Dear Omar: Too Much Age!

By Deb McIver
Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2007

That’s how my ol’ buddy Dunsel used to sign all of his posts a couple of short years ago when he was one of the best and most prolific posters on the Mets’ “official” website. At the time, I thought it was funny, but now, I’m just not laughing anymore.

Of course, Dunsel has long since refused to post on any site which even mentions the Mets, and probably this distinctive signature tells you a lot of why. I know it tells me a lot of why, and a lot why I’ve come to believe that dunsel indeed had a great and very real gripe with the average age of the New York Mets then, and if he were still following the team, it pains me to think how he’d feel now.

For example, let’s talk a little bit about the makeup of the Mets in the past, say, six years or so, following the Year That Almost Was; the year 2000. Over those years, we have seen the team rely again and again on the “established veteran,” or what I like to call the “sometimes out of shape and definitely over the hill guy,” to fill any particular and no particular vacancy on the team. Who could forget the likes of Mo Vaughn doing his comical best to look as if he really belonged in a baseball uniform?

And remember The Alomar?

And more recently, how about the two-year contract for the nobody-knows-how-old-he-is, really, Julio Franco? Or how about Shawn Green, whose best days were a few more years behind him than in front of him? One could even question the Delgado signing, especially, of course, considering the year he’s having, or should I say, NOT having, in 2007. And don’t even get me started on Moises “I’m An Injury Waiting To Happen For YOUR Team” Alou, as our choice to play right field for us this year, at a whopping salary of $8 million; a guy who’s never had the ability to stay off the DL for very long.

Of course, these are just a few examples of what I’m talking about, so let’s analyze it a bit more.

One of our fabulous writers recently wrote a column here at FU talking about why Willie in particular prefers the veteran player, and many of us have talked about youth versus age and its various pros and cons on many occasions. And about how the Met franchise has always had a propensity for reliance upon an “established veteran” in lieu of a young possible up and comer, and how much of the keys to the franchise have been traded away in favor of the immediate fix and tempting lure of the “established veteran.” All one has to do is take a look at the This Day in Mets History thread to see the evidence of this philosophy in our humble franchise. How many times do we see, over and over, ad nauseum, the trading of good young prospects for guys who look as if… well, they look as if the next step they might take, if indeed they are still able to step, is into a wheelchair in a retirement village! So we know this is a huge part of the Met game plan, and always has been.

And since Omar and Willie have come on board, it seems that the Mets are intent upon continuing in their seeming never-ending quest to dig the next available crusty old veteran out of his hole, and plug him into some Mets hole. Hey, you know what I think? A hole is a hole is a hole, and sometimes, a hole should be left in its OWN hole! And not used to plug another hole, because in doing so, we create what, Mets fans?

Yes, that’s right; yet another hole. And then we repeat the entire cycle, hole, on top of hole, on top of hole.

Where does it all end, or does it?

Which brings me to my plea to Omar. Please, Omar, get younger! And get smarter with age!

Now you may ask, what’s wrong with signing the “established veteran?” Isn’t that a sound method of building a team? After all, these guys have track records, they have histories, they are experienced, they bring something to the table.

And to that, I say – why, yes, they DO bring something to the table! It’s called AGE, and simply put, we have Too Much Age!

And what does Too Much Age cause? Proclivity for injuries. And not only short-lived ones, but like the old saying goes, old bones don’t heal as quickly as young ones. Not to mention, that the body’s natural flexibility and tolerance for the day to day grind of baseball dimish as a player gets older. These days, a lot of guys play in the major leagues from a very young age. By the time they’re in their early thirties, some of them have had ten to fifteen years of major league experience! That’s a lot of games, and a lot of wear and tear on a man’s body.

Too Much Age also causes its corollary – Too Much Money for Too Much Age. Like Moises Alou, for example. Eight million bucks, for a guy who played, what, a total of about ten weeks for us so far this year? And how about that Shawn Green, huh? The only saving grace to his signing was that his old team, the D’backs, ate most of his Too Much Money for Too Much Age. Still, there is little to be happy about where Green is concerned, especially not at this point. And if it weren’t for the disability money kicking in, we’d probably still be paying Mo Vaughn. Yep, he’d be right up there on the honorary Bobby Bonilla list of old guys still taking money from the Mets.

What else does Too Much Age cause? Too Much Attitude, And Not In a Good Way. Or maybe I should say, too much lack of attitude. I’m sorry, folks, but the older guys to a large extent don’t exhibit the enthusiasm, the desire to win at all costs, the energy and the synergy and lots of other things that pure unadulterated youth gives you. Many times it’s fear of injury (The Big Contract, and all). And many times, it’s as simple as the fact that as you age and mature, you change, you temper yourself, your priorities changes, your life changes. And when you have, well, Too Much Age, your team’s symmetry and chemistry is often out of whack, and you see flatness, lethargic play, and guys who look longingly at the coffee pot, and wish it contained the drugs of yesteryear!

Now, I’m not saying SOME Age isn’t beneficial, and doesn’t help to build the spine of a team. But it’s a matter of signing the RIGHT Age, a guy who takes care of himself, who isn’t showing signs of breaking down, and using such a player in the proper manner. You can’t expect a guy who’s in the twilight of his career, no matter how productive and healthy he’s been, to play 162 games a year, that’s simply unrealistic. To everyone but the Mets, I guess…. I’d laugh, but it just isn’t funny.

By all accounts (right, Matt Himelfarb?) the Mets have some exciting and promising prospects in their minor league system. For once, I’d love to see these guys get a real fighting chance at the major league level. I’d love to see a younger and more dynamic and enthusiastic product out on the field. I’d love to see guys who didn’t spend a great majority of their time on the DL or sitting on the bench when they should be on the DL.

I’d love to see eight million bucks spent more wisely.

Because right now, folks, what we’ve got, is Too Much Age.

Different editor's note: Like finding a message in a bottle, huh?