Day Two- Bullpen Musings
by the red baron on Apr 2, 2008 7:19 AM EDT
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PrintWell, that certainly did suck, didn't it?
One day after jumping all over the Rockies' ace, Jeff Francis, el Birdos couldn't muster much of anything against Kip Wells. Kip. #$@%&. Wells. He wasn't good enough for us. He wasn't good enough to make the Colorado rotation out of Spring Training. And yet, all the Cards could get off of him was a solo home run by Yadier Molina.
Thank god it's early. Otherwise, I might overreact to something like this.
The Cards have to feel like hell this morning. They played beautifully on Monday, only to have the game rained out, then ended up losing their official opener. That's a bad swing. Oh well.
What we did get to see in the game, that I personally enjoyed, was a firsthand demonstration of what made the biggest difference in the Rockies' fate last year, in my opinion. The bullpen for the Rockies last year was fantastic, with Manny Corpas stepping in to Wally Pipp Brian Fuentes for the closer's role when Fuentes went down with an injury. Between Corpas and Fuentes, Colorado has a two headed beast at the end of the game that you don't ever want to have to face. The rest of their pen is solid, if not spectacular.
Last year, the Rockies' pitchers combined for a 4.32 ERA, good for eighth in the National League. A huge part of their improvement from years past was shoring up the pen. Games get shorter. Last night's game was the sort that Colorado routinely found a way to lose in years past.
On the Cards' side, we saw a bullpen every bit as solid, but with a couple concerns. First off, how good will Ryan Franklin be? Statistically, he's due for a comedown following last year. The real problem, of course, is that the Cardinals extended him two more years last season. Izzy appears to be healthy again this season, but any time you're relying on a man who has been literally rebuilt and who's getting up into his mid 30s, there's some injury concerns. Russ Springer is solid, but overpaid. The left side of the relief corp is, at the moment, better off not mentioned. Although, to be fair, Randy Flores was absolutely brilliant last night; if not for a ball that slipped out of Troy Glaus's hand, he would have escaped unscathed.
I think it's a fair question to ask, and one that I hadn't really considered up until now. If Izzy goes down, who's first in line to inherit the closer's role? Franklinstein? Springer? Someone else? Obviously, we all hope Izzy just stays together, but the drop off in success from him to someone like Franklin is pretty marked, and it's a little frightening.
The Colorado bullpen is largely composed of very young, inexpensive players, and if their closer happens to go down, they have an immediate candidate to step in and replace him in Fuentes. The Cardinals, despite spending far more on relievers, with over $5 million invested just between Franklin and Springer, don't have nearly as strong a chain of progression in place, in my opinion. I'm intrigued to see how this all shakes out as the season goes on. Who gets the save opportunities on days when Izzy isn't available to go? If he does go on the DL, who steps in? Hell, maybe McClellan continues his Wainwright impersonation and becomes that guy as the year goes on. Looking at the stuff this kid brings to the table, I wouldn't be all that surprised.
Congrats to McClellan, Rico Washington, and Brian Barton, all of whom made their major league debuts last night. I have no idea the last time that the St. Louis Cardinals had three players all make their ML debuts on Opening Day, and, honestly, I'm not really sure where to look to find that out. I would be willing to bet, however, that it's been quite a long time. I'm guessing probably sometime in the early 90s. In honour of the occasion, I'm breaking out my old Mazzy Star records today, and I'm going to party like it's 1994.
One last thing: Troy Tulowitzki is the Man. I'm really hoping that the Cardinals can develop a middle infielder of that sort, if not quite that calibre, in the next few years. I'm old school, in that I believe you build a championship team up the middle first, then fill out the edges. The Cards already have some solid players on the edges, but the center of their field has been pretty slipshod the last couple of years. A guy like Pete Kozma or Jose Martinez developing into a solid regular, and maybe getting a guy like Gordon Beckham, a shortstop out of the U. of Georgia this year, would go a long way toward turning the middle of the field from a weakness into a strength. I think the Cards need to focus heavily on the MI in the next couple of drafts, even though they've drafted some shortstops already the last three years. This team has really struggled to develop position talent on the infield; I think they should increase their focus there first.
Later, everybody.
