Mike Pelfrey, former first round pick and starting pitcher that ranged from OK to downright awful for the New York Mets from 2006 till 2012, had a pretty rough go of it to say the least in New York before getting injured and then leaving the Mets for the Twins last off-season.
He was never the most popular player amongst the fans, his time with the team relative to his status as a top ten pick in the draft never truly meshed and his leaving the team was not met with much sadness from the fans.
On Friday, he was quoted in a story from Sports on Earth by Pat Borzi about the change of scenery former Yankee Phil Hughes will have going from New York to Minnesota and playing for the Twins.
And spoiler alert, although he doesn’t say it outright, I don’t think Pelfrey misses pitching here all that much.
Former Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey thinks Hughes will embrace his new home. Pelfrey, a Kansan, enjoyed pitching for the Twins so much last season he signed a two-year, $11 million deal to stay. He heard a few boos as he struggled in his first season back from Tommy John surgery (5-13, 5.19), but nowhere near the volume or venom of his final full season at Citi Field.
“I haven’t met him yet, but I’m sure it’s a change he’s going to love,” Pelfrey said. “He won’t be cussed out in the first inning the first time he gives up a run. It’s a lot more about baseball here than dealing with all the other stuff.”
I would have to think that “dealing with all the other stuff” includes dealing with the media after another poor performance, being booed on Opening Day as if he was the worst person ever, the constant negativity from fans as the Marlins pounded him start after start.
Pelfrey must have enjoyed the atmosphere in Minnesota so much, that I bet pitching to a 5+ ERA and not having people inform him how bad that is constantly was probably very nice.
When you combine all the stuff that went on with him in New York, including those moments in the second half of 2008 and the first half of 2010 when he pitched pretty well, he dealt with plenty.
While I’m not completely shocked to see that Big Pelf doesn’t really miss pitching in New York, I’m sure he won’t be shocked to hear that we don’t miss watching him pitch.
