After they each listed, the host himself brought up R.A. Dickey, asking both of them why they left him off their lists.

Jon Hart’s response is what got me.

“Like I said, it was a tough list to make. I had him around 8 or 9 because it was such a breakout season…”

Alright, stop right there.

Yeah, sure, R.A. Dickey “Broke Out” last year.

But the jump wasn’t as drastic as everybody is claiming.

I am aware of how many articles and blog posts have been written attempting to disband the notion that R.A. Dickey came OUT OF NOWHERE. But apparently, we must continue to write them:

2010:

• 26 GS
• 11-9
• 2.84ERA
• 234.3 Innings*
• 5.37 K/9
• 2.17 BB/9
• 0.67 HR/9
• 1.19 WHIP
• .247 AVG against
• 77.3% LOB
• 2 CG, 1 SO
• Plus, THIS. (weird without the beard.)

2011:

• 32 GS
• 8-13
• 3.28 ERA
• 208.2 Innings
• 5.78 K/9
• 2.33 BB/9
• 0.78 HR/9
• 1.23 WHIP
• .248 AVG against
• 75.1% LOB
• 1 CG

For 2 years before his Cy Young Award, the guy was a workhorse, putting up numbers, other than the 2011 won-lost record, that you would gladly take any year. He came from “out of nowhere” in 2010, but even saying that kind of takes away from all the labor he put into it all in the “work-in-progress” years prior.

Yes. R.A. Dickey did break out in every statistical category this past season, but probably the biggest difference to his overall numbers is the K/9 breakout, which most likely also lead to his HR/9 rate going up.

2012:

• 33 GS
• 20-6
• 2.73 ERA
• 233.2 Innings
• 8.86 K/9
• 2.08 BB/9
• 0.92 HR/9
• 1.05 WHIP
• .222 AVG against
• 80% LOB
• 5 CG, 3 SO (including a couple back-to-back 1-hitters)

Since starting this post, I have now seen the overall MLB Network’s Top 10 Starting Pitchers RIGHT NOW and R.A. Dickey wasn’t even included in the main top 10, let alone any commentator’s personal list (other than Brian Kenny’s, but his list wasn’t ever shown on screen, only as a comment on The Knuckler being left off.) The main list is computerized, called “The Shredder,” but the humans are not, and most of the players on the list are young, other than Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (both of whom had down years as they enter the period that conventional pitchers tend to start deteriorating.) Both the computers and the humans give those Phillie pitchers the benefit of the doubt.

Let’s not argue, however, who should have not been included and simply argue for including R.A. He “came out of nowhere” in 2010, was a very good pitcher for 2 years, and then came close to other worldly in 2012. He was historically great. Going off of what seems to be the criteria at the Network (track record, most recent year and projected success), it would appear to be time to buy into this phenomenon.

Outside of “The Shredder,” shouldn’t the humans factor in drive and determination, as they seem to do with other older pitchers? Yes, he throws a harder knuckleball than other Knuckling Jedi to come before him, but he also doesn’t have that ligament in his arm that normally gets worse and worse to deal with over time. Yes, he is heading to the American League, and arguably the hardest division in baseball, but that’s probably just the challenge that R.A. Dickey feeds on.

A top 10 list is a very hard thing to do, and I’m sure most people at the Network, as well as “The Shredder”, have him in their top 15 (he may have even gone to 11). I know I shouldn’t care, and I’m sure Robert Allen could give a damn.

But there’s a very good chance, almost likely, that the Mets didn’t even get R.A. Dickey’s best years (though, I have a feeling he’ll be back.)

After collecting a Cy Young Award, I think it’s time The Knuckler got a little more of this.

*60.2 MiLB innings, 174.1 MLB innings; All other 2010 stats exclusively Major League.

Thanks for reading! You can read Sam Maxwell’s personal Mets Blog here.

