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Even before Luis Castillo, the Mets have not had a tradition of second basemen who could hit.  The offensive statistics you are about to see for the second baseman are not quite at the same level as those held by Mets first basemen and catchers, and for good reason; teams have traditionally sacrificed hitting in favor of defense up the middle.  In fact, many of the good Mets hitting seasons have come by platoon players and mid-year acquisitions.

That said, a few seasons do stand out as particularly good, and we will highlight some of those seasons here.  While the lower reaches of this list may seem pedestrian compared to other positions, there are still some excellent seasons to be found here, and the following players should be respected as great players.

Honorable Mention:  Wally Backman (1982), Ron Hunt (1963)

Both of these players will have future seasons on the list, so I see no reason to waste space here other than these seasons were mostly unnotable.

Dishonorable Mention: Doug Flynn (1978-1981)

I have to point out how horrible a hitter Doug Flynn was in his four seasons as the Mets starting second baseman.  Flynn put up OPS’s of .566, .582, .600, and .539 in his four seasons as starter.  The team had to try to justify Flynn’s existence, since he was part of the Tom Seaver bounty, but he put up the worst, second-worst, fourth-worst, and eighth-worst second base seasons in Mets history, a position where the Mets have had some dreadful hitters.  I mean…imagine a hitter worse than Luis Castillo starting four straight seasons.  I shudder to think.

#10: Wally Backman, 1988

Wally Backman was a great platoon player who was stretched as an everyday player; his career splits show a 128 point gap in batting average, 105 point gap in on-base percentage, and a 160 point gap in slugging.  While Backman was technically a switch-hitter, he simply could not hit left-handed pitching.

By this point in his career, Davey Johnson had realized this; Tim Teufel was acquired in 1986 to hit lefties while Backman hit righties.  While this seemed like a good idea in practice, it didn’t really work; Teufel was bad in 1986 and 1988, but great in 1987, while Backman was good in 1986 and 1988, but awful in 1987.  This would be Backman’s last season in New York, as he was traded to Minnesota the following season.  He continued to platoon around the majors until he retired after being released by Seattle in 1993.

#9: Wally Backman, 1986

This was the first season where Davey turned Backman into a platoon player, and it made a difference.  Restricted to only 62 plate appearances against lefties, Backman hit his slugging high water mark and also saw improvements in batting average and on-base percentage.  He had fewer steals in fewer attempts, but otherwise there are no complaints.  Even with Teufel’s below-average season, the Mets got more out of their second basemen than they had received since the days of Ron Hunt in the 60’s.

#8: Jeff Kent, 1995

No Mets fan wants to see Kent on this list, but between a lack of truly good hitting Mets second basemen and numbers that scream “just good enough,” Kent makes the list.  The impressive number here is the 20 homers – this was only the second time a Mets second baseman had hit 20 homers in a season (he had done this 2 years earlier, though this season was 18 games shorter).  Kent showed power potential, though I don’t think any Mets fan could predict what would happen in San Francisco, and he was never a good defensive player.

That said, the Mets front office clearly gave up on him early.  Kent had started to come into his own as a 20 home run hitter, while Baerga’s numbers were on the decline.  Neither guy was particularly patient at the plate, but Baerga was a guy who had to hit .300 to have a good on-base percentage.  The Mets did get a year younger with Baerga, and he had the better career to that point, but Baerga was finished as an everyday player, whereas Kent would become a Hall of Famer in San Francisco.  I guess sometimes you just never know, but when I see Kent’s numbers, I see him as a guy who was slowly getting better, whereas Baerga was getting worse; I wonder what Steve Phillips saw in 1996.

#7: Jose Valentin, 2006

Pink Panther Mustache makes the list!  It is partly a testament to how bad Mets second basemen have been, but people forget how good Valentin was after he replaced Kaz Matsui at second base; it was a year where he became very valuable because he was able to hit above .240-.250 range.  With a passable OBP and some real slugging contributions (18 homers in 432 plate appearances), Valentin gave the NL East champions good, unexpected production.

This production is something the Mets have missed since Valentin injured himself during the 2007 season.  The Mets were forced to roll with a platoon of Damion Easley and Ruben Gotay, and that worked well until Easley himself was injured.  The Mets didn’t trust the inexperienced Gotay as the everyday second baseman, forcing them to trade for Luis Castillo.  The Mets haven’t had a good second baseman since.  If you are looking for reasons why the Mets have been unable to win the NL East since 2006, below average contributions at second base have to be on the list.