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Fantasy and more
Last night was bitter sweet for me. Losing hurt much more than the joy that my fantasy team got but I have Troy Tulo and Todd Helton (along with a redbird heavy Ankiel, Glaus, Duncan and Wainwright).
Anyway last night was a great game none the less, I love pitchers duels even if it is Kip .... Wells throwing a near perfect game for the most part. Yadi's homer barely cleared but anytime Yadi starts the season with 1/6 of his Homers from the previous year it can't be bad can it? Albert looked silly in his last AB against Fuentes though.
As for the "closer in waiting" if Franklin continues to turn into a pumpkin as some have predicted than I would guess Springer or K Mac would have to step in to that role. Reyes surely won't. K Mac would only be trust to the extent that Wainwright was though. But now, lets talk about healthy rotation and what it would do for the Pen if Izzy went down. Imagine if we can remove Looper from the rotation (even for Reyes) and use him in the closer role? That might also be an option.
That's a good point
about Looper potentially being an option there, Hugo. I hadn't even thought of him. If any two of Mulder, Pineiro, Clement, and Carpenter can come back and contribute at a solid level, I would have to think they would give serious thought to moving Looper either back in to the bullpen or in a trade. Personally, I would like to see them try and get something for him at the deadline if the others have come back and/or a couple of young guys look ready to contribute.
Nice call.
No Es Bueno!
by the red baron on Apr 2, 2008 7:54 AM EDT up reply actions
no to looper
I think he is in the rotation for good, 2 years ago tlr went with wainer over looper then, i can't see tlr putting looper back in the pen to close. If izzy went down i would say springer would get the first shot. Just my guess with how poor franklin pitched last night and during spring training
"Textbooks are Soviet propaganda" - Rev. Jerry Falwell
Izzy's Replacement
I know it's early but McClellan looks like he has "closer stuff" - hard thrower with a nasty slider to go along with it. He'd be my early vote for fill in closer.
Hopefully Izzy gives us another successful and healthy year and we don't cross this bridge but if we do, maybe Perez will be ready by then.
Start Skippy!
Error at the plate
I guess I was confused but I thought (until I checked the box score just now) that the error at the plate was still an ER, don't know why I would be confused about that since that error lead directly to a run supposedly. But even with a perfect throw he might not have gotten Tulo.
I thought
the ball went past Yadi while Tulo was still 5-6 feet up the line.
by vinniefromjersey on Apr 2, 2008 8:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Maybe I remember wrong then
But I seem to remember the ball getting to Molina at the same time as Tulo, if the throw was right on target he might have gotten him but I still think it would have been a close one. I agree with throwing home though, save the run if you can at that point in the game.
About last night...
Loss #1 for the defense. The staff has an ERA of 0.00 and is 0-1. It IS the #1 problem.
It was great to see the joy on Barton's face at first base.
Franklin will be gone at the trade deadline (Looper might join him).
Izturis's 1.000 OBP from Monday became .000 on Tuesday.
Albert looks over-anxious.
Anybody else surprised and happy TLR played McClellan, Washington, and Barton in a 1-0 game?
Tulowitzki is the best ss in MLB.
Bad mojo for the first two games of the season. Let's hope it changes.
by vinniefromjersey on Apr 2, 2008 8:11 AM EDT reply actions
Franklin will, most certainly, be a Cardinal
at the trade deadline. No one's taking his contract...period!
Kennedy gets the first hit
off the new year and the Birds still lose. What, wasn't it like July or something when he got his first hit last year?
Steriods is...is bad.
...uh...same day actually
His first hit was April 1st 2007 last season. Sorry to spoil your memory though.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=kennead01&t=b&year=2007
Yeah, April...
You must be thinking of hissecond hit.
by mynameistyler on Apr 2, 2008 8:26 AM EDT up reply actions
maybe you were thinking of his fourth hit
we could do this all day...
"Back in the day when I played, a pitcher had 3 pitches: a fastball, a curveball, a slider, a changeup and a good sinker pitch." - Mike Shannon
I'm up for it...
But let's not be overly impressed by the man whose 2nd and 3rd hits came 6 days after his 1st.
When did his average clear .250 again?
Oh, yeah...
But seriously, I think the dude needs a chance. He's due for some serious regression up to the mean, and he made a nice catch in right last night.
