Big Pelf

[Gr8Beldini]

Does his finger lickin seem to be getting worse? Seems like he's now lickin as the ball approaches the plate. I noticed that he doesn't do it when he's in the dugout, which implies that it is a nervous habit. And while I'm sure that he's not the only pitcher that is nervous while pitching, displaying his nerves to the opposition like that can't be helpful. Compare him to someone like Andy Pettite. I'm sure Andy gets nervous too but never shows it to the opposition. Andy always looks like he's in charge out there. Big Pelf always looks like he wants to retreat.

Also... isn't going to your mouth on the mound illegal? How does he get away with all that?

[Ralf]

What is the right-handed Ollie Perez.

[milladrive]

Does his finger lickin seem to be getting worse? Seems like he's now lickin as the ball approaches the plate. I noticed that he doesn't do it when he's in the dugout, which implies that it is a nervous habit. And while I'm sure that he's not the only pitcher that is nervous while pitching, displaying his nerves to the opposition like that can't be helpful. Compare him to someone like Andy Pettite. I'm sure Andy gets nervous too but never shows it to the opposition. Andy always looks like he's in charge out there. Big Pelf always looks like he wants to retreat.

I thought it's been relative common knowledge that Pelfrey is a mental case. I for one have made numerous posts about this seemingly incurable psychosis he has. Imo, the Mets are a worse team with him in the rotation.

Also... isn't going to your mouth on the mound illegal? How does he get away with all that?

It's only illegal if the pitcher does it while touching the rubber.

What is the right-handed Ollie Perez.

I'm not sure I'd go that far. With Ollie, it was underperforming (to put it nicely) and his attitude after being given the most ridiculous contract in Mets history. Pelfrey, albeit not overpaid, is better than Ollie, even if only on the mound, but that says virtually nothing. The Mets are/were worse teams with either.

I'd like to see the Mets rid themselves of Pelfrey. Any ideas?

[Gr8Beldini]

I'd like to see the Mets rid themselves of Pelfrey. Any ideas?

Looks like the guy can bring it. He just seems scared out there. I think his next team will get his mental hangup addressed, which will turn him into a solid #3... maybe a good #2. I don't see the Mets ever getting equal value in return. Right now he is a middle of the road #4/5. They can win half of his starts as-is.

[Paulypal]

I'd like to see the Mets rid themselves of Pelfrey. Any ideas?

Follow the Chappaquidick blueprint.

[milladrive]

Follow the Chappaquidick blueprint.

LOL

[Ralf]

I'd like to see the Mets rid themselves of Pelfrey. Any ideas?

Wandy Rodriguez

[Paulypal]

Wandy Rodriguez

Justin Verlander
Roy Halladay

What the hell

[theAmazingMet]

Well if anything his stuff hasnt been finger licking good for a large part of his career. Maybe he should start throwing spitballs.

[Ralf]

Justin Verlander
Roy Halladay

What the hell

Nah, too much money.

[Paulypal]

Nah, too much money.

Too much money for the two best pitchers in baseball. Excellent. Ok stay with Big Pelf...he is good. I remember reading how good he was somewhere. Probably more press clippings from Jay Horowitz.

[PVNICK]

I notice that since he resumed sucking the references to the sports psychologist or getting married, or whatever it was that was supposed to have been a help, ceased. Wierd is the wrong word, but its sort of like the year Francouer hit well for the first two weeks and the talk was all about some sort of practice routine he had with Manuel. Then when he reverted it was crickets.

[Ralf]

Too much money for the two best pitchers in baseball. Excellent. Ok stay with Big Pelf...he is good. I remember reading how good he was somewhere. Probably more press clippings from Jay Horowitz.

(Haha, dance monkey, dance!)

[milladrive]

Too bad his terrific start this season had to be totally destroyed. With any luck, the TJ surgery will be a success and he'll be able to adjust if and when he returns next year. I actually feel bad for the guy. He seemed to finally have it together.

[Shea Knight]

I'll just say this on the Ollie/Pelfrey mention--

With Pelf, though he's probably gone, and should go...at least he didn't make and ass of himself, and he had a couple games and a few weeks and months where he looked pretty decent...if he hadn't collapsed or lost out, he might have made the All-Star Team in '10 or '11, I forget which year he started out something like 7-0 or something and then had an abysmal rest of the way.

So I don't and won't bear Pelf a grudge if/when he gets the axe.

OLLIE PEREZ...

When I think of Ollie Perez...

Two immediate memories sum up my feelings--

His being on the mound when he nearly gave up the HR that became Endy's famous catch (the best thing out of his whole Mets career--he screwed up just enough to allow someone else the spotlight in fixing that screw-up...and just missed becoming Aaron Heilman...)

And

He pitched the night I went to my prom--was coerced by some friends of mine--and that was the game in '09, I think, where Reyes suffered his season-ending injury, or at least suffered one of his bad leg injuries, and was up and down until Sean Green lost it late in the game and blew it--but damn it, I still associate that loss with Ollie!

So...yeah...

Not a fan of Ollie, and I don't have fond memories.

[milladrive]

I wouldn't even put Pelfrey and Pérez in the same sentence nor category. Pelfrey was pychologically challenged much of the time, and did his job to the best of his ability. Ollie signed that ridiculous contract -- easily Omar's biggest mistake as GM -- but when he fell on hard times, his enormous ego refused to accept an assignment to AAA to work out the kinks, thus disgracing himself. I even recall a few weeks there when Oliver was in the pen sitting quietly with no desire by either Manuel nor the team to call him in to pitch. That's how much of a disgrace he was. The biggest disgrace to ever don a Mets uniform. The same can not be said about Pelf.

[Mongoose]

I haven't been able to watch as many games as I used to the last couple years. I seldom saw Pelfrey hit hard. Because he pitches to contact, he'll often be victimized by flares rather than rockets - sometimes strings of basehits. Games I did see, he tended to perform well. Even last year.

His peripherals are very similar from year to year. An extra tenth of a WHIP and an extra homer every 20 innings seemed the difference between a good Pelfrey year and a bad one. He's always had top of the rotation stuff. Before Shea was replaced by the new place, and you could sit in seats you could call pitches from without buying a suite, I always marveled at Pelfrey's stuff. Even when he'd fare poorly his heavy, sinking fastball ate up opposing batters. On his bad outings, poorly hit balls tended to find openings. It often seemed almost random if he'd have a good start or a bad one. Team defense was also a factor.

He's always had the potential to be great and on many occasions, sometimes over entire seasons, has been.

I feel a lot of his problems were related to being brought up very prematurely. Anyone remember? Ownership's tendency to sign over-the-hill big names, rather than prime talent, had stretched the staff thin. Between Glavine, Trachsel, El Duque, etc. there were a lot of missed starts, so Pelfrey was brought up to fill the gap. He never developed a secondary arsenal. The Mets "braintrust" also never really decided if he should work on his curveball, abandon his curveball, develop a split-fingered fastball, or what he should do. It's varied dramatically from season to season. As a result he never became a complete pitcher.

I never understood why he was such a target of hatred for some fans. This surgery has a high rate of recovery. I think he'll return and do well, whether it's here or elsewhere.

[PVNICK]

The results made him a target and the fetish for ridiculing his "mannerisms" as in the OP.