Mets Have Bad Luck with Closers

Go ahead and list the Mets top closers of the last 20 years. Benitez. Looper. Franco. Sure there were others but these were the "good" ones.

Now we have Billy Wagner, who I thought was going to be a change from the Mets string of bad luck closers, but is now making me doubt.

So why do the Mets have such bad luck with closers? John Franco might be the left-handed save leader, but he was infamous for not being able to get a save without getting runners on base. Armando Benitez turned into Mr. Choke Job every time there was a big spot. And Looper, who knew he was really supposed to be a starting pitcher?

Are the Mets cursed? Do we not have pitching coaches and scouts that can mold bullpen talent? Why can't we have our own Rivera, Hoffman, Eckersley, Isringhausen, oh wait, we had him but we thought he was a starting pitcher. Where's our K-Rod, our Papplebon, our Joe Nathan?

I understand that every closer, even the great ones, will blow saves from time to time. It's inevitable. But it just feels like the Mets always get a guy that blows them in the really, really big spots.

I like Billy Wagner, but I no longer trust him. Please, please, please prove me wrong, Billy.

Double Take

Is it me or does Jorge Sosa remind you of Armando Benitez? Physically, that is. Everytime I watch him pitch, he looks like Benitez. The way he throws, the way he walks around the mound, his facial reactions - all look eeirly like Benitez. Even when he takes a deep breath he looks like him. I almost can't stand watching him pitch because it reminds of the guy who killed us so many times when he was with the Mets. Be that as it may, get well soon Jorge, you've been a pleasant surprise this season.

Worst Mets Pitchers Ever

On Friday night I'll be taking my wife to her second major league baseball game ever. Her first one was the night the Mets clinched the pennant last year. When I told her that Glavine was pitching, she groaned and remarked on how horrible he is.

Now this is a person who just started watching baseball this year. I tried to explain how historically Glavine is a hall of fame pitcher. He just can't do anything right lately. This got me thinking about all the horrible pitchers the Mets have had over the last 20 years and I was amazed at the mental list I was making. So here are my top 5 worst Mets pitchers ever. Feel free to add to it.

5. Armando Benitez - a.k.a. Mr. Choke
4. Don Aase - Mrs. Choke
3. Jose Lima - Proved how awful he was in just 2 starts
2. Bill Pulsipher - This is more of the disappointment in what could have been.
1. Anthony Young - Congrats! You're in the hall of fame for losing 20 straight games AND you weren't on the 1962 Mets.

If Bobby Bonilla was a pitcher it would have been a close call for #1.