I believe my response to Jose leaving is firmly based in the fact my full-fledged Met fandom began after his rise to the Major Leagues. I converted from Yankee fandom at the end of 2004, and though I paid enough attention to the Mets to know about his early injury troubles, Kaz Matsui and all that jazz, I wasn’t around enough to watch the prospect get hyped and blossom the way a fan watches a prospect get hyped and blossom. I could have never mourned for the Metropolitan Jose the way most of you could, did and still do.

When I first saw the Miami Marlins, I thought the uniform was hideous. It has grown on me since, in some ways (I think they use their M logo too much. It’s on their hat, on their sleeve AND starting “Miami” across their chest. Take it out of the “Miami” and the uni will be better…but I digress.) It is a much more definable aesthetic identity than the last uniform of the Florida Marlins (and more than in their entire uniform history, though the teal was pretty definable.) Jose Reyes’ identity, combined with the identity of Miami and the new Marlins, seemed to work well together (it is funny how a club run so unprofessionally would have a hair-length policy.)

I appreciated that marriage, and I appreciated its relationship to the Mets.

Alas, it is no more. I swore before the 6 years was up he would be traded to the Yanks. Now, that is as far away from occurring as you could imagine with Reyes on his way to an AL East rival (unless the commissioner squashes it, which would be hysterical.) While it is fun that I can root for him once more, it only took a year for me to grow attached to how he went from all-time favorite to all-time foe.

A silly thing, I know.

But how much fun was it when Kirk robbed him of a triple in his first at bat against us at Citi?

Or when he pouted off the field after Ruben walked off to sweep them again?

Or how he batted 2 something against us? (Yes, the numbers didn’t make him an all-time foe like Stargell or Chipper, but combined with the fact he was a homegrown Met, his Marlin identity immediately made him feel like an all-time foe. )

Glad to have you back in the all-time favorite category, Jose.

I will miss you, however, in your divisional rival role.

Though you knew what you were getting into, I’m sorry the Marlins are so dysfunctional that they screwed you.

Keep Rockin ‘N Rollin’, especially against the Yanks. (Blue Jays’ uniform aesthetics are back to normal, and MUCH BETTER than the Miami Marlins.)

Maybe Toronto will be us Met fans’ American League team….

Anyway, what do you guys think? Anybody else mourning the loss of Jose Reyes as a divisional rival?

Or am I THAT crazy?

Thanks for reading! You can read Sam Maxwell’s personal Mets Blog here.

How He Handled the Bat

With much speculation over how the original dimensions of Citi Field affected Wright, everyone was foaming at the mouth wondering what the wall changes would do for his numbers. Wright’s power has been mostly to right-center, so it never made any sense why the Citi Field power alley was designed at 415 feet.  On opening day, the wall hardly got tested, but Wright did drive in the only run of the day with a single past Chipper Jones in the 6th inning. If all Wright needed was to think it was easier to hit it out of the Citi, then it appeared to be a success from the get-go as David hit it into the bullpen in the second game of the year, a home run at any point in Citi Field’s “storied” history. Wright looked rejuvenated, and was a huge part of the Mets 4-0 start. Unfortunately, in that 4^th win, Wright injured his pinky sliding into 1^st on a pickoff play, and many Met fans reverted back to cynicism as they feared the worst from their team and their 3^rd baseman. The Mets dropped the 1^st 2 games after that injury, but picked up the 3^rd down in Philly behind RA Dickey on Friday, April 13. Word had it Wright would be put on the DL Saturday, depending on how Wright felt that morning. I remember expecting him to be put on the DL and being extremely surprised when I found out an hour and a half before the game that he was penciled in, even with the broken pinkie. What occurred that day was arguably the turning point in the relationship between David Wright, the Mets and the Mets fans, as our 3^rd baseman hit a home run on the 1^st pitch he saw, on his way to a 3 for 5 day and a Mets series victory. Wright continued his torrid tear, even with a broken pinky, and you couldn’t find a Mets fan who didn’t want to sign him to an immediate extension. It did take a while for his power numbers to really take off, but by the time the 1^st half was finished, he had a .351 average with 11 home runs and 59 RBI. One of those home runs not only took the lead against the Marlins in April, but also propelled him ahead of Darryl Strawberry for the All-Time Mets RBI record. He also made history when he became only the 2^nd Met ever to be hitting over .400 as far into the season as May 12.

