THE Mets spent, spent, spent during the winter for the right to throw big names on the marquee. Predictions of a strong season followed.
The year?
Take your pick, either 1992 or 1999. The patterns have been the same. Closer John Franco, dean of the Mets, believes the similarities will end there.
The ’92 Mets finished 72-90 after adding Bobby Bonilla, Eddie Murray, Bret Saberhagen and Willie Randolph.
The ’99 Mets welcome Robin Ventura, Rickey Henderson, Armando Benitez and Bonilla.
Why should we expect a different result? For starters, Franco believes this Met manager, Bobby Valentine, fits this Met team better than that manager, Jeff Torborg, fit that team.
“I think it’s a better mix,” Franco said. “I think, not to take anything away from Jeff, but I just think Bobby V has more control over things, more of a gameplan, him and the coaching staff. The last two years Bobby’s gotten better with the players. He had his run-ins, and every once in a while he does things that make you scratch your head, but everybody does that. I think we’re really a close team and I don’t think the guys have any problem at all with Bobby.”
Why else shouldn’t we fear a repeat of 1992?
“I think back then our starting pitching got hurt and we didn’t have the depth to make up for it,” Franco said. “I think we have an enormous amount of pitching now. We have five starters, plus Allen Watson, plus young guys like Paul Wilson, Jason Isringhausen and Octavio Dotel. Plus our bullpen is a lot stronger. We’ll have the deepest bullpen I can remember since I’ve been here.”
Franco will anchor the bullpen again. He’s not getting any younger, but he laughs at the notion that hitters have figured out not to swing at his pitches and get ahead in the count. If it were that easy, hitters would have taken that approach years ago. It’s not that easy because Franco’s pitches move so much it’s difficult to tell which will end up out of the strike zone.
Franco said he has worked out harder this offseason than ever. If he’s not at Shea working out, then he’s at the John Franco Indoor Sports Center in Brooklyn, or at Saberhagen’s similar business on Long Island.
“Last year was an up-and-down year for me,” Franco said. “It wasn’t a good year. It wasn’t a bad year. It was up and down. I was throwing harder last year than in 1990. The problem was location. We’ve looked at a lot of videotape. I think we found the problem that was making the ball stay up in the zone and we’ve corrected it.”
As for his pal Bonilla, Franco predicts a smooth re-entry into the organization.
“You look at his numbers on the field when he was here the first time and they were good,” Franco said. “The problem he had was off the field, with the media. I think Bobby’s matured now and doesn’t have to worry about being the main guy. He’s got a World Series ring now and wants to prove to the New York fans he’s not the bad guy everybody made him out to be. He’s a good guy who wants to win and plays hard.”
Franco doesn’t sound the slightest bit worried about a replay of the nightmare that started in 1992 and deepened in ’93.
On paper, the Mets look like the team to beat in the wild-card race, though they have no realistic shot at a division title. Assuming the favorites – Braves, Astros and Dodgers – all win their divisions, the following teams should supply the stiffest competition for the Mets:
ROCKIES – New manager Jim Leyland wouldn’t have taken the job if he didn’t see potential for immediate success. Only one Rockie pitcher tossed as many as 200 innings in the first five years of the franchise, but three of them did it last season, including Darryl Kile, whose stronger second half portended well for 1999. Larry Walker, Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla and Todd Helton form a nice meat of the order for a team that is due for a healthier year. Plus, Rockies could become players in Roger Clemens hunt, though Rocket is more likely to land in Houston.
GIANTS – They added F.P. Santangelo, Trevor Wilson, Scott Servais, Alan Embree and Felix Rodriguez, hardly a Mount Rushmore of baseball talent. They again will try to compete with a $45 million payroll, which is getting more difficult by the season. A bounce-back season from Shawn Estes (19 wins in 1997, seven last season) will be needed to lend credibility to a shaky rotation.
CUBS – Kerry Wood shouldn’t be surprised to walk in the clubhouse one day and see a game of shuffleboard break out. He’s a man among old men. Every regular is at least 30, and so is most of the pitching staff. Right-hander Jon Lieber, acquired from Pittsburgh for Brant Brown, was the biggest acquisition of the offseason. Benito Santiago was the next-biggest addition. Consider that if Sammy Sosa hits 36 home runs the Cubs will get 30 fewer homers than last season from right field and suddenly their chances of reaching the playoffs look bleak.
REDS – Don’t laugh. The additions of lefty Denny Neagle and cleanup hitter Greg Vaughn and a healthy season from Barry Larkin could turn the Reds into a winning team if all goes right. Now that Tommy Lasorda has retired, is there any manager better at instilling confidence in young ballplayers than Jack McKeon? With Vaughn and Dmitri Young manning the corners and Jeff Hammonds competing with Mike Cameron for time in center, Reds have deep outfield and an enthusiastic roster from top to bottom.
