In a conversation that just happened to coincide with the Cubs leaving Steve Traschel off their postseason roster, Tom Glavine tells MLB.com’s Marty Noble that likely to decline his 2008 option to return to the Mets. But assuming he’s unaware of the angry mob likely to greet him at LaGuardia, the Braves mole 303 game winner isn’t ruling out a return, either.
Speaking from his home in Alpharetta, Ga., Glavine indicated that he had spoken twice with Mets COO Jeff Wilpon since the Mets’ season ended on Sunday and that he doubted Wilpon would be surprised by his not exercising the option.
“No one who’s been around me all season could be surprised,” Glavine said, “because I’ve said all along that I had no idea what I was going to do and that I’d need time to think it over. Five days was never going to be enough time.
“And after what happened Sunday, I’m sure I need more time.”
Of course, his final one-third of an inning is most fresh in the minds of anyone connected to the Mets. It came on Sunday, when he retired just one of nine batters and allowed seven runs in what became the 8-1 loss to the Marlins that eliminated the Mets. He knows how that performance and its ramifications have affected Mets fans and tarnished his image.
“I can’t stop them from focusing on the last three starts and jumping on the bandwagon,” he said. “But I had 23 quality starts, and, in 16 of my starts, I allowed two runs or fewer. If they want me gone, they’d have to replace 200 innings. In my experience, the hardest things to replace are guys who score 100 runs and pitchers who give you 200 innings.”
So between what he said to Marty Noble and to Francesa and Russo, are we supposed to reconcile that the last three starts were payback for 8 Met losses this season in which he gave up 3 ER or less?
From Glavine’s comments to Sports Illustrated the other day:
“Was it [the booing] totally directed at me, or at the team? I don’t know. I was the guy who took the brunt of it.”
“I know if I decide to became a full-fledged free agent, I’d have a lot of interest from a lot of teams”
Is this guy arrogant or what? Eat some humble pie. You shat the bed your last 3 starts and were absolutely embarrassing in your final start. Pretend that you at least recognize the fact that you sucked as your team went down in flames.
I hope he goes back to the Braves next season.
Think Tom, think!
Glavine is right–how dare they jump on the bandwagon!! Fools! Who will pitch batting practice to the opposition? Who will lead those who arrogantly delude themselves with the “quality start” stat? Who will stubbornly hold on to their washed up career, blaming the team around him for the results of his own decline? Who will need an ungodly amount of luck and near perfect conditions to get through their 4 to 5 inning starts? And, moreover, what GM would pass up a grizzled veteran softie who can’t get through the lineup of a last place club in the biggest start of the year?
The Mets will be truly sorry they missed out on that last year of the wonders that Tom Glavine will bring to some lucky club! I’m sure John Schuerholtz is NOT sending any calls coming from Alpharetta, Ga straight to messages!
September aside, he mostly had a good year and he’s correct about the paucity of available innings-eaters. But that’s why players pay agents to say that kind of thing publicly — so they won’t come off as arrogant, self-obsessed fucks just days after a loss than sank the season.
I’m not offended that Glavine wasn’t near tears on Sunday ala Trevor Hoffman on Monday night. But even if he wasn’t personally devestated by the 8-1 elimination loss to Florida, to have at least acknowledged what it meant to his teammates and fans wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world from a p.r. standpoint.
For a veteran with as much experience dealing with the media as Glavine, it shouldn’t have been too hard for him to tell Marty Noble, “in the wake of my team going down the toilet, it would be kinda crass to talk about my career prospects. Let’s talk in December.”
Question: Is it better to have a started who goes 5 (maybe 6) innings every start of the year (ie, never on the DL) or a starter who goes 7-8 innings every start, but who gets on the DL for a bit (or is a younger guy who gets called up in June or later)?
Glavine’s 200 innings don’t really solve the Mets problem, because they were 200 innings of mostly 5 or 6 inning starts. He wasn’t ever saving the bullpen.
I suppose compared to Brian Lawrence and Chan Ho Park, Glavine is an inning eater by going 5 1/3 innings.
that’s exactly the argument an agent would make. 13 w’s, era somewhere between 4.50 and 5, 200 + IP….that qualifies for $8-10 million (at least) in today’s market.
With proper run support you might get just as much out of Humber or Pelfrey or even a retooled Heilman at a fraction of the price. Or you might not.
Not to be a dick about this, but who are these actually-available starters who go 7-8 innings every start? Because I don’t think Omar Minaya is the only GM in baseball who has trouble identifying them.
Glavine’s performance last Sunday was shockingly poor, and while his ‘tude since doesn’t make him a bad guy, it speaks volumes about the way a well compensated professional athlete can isolate himself from the fanbase.
I was about to say “How about a starter who can go 7 or 8 innings two times a month?” but a quick look at Mets.com stands me corrected:
Except for April, Glavine went at least 7 innings two times a month every month. Unfortunately, he also counter balanced a lot of those longer starts with a shorter start immediately before/after.