Rays Should "Wainwright" David Price

by victim of the sixties on Oct 20, 2008 5:31 PM EDT

Well, here we are at the world series and I'm beginning to get over the fact that the Cards are not there. But I'm pretty excited by the Tampa Bay Rays. Until this year, the most wins ever in franchise history was seventy. And that was not last year. They won ninety seven this year with a bunch of kids that came together. Does that remind you of anyone?

The Rays have an exciting lineup with power, speed and flexibility. They feature a mvp core with a number of platoon or utility guys that they plug in as appropriate. And they usually do a very good job. This team has also vastly improved their defense over last year. The addition of Bartlett shored up the infield and moving Upton to center did the same for the outfield. And like the Cards of 06, they have one glaring weakness. The lack of a bona fide closer.

This is why they should take a page from the Cards playbook and use David Price as their closer. They have been using Wheeler, but he is more a Ryan Franklin type pitcher. Not overpowering but good pitch selection. My suggestion is that they put Wheeler into an eighth inning role ala Franklin.

Price is a rookie with great stuff much like Adam Wainwright in 2006. Price is a lefty whereas Waino hurls from the right side. Price has more heat where Waino has better control. It just makes sense to me that after that seventh game performance in the ALCS, using him to close is a no brainer.

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Price should be in the rotation

He could very well be their best starter next season. That’s how talented he is. And he has followed the “wainwright path”….he was in the bullpen for a month and in the playoffs and will slide into the starting rotation the following year.

"I believe he’s been reincarnated, that he played before, in the twenties and thirties, and he’s back to prove something." - Former teammate Mark McGwire about Albert Pujols

by cardzfan24 on Oct 21, 2008 9:27 AM EDT reply actions

The Rays might use Price as closer

in the WS, but he’ll be in their rotation next spring.

But with Joe Maddon, who knows?

"In this game, don't nobody know nuthin' about nuthin'." -- attributed to Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra

by The Ol Goaler on Oct 21, 2008 12:12 PM EDT reply actions

Price

If you mean use him as a closer next year, I agree with the posters above who suggest that would be a waste for next year.

If you mean use him as a closer in the World Series, I suspect that he will be used in high leverage roles in this World Series, but am not sure if he will be the “closer” (as in 9th inning with three runs or less guy). I don’t believe he has pitched in back-to-back games this year, and am not sure if the Rays would want to use him in such a manner for the first time in the World Series (for health and effectiveness reasons). Remember that Wainwright had spent the regular season before the ’06 playoffs in the bullpen, so was more used to getting up and throwing on a day-by-day basis.

by holden on Oct 21, 2008 2:23 PM EDT reply actions

I kinda thought just from the title

that “wainwright”-ing him meant doing the world series closer thing only. I agree with the back-to-back games call too, you don’t want to ruin a potentially great starter, even if it does get you a WS title. Of course this is FOX’s version of a World Series, is there even going to be back-to-back games?

* sarcasm might be involved in this comment

by mattyfrommo on Oct 21, 2008 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Every other day means

Game 1 or 2 – Game 3 – Game 5 – Game 6 and on no rest Game 7. Five chances to save four games

by ubeddie on Oct 21, 2008 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions

I was looking at back-to-back games

meaning on back-to-back days. I just think that it would be such a strain on his arm as long as he isn’t pitching on back-to-back days. I haven’t seen the WS schedule yet, but there has to be games scheduled on consecutive days. I shouldn’t say that when talking about FOX baseball though.

* sarcasm might be involved in this comment

by mattyfrommo on Oct 22, 2008 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions

I would agree

that he should be closer for the Series. Wheeler has collapsed on two successive occasions, and doesn’t have the stuff. Unless Percival miraculously appears on the team, I think you have to use him.

by Red in Chicago on Oct 21, 2008 8:49 PM EDT reply actions

Lefty for Utley/Howard

Should be some great matchups going against Utley & Howard in the eighth or ninth inning.

by ubeddie on Oct 21, 2008 11:01 PM EDT reply actions

They need Price to do his best wainwright impression,

because their “closer” wheeler is really more of a journeyman with little stuff, while their “relief ace” balfour has looked terrible his last few outings and will not be as good against the bad lefties in the Phils lineup as he was against the chisox.

Space.

It's a problem we face.

So we never go anywhere.

We just stay in one place.

by hazel on Oct 23, 2008 3:18 PM EDT reply actions