#6: Tim Teufel, 1987

Tim Teufel had a complete anomaly of a season in 1987.  Before and after this season, Teufel would be an average to slightly below average hitter.  His OPS would hover around the .700’s, he’d hit some home runs, draw some walks, but never hit for a high enough average to be a true regular.  He was a good 20th-25th guy on the roster, but that was it.

But not in 1987 – in 1987, Teuf hit the stitches off the ball.  He set career highs in home runs, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and (obviously) OPS.  And on top of all of this, he created the biggest dance craze in New York in 1987, the Teufel Shuffle!  What a year!

He really should have been playing every day, as Backman had a dreadful year and Teufel hit both lefties and righties, but Davey kept the platoon all season.  If given a full season, Teufel would probably have ranked #1 on this list, but I am keeping him at #6 because he played just barely half a season at second base.  It’s a shame.  After this season, injuries and Gregg Jefferies would rob him of playing time, but Teuf can always look back at 1987 with pride as this was a truly remarkable season.  If only he could have gotten another 200 plate appearances…

Up Next: The Top 5

To read the top ten offensive seasons at catcher and the first half of the first basemen lists, click on the links.

Five spots, three players – who had the best season by a Mets first baseman in franchise history?  Let’s take a look.

#5: Keith Hernandez, 1983

Mex’s 1983 would be a candidate to be ranked higher, but he arrived in New York in mid-June, so much like Piazza’s 1998, we are penalizing it just a little.  But make no mistake – this is a fine season.  His .424 OBP set a Mets record that would not be broken for 15 years, and while his extra base hit totals were low, he was an on-base machine on a team that lacked any semblance of an offense.

Keith’s bat is also getting some extra credit, because his arrival, coupled with the promotion of Darryl Strawberry, started a new era in Mets history.   An era where the Mets had…above average hitters.  Those early 80’s teams were some of the worst hitting teams you’ll ever see.  1983 saw a bottoming out; other than Mex and Straw, the team didn’t put a single good hitter on the field.  The times, they were a-changing.  Keith Hernandez and his .858 OPS were the start of that change.

#4: Keith Hernandez, 1984

The change continued in 1984.  With a full season to do some damage for the Mets, Mex delivered in spades, setting his Mets high water marks in batting average and RBIs (if you’re into that sort of thing) and slugging percentage and walks (if you’re into that sort of thing).  This year, the Mets bats were a little less lousy, and the team scored 77 more runs over the year before.  Part of that was from better seasons by guys like Hubie Brooks and George Foster, but part of that was a full season of Keith Hernandez.

#3: Keith Hernandez, 1986

The culmination of the change.  The 1983 Mets didn’t have any above average hitters outside of Mex and Straw; the 1986 Mets had all above average hitters except Rafael Santana.  The 1983 Mets scored 575 runs, won 68 games, and finished with the worst record in the National League; the 1986 Mets scored 783 runs, won 108 games, and finished with the best record in the National League.  Three years, big changes, and it all started with Mex.

Sadly, this will be the last time you’ll see Keith Hernandez on this list.  He was still good in 1987, but he took a small step back.  Likewise, 1988 was also a good year, but a year where Mex would miss time due to injuries.  1989 saw a more drastic erosion in Mex’s skills, and he lost time to Dave Magadan, and was gone the next year.  But 1986?  Mex finished 4th in the MVP voting, he hit well over .300, drew 94 walks just for good measure, and led his team to a championship.  Not too shabby.

#2: Dave Magadan, 1990

“Wait a second,” you’re probably wondering.  “Dave Magadan had the second best season by a Mets first baseman in history?  And not Keith Hernandez?  What?  How?  What’s wrong with you?  Also, your list has no credibility and you are a total fraud of a man.”

Well, first of all, thank you for reading my blog, Keith.  I appreciate your support and I love your commentary on SNY, so I sincerely hope you do not think of this as a slight.

It just so happens that the man who replaced you had a really, REALLY good year.  He would have had to, in order to knock your 1986 season down to #3.  The reason he rates so high is his on-base percentage; take a look at that.  That .417 is quite high, higher than any full season you have on the list.  So is that .328 batting average as well as that .457 slugging percentage.  He even threw in six triples; you had 10 in your entire Mets career!  So give the guy some credit.

