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No Prospects? Homegrown Mets Made an Impact All Weekend


By Mike Silva ~ April 4th, 2011. Filed under: Mike Silva, New York Mets.

All I keep hearing is how “barren” the Mets farm system which even prompted me to ask Sandy Alderson his thoughts on a conference call during Spring Training. For the record he didn’t agree, nor did he care what any of the independent publications had to say. Interesting how during the opening weekend in Florida a total of 10 homegrown players found their way onto the field, and all made an impact.

Take away the obvious two – Wright and Reyes- and you can see recent call ups are becoming important parts of the roster. Ike Davis is quickly becoming another member of the core with his blend of power, plate discipline, and defense at first. Mike Pelfrey struggled, but Jonathon Niese showed a glimpse of what he could be with his 7 inning/2 run performance Saturday night. Bobby Parnell gave you reason to believe he will one day succeed Francisco Rodriguez as the closer. Angel Pagen is hitting in the middle of the order. The same Pagan who was given away by Omar Minaya, and then reacquired for virtually nothing two years later. Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda, and Josh Thole may not be stars, but each seems to be excelling when given the opportunity. Thole is making huge strides both offensively and defensively. Last spring he listened to veterans like Rod Barajas, Henry Blanco, and Chris Coste as he was still learning his trade. This year you see a confidence in the 24 year old as he is taking charge with the pitching staff, and continuing to excel at what he does best: hit. It was his two out single in the ninth on Saturday night that games the Mets a 3-2 lead.

There may be more to come. Reese Haven may still be the second baseman of the future if he could stay healthy. We might see Fernando Martinez or Kirk Nieuwenhuis at some point this year. Let’s not forget Dillon Gee, a useful backend of the rotation starter, and Jenrry Mejia who might be an ace or a closer in waiting. I am not suggesting the Mets system is loaded, but there are many useful parts, maybe even a star or two, that can make for an interesting roster. There are teams that have been bad for a Long time that haven’t produced as many useful players. Maybe this was Omar Minaya’s parting gift after years of terrible management.

Maybe the fans, media, and talk radio blowhards will stop complaining about a quiet offseason and start to talking about how there are some interesting kids to watch at Citi Field this year.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com
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11 Responses to No Prospects? Homegrown Mets Made an Impact All Weekend

  1. Jay
    April 4th, 2011 at 11:08 am

    I agree with your premise yet I can’t help but wonder how much better off the organization would have been in the last few years and would be now if Minaya hadn’t overreacted to the team’s overachieving early in his tenure and forfeiting draft picks through “win now” free agent signings?

    By the way the odd hyperlink to “Long” is hilarious. The RF who was 0′ 0″ tall and weighed 0 lbs. apparently played 1 game for the Louisville Colonels in 1888.

  2. Lee
    April 4th, 2011 at 3:55 pm

    Jay,

    This is the negative thought of mets fans.

    “yet I can’t help but wonder how much better off the organization would have been in the last few years and would be now if Minaya hadn’t overreacted to the team’s overachieving early in his tenure and forfeiting draft picks through “win now” free agent signings?”

    This is in the past. Move forward. Its these thoughts that make mets fans continue to look negative. Every team has had bad signings and such. I’m greatful that the mets are in the hands of Competent professionals from here on out, and on top of that aren’t completely dry down on the farm.

    This is going to be a fun mets team to watch, with young and hungry players all around. Just the energy and excitement alone will have a major boost on the fans enjoying coming out for this team this year.

  3. Keith
    April 4th, 2011 at 4:25 pm

    “terrible management” yet you say he left us with all our farm assets which turned out to be good. he also took us deep into the playoffs in 06 a team which should have won. and he brought in some of the best players our franchise has seen. for every perez and castillo there is a pagan and dickey. terrible? give me a break

  4. AcePPO
    April 4th, 2011 at 4:54 pm

    I was just thinking about this today. You read my mind, sir. Great post.

