July 30- 2004: A Dark Day in Flushing

by Matt Wells

What should Devil Rays fans be doing right now?  They should be meeting the Mets, greeting the Mets, stepping right up and thanking the Mets.  Once every five days, the Rays fans should be bringing the kiddies and their wives to the games because they will be having the times of their lives.

Yes, the Devil Rays are 21-31 through their first 52 games.  Yes, they play in perhaps the worst stadium in the majors right now.  So, why should they be coming out to the ballpark then?

Two words: Scott Kazmir.With the Mets bringing up phenom Lastings Milledge yesterday, almost every Met fan had their minds flash back to July 30, 2004, the day the organization traded Scott Kazmir and got <gulp> Victor Zambrano.

The Mets, for some odd reason, didn’t seem to be focusing on the future; they were looking at the present. 2004 was the season that saw Art Howe struggling to manage a National League team. It was obvious that the Mets, who finished 71-91, were not going to be competing with the perennial winners from Atlanta. Yet, they traded away a top prospect to get Zambrano.

At the time of the trade, Kazmir had been 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA in 4 starts with AA-Binghamton. Zambrano had been 0-3 with a 5.06 ERA in his last 4 starts in Tampa Bay. If the Mets were desperate for a top-notch starter, why not just promote Kazmir? That’s a question that Mets fans are still pondering.

In a Mets uniform, Zambrano is 10-14. He has been, for the most part, erratic when he has taken the hill. In 201 2/3 innings in a Mets uniform, Zambrano has an ERA of about 4.42 (that’s 99 earned runs in that span).

Now, Zambrano is hurt. Brian Bannister is hurt. Jose Lima didn’t do the trick. Neither did Jeremi Gonzalez, who got traded to the Reds. From what I heard this morning on a sports talk show, the #4 and #5 starters of the Mets are 4-10. Thank God for Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, and (occasionally) Steve Trachsel.

Kazmir, meanwhile, is succeeding in Tampa Bay. If you can perform well in Tampa Bay of all places, odds are that you can perform well anywhere. I mean, come on, it’s Tampa Bay!

Kazmir never threw a game in the Major Leagues for the New York Mets. They never gave him the opportunity. Well, Mets fans are crying over that move. Kazmir, in just 1 full season and parts of 2 seasons, has compiled a record 19-15. His ERA is under 4. He’s 7-3 for the last place Devil Rays this year. In my opinion, he should be picked to be a part of the American League All-Star team this year in Pittsburgh.

Kazmir, the young lefty who is just 22 years of age, is averaging over 9 strikeouts per 9 innings this season. In 288 2/3 innings pitched during his brief career, Kazmir has 288 strikeouts. Once again, that’s essentially 1 strikeout per inning, or 9 per 9 innings. That’s up there with the Randy Johnson (the old, better RJ) and the Pedro Martinez-type pitchers in the game.

Victor Zambrano? Oh yeah, he’s sitting on the DL for perhaps the rest of the 2006 season with an injury to his elbow. The Mets have now acquired Dave Williams from the Reds and Orlando Hernandez from the Diamondbacks because they desperately need starting pitching. It’s clear that what they had before the “El Duque” deal was not working. It probably would be working if Kazmir was still in the mix.

The Devil Rays can thank the Mets for another player traded from New York on that summer day: Ty Wigginton. Alright, I know what is coming from you die-hard Mets fans…Wigginton was traded in order for the Mets to bring up some young kid named David Wright. Look at Wright now!

The Mets ended up trading Wigginton to Pittsburgh in order to get starter Kris Benson, a move that was thought to be brilliant at the time. Benson did finish 14-12 in 1 1/2 seasons with the Mets. He was a formidable pitcher who gave the Mets some good, quality starts.

The Mets then traded him to the Orioles during this past offseason for (are you kidding me?) Jorge Julio. Julio’s New York stint lasted for less than two months when he was traded to the Diamondbacks from the aforementioned Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez.

Ty Wigginton struggled with the Pirates and was released from the ballclub after sharing time at the big-league level and in the minors. He would hit 12 homers in 115 games in Pittsburgh. The Devil Rays, desperate for some sort of help offensively, ended up signing Wigginton. That move was brilliant.

This year, Wigginton has 12 homers in just 49 games for the young Devil Rays. Tampa Bay has been able to use the versatile Wigginton at four different positions – first base, second base, third base, and the outfield (which I’ll classify as one position). He has committed just 6 errors in the field, and he has been a part of the everyday lineup in Tampa Bay.

The Mets? Well, they could sure use Wigginton at second base right about now. Kaz Matsui has been a failure, and that’s an understatement. Jose Valentin (yes, that Jose Valentin) is now getting the bulk of the playing time at second. Instead of having someone young like Wigginton playing first base when needed, the Mets have the very old Julio Franco backing up Carlos Delgado.

Now, the Mets bench this year has been very good. However, Wigginton would almost certainly be playing well in a reserve role in Flushing. He could even be the team’s everyday second baseman this year.

So, what happened to those players acquired (and traded) by the Mets on July 30, 2004?:

-Victor Zambrano? Disabled List
-Kris Benson? Traded to the Orioles for Jorge Julio, who was then traded for a starter
-Scott Kazmir? Succeeding in Tampa Bay
-Ty Wigginton? Succeeding in Tampa Bay
-Jeff Keppinger (acquired from Pittsburgh)? Sitting in the minors

Sounds to me like the Mets got the raw end of this deal, and it’s certainly a day that Mets fans would like to forget.

But, hey, New York Mets? Do me a favor…don’t trade Lastings Milledge in order to get someone who will be a burnout in a few years…