Why Can't Oliver Perez Be More Like Kevin Saucier?

Oliver Perez. The very words elicit a uniform reaction among Mets fans. Some people immediately voice their displeasure once they hear his name. Some just mumble incoherently, while others just walk away in disgust. And why shouldn't these people react accordingly? After all, Ollie has earned exactly zero dollars of his $36 million contract that he signed prior to the 2009 season.

Despite the fact that Oliver Perez has exactly three wins over the past two seasons, he has refused to accept minor league assignments and continues to be a cancer that cannot be expunged. His contract makes him untradeable and the team has yet to bite the bullet by giving him his outright release.

If only Oliver Perez would follow in the footsteps of former relief pitcher Kevin Saucier, things would be much better in the Land of Ya Gotta Believe. Who is Kevin Saucier, you ask? Pull up a Mets bean bag, 'cause I've got a story to tell...

Is that a Phillies player in a Studious Metsimus blog? Say it ain't Saucier!

Kevin Saucier (pronounced So-Shea; the first name is still pronounced Kevin) was a left-handed relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers in the late '70s and early '80s. As a Phillie, Saucier had a cup of coffee in the major leagues in 1978 before being called up to the majors for good in June of 1979. In a little over half a season with the Phillies, Saucier was an average middle reliever, finishing the year with a 4.19 ERA, with just a little bit of wildness, walking 33 batters in 62 1/3 innings.

In 1980, he was a member of Philly's Cardiac Kids, who went on to win their first World Series championship. His second season in the majors showed improvement (7-3, 3.42 ERA) and he wasn't as wild, walking 20 batters in 50 innings during the regular season. However, in the postseason his wildness returned, as Saucier walked four batters and threw a wild pitch in only 1 1/3 innings of NLCS and World Series work.

Although he had won a World Series ring before his 25th birthday, the Phillies gave up on the young lefty during the offseason. In November, Saucier was traded to the Texas Rangers, who sent him a month later to the Detroit Tigers. Saucier flourished under manager Sparky Anderson, who showed great confidence in the southpaw by using him as the Tigers' closer. In the strike-shortened 1981 season, Saucier was 4-2 with 13 saves and a 1.65 ERA. In 49 innings, he allowed only 47 baserunners (26 hits, 21 walks), holding opposing batters to a barely-there .160 batting average. But come 1982, everything changed.

Saucier began the season well in 1982, winning three games and saving four others. His 1.47 ERA was even lower than the one he registered in his breakthrough 1981 season. Everything appeared to be okay when he was brought in to pitch against Oakland on May 28. But with slugger Tony Armas at the plate, Saucier threw a pitch that missed home plate "by a good five feet and sailed off in the direction of the Golden Gate Bridge." The next pitch was even wilder than the previous one. Not knowing what had happened, Saucier shrugged it off and finished his outing. But the wildness that Saucier experience against the A's in late May continued throughout his next 14 appearances. Over 21 1/3 innings during that stretch, Saucier walked 20 batters and hit two others. As a result, he was sent down to AAA-Evansville, where he walked 23 batters in 20 innings of work.

The following March, Saucier was released by the Tigers. Not ready to call it a career, Saucier signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves for $30,000 that would pay him $100,000 if he made it to the majors. In his first exhibition game, Saucier uncorked seven wild pitches, causing him to call his manager over to take him out of the game. The next day, Saucier went out to the mound and decided he could not pitch again. His reasoning for his sudden retirement? I'll let Saucier describe it himself:

"It's funny, but when I was coming up, control was my main thing. I mean I could really pump that ball in there. I used to get mad when I wasn't out there pitching. And then all of a sudden I didn't want to go out there anymore. I was afraid I was going to kill somebody. I had thrown at hitters before, sure, but I never threw at their heads. The difference was I had my control then, and I knew where I was going to hit them. But now, well, I just had no idea where that ball was going to go, and it scared me so bad I thought I'd crack up."

So now the Mets have a player who can't seem to throw the ball anywhere near the strike zone. Even while playing for his hometown team in Culiacán, Mexico, Perez suffered bouts of wildness. In his final two starts, Ollie pitched 6 2/3 innings, walking nine batters and throwing a wild pitch.

There is one difference between Perez and Saucier. Oliver Perez is due to earn $12 million in 2011, while Saucier earned less than 10% of that amount over his entire career. It's not unprecedented to walk away from an eight-figure salary. If Gil Meche could do it, why can't Oliver Perez?

Perhaps Oliver Perez can turn things around in spring training, make the team as a lefty specialist/spot starter and become a hot commodity come July's trade deadline. Or perhaps he'll wake up and realize that throwing a baseball should be reserved for the experts, not for someone who is trying to become the first pitcher to walk a batter on three pitches.

Kevin Saucier walked away from the game at age 26 because he was afraid he'd kill someone with an errant pitch. Gil Meche left $12 million on the table because he was no longer able to pitch effectively without shoulder surgery. Oliver Perez wouldn't even accept a minor league assignment last year that could have helped his career and certainly would have helped the team that pays him his undeserved millions.

Perhaps Ollie should step into the batter's box against Kevin Saucier or Gil Meche. Then he would see what it's like to have a career blow up before its time. At the very least, at least he'd see what opposing batters have to contend with when they have no idea where the ball is going.

Do us all a favor, Ollie. Take your last hop over the foul line and follow in the footsteps of Kevin Saucier and Gil Meche. Walk away from the game now before all of us (yourself included) have to suffer more. It's the only type of walk we'd like to see from you in 2011.