Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 8/7/84; site ucbvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!citrin From: citrin@ucbvax.ARPA (Wayne Citrin) Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball Subject: Re: Met musings Message-ID: <3774@ucbvax.ARPA> Date: Wed, 12-Dec-84 20:17:00 EST Article-I.D.: ucbvax.3774 Posted: Wed Dec 12 20:17:00 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 13-Dec-84 03:55:11 EST References: <109@rruxu.UUCP> Reply-To: citrin@ucbvax.UUCP (Wayne citrin) Organization: University of California at Berkeley Lines: 73 Summary: In article <109@rruxu.UUCP> mek@rruxu.UUCP (M Kaufman) writes: >[eat this, mr. bow-tie] > >Ok, ok, I know that the Mets need more hitters, >but where the heck did they come up with the bright idea of >getting Howard Johnson? Who the hell Is Howard Johnson, and is >he worth a Walt Terrell? What's weirdest of all is that Johnson, >besides being the only Detroit Tiger kept out of the World Series >because "it would make him too nervous (!)," is an >infielder, for god's sake. Who needs more infielders? The Mets just >let Brian Giles and Junior Ortiz go for nothing (I know, >Ortiz is a catcher). >I would think that Huibe Brooks and Ray Knight are more than >enough! Plus Santana and Oquendo and Gardenhire. Nope, I can't see this >Johnson trade unless Cashen has something up his sleeve in terms of >another trade. Is it true the Phillies are looking to unload >Bo Diaz? Now there's someone the Mets could use! > > > A puzzled > Matt Kaufman Well, it's obvious now that something was in the works all the time. Was the trade for Carter a good trade? Originally, I had mixed feelings. It seemed like a step forward, but also a step backward. I like Hubie Brooks, and he did a good job at shortstop at the end of the season. Mike Fitzgerald did an adequate job, although he really wasn't in the Mets' long-range plans (John Gibbons was). Herm Winningham probably would have challenged for Mookie Wilson's job next year, and Floyd Youmans is a Dwight Gooden clone who struck out >1 man per inning last year, although he doesn't have the control that Gooden has. In all, there is a good deal of promise in the four traded players, but no sure things, and except in the case of Brooks, nothing proven. Carter, on the other hand, is a proven star, in the prime of his career, who is the most dominant NL catcher since Johnny Bench. You can expect him to turn in a year with a .271 average, 25-30 home runs, and 90-100 RBI. Unlike George Foster, who choked on the pressure when he came to New York, Carter has made a great deal of money for several years, has been under intense scrutiny in Montreal, and has still produced, and I expect him to continue to produce. I think Carter will more than make up for the loss of Brooks' bat, and neither Ray Knight nor Howard Johnson (who will replace Brooks at third) is a slouch at the plate, either. In all, I think it is a fine trade. Besides the Carter trade, Johnson was obtained from the Tigers as insurance in case Ray Knight's shoulder doesn't heal properly this winter. Other implications of the Carter trade: - Rafael Santana will be the Mets' regular shortstop. Fine. He's a good fielder and a good hitter, and the only reason he never cracked the lineup in St. Louis is that Ozzie Smith was ahead of him. - Ron Gardenhire will be the back-up shortstop of choice and Jose Oquendo will go. - Mookie Wilson's job is probably safe. After the season, he was being discussed as trade bait for Jack Clark. Clark would have been the Mets' right fielder and Darryl Strawberry would have been the new center fielder. Presumably, if Strawberry couldn't handle the job, Winningham would have been around to take over. I'm happy that Mookie will be staying. He's become a good center fielder, and Backman-Wilson is one of the best 1-2 pairs of any NL batting order. Two questions: - Who will take Terrell's place in the pitching rotation? Calvin Schiraldi? - Will the Mets try to sign Rusty Staub now that they have Knight, Johnson, and Danny Heep off the bench? All three can play the field, something Staub can't do. Wayne Citrin (ucbvax!citrin)