It may not ever come to anything but happened to notice when the Mets today moved to claim lefthanded pitcher Jay Marshall off waivers from the Athletics. Marshall, a true submariner in the Chad Bradford style, continues a trend among Omar Minaya’s Mets teams to include or at least invite a few trick pitchers to camp each year. Marshall this spring will join the lefty-righty siderarm tandem of Pedro Feliciano and Sean Green (and another candidate with an unusual offering, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey). There was Joe Smith and Bradford before that, and guys like Steve Schmoll and Shingo Takatsu were given a shot.
Is this a good thing? I’m not entirely sure. While Feliciano has become one of the Mets’ best weapons vs. rival lefty sluggers and Green and Smith often got grounders when they needed them I’d prefer sometimes they could achieve these successes without also tempting the Mets to try and solve all their problems with matchups and specialists. It can grind games to a halt, for one thing, and all seems so delicate: One specialist springs a leak, and suddenly the whole ship is sinking. We’ve seen it before.
On the other hand, sidearmers are fun to watch when they’re going well and the Mets’ desire to bring these creatures in house indicates some evidence they have a plan, and I like that kind of reassurance.
At any rate, surely we’re in a Golden Age for Met sideslingers. I barely remember a one from my childhood when guys like Kent Tekulve, Elias Sosa and Dan Quisenberry were someone else’s property. David Cone was known to get sideways occasionally, and Jeff Innis was a durable middle-inning submariner for a long stretch, — and there was Jesse –but I’m going blank after that, although I’m sure I’m overlooking a few. Little help?
Submitted by gored82 on Sat, 01/09/2010 – 2:53pm.
How can you forget Terry Leach?
Shame on Me
Submitted by Jon Springer on Sat, 01/09/2010 – 9:45pm.
I knew I was overlooking some. I dig Terry Leach. Read his book!
Steve Schmoll is a stud!!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/10/2010 – 12:54pm.
Steve Schmoll is a stud!! Why did the Mets let him go?? They will live to regret that decision!
Schmoll
Submitted by gored82 on Sun, 01/10/2010 – 3:02pm.
Schmoll is almost 30 and hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2005…who are you kidding?
Leach
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/10/2010 – 6:11pm.
There is a great book written by Richard Grossinger in 2006 titled “The New York Mets” which has a whole chapter talking about Terry Leach.
Terry Leach
Submitted by Chris C (not verified) on Mon, 01/11/2010 – 9:00am.
Terry Leach never seemed to get a fair shake as a Met… He was constantly getting outs, could start, go long and handle short relief. He went 7-0 when the Mets needed him most (as a starter in 1987), yet his job always seemed to be in jeopardy with Davey Johnson at the helm. He probably should have made the All-Star team, but Johnson did nor include Leach.
I was a teen at the time, but I always remembered this guy getting outs while on the mound. He probably deserved better.
FACT: By not giving Steve
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/11/2010 – 10:31am.
FACT: By not giving Steve Schmoll a fair chance to pitch in the bigs, the Mets have brought down upon themselves a myriad of curses, beginning with the 2006 playoffs, and continuing through the 2007 and 2008 collapses and the 2009 disaster.
This curse will not be lifted until the Mets repay both Double-S and society for their sins. Retiring the number he was never issued would be a start.
Steve Schmoll also happens to be a winner in the game of life, which is more than one could say for his detractors.
Johnson said that Leach
Submitted by Ranjrz5 on Mon, 01/11/2010 – 10:38am.
Johnson said that Leach didn’t have enough starts or innings to warrant consideration for the All-Star team… way to support a player who’s doing everything he can for you.
Yes… he went 7-0 in a
Submitted by Chris C (not verified) on Mon, 01/11/2010 – 11:32am.
Yes… he went 7-0 in a pinch for an injury-riddled Mets team and keeps them into contention on the way to an 11-1 record.
If I had the time to look it up, I am sure there would have been precedents to sending those with similar stats to Leach to the All-Star game in the past.
According to Baseball-Reference.com, Leach had a 24-9 record as a Met.
Steve Schmoll hasn’t done himself any favors with the Mets
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/11/2010 – 11:34am.
His clubhouse antics (I won’t go into details) creep everyone out. I guarantee you nobody in the majors would put up with that kind of disturbing behavior.
I demand
Submitted by Jon Springer on Mon, 01/11/2010 – 2:29pm.
I demand all the unsubstantiated dirt on Steve Schmoll immediately.
I seem to recall that the
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/11/2010 – 2:43pm.
I seem to recall that the baseball gossip site called “On the DL” http://itsasecretsohush.blogspot.com/ featured a blind item that some believed referred to Schmoll. I think there was something about groupies, peanut butter and science experiments. He’s a complete and utter nutcase.
“By not giving Steve”
Submitted by gored82 on Mon, 01/11/2010 – 3:45pm.
Oh, give me a break!
Think of all the bum
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/11/2010 – 5:07pm.
Think of all the bum relievers that the Mets have thrown to the wolves over the last few years: Claudio Vargas? Brandon Knight? Jon Adkins? Willie Collazo?
Why not Steve Schmoll? Pray tell, why not Steve Schmoll?
There must be more to the story. Keep in mind, that this is the same organization that didn’t give half a chance to Heath Bell, Brian Bannister, or Matt Lindstrom.
Schmoll
Submitted by gored82 on Mon, 01/11/2010 – 8:37pm.
“There must be more to the story.” Unless, of course, there isn’t…