Tom Brennan - HOUSTON WAS SMART....
Smart franchises know how to win...and how to lose.
Houston's rocketing Astros have built a great team, some of it with luck. But some of it with SMART.
For instance, in the LUCK DEPT., signing Jose Altuve at age 16 as an international signing had some luck, for sure - now still only 5'6", you need some luck with short guys...when the Mets sign short-shorties like 5'7" Branden Kaupe, they play like short people usually do - extremely badly - not like the best player on the planet, short or tall in Jose Altuve.
But the foundation was laid by years of the Astros being dreadful. Losing like mad. But there was a method to the madness...it led to great, early draft picks:
2011 - #11 overall George Springer - Brandon Nimmo was picked by the Mets a mere 2 picks later...I guess the dumb Mets should have been more devoted to losing some more games that season so they could have drafted George Springer, one of Houston's foundation pieces, instead.
2012 - the 'Stros totally cratered, and got rewarded with the first overall pick....a guy named Carlos Friggin' Correa (ok, that's not his middle name, I just wish we had him). Another foundation piece acquired.
2013 - #1 overall - Mark Appel - seemed like a smart pick at the time, but turned out to be a bad pick, as pitchers often do.
2014 - #1 overall - Brady Aiken - the Brady Bunch knucklehead does not sign with Houston, goes #1 again in 2015, but this time to Cleveland - and so far he sucks, too - he turned out to be a bad pick, as pitchers often do. Oh wait, I just said that before.
2015 - #2 overall is Alex Bregman, an already great player who got the game winning hit in the great game 5 win on Sunday. Another foundation piece.
Foundation pieces can be, well, foundational, agreed?
Meanwhile, in Flushing in 2017, brain dead "manager" Terry Collins played his 3 hot remaining vets (Reyes, Aoki, Cabrera) incessantly and obsessively, and thereby slipped to the 6th draft spot in 2018, just barely avoiding plunging to the 8th spot on the season's final day. His stupidity nearly veered into gross stupidity. Fortunately, his gnarly fingers have been pried off of the steering wheel.
Without his idiotic fixation on winning meaningless late season games, maybe the Mets could have ended up with the 3rd or 4th pick instead.
That difference of a few draft slots (3rd or 4th rather than 6th) could well turn out to be the difference between getting a foundation piece...or the next Brandon Nimmo.
The Astros are smart...the Mets are ______________.
You fill in the blank. I know Macks Mets readers are plenty smart enough.
Anyway, I have a 9 part series on Mets drafts starting on Friday...may you read them and be illuminated.
P.S. Going into game 7, it feels reminiscent of the underdog Mets in 1973. Mets also led the series 3-2, and were hopeful in game 6, until Reggie Jackson bested Tom Seaver, then the Mets folded in game 7.
P.S. Going into game 7, it feels reminiscent of the underdog Mets in 1973. Mets also led the series 3-2, and were hopeful in game 6, until Reggie Jackson bested Tom Seaver, then the Mets folded in game 7.
You know my feeling about tanking...
ReplyDeleteFace it when your a "Frugal" Organization in the biggest market you need to be draft aware...
Remember Phil HUmber... you know who was drafted 1 Pick ahead of him Verlander... i believe that was a difference of 2 meaningless wins... And yes there are meaningless wins...
Eddie, great point.
ReplyDeleteI did look back after all - Houston lost 3 more games than the 79-83 Mets in 2010. Mets got Nimmo, Astros got George Springer. You know George, right, Eddie? He's the guy who already has 99 career homers and 6 more in the post-season, not Nimmo.
Sooo glad the Mets wons those 3 extra games in 2010, aren't you?
Hobie and David will tell you how how feel about the whole Springer and Nimmo fiasco.
ReplyDelete2011 DRAFT: - Top 37 Outfielders - (updated rankings)
ReplyDeletePOSTED BY MACK ADE AT 7:54 PM 0 COMMENTS
1. Jackie Bradley –
4-7-10 from: http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/articles/DisplayArticle.aspx? article=2253 - OF Jackie Bradley (South Carolina): Bradley may have set a record in his quick return from a broken hamate bone this spring, so don’t expect to see his true power this spring. He is hitting .360-2-13. He’s a high-level hitter when healthy, with just enough speed to impact the game. His throwing arm? Bradley threw 101 mph from right field at Perfect Game’s 2008 Pre-Draft Showcase.
2. Mikie Mahtook -
12-23-9 fr. http://baseballdraftreport.com/ - SO OF Mikie Mahtook (2011) projects to do just about everything well at the big league level. His tools all grade out as above-average or better, but the gap between where some of his skills currently are and where they ultimately need to be is substantial. Mahtook has made steady progress narrowing that gap since enrolling at LSU, but his performance this spring will be heavily scrutinized by scouts expecting big things out of the potential 2011 first rounder. Mahtook is a plus athlete with above-average raw power, above-average speed, a strong arm, and the potential to play an above-average centerfield as a professional.
