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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!dpb
From: dpb@philabs.UUCP (Paul Benjamin)
Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Give Orosco a break
Message-ID: <544@philabs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-Jan-86 11:21:12 EST
Article-I.D.: philabs.544
Posted: Tue Jan  7 11:21:12 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Jan-86 20:09:58 EST
References: <276@pluto.UUCP>
Organization: Philips Labs, Briarcliff Manor, NY
Lines: 22

> All you real Met fans out there, how many of you admire Jesse Orosco?
> Every Met fan I ask about Jesse tells me, "Oh that guy, he's the worst.
> He stinks.  Trade him, etc, etc, etc."  Give me a break.  Did anybody
> write off Bruce Sutter after his horendous season last year?  No. Has
> anybody even mentioned that Dave Righetti didn't have quite such a
> good year?  Jesse Orosco was third in the Cy-Young voting in '83 and
> had a club record 33 saves in '84.  His season wasn't all that good
> this year but he did have some arm problems.  His stats weren't all
> that bad though.  Every body remembers the few games he blew, but does
> anybody remember whem he came in (for Roger McDowell) with the bases
> loaded and he got out without giving up a run?  Give the guy a chance.
> If he screws up next season then you have an argument but god, give
> him a break.  No one's perfect!

I agree. I remember reading that you should never count on a reliever to
have two good years in a row. Sometimes they do, but all too often a
good year is followed by a so-so year. The fault was not with Orosco,
but with the lack of depth in the bullpen. Look at LA. They just traded
for more bullpen depth, when they already have a lot of pitching strength.
They know better than to count on last year's pitchers repeating their
performances. Apparently the Mets have learned, too, since they picked
up Ojeda.