I'm certainly skeptical, but not gloomy, with Miles and Ryan as potential replacements.
by thefutureofamerica on Apr 2, 2008 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions
I think the real problem w/ Franklin
is not that he was extended two years, but that LaRussa and Duncan continue to insist that he should be the #2 option out of the pen. He was tremendously lucky last year and can't possibly be that lucky again this year. Ok, I guess it's possible but unlikely. Of the current inhabitants, Springer would make the best setup man b/c he has the ability to miss bats; Franklin really doesn't. As long as LaRussa and Duncan insist on putting Franklin in the highest leverage situations instead of using Springer, the bullpen's probably going to have problems.
by chuckb on Apr 2, 2008 8:24 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Agreed.
The good thing is his ERA is still 0.00. Hold that trade value.
by vinniefromjersey on Apr 2, 2008 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Sigh
I totally agree with you, in fact I was advocating to trade him past winter, at the peak of his value. But no problem, as soon as Pinero comes back, if Frankiln sucks, he'll be replaced by one of the relievers coming back in the pen (or by McClellan), even if this would cost something, money are not an issue up to now.
GO CARDS!!!
I'd say the extension was a problem.
Regardless of money the one thing we have in the minors is RH relief but they wanted Franklin because. . .
there weren't enough juicers on the team? That's unfair of me but the real reason is because he's a veteran and there's still an unhealthy obsession with that "quality" for the Cardinals. Now were stuck with a mediocre reliever who is blocking prospects and costs 2M more than they do. How long until someone glances over at, say, San Diego and sees that you build a bullpen for very very very cheap.
I didn't like the extension either but
it doesn't affect the day-to-day W/L with the team the way his being misused does. It was a bad contract, but as it's for 2 years and a relatively low salary, not an awful one. That said, there's at least hope that his usage pattern might be changed.
Well, I'm with you fellers
Don't we have like three closers at AAA and a fairly good one at AA?
Hows my hair?
Anyone going down in the bullpen isn't going to make me say Damm, were in a tight spot.
The way their used on the other hand........
Time for me to R_U_N_N O_F_T
"Do what you want to the women and children but leave me alone"- George Carlin
by That's a Winner on Apr 2, 2008 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Anybody think Izzy looked old?
My whole family notice that Izzy's arms and legs looked smaller and his middle looked a little paunchy. Other opinions?
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
Lohse...
I was at the game last night and wondered why Tony pulled Lohse from the game after 5 innings... I think he was only around 70 or 75 pitches. Why not ride him for another inning or so?
Didn't think he needed to be on a pitch count since he had been throwing to hitters in California.
Bitter cold game last night. And it continued to get colder every inning that Kip Wells threw another egg up on the scoreboard.
it's a long season
lohse came to spring training late and still isn't 100 pct in shape. i realize he was working out at pepperdine (or wherever) before signing, but pushing the guy early is a good way to get him injured. taking him out was the right call for the long run. besides, he pitched well last night but he wasn't dominant; hitters were geting their 3d look at him.
in any case, the guy who pitched the 6th instead of lohse did his job. even if lohse had stayed in for the 6th, franklin would have been out there by the 8th ---- so the decision didn't have any impact on the outcome.
by lboros on Apr 2, 2008 9:28 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Well, it did impact the outcome
because defensive replacement/pinch hitter Rico Washington had to bat for him in the 5th inning.
Though I doubt very much Tony would have used the defensive replacement for Glaus or pinch-hit for Izsuckis.
Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS
by Hardcore Legend on Apr 2, 2008 9:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Miles and Ludwick
Miles and Ludwick were still on the bench, you could have PH Ludwick for Izturis and put Lud into LF for Duncan and Miles at SS for Izturis, defensive downgrade at SS but upgrade in the OF.
washington's not a D replacement
he's a hitter, not a gloveman. no evidence he's a better defender at 3b than glaus
The only D on our bench this year
Is Ludwick and Skip when he isn't starting. Barton might be used as such over Duncan but not over the other 3. In the IF, Glaus, Izturis, Kennedy and Pujols are your best defenders right now. Ryan maybe when he comes back could be used as a D upgrade but he isn't that much better than the other MIFs and he is unproven still at 3B. We have a very offensively minded bench this year which is a change from previous years. I think it confuses people.
also a few other reasons...
