It isn't really easy to impress a New Yorker*, but Dillon Gee has, seemingly, accomplished that not-too-easy trick. In what was apparently unprecedented in Mets history, last night marked the first Mets game in which both starting pitchers (Mets and opposition) were pitching in their major league debuts.
*So, there's a guy on the window 60 stories up? And that's why you interrupted my mustard-smearing?!
Dillon Gee was drafted by the Mets in 2007 (well after Eddie Kunz and Lucas Duda) and pitched quite well in 62 innings in Brooklyn. Over the following three years, he pitched for St. Lucie, Binghampton and Buffalo, pitching exclusively as a starter (in quite limited action in 2009, due to an injury). In 2010, Gee impressed, with 165 strikeouts in 161.1 innings, 13 wins, and a strikeout to walk ratio of over 4.
Interestingly enough, for a pitcher who just made his major league debut, Gee's ERA has risen in every year of his professional career, but last night's game was something more than a mirage. Gee was both good and efficient, holding the Nationals to one run in 7 innings on 2 hits and 3 walks, while collecting five strikeouts and throwing just 86 pitches. For a Met team and fanbase that can't help but be down in the dumps, Gee's excellence has to be a beacon of hope for the future.
In a somewhat interesting sidenote, while it was Gee's first major league game, he must have hardly felt out of place; 5 of the 8 other players in the Mets starting lineup played with him in Buffalo this year, as did both pinch hitters and one of the three Met relievers.
While the Mets season seems to be over, their life as a franchise is, likely, not. More than just kinship to Dillon Gee, the Mets rather nice collection of young talent, from Ike Davis and Bobby Parnell, to Lucas Duda and Jon Niese, should inspire hope among Mets faithful, however blue (or orange) 2010 (and, yes, '09, '08, etc.) make them feel.
History Note of the Day: In 1983, the Mets were 68-94 (and dead last in the league in attendance). They stank, sure, but in that pile of stink were Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, Jesse Orosco, Mookie Wilson and other who would bring them to, shall we say, a somewhat more respectable position in the baseball universe.
In 1984, the Mets won 90 games, came in second, and would have been the wild card team, had the slot been invented.
Gee, that sounds good.
2 comments:
Okay. If the Mets had Keith, Jesse and Darryl on this team maybe there'd be reason to look up!
They have a nice core - if you can remember the 2003 Mets, it's hard to sneer at this version.
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