12/6/17

Reese Kaplan -- Winning Back New York


Tom Brennan raised an interesting question this week vis a vis how the Mets can win back New York from their crosstown rivals in the Bronx.  After all, the Yankees have been known to spend what it takes to win, when something doesn’t work, they spend again, and they boast a long tradition of winning pennants.  That formula has some merit, but bear in mind the Yankees haven’t appeared in a World Series since 2009.  In a “what have you done for me lately” sense, Mets fans can puff out their 2015 chests with pride. 

That being said (and taken with an entire silo of salt), the fact remains that the Mets have also tried an approach with limited success.  For the past seven years they have embraced a veterans-first, trade-the-prospects, burn-the-bullpen and swing-for-the-fences way of doing things.  When relatively healthy, it worked.  Mostly it didn’t.


Well, there’s a new sheriff in town (actually for both NY teams) and the times they are a-changing.  For the Mets gone are the all-or-nothing sluggers like Lucas Duda, Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce.  The $17.2 million man is now in search of a job and Addison Reed did not find Boston Beans to his liking. 

So, tabula rasa, Mickey Callaway…what will you do differently to try to change the culture, the attitude and the results? 

First and foremost, it would be nice to see the players that produce actually get a chance to play.  How demotivating was it to hear surprise from your manager at your All-Star selection by the rest of the league’s peers, or to be benched after a 6-hit game?  In life, in business and in sports a little stroking goes a long way to keeping employees happy, focused and performing at a high level. 

It has been said that Callaway was brought on board due to his strong ability to communicate and his out-of-the-box thinking.  It remains to be seen both how much of that is allowed to happen and whether the front office squelches innovation.  As Marc Carig pointed out in September, it was not a happy clubhouse and a great many players did not even warrant a hello from Callaway’s predecessor.

The next thing to consider is how they want to score runs.  Without some of the occasionally booming bats in the lineup, might the team have to learn to play small ball, hit and run, stealing bases and doing other things that disrupt the opponent’s equilibrium?  Mets fans can remember how an in-his-prime Mookie Wilson or Jose Reyes would get into pitchers’ heads and thus make him concentrate less on getting out the hitter.  I begrudgingly respected those Whitey Herzog Cardinals teams who could beat you from top to bottom by playing hitting singles and doubles.  Is this direction something the club will embrace or continue to fight?  I’m not sure since they hired on Kevin Long disciple Pat Roessler to shepherd the now power-starved crew. 

The most significant change will play to the strengths of Mickey Callaway and new pitching coach Dave Eiland.  The team was supposed to be built on a foundation of pitching, but injuries, flawed approaches and bullpen mismanagement undermined what could have been a staff for the ages.  Can the two-headed pitching whisperers get into the minds of Rafael Montero, Robert Gsellman and others to make them harness the talent that they’ve shown in tantalizing glimpses?  Can a new approach to conditioning, and a keener eye towards who has it and who does not mean greater success and health for the pitchers?  Again, I don’t know.  I do know that despite the old Tom Glavine “Chicks dig the long ball” tagline, good pitching is like watching a maestro at work. 

The third facet of a winning without slugging is strong defense.  In this case, like bullpens and base running, it’s not been an area in which Alderson has wanted to invest.  Defense makes a pitcher’s life easier, but guys who excel at defense often do not do nearly as well with a bat in their hands.  The question is how to strike a balance between wanting to score runs when you’re at the plate and wanting to prevent runs from scoring when the other team is. 

What that means is a guy like Wilmer Flores who was not blessed with strong defensive skills needs to be put into a position where he can do the least damage with the glove and the arm if it’s determined that his bat warrants him being in the lineup regularly.  That could mean 2nd base or it could mean a 1st base platoon (or backup plan) along with Dom Smith.  If not, it means he’s trade bait to an AL club. 

Like many others I hold high hopes with this new beginning.  I want to see people held accountable.  I want good results rewarded and I want someone who doesn’t succeed at least get the opportunity to redeem himself and not be forever thrust into the doghouse alongside Gavin Cecchini.  I want to see veterans sit when they’re not getting it done and I want to see a positivity that’s been missing for a long, long time.  That change in culture can help win back NY, results in the won/lost column are the ultimate barometer.  Good luck, Mr. Callaway.  You’re going to need it…particularly when the payroll sits at 19th of 30 teams.  

