T HE composition of the Mets’ lineup yesterday reflected a day game after a night game, the comforts that come from an ever-swelling, double-digit lead and a confidence that, in 2006, this team always seems to have so much in reserve and reserves.
Carlos Beltran, Paul Lo Duca and Lastings Milledge rested with the Mets having already won the first two games against San Diego. So the secondand fifthplace hitters were Endy Chavez and Jose Valentin, who had guaranteed contracts, but not guaranteed jobs in spring training.
The 6-8 hitters – Michael Tucker, Ricky Ledee and Mike DiFelice – were not even with the big-league team a week ago.
And the starting pitcher, Orlando Hernandez, arrived in late May with seemingly his best attribute being he was not Jorge Julio.
Yet every one of those players contributed to the Mets’ sweep-completing, 7-3 triumph over the Padres. And here is the interesting thing, there was nothing surprising about either the supplementary success or the threegame scuttling of San Diego. That the Padres arrived a first-place team merely reinforces just how much better the Mets are than the 15 other NL clubs. That we are again throwing compliments to the complementary players is now a familiar storyline for these Mets, who keep getting something from what was supposed to be nothing.
“I think all the credit goes to Willie (Randolph) for putting these type of players in situations in which they can succeed and our scouts for finding guys who can produce,” GM Omar Minaya said.
Valentin is the symbolic godfather of this crew. He was the only player in the majors with 175 plate appearances to hit under .200 (.170) last year. On the second base depth chart in spring, he was behind, at least, Kaz Matsui, Bret Boone and Anderson Hernandez.
And he began this season 0-for-15 and 5-for-30 without an extra-base hit. Yet, today, a case could be made for Valentin being among the most valuable Mets.
His success at second, a position he had not played in the majors in 12 years prior to 2006, has erased the bitter failure that was Matsui.
With two walks and a two-run single, Valentin raised his batting average to .291, his on-base percentage to .346, his slugging percentage to .519, his RBI total to 47 and his stock in his own clubhouse through the roof.
“If you play 162 games or 20 games, when you win, everybody wins,” Valentin said. “It is all about contributions.” Minaya brought Valentin to the Mets because he was a switch-hitter with a history of playing just about every position, a history that made the GM comfortable that he could be a versatile and valuable fill-in should injury strike anywhere. It helped that Valentin had such a strong supporter in bench coach Jerry Manuel, who was Valentin’s White Sox manager from 1998-2003. Manuel promised the Mets they were getting someone “who plays to win the game” and has a high-baseball IQ. Valentin, Manuel said, “is going to make a great manager some day.” Valentin’s on-field intellect, Chavez’s energy and Chris Woodward’s work ethic are attributes Randolph cites for why the team’s reserves have performed so marvelously. Minaya said he already is indexing backup types he wants to pursue for 2007, saying, “We take great pride in finding bench players. We put a lot of time, thought and effort into it. I really enjoy the acquisition of players at low cost.” Manuel said the lowcost guys thrive because they are surrounded by big-time performers such as Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, David Wright and Carlos Delgado, who do so much of the heavy lifting.
Billy Wagner is another of those heavy lifters, so you would not be shocked to learn he is fifth among NL lefty relievers (at least 40 innings) in ERA at 2.53. But how about that Darren Oliver is first (2.09) and Pedro Feliciano (2.22) is third? Both Oliver and Feliciano arrived at Mets camp with minor-league contracts.
Now, like so many other seeming Met afterthoughts, they are major pieces.
It has been that kind of season for the Mets; even the secondstring has been first rate.
JOSE’S SEASON TO REMEMBER
AVG: 291 HR: 12 RBI: 47
OBP: .346 SLG: .519 SB: 5