Before I write this, I just wanted to thank everyone here at TRDMB for giving me the opportunity to voice my opinions and hopefully add some different viewpoints to the site. If anyone has any questions/comments/complaints/compliments they can send me an email at spencerrealdirtymets@gmail.com , send me a tweet at @SpencerDirtyMet , or just drop a comment and I will attempt to answer it there.
Good things take time, one can’t rush through anything and expect the end result to be a good one.
Why can’t some people seem to realize this?
Mets fans all watched as Omar Minaya came in and made the quick fix, bringing together a team of veterans on large contracts that would eventually come within one game of winning the NL Pennant. These same fans also had the privilege of watching that very same team crumble and Omar Minaya lose his job.
The critical flaw of that team was also its strength: the amount of veterans. As the players became older they broke down, and were no longer worth their contracts. The list is long: Tom Glavine, Paul Lo Duca, Carlos Delgado, Pedro Martinez, Luis Castillo, Moises Alou, Billy Wagner, the list goes on and on. All of these signing were thrilling and were great for that 2006 team, but what about after that?
Many fans rightfully saw the problem with Minaya’s team building strategy, and called for his firing. When the new GM Sandy Alderson came in and promised to build a team the “right way,” he meant he was going to build by way of the farm system. He has began doing exactly that, but yet some of the same fans who blamed Minaya for lacking foresight, were now outraged that Sandy didn’t give up payroll flexibility for a player who has only played in 295 games over the last three seasons.
I would be lying if I told you that I wasn’t disappointed when I saw that Jose had signed with Miami, but I understood the move. The Mets now have room to develop young players who can be a part of the next great Mets team, such as Ruben Tejada, and Jordanny Valdespin.
He’s not the only Mets GM to take this route, guess who this following excerpt from the Chicago Tribune is talking about:
His first four seasons, his teams finished a combined 107 games under .500, and most of New York was ready to hang him by his ever-present bow tie.
He had traded Jeff Reardon for Ellis Valentine. (Oof.) He had Dave Kingman stumbling around at first base. (Ugh.) And he forgot to protect Tom Seaver in the free-agent compensation draft. (Arrgh.)
He talked incessantly of his burgeoning farm system and of the better days ahead. He preached patience, patience, patience.
And the good people of New York, being the compassionate and understanding kind of folks they are, wanted to shove him under the next subway train.
If you guessed Frank Cashen, you were right.
So before we begin to call for Sandy’s job, why don’t we all just sit back, be patient, and remember that good things take time.
21 comments
TRS86
3/27/2012-9:01am at 9:01 am (UTC -4)
Nice job rookie.
saltygary
3/27/2012-9:38am at 9:38 am (UTC -4)
Welcome Spencer. Any chance we can put this so called patience in the NYC water supply like the Batman movie.
As long as Sandy becomes more active (which I feel he will) people will come around. There are things to be excited for unfortunately it doesn’t fulfill instant gratification.
NJstuckinTX
3/27/2012-9:45am at 9:45 am (UTC -4)
Welcome aboard.
In today’s day and age, instant gratification can’t come instant enough. So trying to say “be patient” to anyone will get you looks like you have 2 heads. It’s more a sign of the times, unfortunately. That’s why boring Sandy; cantankerous, non-dinner buying Sandy; cold & calculating Sandy; the “How dare he not spend money on this team to be the second coming of the Yankees?” Sandy is so loathed by many, yet respected by the rational masses. Lunatic Fringe going and ruining it for the masses, like normal…
MetsFan4Decades
3/27/2012-9:50am at 9:50 am (UTC -4)
Welcome Spencer. Will enjoy reading the new and different points of view the new authors are bringing here.
Omar Minaya……I liked the plan he outlined when he first got here. He emphasized youth and defense. He emphasized finding talent in the international market.
Then came 2006 and the near miss for the WS. That’s where I believe he deviated from his initial plan. Almost like he couldn’t multi-task. Tried to plug in holes he perceived with aging type players. (M. Alou, anyone?).
Right now I like what I’m hearing from the new FO.
We know what hasn’t worked in the past several years. I’m willing to be patient to see if the new direction will build the type of organization that is a consistent contender.
Ceetar
3/27/2012-9:53am at 9:53 am (UTC -4)
I think Omar’s plan was mostly okay, he just stuck with it too long and was slow to adjust. But whatever, what’s done is done.
counterpoint to the patience argument is that the future is not set, and baseball is full of uncertainty. No plan is fullproof, and no one would be surprised if zero of the Mets pitching prospects become even as much as Mike Pelfrey. You can wait and wait and wait and just never get the window you need to pounce.
MetsFan4Decades
3/27/2012-10:17am at 10:17 am (UTC -4)
‘….no one would be surprised if zero of the Mets pitching prospects become even as much as Mike Pelfrey.’
La-La-La, I can’t hear you, Ceetar……
NJstuckinTX
3/27/2012-10:21am at 10:21 am (UTC -4)
Fear not, the is a distinct differentiation between possible & probable. it’s possible Bayonne will speak clearly and coherently. It’s certainly not probable…
kingman 26
3/27/2012-10:33am at 10:33 am (UTC -4)
Omar’s plan was not a plan.
