He wouldn't have been a savior, but he could have been more useful than they let him be.

He also didn't sign the autograph request I sent to him in 2019.

And he was good from beginning to end. First five seasons: 2.73 ERA, 164 ERA+. Next five seasons: 2.35 ERA, 177 ERA+. Last five seasons: 3.04 ERA, 146 ERA+. Double wow.

I've argued in the past on another website that he belongs in the Hall of Fame, as no matter how you dice it, he was one of the best, if not the best, relief pitchers who never saved many games (he finished with 21 saves). As he was the best in his role, and the Hall rewards the best, perhaps he should be in.

Of course, the Mets being the Mets didn't recognize how awesome he was. They took him in the 2008 Rule 5 Draft and gave him just 4 appearances in 2009. His 0.00 ERA was too low for their liking, so they let him go to Texas, with whom he had a 1.94 ERA the rest of the way.

Ditching O'Day was one of the big Mets blunders that doesn't often get talked about.

Also, it should be noted that though his Mets tenure wasn't great, he was second on the Norfolk Tides in wins with 10 in 1993, behind Bobby Jones' 12.

It came on July 29, 1976 — 9 years to the day that The Door's "Light My Fire" reached #1 on Billboard.

Due to the Mets being desperate to find starters following Seaver, Matlack and Koosman in 1975, Tate got rushed to the majors at just 22 years old. My first exposure to him came when I recently listened to that season's Mayor's Trophy exhibition against the Yankees. He entered the game in the 7th inning and gave up 6 runs while only getting two outs as the Mets lost, 9-4. He obviously had some bright spots over the course of the remainder of the season, but further seasoning in the minors would have served him much better instead of being thrust into the big league spotlight so quickly.

After spending most of the 1975 season in the Mets rotation, Tate wound up back in the minors the following year and never made it back. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn rotator cuff a few years later that forced an early retirement. And according to Wikipedia, he died from COVID back in 2021.

Hello? Is this thing on?

Anyway, Whitehurst was one of that sort of pitcher that the Mets love to put on their roster...and keep on their roster...year after year after year, despite not being particularly good, thus wasting a spot that could be going to someone else who might be better.

There's always at least one of them around—the 2020s version, for example, is Tylor Megill.

Outwardly, his numbers weren't terrible—his Mets ERA was 3.83—but his 11-22 record with the club is telling. If you wanted to keep a lead, he couldn't hold it; if you wanted to not be put in a losing position, he'd put you there.

Intriguingly, he was once traded with Raul Casanova for Tony Fernandez (1992). Sixteen years later (2008) Casanova eventually found his way back to NY, thus undoing part of that deal, nearly two decades later.

Anywho, I've written Whitehurst three autograph requests in my day; he has yet to sign.

The Mets traded a decent prospect in Lindsay Gulin to get him. Gulin never reached the majors, but played 16 years professionally.

Also, I've written Wilkins two autograph requests in my day; he has yet to respond.