Sadly, Magadan was never able to really sustain this level.  The lack of power at first base was a concern; Magadan never topped those 6 homers in a season.  Even in the early 90’s, you had to hit at least double digits in homers to play first base.  After an injury-plagued 1991, Magadan was moved to third base when the Mets signed Eddie Murray, and then became the first significant free agent acquisition by the expansion Marlins in 1993.  Today, he is the hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox, where he would seem to be a perfect fit for their emphasis on plate discipline.

#1: John Olerud, 1998

Surprised?  I wasn’t kidding before when I talked about Olerud being underrated.  Frankly, Olerud’s #1 ranking on this list isn’t even close; only Carlos Delgado ever OPS’d higher than .900 at first base, and Olerud is almost 100 points ahead of him.  That .447 OBP is 20 points higher than any OBP at first base (beating his own 1999 season), and the slugging is also higher than any Mets slugging percentage in history.

Those 62 extra base hits stood as a Mets record by a first baseman until his old Blue Jays teammate Delgado broke the record in 2006 (and as an aside, can you believe that the lead-footed Olerud had 4 triples?  I mean, he only hit 13 for his career!).  197 hits, 31 doubles, 22 homers, 96 walks…everything about this season was excellent.  It is hard to imagine any Mets hitter topping this season, it was that good.

So here’s a debate for you: who was the best hitting Mets first baseman of all time?  Olerud has the breadth; Mex has the depth.  Mex’s 1983-1986 seasons all appear on the list, and his 1987 and 1988 were close.  Olerud only played here three years, but all three are on the list, including holding down #1.  Mex does get extra credit for winning a World Series, and more MVP finishes (although I am loathe to give BBWAA any credit for anything ever).

In the end, it’s probably Mex (so please do not bombard me with hate mail, Keith) but Olerud makes this a tighter race than you might think.  He doesn’t have the ring and he doesn’t have the longevity, but Olerud’s peak on the Mets was very, very good, and his best season ranks with the best season by any Mets hitter.  This list is proud to give the man his due.

One campaign season may be behind us, but another one has begun; the campaign for the next Mets closer.  Much like our most recent presidential election, while there may technically be other candidates on the ballot, when it really gets down to it, we’re left with two choices; Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes.  Everybody in the Mets blogosphere has been quick to endorse one candidate or another; we here at BlueAndOrange.net have been slow to give our endorsement.  Well, it is time to be wishy-washy no longer.  And while our endorsement may not carry the same weight as, say, a Colin Powell, we’re at least on par with the Christopher Buckleys of the world, no?

So it is our pleasure to announce that BlueAndOrange.net has decided to endorse Brian Fuentes to be the next closer for the New York Mets.

Brian brings with him an impressive resume.  Over the course of his eight-year baseball career, Brian has more strikeouts (480) than innings pitched (422), good for an impressive 10.2 K/9 rate.  Unlike other closers on this market, Brian’s strikeout rate also improved from 2007, striking out a ridiculous 11.8 batters per nine innings.  Brian may not have a fancy nickname that involves the letter K, but that doesn’t mean he is a stranger to the statistic.

In addition, Brian has shown excellent control over the course of his career, walking a mere 3.8 batters per nine innings.  Brian is almost 3 times more likely to throw a strikeout than walk a batter over the course of his career, an excellent strikeout-to-walk ratio.  This rate has improved over the course of his career; last year, Brian’s K/BB ratio was 82-22, making him almost four times more likely to throw a strikeout than a walk.  This improvement would make him a valuable asset in any bullpen.

Then there is Brian’s success in keeping balls in the yard.  Despite playing most of his career in Colorado, in the most home run-prone ballpark in the majors, Brian has allowed less than one home run per nine innings, a rate of 0.87 per nine.   Brian’s success in high altitudes would make him a safe bet to continue that success closer to sea level, in a ballpark that figures to favor pitchers more than hitters.