It was what someone with zero plan and zero foresight does.
But this is precisely what I would expect you to think Ceetar.
Keep the streak alive my man!
TRS86
3/27/2012-10:38am at 10:38 am (UTC -4)
Omar HAD a plan but I think because of the success of 2006 that was actually unexpected I think he abandoned that plan into a win now at all cost with overpriced veterans. I still wonder if that was his plan or the front office?
NJstuckinTX
3/27/2012-10:40am at 10:40 am (UTC -4)
And when you are close to being given the boot, you do all you can to win now. What does Omar care if the team he leaves isn’t left in a good condition?
kingman 26
3/27/2012-10:53am at 10:53 am (UTC -4)
Sorry, but letting Bradford AND Oliver go (check Bradford’s career stats again–check his postseason stats) after 2006 had nothing to do with being about to be given the boot, and is the very best place to begin to examine Omar’s incompetence.
Depth–at any level–was something Omar’s tiny and fragile mind did not comprehend. The huge importance of secondary players to a team as deep as 2006′s (and 1986′s for that matter) was WAY beyond Omar’s comprehension, as he was far too busy trying to figure ways to save money for Oliver Perez’s re-signing.
An excellent pen went to sh*t in 2 years, these non-moves being jobs 1 and 2.
kingman 26
3/27/2012-10:44am at 10:44 am (UTC -4)
I disagree. What was his plan?
To ignore depth, let the minors sag under the weight of his idiot friend Bernazard–we saw FMart and Jesus Feliciano both fail to run out balls as soon as they were promoted—where the hell does this happen?, let the culture of the team become one of pathetic indifference which was clear to all that were willing to see by the end of 2009, let the health/training situation become what it became, and on and on.
Letting Oliver and Bradford go after 2006 was as bad for the Mets as the Colon trade was for the Expos.
I supported Omar along with you, until 2009. Then it became clear that all he was good at was signing veterans whose services were in limited demand, and even then only when he had by far the most money to offer.
Please dispute this with facts?
NJstuckinTX
3/27/2012-10:49am at 10:49 am (UTC -4)
I was ticked off when Bradford went. That was a bad move for sure.
kingman 26
3/27/2012-10:55am at 10:55 am (UTC -4)
When one looks back today–and remember, we just voice hindsight and opinions; it was Omar’s JOB to plan and make the right moves–one can easily view 2-year contracts given to Bradford and Oliver as very possibly being the difference in making the postseason in 2007 and/or 2008.
NJstuckinTX
3/27/2012-10:58am at 10:58 am (UTC -4)
Agreed, 100%.
TRS86
3/27/2012-10:34am at 10:34 am (UTC -4)
Obviously no plan is foolproof however, Sandy’s plan offers more flexibility when things do not work out. Instead of having all the eggs in one overpriced basket if one of these pitchers do not work out then we should still have the financial flexibility as well as the minor league flexibility to go out and acquire what we need.
kingman 26
3/27/2012-10:39am at 10:39 am (UTC -4)
Omar HAD NO plan.
Omar’s “plan” was to–again and again and again–overpay for players others did not really want (certainly not at Omar’s years/salaries) and to do pretty much nothing else.
This goes for everyone from Beltran and Pedro to Ollie and Slappy to Alou and even Schoeneweis. And Bay, KRod, and on and on.
Omar’s legacy in Montreal is one of the worst trades maybe in history and his legacy here is more money spent for less than just about any sports situation ever. Given the freedom and salary he had here, his resume–when you throw in the Colon trade–can be viewed as among the poorer GM resumes in recent years.
And until a bunch of the current kids become stars, please don’t cite Omar’s alleged and mostly mythlogical scouting abilities.
NJstuckinTX
3/27/2012-10:43am at 10:43 am (UTC -4)
Kong, Not to nitpick, but the odds of all 3 of those prospects turning out to be awesome was on par with the odds of me winning the powerball. Hindsight, yeah, it was a horrible trade.
kingman 26
3/27/2012-10:46am at 10:46 am (UTC -4)
Even if ONE turned out great it would have been a horrible trade.
And even the fourth guy, Lee Stevens, had a couple of good years.
He traded basically 4 men of a really good starting 9 for less than half a season of a fat, apathetic, overrated pitcher.
TRS86
3/27/2012-10:44am at 10:44 am (UTC -4)
I think the plan WAS to focus on pitching and defense and in the 2005 and 2006 off-seasons I think they did that and even drafted based on that. After the 2006 success I think that was shot all to hell.
kingman 26
3/27/2012-10:35am at 10:35 am (UTC -4)
Really nice piece and welcome aboard!
Totally agree with this perspective.
And I have been consistently surprised that more people have not used the Cashen/early 1980s comparison.
And the Wilpon finances have put Alderson in an even more difficult role.
Still, he deserves at least two more drafts and a couple more (hopefully more financially secure) offseasons to allow this to develop.
Nice work, and hopefully we will see more from you on this same wise, well thought out plane.