Not A Closed Loop

by Guichard Cadet

It’s April in New York. Yankees. Mets. Nets, maybe into May. Knicks until month’s end.

For the next two calendar seasons, the terrain is divided between the two baseball teams. It never works out that way because the Mets are normally there just for kicks, in the teeth, or wherever you choose. This year, the Mets have potential to win 90 games – this coming from one of many optimists.

Four guys have been brought in to make the Mets matter more: Omar Minaya, Willie Randolph, Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran.

The quote after yesterday’s loss belongs to Manager, Willie Randolph when he realized Brandon Looper is not the kind of closer he has teamed with or coached in the past. "There are not many Mariano Riveras around."

Looper is a capable guy and takes the fall for yesterday’s loss. Had Randolph the foresight to the absolute rarity of the likes of Gossage, Sutter and Rivera, the game would have been theirs.

After using two relievers who pitched shutout seventh and eighth innings, Randolph relied on what he knows best. He brought in his closer, as if reliving his days with Gossage and Rivera.

The call was right and wrong. Today’s game has become one of specialists. Managers often bring in relief for pitchers who are not even on the brink of struggling.

Randolph could have allowed Manny Aybar or Dae-Sung Koo to contine into the ninth inning. If either got into a jam, he would have been second-guessed. So, there was no simple solution.

Now, after just one game, Randolph knows to keep his options open when it comes to closing out these precious wins.