From David Waldstein in the New York Times:
In 2002, three years after Valentine urged them to do so, the Mets brought in Satoru Komiyama, a control pitcher they called the Greg Maddux of Japan. Again, their timing was off. By the time the Mets got Komiyama, he was more like the Mike Maddux of Japan.
Based on a statistics sheet from Japan, Steve Phillips, the Mets’ general manager at the time, thought Komiyama was an experienced reliever. But Phillips misread the category Games Finished to mean saves, when it actually referred to complete games. Komiyama went 0-3 with a 5.61 earned run average (and no saves) for the Mets and went home after one year.
Good luck, Ryota Igarashi. All the same, we’d suggest you rent rather than buy.
Lost comments for this one:
Re: You Cannot Make This Stuff Up
by Greg on Tue 22 Dec 2009 08:39 AM EST | Profile | Permanent Link
Thus bringing to mind perhaps the greatest anecdote in the history of professional sports management, courtesy of Loose Balls, Terry Pluto’s nonpareil oral history of the ABA. Speaking here is Max Williams, first GM of the Dallas Chapparals:
The draft was coming up and I made some calls to coaches I knew, did some checking around, got all the basketball magazines I could and put together a draft list. I gave it to [owner Roland] Speth and figured we’d talk about it in a few days.
One day, Speth said to me, “Well, we had our draft.”
I said, “What are you talking about?”
He said, “It happened so quickly. They just said the draft was tomorrow. I couldn’t find you so I went to New York and I took your list along and I did the draft.”
Of course, the reason he went to the draft by himself was that Speth didn’t want to spend the money to take me, too.
I said, “You should have taken me. You don’t know anything about players.”
He said, “I got the first five guys on your list.”
I said, “That wasn’t a talent list. That was a list of players in alphabetical order.”
He said, “Oh.”
That was it — “oh.”
So the first draft pick in the history of the Dallas franchise was Matt Aitch from Michigan State, because his last name began with “A.”
Look at our draft:
1. Matt Aitch.
2. Jim Burns.
3. Gary Gray.
4. Pat Riley.
5. Jim Thompson.
Then in the supplemental rounds it went:
1. Paul Brateris.
2. Jeff Fitch.
3. Ted Manning.
4. Duane Heckman.
5. Gilbert McDowell.
6. Jerry Southwood.
7. Tom Storm.
The only guy out of alphabetical order was Heckman, and my guess is that Speth probably just looked at the list wrong.
Re: You Cannot Make This Stuff Up
by Joe D. on Tue 22 Dec 2009 09:24 AM EST | Permanent Link
Hi Jason,
Steve Phillips couldn’t even read a bubble gum card correctly.
Re: You Cannot Make This Stuff Up
by CharlieH on Tue 22 Dec 2009 10:26 AM EST | Profile | Permanent Link
Steve Phillips could f*** up a wet dream. Oh, wait…
Re: Re: You Cannot Make This Stuff Up
by Anonymous on Tue 22 Dec 2009 02:28 PM EST | Permanent Link
Meanwhile, the Yanks get Javy back for their number 4 starter, rumors are they’re going after Bay or Holliday to play LF, while Omar diddles around with Bengie Molina. What is Johan thinking right now?
Re: Re: Re: You Cannot Make This Stuff Up
by CharlieH on Tue 22 Dec 2009 02:34 PM EST | Profile | Permanent Link
Hey! Be nice! We’re pennant bound, now.
Re: You Cannot Make This Stuff Up
by Joe D. on Tue 22 Dec 2009 02:34 PM EST | Permanent Link
Hey,
The Mets are about to sign R.A. Dickey to a minor league contract. Wilpon’s plan coming to light!
Re: Re: You Cannot Make This Stuff Up
by CharlieH on Tue 22 Dec 2009 02:35 PM EST | Profile | Permanent Link
Wow. Great minds & all that, Joe D.!
Re: Re: Re: You Cannot Make This Stuff Up
by Joe D. on Tue 22 Dec 2009 03:56 PM EST | Permanent Link
Charlie,
As our fearless leader just said “You Cannot Make This Stuff Up”.