29 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Interesting article, Reese. It should be very interesting to see what happens with the Mets going forward. that said, Gavin played like a poor man's Danny Muno in 2017 and made me long for Eric Campbell. He needs to do much, much better.

Unknown said...

Really good read Reese .. good to see you ditch the negativity fir a change

Tom Brennan said...

19th out of 30 in payroll - it would be interesting to see what the correlation is between team payroll levels and team success over a period of time.

bill metsiac said...

Compare the payrolls of the Yankees, who are at or near the top and haven't been to the WS since 2009 with those of the Royals, Indians, Astros.

Money can't buy happiness, and apparently it can't buy World Championships either.

Tom Brennan said...

Bill, no team can permanently buy their way deep into the playoffs and world series. Almost no way the Yanks (or any other team) could have lost the likes of home-grown greats Rivera, Jeter, Williams, and Jorge in a relatively short time and pivoted to the World Series.

Astros had a painful strategy - lose about 110 games 3 years straight to get great picks, and then hope they pan out (on several, they sure did).

I'd say (off the top of my head) that big spending teams are normally in the playoff hunt right down to the wire, or make the playoffs and/or world series. All of which boosts revenues to offset the added payroll costs.

Mack Ade said...

All -

Morning.

Tom Brennan always raises interesting questions.

As for the Callaway led Mets, I expect this to be a pitcher first, limited budget edition. In my opinion, the Wilpons are not going to open the bank to him, in a year that probably is Alderson's last one.

The Wilpons are going to want to see if Callaway can produce the kind of pitching he has done in the past. Let us face it... we have the meat... all someone has to do is figure out a way to keep them healthy. Maybe letting deGrom and Thor pitch past the 'twice around the lineup' theory, while holding the other starters to the new plan, could work if your team is stacked with quality relievers.

Losing Mike Minor yesterday was not a good start.

My guess... better management... better coaching... better training... more time in the gym... more sprints... more stretches... better diets...

Add to this the use of your more quality youth at key positions like first base and shortstop.

Reese Kaplan said...

@Tom -- Gavin Cecchini got a whopping 77 ABs (less than 2 weeks' worth on the entire season) while the 35 year old departing as a free agent led the team in that regard. As I said, hopefully the new sheriff in town can change the way things are done.

Reese Kaplan said...

@Ed Marcus -- thanks for the kind words. I do try to add articles about prospective trades, free agents and the like, but they never seem to generate as much interest. Man bites dog is a story. Dog bites man is not. :)

Unknown said...

When I wrote for numerous Mets related blogs I had the same quandary .. it’s actually quite liberating not to always find new fresh Mets related angles to bitch about lol

Anonymous said...

Nice article, Reese.....I know I made a few statements to you recently about the negative slant that some of your work can take (and rooting for the Mets can do that to all of us).

I think Mickey's influence will help the clubhouse and especially the pitching staff. That should translate into a better product on the field, but there is quite a gap between the Mets and Nats, so we will see.

I don't think the roster is complete and it remains to be seen how the "not so hot" stove season plays out. Your mention of DEFENSE really got my attention, since I have been quietly clamoring (in the comment section) for the Mets to focus more on run suppression and "small ball".

At the end of the day, your run differential is what matters. You can club your opponent to death or you can suffocate them. Both approaches work, but with our roster (pitching should be a strength), I prefer 1980's Cardinals style baseball over the "beer league softball" approach.

The older Cardinals teams you mentioned were also fundamentally sound and they could play defense with the best of them, which was overshadowed by their team speed.

Mike

Tom Brennan said...

Mike, hard but not impossible to build a 1980's Cardinal speed team - one concern is base stealers getting hurt. Lots of ground contact.

Cards had a whopping 314 SBs in 1985.

Reese, Cecchini just had a bad offensive year in Vegas in 2017 - if he hit like he did in Vegas in 2016 (something like 60 points higher than 2017, and with more power), he might have forced his way into more Sept Mets ABs, Terry Collins or not. Gavin's 2017 resume stunk.

bgreg98180 said...

Maybe not.. but it CAN buy consistent contention much easier than less money does.

bill metsiac said...

