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Peter Gammons Checks In...THE BEST PITCHER ON THE PLANET!!!!...
...and offers the following on the Mets' acquisition of Johan Santana:
On Omar:
Minaya deserve immense credit for holding on to the vision that what he most needed wasn't Livan Hernandez or Kyle Lohse, but rather a legitimate ace. Now Pedro Martinez can just pitch at whatever pace he needs, and John Maine and Oliver Perez are backed up into more comfortable roles in the middle of the Mets' rotation. And if Mike Pelphrey develops a swing-and-miss breaking ball, Minaya will still have the best arm in the organization.
On The Roster:
Fred and Jeff Wlipon deserve credit for looking at their marvelous ballpark opening in 2009 and be willing to spend the money to have a 30-year old superstar left-hander in Santana to pitch that home opener, a 30-year-old whose athleticism, delivery and intensity should carry him right through his mid-30's. They'll have $76 million tied up in Santana, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Martinez and Billy Wagner, but they also have David Wright and Jose Reyes, who are the best young players in the sport, for a combined $9 million in '08, the last fully guaranteed year of Delgado's contract.
On Santana:
On Omar:
Minaya deserve immense credit for holding on to the vision that what he most needed wasn't Livan Hernandez or Kyle Lohse, but rather a legitimate ace. Now Pedro Martinez can just pitch at whatever pace he needs, and John Maine and Oliver Perez are backed up into more comfortable roles in the middle of the Mets' rotation. And if Mike Pelphrey develops a swing-and-miss breaking ball, Minaya will still have the best arm in the organization.
On The Roster:
Fred and Jeff Wlipon deserve credit for looking at their marvelous ballpark opening in 2009 and be willing to spend the money to have a 30-year old superstar left-hander in Santana to pitch that home opener, a 30-year-old whose athleticism, delivery and intensity should carry him right through his mid-30's. They'll have $76 million tied up in Santana, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Martinez and Billy Wagner, but they also have David Wright and Jose Reyes, who are the best young players in the sport, for a combined $9 million in '08, the last fully guaranteed year of Delgado's contract.
On Santana:
Even when he struggled in the last five weeks of last season when he lost his slider, Santana was only down 1-2 mph in velocity and the Indians, who won every one of their five matchups with him, say his stuff was as good as ever. The delivery and arm speed that makes his changeup so great shouldn't diminish in the seven years of his contract with the Mets, barring a freak injury.
Since Santana went into the Twins' rotation for good on July 11, 2003, he is the winningest pitcher in the game at 78-34; Roy Oswalt and Carlos Zambrano are next, with 74 and 71 wins respectively. Among pitchers who have thrown a minimum of 750 innings in those 4½ seasons, Santana has the lowest ERA (2.92) and the most strikeouts per nine innings (9.63).
In sum:
But, for now, the Mets had the money, they were in the right place and Minaya never gave up. In the wars of the ballpark openings, regional television networks and NY Back Pages, the Mets have struck a mighty blow.
And in the National League East, where the Phillies and Braves are very good and very aggressive, the Mets now have what no one else has.
The best pitcher on the planet.
Since Santana went into the Twins' rotation for good on July 11, 2003, he is the winningest pitcher in the game at 78-34; Roy Oswalt and Carlos Zambrano are next, with 74 and 71 wins respectively. Among pitchers who have thrown a minimum of 750 innings in those 4½ seasons, Santana has the lowest ERA (2.92) and the most strikeouts per nine innings (9.63).
In sum:
But, for now, the Mets had the money, they were in the right place and Minaya never gave up. In the wars of the ballpark openings, regional television networks and NY Back Pages, the Mets have struck a mighty blow.
And in the National League East, where the Phillies and Braves are very good and very aggressive, the Mets now have what no one else has.
The best pitcher on the planet.
Peter, no one could have said it better!!!
3 comments:
you know it!!!!!!!!!!!!
someone pinch me
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