Trachsel is good, real good. Reliable too - I told you so***

***This is a guest blog from one of my colleagues, MAC. We are both die hard Mets fans, but take different views about the subject of this blog. I have never been a fan of his, MAC is... Read On...

Take it away MAC...

Trachsel ain't flashy. He's boring. And when you watch him, he takes so long to pitch, you fall asleep. But his numbers -- the double-digit wins, capable ERA and WHIP, and general reliability -- made him one of my favorites.
-Eric Krabell, ESPN

That’s how I feel about Trachsel in a nut shell. In a year where the Mets have had as many as 9 starting pitchers on the roster (Pedro, Glavine, Trachsel, Hernandez, Perez, Pelfrey, Bannister, Maine, Williams) one has been there all year. Trachsel. My friend and Blogmaster likes to call him Stevie Trash-Can, but these numbers prove otherwise.

This year he is:
14-6
1.06 WHIP
2nd in the NL in wins
3rd in the NL in Winning percentage
5th in the NL for Walks
.971 fielding percentage

Since the All-Star break:
10 games
6-228 Walks
6 Hits/game
In 7 games gave up only 3 or less earned runs
Wins included San Diego, St. Louis, Florida, and Cincinnati (All possible Wild Card Teams)
Yes- his ERA (5.02) is ugly. I can admit that. Not every pitcher is lights out. Yet the Mets give ST more run support than any other pitcher this year – THEY PLAY FOR THIS GUY! Willie put it nicely after ST’s ugly loss to the Braves on Monday.

"As long as he keeps winning, it's (his ERA) not a concern at all," Randolph said. "It's about winning games. Sometimes you're not going to always do it pretty."

All teams need a good strong reliable veteran pitcher. Not one who is flashy and a bull - that’s an ace – but someone who is a strong middle or end of your rotation. Someone who will last an entire season. Someone who will eat up innings. Someone who will not make mistakes. And someone who has been in the league long enough to know which way is up, help the young bloods and add positive charisma and leadership quality to the locker room.

Trachsel is better than any 5 or 4 pitcher out there, and this year is an amazing 3 starter. You only need 3 good pitchers in the playoffs… can you find a better guy that ST right now for that role?