Just got to thinking about one of my favorite Mets' pitchers from days gone by, Rick Reed. THE SCAB!
He was not a scab for the Mets at the time, but (per WIkipedia) "in 1995, which was Reed's 10th year of pro ball, he agreed to be a replacement player for the Cincinnati Reds during the baseball strike that started in 1994.
Reed had been scheduled to be the Reds' opening day starter in 1995 if the strike hadn't been settled. He told reporters in 1995 that he sat in his hotel room the weekend before the scheduled start and prayed the strike would end so he wouldn't have to take the mound. "It was their season to start, not mine," Reed said of the regular players.
Up to that point in his 10 year pro career, Reed had (no pun intended) scraped together 250 major league innings during 7 seasons. He added 17 more innings later in 1995 with the Reds, and none in 1996. Over that span, he gave up 154 runs and was 9-15.
The former 26th rounder from 1986 just wasn't very good - at all. Kind of pitched like a 26th rounder would pitch.
He went free agent after 1995 and signed with the Mets. He went 8-10, 3.16 in AAA in 1996 in 182 innings in his 11th season as a pro.
No call up, though. He was, after all, a scab. Once a scab, always a scab.
Entering his 12th baseball career year, one would think little that was good could be expected of Reed.
One would have been thinking WRONG.
Mets closer and MLB union rep John Franco was MAD that the scab named Reed was getting to pitch for his NY Mets.
And from what I understand, Franco did not get over that quickly. Nor did his teammates.
On March 25, 1997 Buster Olney in the NY Times wrote that "Rick Reed got great news today, learning he was all but assured of being the Mets' # 5 starter against the San Francisco Giants on April 5. But he could not turn to others and shake hands and share his happiness. Reed was a replacement player during the players' association strike in spring training of 1995, and teammates ignore him."
Sad. Very sad. He only agreed to it in 1995, from what I understand, to help pay his mother's medical bills.
Funny thing was, Reed's first two Mets starts in early April 1997 totaled 12 innings, in which he allowed NO runs and 4 hits over 12 innings, with 2 walks (both to guess who, Barry Bonds) and 12 Ks.
Of course, Reed's being a Met, Jake deGrom just reminded me, meant that Reed's record after those 2 stellar starts was 0-0.
At the end of April, after 5 starts, Reed had a 1.03 ERA. His ERA after 12 outings? 1.81. What the heck??
It couldn't last forever.
Over his next 15 outings, his ERA climbed to 3.08. Not precipitous, but a climb nonetheless.
Were the wheels about to come off for this journeyman?
Nope, because over his last 6 starts in 1997, spanning 42 innings, he allowed just 10 earned runs.
He finished the year 13-9, 2.89 in 208 innings. His record could have been even better except that he got no decisions in 6 games where he allowed 0 or 1 earned runs.
The next season, 1998, he made the All Star team and went 16-11, 3.48. Take THAT, John Franco!
In his next two Mets seasons (1999 and 2000), his ERA was above 4.00, but he went 11-5 twice despite ERAs above 4.00, then pitched half a season for the Mets at age 36, going 8-6, 3.48 in 2001 and making the All Star team again, but faltered in his last 2 starts as a Mets against the Phils. The last one dropped them 11 games below .500.
He then was shipped off to the Twins for Matt Lawton, a talented outfielder who did not stay with the Mets for long, as he got shipped out by the Mets after 2001 in the ill-fated Robbie Alomar trade.
Overall as a Met, he was a tremendous 59-36, with a 3.66 ERA in 138 starts and 2 relief appearances. He had one more excellent season, going 15-7 with the Twins in 2002.
I personally thought his pitching style as a Met was akin to a poor man's Greg Maddux. Not as good as the Hall of Famer, of course, but similar in style.
Having skinned my knees and elbows many times as a kid, I will say this:
RICK REED WAS MY FAVORITE SCAB!
HE BASICALLY WAS R.A. DICKEY WITHOUT THE KNUCKLER.
Reed's back story was worth hearing as well. His family was suffering from diabetes very badly and he opted to become the scab to get the money to keep them from losing their home. Not all decisions are made out of sheer greed.
ReplyDeleteYep, Reese, a true feel-good story, regardless of John Franco's pique.
ReplyDeleteThe Mets won the game he started in the 2000 WS. Only win that series. Gotta love him for that.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that baseball will always remember a good pitcher and a great man as... a scab.
ReplyDeleteMack, I remember Rick Reed as an excellent player. John Franco can be scab-obsessed if he chooses to. Hopefully he is long past that.
ReplyDeleteJohn, forgot he won that Series game. Neat.
Nice piece Tom. This is one of the two reasons I just never liked John Franco. Just didn’t. Then a few years later, him and Leiter start talking crap to Wilpon about Kazmir because they didn’t want the kid coming up. Reed was a gentleman about things, and needed to be. He was considered a poorman’s Greg Maddux due to great control and working in and out.
ReplyDeleteTexas Gus, up here in Troy NY, Scott Kazmir sat in the crowd keeping the pitching chart the night before he pitched as is customary for the Brooklyn Cyclones when they play here. Between innings, Scott signed autographs and talked to the eager Mets fans who wanted to meet the Mets #1 pick that year. After the game, he sat there for a good 20 minutes or so and signed every autograph that was requested. The next night he went out and pitched 7 scoreless innings. Good head, good arm - of course he has to go. Bring in Zambrano - ahh don't worry about the elbow, it is fine. Just one missed start, no big deal.
DeleteImagine if they had Kazmir in 2006? Different series with the Cards.
Texas Gus, thanks. That corrosive attitude continued beyond Kazmir to Gary Sheffield. Another huge mistake not getting him in his prime, triggered by negative comments from Ventura and Zeile. I remember at the time thinking how much Sheffield’s bat would add, and wishing those two would have just shut up.
ReplyDeleteAgreed Tom - but would have not gave up Jay Payton for Sheffield which is who the Dodgers wanted. Would have tried to get them to take someone else.
Delete