The Bridge To K-Rod

By Jaap Stijl
Posted Monday, June 1, 2009

"Don't bother about me, Colonel. I'm not anxious to get off the sick list."
William Holden, as Commander Shears in The Bridge On The River Kwai

It's no joke that the Mets sick and injured list is like a balloon ready to burst. Everything from hip surgeries to suddenly-overwhelming stomach viruses to groin injuries are hitting them in waves.

Saturday's playing-with-house-money lineup against Marlins ace Josh Johnson, controversial as it was practical, was in part a result of those injuries and in part, a result of Jerry's desire to keep what remaining Mets there were rested enough that they don't flame out in fatigue in another infamous September collapse.

Of course a September collapse requires a September lead and although it's still only June the Mets do not currently have any lead to blow and while you could blame that on injuries and illness or the Mets fielding a minor league lineup, one of the latest and most pressing issues confronting them is not injuries but the suddenly burning bridge to K-Rod.

After seeming to solve the bullpen problems during the off season with the free agent signing of K-Rod and the trade for JJ Putz, it's clear of late (last night's 8th inning implosion against the Pirates being the most recent) that the burden of holding the lead for K-Rod to save in the 9th might have to be taken out of Putz's currently incapable hands and placed into Bobby Parnell's.

Last night's inability to get even one out in the 8th before his merciful removal followed Sunday's one-out debacle which required Parnell to come to the rescue and prevent disaster. The set-up guy to K-Rod, the bridge to victory, needs replacing.

For whatever his issues; elbow pain resulting in confused mechanics, loss of command, a flat splitter and a fastball with no zip, the Problem With Putz is not going to go away. If anything the problem is getting progressively worse because with each bad outing another level of confidence is shattered and with it, any sense of confidence the Mets have in saving a lead to give to K-Rod in the 9th.

Irrespective of the reasons and the rationales, the one thing the Mets cannot afford to do is do nothing and hope it all goes away.

Each game Putz blows is not only a blow to his confidence, but a blow to the Mets victory count and ultimately, an even bigger loss as blown leads negate the need for K-Rod in the first place. So in essence, given their investment in K-Rod, it's costing the Mets double; victory and the chance for K-Rod to even save it.

So now is not the time for the Mets management to play their typical game of bury-the-head-in-the-sand and pretend there is no problem or that the problem which magically work itself out like a child's fairy tale.

They need to address this problem by taking Putz out of these situations immediately and letting him sort his head, elbow and pitches out before they let him back out there. Parnell should replace him and while that needn't be the order for the rest of the season, until the problem is resolved, simply leaving Putz out there to blow leads game after game is helping no one, most importantly, a Mets team who come September, will need all the wins they can get.