Veteran Help Shouldn’t be Overlooked
By Mike Silva ~ September 20th, 2009. Filed under: Mike Silva.
Joseph Pawlikowski of RAB recaps an article from NY Times Tyler Kepner about the influence of Mariano Rivera on Phil Hughes. What better way to learn your trade when studying how the best prepare and handle all situations. This was something that Frank Russo and I talked about with regard to AJ Burnett. During his time in Toronto, Burnett was able to watch Roy Halladay and incorporate aspects of his preparation and mentality into his 2008 season. Needless to say it earned him a long term contract. It’s not only stars that have this type of impact, but aging veteran and fringe bench players. The problem is these types of players are harder to keep on a roster due to financial constraints in the modern game.
Back in January Mike Torrez talked to me about his time with the Mets in 1983-84. Young pitchers like Ron Darling, Walt Terrell, and Doc Gooden all went to Torrez to talk pitching. Remember, Hall of Famer Tom Seaver was also on the staff in 1983, but wasn’t interested in any kind of mentoring role. Even so, watching a Hall of Fame pitcher each night go about his business is invaluable. Obviously the value of Torrez wasn’t on the field (10-17, 4.37), but in helping the early development of key cogs to a future championship team.
A more recent example is Brian Schneider working with prospect Josh Thole the final month of the season. Schneider won’t be back in 2010, he already has stated that publicly, but that hasn’t stopped him from working with Thole defensively. Julio Franco helped bridge the diversity of the Mets clubhouse during his short stint. Many believe he was instrumental in helping Carlos Beltran through his difficulties with the New York fans. It might not be any coincidence that Beltran had the best season of his career in 2006.
It’s not easy to build a roster with the modern finances of the game. The Yankees, as mentioned in Kepner’s piece, have a plethora of veteran examples like Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Derek Jeter. It helps that these players are also stars on the team. Unfortunately, not all teams have that kind of pedigree in the starting lineup. This doesn’t mean you spend $2 million on Alex Cora for his “intangibles”, but it would be wise to bring in veterans that can be a positive influence for your developing players. Look at the antithesis in Tampa where Pat Burrell doesn’t produce (lowest OPS of his career) and when I spoke to someone in the organization seems to be more interested in collecting cash for his weekly “hitting pool”. That is exactly not the kind of guy that a young team needs around the clubhouse. Where are Eric Hinske and Cliff Floyd when you need them?
Not all are stars. Some may be expensive or not much better than “replacement level”, but the positive veterans I have mentioned can be a lot more valuable than simply the numbers they produce. These are the type of players are on every championship and contending team.
