PORT ST. LUCIE — Last spring, what Bobby Parnell considered a sure spot on the Mets’ roster turned into a nearly three-month stint at Triple-A Buffalo.
“I got caught up into working on my off-speed pitches too much instead of pitching and I had a couple of bad outings,” Parnell said yesterday at Digital Domain Park. “I didn’t really prove anything last year while I was here because I was too complacent in spring training. I felt comfortable about making the team and looking back on it, I was working on my pitches too much and not really pitching when I needed to.”
The right-handed pitcher insisted it will be different this time around and that while he will still try to work on his changeup and slider, Parnell will concentrate more on simply getting people out.
“I look back on a couple of outings and I was trying to be too perfect when I should have been pitching and not trying to fine-tune everything,” Parnell said. “I wound up working my way out of a bullpen spot.”
He finally returned to the Mets in late June and was solid the rest of the way. With the uncertainty of the bullpen this season, he’ll be relied upon even more.
“He’s learned to control himself more, emotionally,” said Mike Nickeas, who caught Parnell throughout the minors. “He used to get very upset and visibly frustrated when things went wrong. Now, he knows how to pitch more and doesn’t react the same way.”
Manager Terry Collins plans for Parnell to be a late-inning regular and for that to happen, the righty will have to count on more than just his strong arm.
“I know what I need to do to get to where I want to go now,” Parnell said. “It’s more of a clear path. No more detours.”
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Collins had praise for outfield prospect Kirk Nieuwenhuis
, who split time between Triple-A Buffalo and Double-A Binghamton last season, saying that the 23-year-old reminded him of Kirk Gibson
, the former Tigers and Dodgers star.
“The way he plays the game,” Collins said of Nieuwenhuis. “I don’t know if he’s as fast as Kirk [Gibson], but the mentality side, he plays hard and he’s not afraid of fences. As he gets bigger and stronger, he might be a corner guy.”
Collins also said he expects infield prospect Wilmer Flores
to remain at shortstop for the entire season. Flores finished last season with Class-A St. Lucie and hit .300 in 290 at-bats.