Maine’s Thumb

In my post analyzing John Maine’s first start as a Met, I mentioned that Maine looked pretty good, but was surprised he didn’t throw more curveballs. Well, here’s the explanation:

<< Maine ... started Tuesday against the Nationals even though he had felt a "pop" in the finger when he threw the final curve of his bullpen warmup. "I didn't do anything but throw it," Maine said Saturday before leaving for a trip to Port St. Lucie, Fla., where he will rehab the finger. "I can't believe this. I've never missed a start in my life, not even in high school. Now this. "I just felt it pop. And it was sore. I threw one curve in the game. It was terrible ... and it hurt." >>

I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. It’s bad, because he is unable to pitch. But maybe it’s a good sign that Maine could pitch as well as he did without the use of a vital pitch in his repertoire. It says something about his ability to battle, and it would suggest that he’ll be a much stronger starter when he’s able to throw all his pitches.

With the possible DL of Victor Zambrano looming, Maine just might get a second chance, even after Brian Bannister returns from his own DL stint.

How remarkable would it be, if both Jorge Julio and John Maine turn out to be key cogs in the Mets’ machine in 2006? All the pundits calling for Omar’s head after the Kris Benson deal would surely be silenced.