Steve Phillips is Not A GM For A Reason...

Waaaayyy off topic but I couldn't let this go. From yesterday's ESPN chat with Steve Phillips:

Beltran Stays (New York): Steve, while I respect your work, I disagree with your statements about Carlos Beltran on Sunday Night Baseball. The guy has done nothing but produce, and name me a CF who's better in the game right now.

Steve Phillips: If the Mets don't make the playoffs, I firmly believe they need to reconfigure the core of this team. While Beltran does have talent, I just don't see him as a winning player. Even after my comments on Sunday night, Beltran let a fly ball drop in between himself and Angel Pagan in the Dodger game. I see him putting up numbers but not making plays to win games. I would take Torii Hunter, Grady Sizemore, Curtis Granderson, and Nate McLouth over Beltran, and use the financial difference to improve the team in other ways. Beltran isn't a $17 million dollar a year player. He just doesn't have the kind of impact for that kind of money.

Wow. Lets's take this point by point.

Torii Hunter is over the hill and will actually make more than Beltran so no cost savings.

Grady Sizemore is awesome...but he's unavailable. I don't think Cleveland is parting with him.

Curtis Granderson...see above.

Nate McLouth: Good hitter, TERRIBLE centerfielder (Gold Glove notwithstanding)

So sure, Sizemore and Granderson are younger and arguably just as good...but they aren't coming to the Mets.

So now that we have eliminated these four, who is coming to play center field for the Mets who is better than Beltran?

The next comment speaks for itself:

Steve Phillips: Many people think that Alex Rodriguez is the best player in the game, but he's never won anything. I look at Beltran in a similar fashion as Rodriguez--a great talent that just doesn't seem to have what it takes to win championships. Maybe the Mets can keep him and add pieces to the core around him and still win. But when you're dealing with a budget and the screams of immediacy in New York, I'm not sure the Mets can wait to piece it together around him. I know there are a lot of people who disagree with me, but it's just the way I see it. Beltran is a very good person and a solid citizen, in addition to being a guy who puts up numbers. I like him, I just don't think they can win with him.

First, a list of Hall of Famers who weren't "winners":

Ernie Banks
Harmon Killebrew
Carlton Fisk
Rod Carew
Nellie Fox

I could go on...

Funny how it's Beltran's fault and not the fault of GM Omar Minaya who has flanked him in the outfield with Ryan Church and Fernando Tatis.

OK, resume party...