As the 2^nd half reared its ugly head, so did uglier numbers for David Wright. In total, he hit .258 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI after the All-Star break,  numbers which were brought down by an lackluster August where he hit only 1 home run and drove in only 7. His strikeout numbers went up as well. While he only swung and missed for strike three 47 times before the All-Star break, with no month striking out more than 16 times, he struck out more than 20 times in every month post-All-Star break. Still, when it was all said and done, it was his lowest strikeout totals since 2008, with only 112 K’s, or a 16.1 percentage rate (compare to his 24% strikeout rate in 2010.) Though his 2^nd half brought his full-season line to numbers a lot lower than any of us expected them to be when we reached the break (.306, 21 HR and 93 RBI) David Wright etched his name in Mets lore even further, breaking Ed Kranepool’s All-Time Mets’ Hits record on September 26th and hitting the deciding 3-run home run to help propel R.A. Dickey to his 20^th win.

How He Handled the Glove

David Wright was the best we’ve ever seen him at 3^rd base this year. It felt like he was making a fantastic snare every game. The biggest difference I felt for Wright was his arm. In the past, it seemed when he dove he was Brooks Robinson, but when he threw he could turn into Chuck Knoblauch (sorry, he was never THAT bad.) This year, not only was his range that much better, but his follow-through over to 1^st was hardly ever errant. When looking at the fielding percentage, it was easily the best he’s had in his career at .974, which was good for 4^th in the league with a minimum of 100 games. Though I do find flaws in the Gold Glove Award, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wright wins one for the 5^th time in his career.

How He Handled the Facial Hair

I cannot recall a time where Wright had more than just a stubble, which is about what can be said for his career facial hair history. Maybe one day, however, this man’s dream will come true.

Projected Role for 2013

Expect David Wright to man the left side corner once again for the New York Metropolitans.

Contract Status/Chances of Being Traded

This will be the most talked about “Contract Status/Chances of Being Traded” of the offseason. The Mets hold a $16 Million option on David Wright for 2013. Sandy Alderson has stated that signing David Wright, along with R.A. Dickey, to a long-term contract is priority #1, so expect the option to get picked up. If something cannot be worked out between the two parties, there is no way the Mets decline to option. They will at least look for a taker before the season begins so they can get something back for the best position player the Mets have ever homegrown. Though I have not always been sold on his long-term future with the team, I believe he became the unequivocal leader of the Mets in 2012. Though his streakiness is still concerning, I have certainly been converted to the full-fledged “keep him” side of things. We had always said he was the “captain,” probably before he was ready to grace the helm. Six years since the last Mets’ playoff appearance, he entered the season as the only player from that 2006 squad other than Mike Pelfrey. He was now the elder statesmen, and I felt that we all saw him finally wearing that leadership role as the year began and progressed.

It is a different sports world than the one our parents grew up with. It is hard nowadays to find many players who stick with the same team throughout their career. It is even HARDER, however, to find a player who spent his entire career as a Met. In fact, the only one to ever do so was Ed Kranepool, who spent his entire 18 year career with the Mets. He set all the records mostly because of longevity, because he was generally a role player in his time in baseball. David Wright has broken his records in half the time they were made, and will own every Mets offensive record if he stays his whole career with the franchise (the only one where he is still lacking is Home Runs, where he is 48 dingers behind Darryl.) This means a lot to the fans of this team, and I believe the front office understands that connection and the need for that continuity. The perfect word to describe what David Wright has meant to this franchise was uttered by Sandy Alderson, who called him “a great ambassador of the Mets,” so his value goes way beyond the statistics written above.

To use a cliché, Let’s finish what we started.

I expect the front office to do all they can to make sure David Wright’s only on-field colors ever are the Orange and Blue of the New York Metropolitans. And I look forward to at least 1 ring with him at the hot corner.

Thanks for reading! You can read Sam Maxwell’s personal Mets Blog here.