You Can't Go On A Roll Without Role Players

With the Summer of Lebron now officially upon is, it’s easy to forget about the little guys in sports.  But every Jordan needs a Kerr, and every Kobe needs a Fisher to win the big one.

Or, in the case of the Mets, every Wright, Bay and Santana needs a Barajas, a Tejada and a Dickey.

The Mets have a roster full of highly paid all-star caliber players, but they would not be doing nearly as well as they are if it wasn’t for the “role” players doing much better than they were supposed to.  Rod Barajas, seemingly the consolation in the Bengie Molina sweepstakes, is second on the team with 11 homers.  R.A. Dickey, embarrassingly signed after the Phillies got Roy Halladay, has been mostly lights out in his starts.  Elmer Dessens, who I thought had retired five years ago, has emerged as a valuable reliever.  Just last night we saw Jesus Feliciano and Ruben Tejada fill in for Reyes and Pagan and make sure the lineup and defense did not miss a beat.

With the season as long as it is, having role players step up can be the difference between playing and watching October baseball.  The 2006 NL East Champion Mets were littered with star players like Wright, Reyes, and Delgado, but were often carried by the heroics of guys like Jose Valentin and Endy Chavez.  In 2000 the likes of Bobby Jones, Timo Perez and Benny Agbayani helped Piazza, Ventura, and Hampton win an NL Pennant.

The 2010 Mets have their Lebrons and Wades, but they also have their Kerrs and Fishers getting the job done.  Stars like Wright, Reyes, Santana, and even Ike Davis are paid the big bucks to produce.   Guys like Barajas, Dickey, and Feliciano are paid little (relatively) but their contributions can go a long way.  If these afterthoughts keep it up, and the stars keep playing to their abilities, the Mets will be in the hunt all season.