A Sound Investment

It is three games into the 2012 season and surprisingly the Mets are undefeated and better yet just got finished sweeping one of their rivals and divisional competition, the Atlanta Braves. It included the season opening return of Johan Santana and the debut of an improved bullpen. The first I'll discuss in a later post, for now I will focus on the bullpen and more specifically one member of that bullpen, Bobby Parnell. Here's a young pitcher who for the past three years has been billed as the future closer of the team, someone who had electric stuff just without the polish to harness it. Fast forward four years after his debut season and glimpse the difference in his approach and you'll see a Jekyll and Hyde tale. Hopefully gone are the days where Bobby would rear back and heave 98+ MPH fastball toward home plate like an unrestrained animal leaping one bound too soon after prey that was acting coy but really gearing up to overcome. So far in his 1 inning of work he showed me what was missing for the previous four years, a solid breaking pitch and the recognition that speed is less effective than location. So what finally clicked with him? Was it the maturity of multiple MLB seasons under his belt? Maybe a bit, I think more of it has to do with the influence of Jason Isringhausen. Last year Sandy Alderson took a gamble and inked an organization friendly one year contract to bring back one of the members of Generation K. Well, looking upon the investment now seems to indicate that it held a golden egg hidden and only know showing itself. Parnell and his new approach is thanks in large part to Izzy's tutelage in showing Bobby how to pitch but also how to throw. No not the heat. The bender. Looking at his appearance against the Braves and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was as though I was looking at a pitcher who knew what he wanted to do and how to do it. Things I refrained from saying when speaking about Parnell in the past.