How about Reese bites Terry? 😊

bill metsiac said...

I find it interesting that many fans, here and elsewhere, advocate pitching and D, while simultaneously asking for more HRs, more Wilmer, and getting rid of Lagares.

Sure, it's great to have a CFer like Willie Mays in his prime, Ozzie Smith in his, and Gil Hodges in his, but reality gets in the way.

Last year we led the league in HRs for most of the season. It didn't get us far. I remember the 1959 Dodgers, who went to the WS title with terrible hitting.

Some may go for the HR guys, some for the Defense, but realize that they don't often go together. Wilmer is the poster boy for that.

Mack Ade said...

Bill -

For the record, I have NEVER called for more home runs.

My first two priorities are starters and middle field defenders.

This would be followed by a quality pen to fit in with the new Mets 'two time around' plans for most of their starters.

bill metsiac said...

I know that, Mack. My priorities are the same as yours, but I would add high OBP to those. This is why I target Dee Gordon over guys like Santana and Bruce.

I like HRs, too, but not at the expense of the other elements. My reference was directed at those who say they want Defense AND Wilmer.

Reese Kaplan said...

I said Wilmer Flores needs to show if his bat -- like Daniel Murphy's -- was sufficiently good to withstand his defense. I also said he has not been given a single position to play uninterrupted for a full season. Maybe at 2B he could survive, maybe at 1B. We don't know since he hasn't had that opportunity. 1B is likely where he belongs as it is arguably the defensive position most accommodating to those with limited skills.

That then calls into question would the club be better off with Dom Smith and his allegedly superior defensive skills there working up to a 20 HR plateau or going with a guy who gave you nearly that much in half a season's worth of ABs, then using Smith as a trade chip?

Mack Ade said...

Reese -

I don't honestly think Flores is ever going to get that chance.

Some players just become labeled as a utility player. I think he has.

Reese Kaplan said...

So if the club has prematurely soured on Dom Smith and you feel Flores is not the answer, are you in the sign Santana/Hosmer/Lind camp?

Mack Ade said...

Reese -

As I've said repeatedly, I would use 2018 as a rebuiding year.

My 2018 infield would be Dom,Wilmer, Rosario, and that dude we just renewed.

I said earlier that I don't expect the Mets to use Wilmer.

I would.

bill metsiac said...

Mack, are you now part of the "go for defense but play Wilmer" crowd? You can't have both. Wilmer's best position is one that does not require a glove.

It reminds me of an old joke about a terrible Dodgers infield - - "What does Wilmer have in common with Michael Jackson (before he died, of course)?

They both wore a glove on one hand for no apparent reason" 😆

bill metsiac said...

Do you remember a Yankees infielder before the age of the DH named Hector "What a pair of hands" Lopez? Can we give Wilmer that nickname? 😈

Mack Ade said...

Bill

I have ALWAYS said that my 2019 second baseman is Luis Guillorme, thus it really doesn't matter to me who plays there next season.

You wanna xplaY there?

Tom Brennan said...

"Homers did not get us far in 2017"...because of the 2nd highest pitcher's ERA in club history. Drop that from 5.02 to 4.02 (still historically high for a Mets team) and 2017's team would have won 15-20 more games.

Mack Ade said...

One of our original MM's writers, Michael Friere. Checks in tommorrow at noon with a post about this team's biggest problem... Runs scored vs runs given up

Mack Ade said...

One of our original MM's writers, Michael Friere. Checks in tommorrow at noon with a post about this team's biggest problem... Runs scored vs runs given up

bill metsiac said...

I've got range and arm that make Wilmer look like a GGer by comparison. 😀

bill metsiac said...

Very true, Tom. As Mack and I have preached, pitching and D are key. But HRs by themselves don't = Runs scored. Guys getting on base in front of singles and doublen can do the trick.

Tom Brennan said...

Agreed, Bill. Hey, as a natural lefty hitter with a 1B glove somewhere, if the Mets don't feel Smith is ready, I am ready to give it a go. They just need to give me advance notice as I haven't been to the batti g range in about 30 years. While my diet is often quite crappy,

I am about the same weight right now as Smith at age 19, I just need to give Barwis a call so I can start getting in shape enough to be on the DL less than David Wright.