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Steve Phillips, Lost in Translation

G-Fafif Dec 22 2009 07:07 AM

David Waldstein, story in Times today, detailing Mets' spotty (to be kind) history with Japanese players. Most amusing (because it happened eight years ago now) is this nugget on Steve Phillips, international man of mystery: Based on a statistics sheet from Japan, Steve Phillips, the Mets’ general manager at the time, thought Komiyama was an experienced reliever. But Phillips misread the category Games Finished to mean saves, when it actually referred to complete games. Komiyama went 0-3 with a 5.61 earned run average (and no saves) for the Mets and went home after one year.

Edgy DC Dec 22 2009 07:20 AM Re: Steve Phillips, Lost in Translation

But he finished 13 games. Seriously, Takahashi --- similarly, but much moreso than Komiyama --- never really got the chance that I think he was entitled to. He failed in his audition as a second lefthanded specialist out of the pen, unable to compile an effective anti-lefty split in his initial sample size. Rather than say, "Well, he's getting outs in general --- let's see if we can work to his strengths as we iron out the weaknesses," they buried him under mounds of old black uniform tops. They might possibly have had an effective bullpenner or spot starter, but weren't looking for him to be anything more than a gimmick pitcher. They used 23 pitchers in 2009, but coud only find 27.1 innings to throw to Tak, who had a 2.96 ERA in the bigs to go along with a 2.38 ERA for Buffalo. Reuters has a story making the rounds this morning of the Hiroshima Carp signing away Ken, who is determined to prove that his signing with an MLB team wasn't a mistake. It wasn't, of course, except relative to the team he signed with. And it was the Mets' mistake not to take a real look at what they had.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 22 2009 07:25 AM Re: Steve Phillips, Lost in Translation

Interesting story, though I'm sure a lot of self-hating Mets fans will interpret it in the worst way possible. With the cost of relief pitchers, fifth starters and good defensive outfielders being what they are, it made sense to give many of those guys a shot not to be stars but to contribute, and many of them did. Yoshii and Shinjo were terrific bargains, and I think trying to crack the baseball third world could only do good for the organization as a whole. Really the Mets' only real screwup in Japan was putting as much faith in Matsui as they did, and it was a big one. I'm convinced they did that for all the wrong reasons. They saw how much revenue Hidecki Matsui generated for the MFYs with international broadcast rights and advertising, etc and tried to replicate it. Making him the SS over Reyes was even dumber, because I think it served only to dislocate him even more. Plus he kept getting hurt.

metirish Dec 22 2009 07:57 AM Re: Steve Phillips, Lost in Translation

Great read , interesting all the firsts with Japanese players the Mets have had. Love this A year later, the Mets brought in Yoshii, a serviceable right-handed starter who won 18 games in two years for Valentine. Ever loyal to his manager, Yoshii once expressed regret to reporters in Cincinnati in 1998 for a poor performance. His temporary interpreter revealed that Valentine told Yoshii that the game was important because he would be facing the former Met Pete Harnisch, who had feuded with Valentine the year before.

Frayed Knot Dec 22 2009 08:00 AM Re: Steve Phillips, Lost in Translation

If nothing else that article provides us with a new nickname for next spring: "Nor does the list include the latest Japanese Met, the recently signed reliever Ryota Igarashi, who was known as Rocket Boy for his ability to light up the radar gun before elbow surgery slowed him two years ago." I still find it amazing (to coin a phrase) how so many Met fans still seethe over Shinjo's time here, acting as if they were promised some sort of superstar when, in reality, he was never billed (or paid) as anything other than a spare player. That he got as much time as he did was, like Reed or Tatis over these past two years, as much a failure of the other OFers as it was a coronation of him. The whole problem with the Kaz to SS move was that they wouldn't have gotten him without such a promise and that, at worst, Reyes would bide his time and become the full-time SS at age 23. In retrospect it maybe would have been better to walk away at that point instead and, sure, the "splash" part of the move was certainly part of it. But I believe they also thought - as did many others - that they were getting a legit SS and a true offensive weapon in the deal.

metirish Dec 22 2009 08:03 AM Re: Steve Phillips, Lost in Translation

I can't imagine why fans seeth over Shinjo.....he was an absolute joy to watch....

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 22 2009 08:09 AM Re: Steve Phillips, Lost in Translation

I remember CF commenting about Shinjo: "His chest looks like his back." Hard to beat Shinjo's home-opener at Shea in 2001: It was a beautiful, unseasonably warm and sunny day. He hammered a HR to center (off a young Jason Marquis!) and flipped his bat away as if to say, "this mighty club is but a toothpick in my powerful hands! I am disrespectful to dirt!"

themetfairy Dec 22 2009 08:14 AM Re: Steve Phillips, Lost in Translation

I have no complaints about Shinjo. Mr. Sparkle was fun to have around.

seawolf17 Dec 22 2009 09:27 AM Re: Steve Phillips, Lost in Translation

Shinjo is the backup outfielder on my all-time Mets team. Loved the guy.