  5. Mike Silva
    April 4th, 2011 at 5:23 pm

    Keith

    Don’t confuse a good scout with a good executive. I have talked to people that worked under Omar, and to say he was in over his head is an understatement. He failed at basic management principles like the proper way to fire someone (conflict management), strategic thinking, asset allocation, and long term planning. His organization was full of individuals that were more interested in being important than doing a good job. Not to mention a poisonous culture full of backstabbing. He had no respect from anyone top to bottom.

    Omar is a scout, not a GM. There in lies the difference.

  6. Jay
    April 4th, 2011 at 5:43 pm

    @Lee

    I am very well aware that it is 2011 and the Mets are no longer being run by Omar Minaya. I am quite pleased that Sandy Alderson is in charge. I look forward to watching players like Thole and Davis grow, Dickey practice his craft, and Wright and Reyes flourish, confident that the current general manager will do a much better job surrounding them with reasonably priced yet productive talent than the previous one did.

    None of that precludes me from commenting about the past when responding to a post about that very past. It’s not as if that period of time no longer exists and I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t just because someone who doesn’t know me and doesn’t understand the context in which I’m addressing that past finds the very fact that I’m addressing it negative.

  7. USMF
    April 4th, 2011 at 6:04 pm

    Omar did have problems, especially when it came to dealing with the media and signing some “past their prime” players with injury problems. But Omar’s tenure would be looked at in a much better light if Delgado, Beltran, Reyes, Wright and Wags never went down with injuries. Even losing Pete and DL’uque in 06 cost them a shot at the WS. Some of those injuries could be predicted, but many of them were very unexpected.

    As far as the farm goes, I believe a GM’s influence is generally offset for 2-3 years. The Mets system was empty when he took over, and while he mishandled how players got promoted and played, the system is much better now than it was when he took over. It may not be deep, but there is a lot of promising talent.

    But I’m tiered of hearing how crappy the Mets system is and how great the Yankees is. The Mets have an almost all home grown star infield with some good pitching and bench depth.

    Other than Cano (who could be a top five player in the league), who have the Yanks developed in the past 10 years that have done anything in Baseball?

  8. Amazin
    April 4th, 2011 at 7:08 pm

    It looks like the Mets are rebuilding! But they will win at the same time.

  9. Patrick
    April 5th, 2011 at 7:19 am

    Mike, Omar had worn out his welcome, but an executive is only as good as the atmosphere his bosses create for him. The buck stops with the Wilpons and they have consistently allowed poisonous atmospheres to permeate the Mets franchise in the last decade plus of time, from the Steve Phillips era to the bizarre hydra management during Jim Duquette’s tenure to the backstabbing that developed once the Mets collapsed in 2007.

    @Jay you can’t entirely lay blame on Minaya forfeiting first round draft picks during his tenure. Those picks are fleeting and the only one of consequence they lost out on was 2006. 2007 was end of first round, 2009 similar. The Mets got cheap on signing some draft picks, but whats done is done.

  10. just_mlb
    April 5th, 2011 at 9:11 am

    “His organization was full of individuals that were more interested in being important than doing a good job. Not to mention a poisonous culture full of backstabbing.”

    that describes the mets from 1990-2010…

    saying thats an Omar Minaya thing is extremely disingenous.

    there are about 1000 things a GM is responsible for…this was the first time Omar was able to work as a GM and have to ALSO consider the future ( 2 years as GM of the expos shouldnt count)

    and with an ownership in back of him like the wilpons…who have habitually created a back-stabbing culture…i think Omar did better than 99% of the GM’s in baseball under the same circumstances..

    Omar had to QUICKLY turn around BOTH the minor AND major league teams AT THE SAME TIME….

    the Mets have NEVER had a GM able to accomplish BOTH objectives simultanously…

  11. UncleMario
    April 5th, 2011 at 9:56 am

    So who actually gets the credit, Omar or Tony Bernazard?

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