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I just read the first of two headlines I've hoped for since the season began: Bartolo Colón is about to be available. As just appeared on my MLB At Bat ticker, "Big Sexy" has been designated for assignment by the Atlanta Braves. Now, to be clear, I have never wished inefficiency or other struggles on Colón, but I have wished for the day when a reunion with the Mets would be possible.
Based on the numbers, it would appear that the Mets were actually fortuitous in not resigning him this season. After all, as of this blog post, he holds an 8.14 ERA and has allowed six or more earned runs in three of his four most recent starts (in the one start where he let up only two earned runs, he allowed nine total runs). What is most alarming from a Mets-centric view is that he has failed to go deep into games: he has not gone further than five and two thirds innings since April 28th, and his innings pitched for the past three games reads 2.1, 3.2, 4.0. Each reads more like an ERA that the Mets might find enticing... Which brings me to the second of two headlines I have been hoping for... "Bartolo Colón resigned by the Mets." In my fantasy world, this is followed shortly by headlines such as: "Big Sexy is 'Amazin' again" and "Colón's grand slam wins it for New York," and others of that nature... I understand that this is beginning to sound like a wild array of delusions driven by a dreadful season for my favorite team and simply no cause for such a roster decision. Still, speaking more rationally, Colón has long represented more than the sum of his stats for New York fans. He provides experience and energy which is in only moderate supply, and I find it difficult to believe that there are many Mets fans out there who could not think of at least one pitcher they would prefer to see replaced by Bartolo Colón, even considering his struggles thus far this season. Here's another consideration, albeit a narrow one: facing Washington on May 20th, Colón struck out six and allowed only two runs -- one unearned -- across four and a third innings. The result was a win for the Braves, if not for Bartolo. Meanwhile, the Mets have struggled mightily against the Nationals this season. In their April series, the Mets were swept with Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Zack Wheeler taking the mound respectively. Harvey fared the best, lasting seven innings while allowing three runs, but he is not currently available for the Mets. For his part, deGrom has mastered the Nats twice since his loss to them in April, but he could use some help and perhaps Colón could be the right man for the job. Finally, Wheeler's April 29th matchup resulted in a win for the Mets and a very similar stat line to the aforementioned Colón line from May 20th. Really, anything would be better than the Nats vs. Mets game that must not be mentioned. (Let's just say "23-5" and forget the particulars, as well as the aftermath.) I'll leave you with one final argument: Bartolo Colón's season is shaping up just like the Mets' season, with plenty of promise but what feels like only disappointment to show for it. For Mets management, perhaps taking a chance on him would be like taking a chance on themselves, doubling down and stating, yes, we can turn this all around. Have I convinced you yet? Perhaps I haven't even convinced myself, but it's certainly fun to imagine. SOURCES: - "Bartolo Colón." Baseball Reference. Accessed: 29 June 2017. Available: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/colonba01.shtml. During Saturday's Mets-Braves spring training game, the Fox Sports broadcast team made an interesting comment regarding the number on Mets reliever Hansel Robles' back. It likely passed over most viewers as a trivial tidbit regarding the opposition and no cause for additional thought, but as a Mets fan -- and one particularly interested in the aforementioned number -- their comments struck me as worthy of further thought.
As Robles spun his two innings of one-hit, no-run ball and maintained his 0.00 spring ERA, Chip Caray referred to him as "the man that's worn 47 in New York better than anybody else in team history," to which Joe Simpson replied, "You got that right." While I could delve into the history of Mets players who've worn the number 47, that has already been done by Jon Springer and Matthew Silverman in their excellent, interesting book Mets By The Numbers. Indeed, it would make sense to start as they do with the original Met to wear the number, Jay Hook, or to consider talented, memorable, even historic players like Jesse Orosco and Tom Glavine. (Again, check out the aforementioned book for an in-depth review of the history of this and all other Mets jersey numbers over the years.) I, on the other hand, was reminded of a more recent #47, one of my favorite players of the 2010 season: Hisanori Takahashi. My inner -- perhaps inexplicable -- diehard fan instantly wondered if Robles had proven himself moreso than one of my favorite former Mets. A deep dive into the stats, courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, suggests that Robles is indeed poised to be worthy of Caray's statement, though I'm not sure he's quite there yet. After all, though Robles has appeared in well over twice the number of Mets games than Takahashi has, he has only pitched about ten more innings. Their Mets ERAs rest at about the same level (Robles: 3.55; Takahashi: 3.61), and their strikeout-to-walk ratios are nearly identical (Robles: 2.70; Takahashi: 2.65). They have each earned ten wins for the Mets, and Robles has only one more loss (7) than Takahashi (6). Where I would argue Takahashi has exceeded Robles is in the former's preparedness to fulfill any role needed. Throughout the 2010 season, he started twelve games, worked out of the bullpen for the other forty-one, and even became their closer when the role opened up, recording eight saves. Hisanori Takahashi was ready to attempt any role which the Mets needed him to fill, and for that, I heartily enjoyed rooting for him. This being established, Caray's comment has also caused me to reconsider Robles' place in the bigger picture. Again neglecting all but Takahashi for the sake of this focused comparison, Robles has recorded 32 more strikeouts than him as well as fielded his position flawlessly, to name just a couple points on which Robles stands out. Moreover, his success in the postseason -- highlighted by his tossing two shutout innings in the 2015 World Series -- is a significant distinction. Perhaps most notable is that Hansel Robles is not only a current Met but also a reliever who will likely be called on a great deal in the 2017 season as the Mets chase another postseason berth. All indications based on what I've read and seen of his performances are that he will take full advantage of this opportunity to prove himself. For now, I'm holding on to the memory of a past personal favorite, but I welcome the day (that is hopefully coming soon) when I simply have to admit that Hansel Robles is indeed the superior wearer of number 47. SOURCES: - "Mets @ Braves." MLB.tv. Fox Sports, 25 March 2017. - www.baseball-reference.com: Hansel Robles & Hisanori Takahashi - Springer, Jon & Matthew Silverman. Mets By The Numbers: A Complete Team History of the Amazin' Mets by Uniform Number. New York: Sports Publishing, 2016. |
Mets Chats are posts about the New York Mets. They may be editorial, historical, or otherwise in nature. All are invited to read, but be warned that these posts are written by an admittedly biased fan of the Metropolitans!
WftF.com is a blog by a baseball fan -- and a Mets fan specifically -- who is learning his way into the wide world of baseball history, current events, debates, literature, and personal connections to the above.
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