Last updated: 5:05 am
August 12, 2008
Posted: 4:17 am
August 12, 2008
FORGET about Gandhi. Forget about Martin Luther King. Jerry Manuel, a disciple of their calm, rational thinking, has found something at which even the great pacifist would grow intolerant: the Mets bullpen.
Manuel dismissed any lingering patience with his veteran relievers after a loss yesterday that was unacceptable and unfathomable. The Pirates essentially were trying to surrender at Shea, yet the Mets bullpen burned the white flag and another sure victory went up in smoke.
So following a 7-5 loss to Pittsburgh, Manuel said this about who will provide the key outs late in games the rest of this season: "Everything from here on out is a possibility." Manuel shared some options at a post-game news conference, but The Post has learned all three main scenarios the organization is now mulling:
1. Have Eddie Kunz, who has all of three major league appearances, reprise his Double-A closing role, at least until Billy Wagner returns, which is currently scheduled for Monday. This is the most likely choice.
2. Keep Brian Stokes in the rotation and call upon either John Maine or Oliver Perez to serve as a multi-inning fireman. For now the Mets don't want to mess with Mike Pelfrey by requesting a rotation-to-pen change.
3. Summon top pitching prospect Jon Niese for the rotation and use Stokes plus either Maine or Perez to serve as the main late-inning relievers.
Kunz, Maine and Perez all said they were game for any assignment. Yet, all of these scenarios are drenched in peril. Kunz lacks experience or a dependable second pitch. Stokes has just one major league start this year and was a culprit last year in a Tampa pen that was one of the worst ever. Maine is only now ready to come off the DL from a strained rotator cuff, so you wonder how his arm would respond to a change in preparation. Perez has been the Mets' co-best starter with Johan Santana for two months.
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