PHILADELPHIA — Darryl Hamilton’s MRI was negative, but so have been the vibes coming out of the Mets’ center-field position. He is 35 years old and has a foot considerably hotter than his bat.
It’s early, even earlier than Bobby Jones — who pitched only 59 innings last season due to back problems — has headed to the showers after two starts. But Jones will resume being a guy who can keep the Mets in a game into the sixth inning and their bullpen, which in the person of Rich Rodriguez failed again last night, will again prove stronger than your urge to throw up as games get away during the second week of the season.
If you really want to worry about the 3-5 Mets, 9-7 losers to the Phillies last night, please direct the anxiety at the outfield, where the only thing more suspect than the offense is the defense. Steve Phillips runs to the phone faster than the left fielder runs to first. If Rickey Henderson, who stirred last night with two hits, doesn’t bear down, or breaks down, the GM will take a kick in the butt, but not from Hamilton, who needs to be fitted with orthotics.
Derek Bell is off to a bad start coming off a bad year, so we’ll see. But we suspect Bobby Valentine may have to earn his contract extension by the dexterity with which he moves these shells. Or, more precisely, the shells of the outfielders they used to be.
With Jim Edmonds already moved and not even Montreal or Minnesota out of the race for at least another week, trading for an established player who another team can’t afford isn’t the Mets’ first option.
“I’m not sure there is that kind of guy who is available who can make that kind of difference,” Phillips says. “But [Jay] Payton, [Melvin] Mora and [Jon] Nunnally are all capable defensive guys who are intriguing offensively as well. I’m excited to give them an opportunity to play.”
We’ll see if he still has the same enthusiasm come mid-May, but in the meantime, the Mets have to see what they’ve got. Not only is center field screaming for an immediate, productive platoon, but the two corner outfield spots, manned by players on the final year of their contracts, will open next season. It’s just smart to find out what these kids, none of whom are kids anymore, can do.
Last night, Nunnally took his turn in center, with eye-opening results. He doubled twice in four at-bats and nailed Kevin Sefcik at the plate on a startlingly perfect one-hop throw on a medium fly ball.
One hot spring and one strong performance on a cold night do not make him The Answer, but suggest he could at least be part of it. As a left-handed batter on a team that appears too right-handed, Nunnally is an intriguing option.
“I don’t just put a guy up there because he stands on one side of the plate,” Bobby Valentine said. “But, at times, you have to take that into consideration. He is having good at-bats.”
Surprisingly so for a 28-year-old who has been through four organizations and was dumped by the Red Sox to the Mets for Jermaine Allensworth. Drafted out of the Indians organization by the Royals in the Rule V draft, Nunnally suffered, like anyone yanked from Single A to a major-league bench would.
Traded to Cincinnati in 1997, he hit an intriguing .318 with 13 homers and 35 RBI in 174 at-bats before his feet betrayed him. First, the sesamoid bone in his left foot required an October removal, then the sesamoid bone in the right foot required December removal. When training camp started, the opened sesamoids shut down his chances to play regularly.
“I wasn’t running like I should,” said Nunnally, so he was optioned back to Indianapolis, then waived to Boston, which sent him to Pawtucket last year.
“That wasn’t a bad thing,” he said. “I had never played a full year in Triple-A. I went down and let people know I was serious about developing my game.”
Obviously, Boston thought that development had reached its limits, but Phillips does not share that opinion.
“He has home-run power,” the GM said. “Some guys can run first to third and can’t steal a base. This guy can.
“He plays all three outfield positions and has learned how to take a walk. He hasn’t been able to stay in one place to really get comfortable and develop consistency. The Rule V draft oftentimes hurts careers, even if it is well intended. I think a full settled year in Triple-A helped him figure out what kind of hitter he is going to be.
“He’s more than adequate at all three positions. He gets a very good jump, has a strong and accurate arm, a pretty good package.”
It’s not the only one under the tree that has to be fully opened and examined.
“Between Mora, Nunnally, [Benny] Agbayani and Payton, there might be a guy who is an everyday player,” Phillips said. “Maybe two.”
And maybe not, but it makes good organizational sense to find out.
