Ike Davis took batting practice in Buffalo yesterday morning in anticipation of hitting cleanup in a 1 p.m. start against the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate.
Fifty minutes before first pitch, however, he was notified of his promotion to The Show. So he flew to New York to arrive just in time at Citi Field for another round of BP in preparation for his major league debut last night against the Cubs.
So when it comes to the Mets’ mantra this season, we can move right to Recovery because the organization ignored Prevention with its best position prospect.
Look, there are times when prospects must be hustled to the majors. But this was not one of those times. To have enough pitching after a 20-inning game Saturday, the Mets summoned Tobi Stoner on Sunday. For roster room they designated Mike Jacobs for assignment. Which meant Davis was going to be called up just as soon as the Mets’ pitching was back in order.
That occurred Sunday. Stoner absorbed 2 1/3 innings in relief of John Maine, which limited the other Met relievers to 12 pitches: eight by Pedro Feliciano and four by Ryota Igarashi. A good organization would have pro-actively discussed just such a scenario, which would have triggered events Sunday night to have Davis on the first plane yesterday morning.
However, Mets general manager Omar Minaya told me he did not make his series of calls to get ownership’s blessings, and to explain the plan to Jerry Manuel and others in the organization until yesterday morning. So instead of making a crown jewel’s first day in the majors easier, the Mets turned it into an obstacle course.
But the Mets have mishandled Davis from the outset of the season. The moment Daniel Murphy sprained his right knee in spring training the Mets should have made Davis their starting first baseman.
It essentially provided a free look with a talented player. If Davis faltered and needed to be demoted then there would be no harm, no foul to his psyche. The organization just could have pointed out that Davis was in the majors because of an injury. And if Davis excelled then he seamlessly would become the regular first baseman. After all, he would be replacing Murphy, not Ryan Howard. He began making inroads to that move last night, getting two hits, including an RBI single off a lefty, Sean Marshall, in the Mets’ 6-1 triumph over the Cubs.
The cynical say the Mets temporarily demoted Davis to have him for six-plus seasons until free agency rather than six if he began this year on the roster without ever being sent down. But then why have Jenrry Mejia on the roster from the outset?
The Mets got it backward. Davis should have been in the majors and Mejia should have been in the minors, building up to be a starter where his value in both 2010 and beyond promises to be greater. In explaining why Davis was ready now, Minaya cited Davis’ familiarity with the big leagues and New York because his father, Ron, was a Yankee reliever, plus Davis had success at Double-A last year followed by strong stints on the U.S. World Cup team and in the Arizona Fall League. Besides being 19 months younger, Mejia had not excelled at either Double-A (0-5, 4.47) last year or the AFL (1-3, 12.56), nor did he have any New York familiarity.
And as opposed to relief where volatility could lead to pleasant surprises — such as the Mets are getting with, for example, Igarashi and Hisanori Takahashi — the Mets absolutely should have known not to bother with Jacobs. They drafted and developed him. He played against the Mets 48 games as a Marlin. The Mets had to know he was a high-strikeout, low-average, poor defender who might homer now and then. In other words, stuff Davis almost certainly could outperform from the beginning of the year.
Was the Mets’ plan really to give Jacobs 28 plate appearances to impress them or else?
Because that is what happened.
So the Mets did finally get it right by bringing the potential energy and skill of Davis to the roster. This being the Mets, however, they got him to the majors all wrong.