3. George Springer – Connecticut – 2009: .358, 16-HR, 57-RBI…
12-20-9 – named 2nd team AA 2010 NCBWA
1-4: named to the 2010 Preseason All-Big East First Team as named by a vote of conference coaches: OF George Springer, So., UConn -.358 BA, 16 HR, 57 RBIs
32. Brandon Nimmo:
6-23-10 from: - http://perfectgame.atinfopop.com/4/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=114295945&f=6174069131&m=3221081702 - Day 1 at TOS: - CF, Brandon Nimmo for the Am. Legion group, showed a quick bat with solid contact and slightly abv ave speed out of the box from the left side, also displayed a solid arm with carry during warmups on the practice diamond. Ran 4.16 and 4.22 and 4.3 on a slight turn on a double.
Tom, as I often say here, I would rather pick a stud position player ahead of a stud pitcher. My reasoning? pitchers get hurt and fail to develop way more often than position players.
ReplyDeleteYou can build around stud position players and sign an ace or two knowing you have a team full of studs who are cheap and in control. Most teams have #3,4,5 type pitchers so you are only paying for a proven ace and either another ace or a #2.
Would 120M payed to Cespedes brought you an ace? depends on the age I guess but its possible.
But with the Mets, there is always something that keeps them from being a great team year after year.
It is either the owners don't want to spend.
The GM can't seem to make great picks.
They can't develop players and keep them healthy.
Keep hiring idiots and put them in charge
Never seem to follow a plan to completion. They want to rebuild, but will play the useless veterans instead and so on and so on.
Now after 7 years of Sandy, the team is still full of holes and the minors leagues are among the worse in the ML. How is this possible?
Well, Sandy and the GM trifecta ignored the international market and are only now starting to get into it but not on the best available players. Totally ignored the Cuban players that have defected and become available.
Stupid organization. No other way of putting it.
Mack, Eddie, this is just a stupid organization. They missed Addison Russell and got Cecchini. On and on.
ReplyDeleteI used this example once: in a 30+ year run of NBA greatness, the San Antonio Spurs managed to tank twice, in two different seasons, and got the # 1 pick both times, David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
The Mets don't even have to sell this strategy as tanking - just "really wanting to give call ups maximum opportunity to play, so they can be better judged and to help get them over the hump and more prepared for the future."
Instead of drafting and developing a cheap Springer, they then have to sign Cespedes types for $27.5 MM a year - I guess the penny wise, pounds foolish Mets really, deep down, like wasting $$ after all.
Mack, your Baseball Draft Report says it all, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteVIPER - we should request the team to change its name from the Mets to the Stupids - because they sure are. Over and over and over.
My draft article series starts Friday - some of it will be preaching to the educated choir here - but the drafting has been mostly been STUPID.
Tom -
ReplyDeleteThis all falls on Sandy's watch.
The Mets had a ++ scouting team under Omar. Sandy fired ALL of them when he came in and replaced them with this crew.
They just are not good at the job they are paid well to do.
(if you just had one job...)
They take their lead from their boss who is also not good at what he is paid to do. He doesn't make trades. He doesn't negotiate with top tier free agents. He avoids the international markets. He doesn't hold losers accountable.
ReplyDeleteTom I cannot say they missed on Russell since he was select ONE pick ahead of us...
ReplyDeletethe whole tanking idea kills me...we lost a draft pick (the year of cuddyer) because we fell to the 11th pick when the top 10 are protected... because we won the last game of the season...
I dont blame the player... I blame the organization... if your not in a position to win (and that mean getting into the playoffs) then you do whats best for the organization and a draft choice is best...
1 spot could be the difference...
I remember the springer draft there were 2 kids from UCONN that came out (the other went to the red sox) but I am always about choosing the best available player.... You cant take nimmo and pass on Jose fernandez... and really there are 100 draft experts out there and you choose the 32nd OF on most projections... can everyone else be idiots...
it means you HAVE TO BE RIGHT...
Oh and I use the Duncan rule all the time... Boston tried to tank that year too... you think they regret trying to take a shot at having Duncan...
Eddie, they DID miss out on Russell by again winning a little too much, winning MEANINGLESS games.
ReplyDeleteYou could probably be sanctioned for overtly sandbagging just to lose more, but if you choose to sit vets and play kids where it is clear that your doing so is not overtly manipulative, you do it IF YOU'RE SMART MGMT...but they are not smart.
Reese - no arguments.
Mack - Sandy needed to know the old adage: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And he "fixed" it all right.
I can’t believe that i’ve Been living and dying with this team for 45 years. Not that I can’t believe that 45 years have gone by. In truth, it feels like 90. I just can’t believe I still care.
ReplyDeleteAdam, so true - for me it's been 56 years. My draft series starts Friday - even though in a way it started with this article - it will further make you wonder why. Employees who work for stupid bosses or stupid companies eventually wake up and leave. Fans can, too.
ReplyDeleteThey picked Chechinni over Corey Seater in 2012 smh. So basically we coulda had Seager and Springer along with conforto if we had won a few less meaningless games in 2010 and aimed for a higher ceiling player in 2012 draft. Cuz I remember reading draft reports about Chechinni before that draft and they all said he had a limited ceiling but was a "sure bet"to make it to the bigs.
ReplyDeletePablo-
ReplyDeleteThe Mets brought Cecchini to Queens about a week before the draft for a private workout.
No one had any report on this guy before that.
The rest is history.
What would Trump have said about the Cecchini decision? "Another Wilpon beauty."
ReplyDelete