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The Baker, The Butcher...

Jim Baker, normally one of my favorite columnists at ESPN's premium service ESPN Insider, has disappointed me today. Lee Jenkins' wrote an article in today's New York Times about Karim Garcia and Shane Spencer coming to the Mets, and how GM Jim Duquette hoped that their winning attitude might rub off on some of the Mets younger players.

In response, Baker tries to insinuate that the Mets somehow believe that these acquisitions will pass their "winning ways" onto their club. ESPN Insider is a pay service, but here is an excerpt:

There's an article in the New York Times today that says the Mets hope that the winning ways of a couple of former Yankees -- Shane Spencer and Karim Garcia -- "rubs off" on their new team.

I will bet you that somewhere in this great land of ours, a doctor is still using leaches to bleed bad "humors" out of patients.

These two motives are not unrelated.

Shane Spencer hasn't enjoyed much success since leaving the Yankees. The notion that someone coming from a successful program has some kind of mojo about them is remarkably silly. Mets general manager Jim Duquette told Lee Jenkins of the New York Times, "When you look at the profile of players, that was one of our criteria -- that they had a degree of success. It was high on our list. Those guys we got bring the attitude, demeanor and atmosphere of winning." I don't know what the exact dollar value of the Mets is right now, but it was $454 million in 2001. I find it somewhat disturbing that the man entrusted with piecing together the on-field performance component of this nine-figure operation is engaging in such primitive thinking.

Again, I typically enjoy Baker's writing, but this article is kind of misguided. I read Lee Jenkins' article, and I think Baker is making something out of nothing, perhaps in an effort to polarize his readers (thanks Mike!). Jim Duquette never implied that Karim Garcia made the Yankees a winner, nor do I think he believes that players become winners through the osmosis of other players who have experienced winning.

The idea is that the Mets have a lot of young players on the club and in camp, and the notion of bringing people in who have experienced success at this level is not without merit. I don’t subscribe to the “proven veteran� theory, insofar as I would rather have talent and inexperience than futility and experience. That said, the experience and excitement of success is certainly perceivable, and is also infectious, and I think that it can have a positive effect on the Mets younger players, if only to encourage them and motivate them to excel beyond their own expectations.

I find it hard to believe that if the Duke really thought this way he would still be GM of the Mets. Baker should stick to his normally great work, and leave the claptrap responses to the likes of Jayson Stark.