What about Brian’s success against righties?  Well, despite being a lefty, Brian hasn’t had problems getting righties out.  Right handed hitters have managed a mere .690 OPS against Brian for his career, including a mere .320 OBP-against.  To put this in perspective, last year Damion Easley had a .692 OPS, including a .322 OBP.  Brian Fuentes essentially turns right handed hitters into Damion Easley, while turning left-handed hitters into Luis Castillo.  Any pitcher who makes opposing hitters look like the Mets’ failed second base platoon of 2008 has to be pretty good, right?

Brian Fuentes also does not come with an injury risk.  Despite having turned 33 years old this season, Fuentes last pitched fewer than 60 IP in 2004, his second full year in the majors.  Since that time, he has been a safe bet to reach 60 or more innings pitched, without any noticable drop in velocity.  Fuentes’ age is also a benefit; because he is a little older, he is less likely to be in a position to demand a high number of years on this contract, making him easier to insure in case he does suffer an injury.

There is no question, there are some fine closers on the market this year.  However, Brian Fuentes is the finest.  He brings an electrifying blend of power and control to a team that desperately requires it.  There are other closers on the market with marquee names, but Fuentes brings the same quality, perhaps more, at a more reasonable price.  That is why BlueAndOrange.net is proud to endorse Brian Fuentes to become the Mets’ next closer.  We only hope Omar Minaya and the Mets staff feel the same way when they go to the polls this fall.

With yesterday’s article by Ken Davidoff in Newsday, I had to start seriously thinking for the first time that maybe the Mets wouldn’t end up going after Brian Fuentes or Francisco Rodriguez, but rather they’d trade for Bobby Jenks.  I’m still not totally convinced one way or another, but I feel compelled to actually think about things on a more statistical level for the first time.  So I’ve compiled the stats for the three most likely candidates to be the 2009 Mets closer. 

First, I’ve eliminated Trevor Hoffman from the mix because I really don’t see him as a New York guy.  The only reason to even consider him would be as a one-year option to keep the door open to possibly give the closer mantle for 2010 to one of the two young arms in the minor league system, Bobby Parnell or Eddie Kunz. But I highly doubt that the powers that be would allow all the closer on the market right now to go to other teams.

Second, I’ve also eliminated Kerry Wood.  Again, he doesn’t strike me as a New York guy.  He’ll most likely go to a second division team on a one-year deal to show that he can stay healthy.

Third, I’m comparing the three players based solely on the quantitative categories that don’t rely on having decent arms around you in the bullpen. The numbers below are only here to show the effectiveness of the individual closer.  So here we go.

Bobby Jenks:
2008:  57 games, 61.2 IP, 51 hits, 3 HRs, 38 Ks, 17 BBs, 30 saves
2007: 66 games, 65 IP, 45 hits, 2 HRs, 56 Ks, 13 BBs, 40 saves
2006: 67 games, 69.2 IP, 66 hits, 5 HRs, 80 Ks, 31 BBs, 41 saves

Francisco Rodriguez
2008: 76 games, 68.1 IP, 54 hits, 4 HRs, 77 Ks, 34 BBs, 62 saves
2007: 64 games, 67.1 IP, 50 hits, 3 HRs, 90 Ks, 34 BBs, 40 saves
2006: 69 games, 73 IP, 52 hits, 6 HRs, 98 Ks, 28 BBs, 47 saves

Brian Fuentes:
2008: 67 games, 62.2 IP, 47 hits, 3 HRs, 82 Ks, 22 BBs, 30 saves
2007: 64 games, 61.1 IP, 46 hits, 6 HRs, 56 Ks, 23 BBs, 20 saves
2006: 66 games, 65.1 IP, 50 hits, 8 HRs, 73 Ks, 26 BBs, 30 saves

Including saves here is possibly a mistake, because having a high save total is contingent on being placed in games in which your team is winning.  It’s been well reported that Francisco Rodriguez was placed in games only in save situations, whereas the other guys (and all other closers in the game) often find themselves in blowouts or four-run leads.  But it’s worth it if for no other reason than to see how each player responds to pressure. 

Bobby Jenks is young and could possibly be locked up for a couple of years at a very low salary, as low as $1 million per.  With that extremely affordable price tag, you have to consider that it would probably cost the Mets some pretty high-level minor league talent.  Fernando Martinez is the most likely to be traded, but young Wilmer Flores, a 17-year-old who finished the season at Class A Brooklyn could be a target too.  Losing either guy would be a hard blow for the already bereft system.

