October 16, 2006
OR START HEILMAN:
Keep on sluggin': Mets will have to continue to cover for their pitchers (John Donovan, October 16, 2006, Sports Illustrated)
This is how the Mets have to do this thing, if they're going to do this thing at all. If they're going to win the National League pennant, if they're going to get into the World Series, they're just going to have to pummel people. They really don't have any other choice.The Mets, let's face it, aren't going to win any pitcher's duels. That would require them to have pitchers who actually can shut a team down.
They're not going to small-ball anyone, either. These Mets, even with a speedy guy like Jose Reyes at the top of the lineup, don't do small-ball all that well.
No, if the Mets are going to win the NL Championship Series against the Cardinals and advance to the World Series, they're going to have to spend a couple of more nights like the one they had Sunday, when they blistered a bunch of hapless St. Louis pitchers -- if you want to call them pitchers -- in a 12-5 win at Busch Stadium.
Posted by Orrin Judd at October 16, 2006 8:00 AM
Please give it a break about Hielman starting already.
As a life long Met fan I can tell you why Hielman doesn't start............
It's called going 2 -7 and 1-3 the two years years he started. Some pitchers are made to be starters and some are not, since going to the bullpen a couple of years ago he has become a two pitch pitcher. His problem as a stater was the first time through the lineup he was great, the second time around he was smacked around like a "Red headed stepchild". With the Mets starters even before they went down were only good for 5 to 6 innings, because of that you need a bullpen to carry the load. I rather have Hielman work 50+ games and help get me the win in those 50 games as opposed to the 5 to 10 wins he would get during the season if he could even reach that mark.
I'm just glad my team was able to get this far without "The Great" Jorge Julio pitching for us!! ;) lol
They'd obviously have been better off with Julio setting up and Heilman starting than Heilman setting up and El Duque collecting SS checks. Youngsters should relieve for awhile to get them redy to start, which is the old Oriole philosphy. Heilman's been ready for awhile.
Posted by: oj at October 16, 2006 1:04 PM