Saturday, September 08, 2007

A Matter Of Trust

So many of you seemingly had issues with my bullpen advisory system, namely the fact that I had Scott Schoeneweis at yellow and Aaron Heilman at orange.

I know where you're coming from...really I do. I never claimed to think that you all should agree with everything I say. Most things, but not everything...

All right, you should probably do better to dismiss the bulk of what I say. But my point is this: If I was going to do a backwards header off the top of a piano or something, and I had to depend on Aaron Heilman to keep my head from cracking open on the cold hard floor, I just can't do it. It just seems that every time I put my blind faith in him, he gives up a home run to Adrian Gonzalez...or base hits to Adam LaRoche and Jason Bay...or military secrets to Peru.

Logic tells me I should trust. Aaron Heilman has a 2.14 ERA, 11 holds, and a WHIP of 1.10 since the all-star break (thanks to my friends at Flushing University for presenting the valid points), and that's with the two meltdowns against the Bucs and Padres. But since when has logic played into irrational fears? Is there a such thing as a logical phobia?

So in that spirit, I give praise to Aaron Heilman for being there to catch me with a superb effort in the eighth inning to preserve a victory for the nearly perfect Tom Glavine against Houston this afternoon. Not that I completely trusted him...I never did take that fallback of faith. But it would behoove me to at least acknowledge the good if I'm going to explode at the bad. I also acknowledge that when Aaron Heilman does leave for what he thinks are greener pastures (i.e. a starting gig), I will wish him luck and shake his hand (if he lets me).

But that doesn't mean I completely trust my skull, my military secrets, or my plastic cup collection in him. Yet.

P.S. The Phillies are manipulating their pitching rotation to make sure that Adam Eaton (5-0 against the Mets lifetime, and something like 3-95 against the rest of the league) pitches against the Mets at Shea Stadium next weekend. The Dodgers tried that because they thought Eric Stults, who had ten minutes of major league service, was a Met killer. The Mets pounded Stults that day.

So just remember, Charlie Manuel, that it's not nice to fool with Mother Nature (or Father Alomar.)

4 comments:

upstate met fan said...

I wouldn't trust Aaron Heilman with my rock collection. He should have been traded. He will kill us in the post season....I can see him giving up a season ending home run to a nobody.

My paranoia is setting in again...must take meds!

chuckm said...

Phillies fan here. Whatever Eatons record is against the Mets may be,
it is likely one of these "small sample" things and the Mets will pound him. He just flat-out stinks.

Mike said...

Got two words for all of you talking about post-season "trust" issues:

Billy. Wagner.

Which leads me to the three words that'll determine whether the Mets are hoisting hardware come late October, or trying to get a ride home in a Metropolitan Hardware Truck:

Wright. Reyes. Beltran.

Those three are "on" simultaneously, and there's no amount of leads Wags, Heilman & Mota can blow that'll matter in the end.

Ceetar said...

The Mets are looking for blood. I'd be shocked if the Mets don't pound the Phillies into a bloody pulp and mail them to 2008.