Pedro Out for Season
SNY reported during the Mets game tonight that Pedro Martinez is out for the season because of a left calf tear. Ironically, this is not the leg that bothered Pedro all season. Most likely, he over-compensated the one injury by over-using the other leg.
Mets fans everywhere shed a collective tear; however, this isn't as bad as it seems. Pedro was out for a lot of the season and the Mets dominated with patchwork pitching. Without Pedro, Jon Maine starts in the fourth spot of the rotation. I honestly think that Maine is a better option than Steve Traschel. Traschel was handed many of his wins with assistance from a high-powered offense. Maine had a 22-inning scoreless streak this year and has been learning to work through trouble. I expect him to put up big games in the postseason when the Mets need him.
The Mets also have El Duque, one of the best postseason pitchers there is, and Glavine, who has tons of playoff experience. Traschel has pitched better towards the end of the season than he did in the beginning. Plus, the Mets still have a potent lineup who, although quiet as of late, can wake up at any time to make up for any poor pitching.
This is a tough blow for the Mets, but it will be worse if the Mets let this effect them more than it should. Hopefully, they won't get that "We've got no chance now" mentality. The Mets got through the season without Pedro. They can get through the postseason too.
