Six Degrees of Duaner Sanchez

By Taryn Cooper
Posted Thursday, October 4, 2007

Note from The Coop: I don’t remember where I read this idea, but I would like to give credit to the blog junkie who mentioned that if not for Duaner Sanchez getting injured, the team dynamic would be different. I tip my hat to this person, but the rest below is a Coop original.

Let’s think back to the last time the Mets had their mojo going baby. No, not at the beginning of the 2007 season. Not when Pedro returned in September. Not when John Maine had a no-hitter for 7 2/3 innings against the Marlins the second to last day of the season. Not even when they swept the Dodgers in the NLDS in 2006.

Nope, it was July 30, 2006, after a particularly pivotal series against the Braves. The 2006 Mets set the tone for the rest of the season (or had hoped they would), and were going down to Miami to play the Marlins and hopefully catch some sun, fun and rays. At least, RF Xavier Nady thought he could.

But middle relief specialist Duaner Sanchez, Dirty Duaner as most fans had taken to call him, he was hungry. Visiting with some family and friends and a hankering for some home cooked Dominican food, they hailed a cab around 1:30 in the morning, and were on their way.

But on the way, something tragic occurred. The cab Sanchez was in hit another car, spinning the cab out of control and while bracing himself (although he said he was wearing a seat belt), Sanchez braced himself…with his pitching arm.

Shoulder injury. Season-ending surgery. July 31, 2006 -- Blockbuster trade for Oswalt out, Oliver Perez in for Xavier Nady who went from the penthouse to the outhouse in one day, joining the cellar dwellars Pirates from the first place Mets.

The next night, August 1, 2006, the Mets had a chance to prove they did not need Duaner in the ‘pen to be effective. Heck, they did not even need Nady for the bottom of the line-up pop anymore to win.

What they did need was the moxie Sanchez brought with him. With a fist pump after a successful inning, Sanchez gave the Mets fans the needed security of a good bullpen to preserve leads of the starters.

And when Billy Wagner surrendered the go-ahead run in a walk-off win for the Marlins that evening, I thought, we’re dead.

Now, I never shared that until now (well, maybe I shared it with fellow faculty member, Stefi Kaplan), but it wasn’t about losing Nady. We could lose him. It wasn’t about needing to rely on Aaron Heilman as the middle relief specialist. We could do that. Oliver Perez was supposed to be an ace – he was, in 2007.

But when Duaner Sanchez got injured, he brought the team down with him.

The Mets went 34-24 during the last two months of the season. Granted, August 2006 was a strong one, where they had a .679 record. But September was a swooning month (sound familiar), which could be solely attributed to exhaustion on the starters parts or whatever, but I have a different theory.

Blame Duaner Sanchez.

Think about what happened shortly after his injury. Besides trading fan favorite Xavier Nady away, the Mets received Roberto Hernandez, who was supposed to be the Sanchez replacement, and also “throw-in” Oliver Perez. While we all knew Ollie would become a star (at least in this faculty member’s eyes) in 2007, Bert Hernandez did not figure in much into the later year nor in the postseason.

Since Omar Minaya traded theoretically Carlos Delgado’s 1B back-up in Nady, Omar orchestrated a trade for Shawn Green. Shawn Green, with his hat flying antics out in RF, muffing plays in the OF during the NLCS, and his weak hitting during the stretch, made him into an instant fan favorite. But hey, the guy could play first base!

And the piece de resistance, Omar through his blockbuster wisdom signed Met favorite Guillermo Mota to be the nasty hurler in the ‘pen. The set up man for Aaron Heilman or vice versa. Mota, who blew so many leads this year, Mets fans took to calling him Armando Jr. Mota, who gave up the game-tying and dynamic-changing triple to Scott Spiezio and his red soul patch in Game 2 of the NLCS.

Let’s not forget, it was also Shawn Green who muffed that play. Plus, who knows if Nady was still on the team maybe he wouldn’t have gotten that fly ball, but he definitely would have not have been afraid to swing at any pitches at the bottom of the line-up.

I’m just sayin’, Duaner Sanchez doesn’t get injured, that play doesn’t happen, the Mets win the NLCS in four games.

Now let’s think back to the beginning of the 2007 season. We were thrilled that sassy Sanchez would be back in a Mets uniform. Not just that, Omar didn’t bring back a lot of the BP stalwarts from 2006, like Darren Oliver (who would go on for a mediocre year with the Angels…who by the way are going into a postseason while the Mets are not)…and Chad Bradford, which most Mets fans were pretty divided about. Is a two year deal not enough? Is a three year deal too much? Bradford walked when Baltimore gave him a better deal.

The thinking was Duaner Sanchez would be back and would solidify the ‘pen once again. However, in a practice session, Sanchez reinjured his shoulder, needing season-ending (before it even began) surgery and guess what, we are relying on Aaron Heilman again. Not to mention, Omar Minaya in a pity move over the winter, resigned Guillermo Mota AFTER he got pinched for violating the MLB drug policy!! But also, in a somewhat panic move, since Chad Bradford was gone, Omar needed another middle reliever and gave the contract he should have given to Bradford to Scott Schoeneweis. Schoeneweis, who we affectionately called “Just Forfeit” this season, had a 5.03 ERA with the Mets, while Bradford who was seen as being on the “decline” had a 3.34 ERA with cellar dwellars Baltimore Orioles.

And what happened? The Mets had a great bullpen in 2006, and in 2007, it was just crap. I don’t even need stats to back it up. Towards the end, did any of us not named Willie Randolph trust ANYONE with a lead? Nope. He got spoiled with how good Duaner was those few months, he thought anyone could come in a finish the job. Towards the end, we wanted seven good innings from our starters…then a flash flood so the game could be called and the Mets win.

So let’s do a ReCoop here if we may.

Duaner Sanchez gets injured. We get Oliver Perez (star), Bert Hernandez (decent and no longer on the team), Mota (no comment), Shawn Green (decent), Scott Schoeneweis, not to mention the reliance on Aaron Heilman in key situations, who essentially came right out and said he does not have the make up to be a closer or lights out guy. Something tells me with or without Duaner Sanchez, Heilman will be starting somewhere in 2008.

I hope you all know I was being facetious and kidding. I mean, one middle reliever could not be that powerful to kill the chances of the Mets advancing to the World Series in 2006 AND not even making the postseason in 2007?

Well, when in doubt, say it loud, say it proud. Blame the guy who can’t defend himself. Blame it all on the Duaner.
 

Taryn "The Coop" Cooper of My Summer Family is firing on all cylinders as she brings us her second FU column this week.