries to the pitching staff in 2006? Remember all the games Chad Bradford held for us in relief? How many games Endy Chavez won with a walk-off hit after Jose Valentin had tied it?
Sure, Beltran, Delgado, Wright, and Reyes all had monster years. There's no question that those guys were the driving force for that team. But around any "driving force" there's an edifice that chugs along with it; that edifice was strong top to bottom in 2006, and it's been seriously lacking ever since.
In one of the more puzzling moves of his tenure, Omar Minaya decided to let Oliver walk. Oliver signed with Anaheim, with whom he has posted a 15-3 record the past three seasons; in 2009 he sported a fancy 2.71 ERA, besting the 2.88 he set in 2008 (he had a 3.78 ERA in '07).
Meanwhile the Mets have had a string of altogether forgettable mop-up men since parting ways with Oliver. Aaron Sele was handed the job in '07. Jorge Sosa followed, for a time, in '08. This year it was Brian Stokes, I guess.
The decision to let Oliver walk has proven emblematic of the post-2006 Omar Minaya regime. He's done a great job reeling in the big ticket free agents, he's paid a lot of attention to guys 1-5 on the roster, but when it comes to guys 20-25, the same level of attention hasn't been paid.
You want to know why that Mets dynasty never materialized after 2006? A big part of the reason is that our top guys had to be the ones winning us the games; guys like Marlon Anderson simply couldn't do it. When our starter had an off-day, there was no Darren Oliver to hold the deficit where it was and give us a chance to come back.
* * * * *
I wrote last year that it takes a village to win a championship. Maybe moves like signing Henry Blanco and Chris Coste signal a rededication to the back end of the roster. My concern is that there's not enough dollars or players to fill all the team's holes in one offseason, and even if there were, do I trust Minaya has sufficient interest in this element of team construction?
Darren Oliver is an interesting proposition for the Mets. The Angels didn't offer him arbitration, so there should be a lot of competition for him. Based on his track record there's no reason to think he can't be a productive player again in 2010.
I'm not saying he's the answer. But in this offseason of Holliday, Halladay, Bay, and Lackey, it's worth remembering that those aren't the only guys who will be on the Mets next year. A little of those guys goes a long way; but a little of guys like Oliver and Bradford, even if it never wins you a backpage, can end up winning you a lot of ballgames.
It's too late for the mid-'00s dynasty; that ship has sailed. When the next would-be dynasty comes around though, I suspect it will be built both on superstars and talented role players in equal measure.
- A.F.O.M.G.
posted by A Friend of Mr. Glass' at 9:51 AM
1 Comments:
Reading the Post earlier I saw that Joel Sherman talked about the issue of depth in his piece. I still think the Mets should go all out this offseason. They owe it to the fans after last year to make big changes.
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