The big worry with Jenks is that his strikeout total has gone down in each of the last three seasons, and by a pretty dramatic margin. His innings are also down, though not by much, and you have to consider that he spent a good bit of time on the DL in 2008.

Francisco Rodriguez has numbers that speak for themselves.  There’s no need to remind readers that he set the single-season saves record in 2008, or that he’s thrown more innings over the past three years than any of the other closer candidates.  Also, it’s been well-documented that his pitching motion puts a lot of stress on his arm, and that stress worries a lot of scouts about his potential for long-term health. 

With all that said, Rodriguez is undoubtedly the cream of the crop.  His strikeout-to-walk ratio is great and he has proven to be a guy who isn’t bothered by stress.  There is little doubt that he’ll adjust to the pressures of playing in New York, and he will be among the top closers for at least a few more years. 

But despite his agent’s claims that he’s willing to be creative with his contract demands, most in the industry believe that KRod will command the highest annual salary ever for a closer.  He’ll probably ask for something in the neighborhood of $13-15 million per year, and that’s just insane, especially when you add on the $10 million that Billy Wagner will be paid for his rehab time in 2009.  And when you consider all the other bullpen upgrades that the front office will have to pay for, Rodriguez’ price may be too high to make him the first choice.

And that brings us to Brian Fuentes, the free agent who will most likely not be hired back by his old team since the Rockies traded for Huston Street. Fuentes brings a very solid arm and one of the best strikeout-to-walk ratios in the game.  Add that he played for a lousy Rockies team in 2008, and he could easily have saved another 10 to 15 games for a contender. 

The only real downside with Fuentes is that, like Rodriguez, he’ll probably command a huge contract. I’ve not read any expected contract demands yet, but I assume he’ll go for somewhere around $10-11 million per year for maybe four to five years. For all I know, my estimates could be way off, but they’re still high numbers any way you look at it. 

So which of the three would be the best fit for the 2009 Mets?  It’s hard to say.  All three have their upsides, and all three pose certain risks, either financial or health or prospect cost.  It seems that any of them could do the job efficiently, and any of them could be popular figures in Flushing.  I guess all that matters is what Omar thinks is best.

The Mets have been fortunate to be gifted by some pretty good first basemen, not only offensively but defensively as well. Keith Hernandez, John Olerud, Dave Magadan…all could handle the glove as well as the stick.  That said, we don’t care about defense here.  We’re just looking at offense.  And offensively…those three stack up pretty well compared to other Mets’ first basemen.  Here is a list of the top ten first base seasons in Mets history, looking strictly at offense.

Note: because the catcher piece wound up being so long, I have decided to split these up into two parts, not only to make them easier to read, but to drag this out even further to get even more mileage out of this gimmick column.  Win/win, in my opinion.

Honorable Mention:  Donn Clendenon, 1970; Lee Mazzilli, 1980; Ed Kranepool, 1971; Dave Magadan, 1989

Donn Clendenon, a former Pirates slugger, put together his last big year in the majors for a third place Mets team in 1970.  Lee Mazzilli is more famous for being an outfielder, but logged 88 starts at first in 1980 and obliterated the Mets first basemen stolen base record while he was at it (he had 41; next highest is John Milner in 1974 with 10).  Ed Kranepool has many Mets career batting records because he played more games as a Met than anybody in history; 1971 was one of six seasons out of 18 where he was an above average hitter.  It was 1989 when Dave Magadan wrested the first base job away from Keith Hernandez, and he acquitted himself well; he would peak as a hitter in his next season.

#10: Keith Hernandez, 1985

Get used to seeing Mex on this list – he appears more times than any other Met.  His first appearance on the list is a pretty typical Keith Hernandez season; his career lines were .296/.384/.436/.820, so add a home run or two and you’re right there.  The ‘85 Mets were a curious mix of guys having their best Mets seasons (Gary Carter, George Foster, Doc Gooden) and some really bad hitting at 2B, 3B, and SS.  Keith Hernandez, in a way, stood out by being normal; he just chugged along and did what he always did, which is play an excellent first base, hit for a high average, walk at an above average pace, and hit doubles like it was nobody’s business.

