The Mets on Wednesday announced Jose Valverde as the second candidate to become this year’s Special Guest Veteran Closer, a role played a year ago by Brandon Lyon and LaTroy Hawkins and the year before by Jason Isringhausen.
Valverde at one time was a heck of a closer for Detroit, but became something of a gasbag by 2012. One of his competitors in Mets camp is the mookish Kyle Farnsworth, himself a former 100-mph freak but more recently the kind of guy teams reach for when they’re unsure of the health of their closer. I guess the Mets sort of qualify.
Farnsworth has been issued No. 44, which is the number I recall him wearing back when he was a phenom with the Cubs. No word yet on Valverde’s digits though he’s most often worn 47. That number currently belongs to Andrew Brown, whose own path to a job this year appears difficult, especially if Josh Satin really learns how to play the outfield.
Purely as a matter of taste I’d prefer the demonstrative Valverde over the combustible Farnsworth but history suggests we stand a pretty good chance of seeing both, or neither. Let’s see how it goes.
A picture tweeted by the Mets today shows a Brown 30 jersey hanging in the clubhouse, so Valverde was probably given 47.
Why do I hate the idea of Farnsworth playing for the Mets? What is it about this guy (besides his name) that makes me think he is a complete d%*#@$bag? What am I forgetting?
I’ve never liked this guy either. For one thing, he’s one of those mongo guys who are all sinewy and shark-like, he looks like the kind of guy who smells. He’s got a history of combustible behavior, either getting in fights on the field, beanings, or general untrustworthiness as a reliever which makes fans hate him. He’s a former Yankee. I can remember him throwing 100+ when he was with the Cubs. Right now I’m rooting for Papa Grande who’s getting the good hype wrt helpig out the younger Dominican pitchers and making funny faces for the camera etc
[…] Farnsworth, whom I don’t like, has taken over closing duties from Jose Valverde, whom I don’t trust, but the question […]