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August 7, 2008
Big Apple baseball bits .....
The Mets once had three young pitchers – Generation K - that were expected to carry the franchise into the 21st century. All three of them – Jason Isringhausen, Bill Pulsipher and Paul Wilson – were can’t miss prospects that ended up on the disabled list within a year of their major-league debuts.
Only one of them, Isringhausen, ever amounted too much in the major leagues and still holds a job in the St. Louis Cardinals’ bullpen – sometimes even serving as their closer. However, after being called up in July 1995 and going 9-2 with a 2.81 ERA down the stretch for the Mets, injuries prevented “Izzy” from ever duplicating that success as a starter. He has turned in a solid career as a closer – with 293 saves over 13 years.
Pulsipher, at age 21, threw 218 innings with a 3.98 ERA between the majors and minors in 1995, but a torn elbow ligament shut him down in 1996 and 97, and he was never the same pitcher. He kicked around the majors, minors and independent leagues for the next decade trying to regain the magic that never returned.
Wilson lasted one season with the Mets in the majors (5-12 with a 5.38 ERA in 1996) before injuries derailed his career. He resurfaced in 2000 with Tampa Bay and spent parts of the next five seasons as a journeyman starter with the Rays and Cincinnati Reds, winning in double figures only once (11-6 with the Reds in 2004).
With the recent shoulder injury to Joba Chamberlain, you have to wonder if the New York Yankees’ Big 3 are headed for a similar fate as Generation K and if they will ever live up to their billing.
Since joining the Yankees last season, Phil Hughes is already on his second DL stint (rib injury, needs glasses) with the Bronx Bombers, but could be back soon.
Ian Kennedy, who had a cup of coffee in New York last season, has also been on the DL (strained lat muscle) in his short career in pinstripes. Kennedy is expected to return to the majors Saturday and start for Chamberlain, who went on the DL Wednesday with rotator cuff tendonitis.
Outside of Joba’s injury, the one thing the other two young Yankees have going for them over Generation K is their injuries have not been to their arms. However, the jury is still out on whether they can pitch in the big leagues. We shall soon find out.
PROBLEMS WITH PUDGE – Maybe bringing in Pudge Rodriguez to catch for the Yankees was not such a good idea. Since the future Hall of Famer arrived from the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees pitching staff has not been very good.
Andy Pettitte (nine earned runs and 11 hits in 51/3 innings) got blasted by the Angels working with Rodriguez in his Yankee debut last week, and Chamberlain (five earned runs and eight hits in 42/3 innings) also had a rough go-round with I-Rod before leaving with a sore shoulder. Pudge almost took out Joba, who dove out of the way of the ball, with a throw to second base trying to turn a double play.
If the Red Sox or Rays don’t finish off the Yankees, maybe Pudge will.
CLOSING TIME – Johan Santana must be clicking his cleats and saying “there’s no place like Minnesota” these days.
The Mets’ ace has to yearn for the days of Twins’ closer Joe Nathan coming in and slamming the door on opponents in the ninth inning. So far in New York, no lead seems to be safe when Santana turns things over to his bullpen.
Scott Schoeneweis became the latest bullpen member to squander a win for Santana on Thursday and David Wright had to bail the team out with a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth in a 5-3 win.
It was the sixth time in 24 starts this year for Santana that the bullpen has failed to come through - five of those mishaps have come in the ninth inning. Santana is 9-7 on the season for the Mets, but could easily be a 12- or 13-game winner by now.
Wonder if Santana has inquired about this Brett Favre fellow coming in to finish games for the final two months for him. Favre can’t do any worse, can he?
Posted by Bill on August 7, 2008 10:09 PM
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