As if Mike Pelfrey needed any more bad omens

Mike Pelfrey played a fine Santa yesterday for the children during the Mets holiday party, but it may cost him. In my projected 2009 roster, I linked back to a story about Pelfrey and his innings count. Foreshadowing much?

Here's what I wrote back on Sept. 5:

The article outlays the research by SI columnist Tom Verducci, where he found that if a young pitcher, under the age of 25, has his innings count rise by more than 30 innings from one year to the next, he will most likely suffer an injury or suffer from decreased performance the next season.

The 30-inning threshold is an indicator rather than a hard-and-fast rule, Verducci said. And there are exceptions, like Detroit’s Justin Verlander, who followed a 56-inning increase from 2005 to 2006 (when he won 17 games and the American League Rookie of the Year award) by going 18-6 with a nearly identical E.R.A. in 2007.

Well the New York Times brings up another tidbit of info that Pelfrey might want to ignore.

From their Bats blog:

In recent years, the Mets have had various players take on the role of Santa Claus at the team’s Christmas party, and more often than not it has not led to the best of luck the next season.

It goes on to list the players and their assorted maladies.

Mike Cameron -- 2004 Santa -- Collision with Carlos Beltran, misses two months of season.
Kris Benson -- 2005 Santa -- Wife causes him to be traded away.
David Wright -- 2006 Santa -- Great year for Wright, not so much for the fate of the team.
John Maine -- 2007 Santa -- Shoulder injury, costing him most of the season.

Beware, Pelfrey, the Santa curse is now laid upon you.