Speaking of Old Guys...and Hamilton

My last column extolled the virtues of teamwork. The Mets, stocked with so many minor leaguers who had played together in places like Buffalo, seemed to pull for one another , especially in the clutch, leading to victory after victory. What I had said was true then and, even after two total breakdowns by free agent Frank Francisco and the rest of the bullpen, it is still true now. Francisco has been a mediocre closer at best. He always has been mediocre. He’s got a good fastball. He’s got other pitches he hasn’t used very much. That’s what you get these days for 6 million. He’s not the brightest light in the box either. Showing up umpires, as Francisco did yesterday, practically guarantees that the corners of the plate will never be kind to him. And I miss that older guy, a guy named K-Rod… Go back to the well, Mets. It was a good idea, it really was, to improve the pen. You just didn’t hit on the right guys. You can’t quit now. Get another guy who can close, maybe one of those older guys, a seasoned guy, somebody who won’t scream at umpires, as much as they might deserve it. It won’t be as if it’ll be money down the hole. Francisco can be a 5th inning guy, you know, the guy you put in when the opponent has just scored 7 runs on the starter. He’s a big strong guy. He could probably be a great innings-eater, like a Pelfrey but in middle relief. Then you can go get a closer, maybe an older guy. Speaking of old guys, all the Pettitte hoopla really mystified me. I couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. To my mind he was a good pitcher but not a great one. Upon closer inspection though, Andy Pettitte was 240-139 in wins-losses for his career, not too shabby. Whitey Ford only had 236. That old Andy averaged a 14-8 record per season for 16 seasons. His career ERA was 3.88. His playoff record, a very extensive one, was 19-10 in 42 post-season starts. Pettitte was a horse for the Yanks for all but three of those sixteen years. Pettitte was even good in 3 years in Houston. The reason, I suppose, that he never stood out to me, other than playing for the Yankees and having so many “t’s” in his name, is that he wasn’t a perennial All-Star, wasn’t really a strikeout guy, averaging about 132, and didn’t have a string of 20-win seasons. But Pettitte did have two 21-win seasons, in 1996 and 2003, and had a 19-win season and an 18-win season. Now that I’m thinking about it, how many pitchers have multiple 20-win seasons? In the modern era, there are names such as Tom Seaver and Jim Palmer, Warren Spahn and Bob Lemon. Roger Clemens had five seasons of 20 or more. The great Nolan Ryan only had two 20-win seasons. Greg Maddux had just two 20-win seasons in a magnificent career that included 355 wins. Some of my personal pitching favorites haven’t pitched as well as Pettitte either. Don Drysdale had two 20-win seasons, Sandy Koufax had three 20-win seasons. How about some Yankees like Ron Guidry or Whitey Ford? Lightnin’ had 3 while Whitey had just 2. Long story short, Andy Pettitte is in some elite company. I guess the hoopla is justifiable. Meanwhile, there are some great baseball stories this year, some involving an old guy, an especially loveable Mets guy, a guy named Carlos Beltran. Carlos has already belted 13 homers for the Cards with 32 ribbies and 28 runs scored. K-Rod, another old Met, is just starting to hum for the Brewers as their 8th-inning guy. K-Rod is still the single season save leader with 62 saves. But the season has been more about younger guys, as things should be, guys like Josh Hamilton and a few really young players, Bryce Harper, Steven Strasburg and Mike Trout. Josh Hamilton has to be my personal favorite. His 18 homers in 32 games projects to about 85 homers for the season. His 44 ribbies projects to about 200 rbi’s. Hamilton did win an MVP two years ago, after having played in only 132 games. Conservatively, I’m projecting a Triple Crown win for Hamilton, with 64 homers and about 150 rbi’s…not too bad. He’ll bat around .360. The last Triple Crown winner was Carl Yasztremski in 1967. Mickey Mantle’s great 1956 Triple Crown season included an average of .353 with 52 homers and 130 rbi’s. As for season home run leaders, if you throw out the juicers, Bonds and McGwire and Sosa, the single season record is still Roger Maris, with 61 in ’61. Hank Aaron had several 40-homer seasons but never exceeded 45 in one single season. Meanwhile, Francisco is on the mound again as this is written. He just struck out Conrad of the Brewers for the second out of the 9th but there are two on base and a run has already scored. Frank is throwing gas but I don’t really have much hope. Once again, the umpire is giving him nothing close. But a drive to the gap from the next batter is tracked down by Duda for the successful close. Maybe this result will give him the confidence he needs to continue as the Mets closer after all. The Celtics have lost Game 2 to the Sixers. That series is now tied 1-1. I’ve been rooting for these older guys, Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen to have one last hurrah. This loss in Boston is not a good omen. But it would be great to see them in the East Final against Miami. There would be passion in those Final moments. Ripe old Martin Brodeur will face the Rangers . The Yanks lead the Orioles, 7-5 in the 8th. I’m wondering who we’ll see on the mound in the 9th. It won’t be Mariano, speaking of old guys.