Going through the seasons, one thing I came to appreciate about Hernandez is that while he never hit home runs like a first baseman is supposed to, he would always have 30 or more doubles every year.  Those doubles add up, and added to his on-base percentage, which was regularly in the high .300’s/low .400’s, plus first base defense well above the rest of the league, Keith was really able to make up for the fact that he never hit 20 homers a year.  Put Mex at third base, and the lack of home runs is considered more acceptable, and he might make the Hall of Fame, or at least would still be on the ballot.  Alas, he will have to settle for being one of the best Mets of all time.

#9: Carlos Delgado, 2008

A lot of folks think Carlos Delgado lost out on an MVP award because the Mets didn’t make the playoffs.  I am not one of those people, but that said, Delgado’s 2008 has to be the most remarkable year on this list.  Going into June, Delgado’s career looked to be over.  After a disappointing 2007 campaign, Delgado opened 2008 in a dreadful slump, and a Mets team expected to win the NL East was miles out of contention, sitting well below .500.  Rumors were going around that Delgado would be released at the All Star break, and his future looked to be very much in doubt.

Then, Willie Randolph got fired.

Now, I’m not saying that one event has to do with the other, but Delgado took off after Willie’s departure.  Delgado completely destroyed the National League in the month of July, to a tune of .357/.445/.714/1.160.  He cooled off a little in August and September, but continued to hit the living daylights out of the ball in a way he hadn’t in over a year.  If we were ranking top ten half-seasons in Mets history, Delgado’s second half of 2008 may very well rank #1.  Alas, we have to count his abysmal first half as well, so Delgado’s 2008 only ranks 9th.

#8: John Olerud, 1997

This was Olerud’s first season with the Mets, and it was a good one.  The 1996 Mets, despite good production out of guys like Bernard Gilkey, Lance Johnson, and Todd Hundley, chose not to rest on their laurels, going out and upgrading at first base from Butch Huskey, Rico Brogna, and Roberto Petagine (total OPS at first base: .742) to a guy who had finished third in the MVP race as a 24 year old just four years earlier.  And all it cost them was Robert Person.  Pretty good deal, right?

A lot of folks look at the Mike Piazza deal as a turning point in Mets history, but it really began with the Olerud acqusition the year before.  The lineup in 1997 saw fewer holes than the year before.  Bernard Gilkey and Lance Johnson took steps backwards, but Olerud, Huskey (now in right field) and Todd Hundley helped the offense score even more runs than they had in 1996.  Throw in surprisingly good pitching out of Rick Reed and Bobby Jones, an improved bullpen, and a managerial upgrade from Dallas Green to Bobby Valentine, and you have a 17 win improvement over the previous year.  The stage was set for improvement, and it was started by the acquisition of John Olerud.

#7: John Olerud, 1999

If there is anything I hope to achieve with this list, it is that John Olerud may very well be the most underrated Mets position player ever.  This list doesn’t even factor in Olerud’s great defense and all three of his Mets seasons still make the top 8.  The reason Olerud is so underrated is that he only played three years in New York; imagine how much different Mets history had been if they had re-signed him after 1999?  He had four more pretty good years in Seattle; at worst, the Mets still make the World Series with Olerud instead of Zeile, they probably win 4-5 more games in 2001 (which wouldn’t have put them in the playoffs but they’re still competitive), and keeps them from trading for Mo Vaughn in 2002.

Add those four above-average years to Olerud’s resume, and people are talking about him as the best first baseman in Mets history, and he is much more fondly remembered around here.  It’s too bad.  Still, there was a lot to like about Olerud’s last year in New York.  High on-base percentage (second highest in club history), high number of walks, 58 extra base hits for a guy not considered a slugger…other than speed, there wasn’t an area of the game of baseball that Olerud did not excel in 1999.  After this season, the Mets would not have a regular first baseman who could give them Olerud production until they traded for Carlos Delgado in 2006.

#6: Carlos Delgado, 2006

Hey, speak of the devil!  Carlos Delgado’s arrival in 2006 gave the Mets middle of the order slugging they had lacked for years.  Add Carlos Beltran’s resurgence, and suddenly this was a Mets team that had some power; the 2006 Mets hit 25 more home runs than the year before.  Delgado was a big reason for that, as his 38 homers were thirteen more than the combined total of his predecessors in 2005.  Throw in 56 points of on-base percentage and 138 points of slugging, and there’s no question that Carlos Delgado once again made first base an offensive position for the Mets.  Much like John Olerud in 1997, his arrival was a big factor in this team’s turnaround from its previous year.

