With a 97 win season staring us in the face, it is easy to forget just how much adversity the Mets faced to get themselves to the post season this year. With Reyes and Beltran turning in MVP seasons, you can lose sight of the fact that this is a team that lost 4 starting pitchers, their best reliever and both corner outfielders over the course of the season never let it phase them. In addition to the obvious power, speed and defense, this is a team built with incredible depth. So, when the word came down that NLDS Game 1 starter Orlando Hernandez might miss his start, with Pedro already down, the Mets are not panicking. After all, look what they endured on their way to the best record in baseball (I know, co-best record in baseball):
April: Bannister Goes to the DL
May:
Nady goes on the DL
Bannister gets transferred from 15 day DL to 60 day DL
Zambrano goes out for the season
June: Mets endure Eli Marrerro on the roster. Mange to win anyway
Floyd goes on the DL
July: Pedro goes on DL
Duaner Sanchez goes on DL
August: Ramon Castro goes on DL
Cliff And Pedro both go back on DL
September: We find Pedro won’t see the ball in the post season
El Duque was brought in for a start just like today's. He is G-Money in Post-season ball with a 12-3 lifetime record. Yea, it sucked losing Pedro last week and absolutely, I woulda liked El Duque taking the hill for Game 1, but our plan B is not as bad as it could be after potentially losing 50% of our post-season rotation in less than a week.
There are three ways the Hernandez situation can play out:
A) He misses one start
B) He misses the entire NLDS
C) He wakes up feeling better tomorrow and takes the ball for game 1
Looking towards the worst-case options, there are a few directions the Mets can go. If I ran the place, here’s what I would do:
A) He misses one start – I’d start John Maine in Game 1 and do it without blinking.
B) He misses the entire NLDS – Maine Still starts game 1 and we need to choose between one of two options as far as I can see.
The talk is to start Oliver Perez or Dave Williams. I like both of these guys and
while I don’t think it’s the best option, I would be ok with one of these guys
pitching game 4 with Darren Oliver ready to come in at the first sign of trouble.
I think a better option is the reverse. I would give Darren Oliver the ball in Game 4.
He has done everything hes been asked to do this year and done it brilliantly. I have
no doubt in my mind he would give us 6 excellent innings. The void in mid-game
relief can be filled with “long-relief-by-committee”. Roberto Hernandez, Bradford and
Feliciano work a little harder and Bannister or Dave Williams slide into the Oliver role
and take the ball if a starter implodes. Mota, Heilman and Wagner get to maintain
the late inning roles in which they have been nothing short of spectacular.
The only reason this works is because our offense is so potent and our bullpen is so brilliant. Most teams would lose with the cards we’ve been dealt. I don’t think we will. We have the offensive firepower to get a lead early….we have done it all year. More importantly we have a bullpen that shortens the game to a 6 inning contest. Staring down the barrel of the Mota/Heilman/Wagner late-inning gun, we are a very, VERY tough team to come back against. So, while its not a murderers row, I trust Glavine,
This is a team that has played like champions all year…..guys picking each other up, walk-off come-back wins, beautiful defense, speed, heart and a real love of playing together. It is not a fluke that they have overcome a lot to get here and it will not be a fluke when the bats, bullpen and defense give the patchwork rotation the support they need to beat the Dodgers in the NLDS.
