Monday, August 21, 2006
Mets Acquisition of Pirates Oliver Perez Brilliant
The Mets acquisition of former Pirates pitcher Oliver Perez in the Xavier Nady deal seems especially brilliant now with starters Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine missing significant time, and their outlook questionable for the remainder of the season. Perez, 25, who was 12-10 with a 2.98 ERA and 239 strikeouts in 195 innings for Pittsburgh in 2004, lost the confidence of the Pirates after struggling since last year. But he appears to be back on track after being relegated by the Mets to the AAA Norfolk Tides, where he is 1-0 with a 0.69 ERA in his last two starts, giving up just six hits in 13 innings. The Mets have several other alternatives, including Brian Bannister, currently on a rehab assignment with the Tides, but Perez's numbers are hard to ignore.
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Doctor X -- the 'Baseball Medic' -- is an anonymous U.S. government trauma specialist with a Duke University sports medicine background and more than 20 years experience in emergency medicine. From time to time he considers MLB rumors, events and news reports as they pertain to baseball players' injuries, illnesses and various other disabilities, both on the field and off.
MLB Rumors editor Greg Fieg is a former sports news editor and award-winning writer whose bylines have appeared on the wires of the Associated Press and in numerous publications, including San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio Light, Houston Chronicle and Philadelphia Bulletin. He formerly was posted in various positions on the U.S.-Mexican border with Freedom Newspapers, and was a regular, independent contributor to United Press International.