I often wonder about Delgado’s legacy.  His 2006 was very good on a pretty good Mets team, but it was a small step down from his previous seasons, and he wasn’t the “star” of that team; the stars were Beltran, Wright, and Reyes.  Then there was the disappointing 2007, and the incredibly slow start to 2008, which saw many Mets fans boo him vociferously.  Then came the second half of 2008, where he was hitting exactly like the Toronto version of Delgado, and when fans really started to come around on him in a way they hadn’t in 2006 or 2007.  Delgado should be one of the most fascinating players to watch in 2009; history says that he probably can’t do that 2008 second half again, but if he’s drawing walks and hitting for power out of the 4 hole, he will still be a valuable member of this team.

Up Next: The Top 5

I’m not sure what the purpose of this particular list is, but I felt it necessary to make anyway.

Since 2006, there have been twelve players on World Series teams that are former Mets. (I’m going to take for granted that the Tampa Bay Rays will be making it to the World Series.) Here’s the list:

-Kenny Rogers (2006 Detroit Tigers)
-Vance Wilson (2006 Detroit Tigers)
-Braden Looper (2006 St. Louis Cardinals)
-Jose Vizcaino (2006 St. Louis Cardinals)
-Timo Perez (2006 St. Louis Cardinals)
-Preston Wilson (2006 St. Louis Cardinals)
-Jorge Julio (2007 Colorado Rockies)
-Kaz Matsui (2007 Colorado Rockies)
-Clif Floyd (2007 Tampa Bay Rays)
-Dan Wheeler (2008 Tampa Bay Rays)
-Scott Kazmir (2008 Tampa Bay Rays)
-Chad Bradford (2008 Tampa Bay Rays)

Kenny Rogers was booed out of New York after walking Andruw Jones with the bases loaded to eliminate the Mets from the playoffs in 1999.

Vance Wilson was traded from the Mets before the 2005 season for Anderson Hernandez, whose biggest Mets accomplishment was being the “player to be named later” in the deal for Louis Ayala. Wilson had become expendable after the Mets acquired Ramon Castro for no good reason.

Braden Looper’s middle name is “LaVerne.” He was doomed from the start. In 2005, he blew saves on Opening Day (Pedro Martinez’s first Mets start), on the Sunday of the Mets/Yankees series which would have given the Mets a sweet, and on a day in which the Mets gave up an eight-run lead to the Nationals. Needles to say, when the Mets refused to pick up his option for 2006, the Shea faithful were not unhappy.

Jose Vizcaino hit .270 in his illustrious 2-year Mets career.

Timo Perez will forever be regarded as the man who single-handedly cost the Mets Game 1 of the 2000 World Series. Personally, I hate him for it.

Preston Wilson was traded for Mike Piazza in 1998. I’m okay with this.

Jorge Julio ended up as the lesser part of the deal that also brought John Maine to the Mets for Kris Benson in 2006.

Kaz Matsui hit Opening Day home runs in all three seasons with the Mets. Unfortunately, that Opening Day would be the best day of his year in each of those three seasons.

Cliff Floyd was a good guy, but when his contract was up with the Mets after 2006. Maybe it’s because he missed 180 games in his four seasons.

Dan Wheeler was traded for Adam Seuss in 2004. Umm… yeah…

Chad Bradford pitched well in 70 games for the Mets in 2006, and then left as a free agent. Bastard.

Scott Kazmir never actually played for the Mets, but it still hurts. But for the purposes of my argument, I’m going to ignore Scott Kazmir’s connection to the Mets.

Cliff Floyd and Kenny Rogers were past their primes when they left the Mets. Chad Bradfor and Jorge Julio were good bit parts in the pen, but neither was a superstar. Dan Wheeler had not shown the potential that he so clearly has by that point in his career. Kaz Matsui and Braden Looper could not have been less comfortable playing in New York and they needed to go. The others were all bit players at best.

So this all begs some questions: why do these players find success when they leave the team, but fail to make an impact with the Mets? What makes a bit player help a team to a World Series? What changes when a player is removed from the spotlight of New York? And why do those same bit players often have career years when they play for the Yankees?

Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for any of these questions. But I’m finding it very interesting that there’s so many players in this category.