His turn in the batting order was up. They needed more runs. Pitch count was getting up there. Wanting to get your new guy a good start. No reason to believe the bullpen was going to expload.
That is very true
A lot of pitchers have been damaged in early April games over the years. Example: Tony Cloninger's career was ended when the Braves stupidly let him go 10 innings in a 0 to 0 opening day game back in late sixties. Cloninger was a good young power pitcher who was coming of a 20 game win season and he never lasted the season after that opening day tragedy. besides, Franklin would have still pitched the eighth with the same results.
lohse
saw lohse in jupiter and on tv last night. in both cases he looked poised and pretty sharp. it will be interesting to see how he does over the long haul. but, so far, so good. baseball gods seem to have been smiling on us to make that signing possible.
If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, perhaps you haven't grasped the situation!
Makes sense...
Didn't realize that Lohse was not considered to be at 100%
As others have suggested today, I share similar concerns about Franklin.
His numbers before the July 7th, 2007 contract: 1.29 ERA, 3.4 K/9, .6 BB/9, .43 HR/9, and 5.33 K/BB
Since? 4.97 ERA, 6.6 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 1.42 HR/9, and 3.11 K/BB
He also posted a pretty disappointing spring training: 5.84 ERA, 8 K's against 6 BB's.
What are the possible explanations for such a drop off? Couldn't find the link but I remember reading about his struggle to find his mechanics this morning. Why put a pitcher on the mound who is struggling with mechanics in a 1-run game?
Ball slipped out of Troy's hand
ball must have been slipping out of his hand all night because his throws were consistently bad. The bouncer across the diamond to Pujols, the 'floaters' he threw over on grounders, and then the coup de grâce, the less than routine dribbler he threw across Molina's body towards the shiny new backstop we have.
I hope he hits lots and lots of homeruns this year so I can forget about his awful defense. Last night, if Scott Rolen was on this team, we win 1-0. But alas, that matters not.
Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS
First Time
Last night was the first time we had a "Rolen would have made that play" moment. I'm with you, hopefully Glaus produces enough to make those moments insignificant.
C70 at the Bat
holy crap
I'm not allowed to post before my coffee anymore.
injures figure? what the hell is that. maybe he's be on the bench with an injured finger though.
ahhh coffee good
Doubtful
His injury was not a lingering one but a freak accident one. It'd be a pretty interesting case of fatum for him to recieve that injury no matter where he played.
Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS
by Hardcore Legend on Apr 2, 2008 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
That would be like saying if Juan Encarnacion played for the, let's say....Giants, last year, he'd still have a broken orbital bone and a probable career-ending injury.
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
Random Fandom
I had a couple random thoughts. Watched most of the game from bed so didn't comment. (When my three in diapers go to bed, I'm often not far behind).
Wasn't Barton's smile cool? The commentators worried someone would take his fist pump as celebration, but I thought it was so obviously elation I didn't think anyone would be miffed.
I was glad to see Duncan have a good night at the plate. After having a rough spring, it was nice to see. He still made me a bit nervous in the field, though!
I was pretty impressed with McClellan. The ovation he got on finishing the inning made me proud of the fans in the stands.
Boooo Curse of the 2007 Revenge Match!
Albert seemed to be pressing again. 2 pop-ups, a strikeout on a hit and run...ick. I hope Glaus and Ankiel start hot...maybe he'll relax.
Wainwright not being bumped up
the reason?
When asked about pushing up Wainwright's next start, La Russa said, "Why disrupt everybody?"
Um, maybe because everyone else sucks? Wainer probably could have been available to pitch tomorrow, thus allowing us to get him into 1 more start this early season. However, we are really going to stick with Wellemeyer, Thompson and Looper over this 3 game stretch.
Starting the season 0-4 is really harshing my buzz.
Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS
per Leach
Perhaps more important, moving Wainwright forward wouldn't yield any additional starts for him. If he were to pitch on Friday, he could go again on April 9, but five days after that is an off-day. So whether he's moved up or not, his third official start of the year will come on Tuesday, April 15, at home against Milwaukee.
Wouldn't it mean less additional starts
for one of our sucky pitchers?
Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS
by Hardcore Legend on Apr 2, 2008 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions
You hit the nail on the head
Wouldn't you want him to pitch instead of Wild Wellemeier and Wunderkind Brad?
Thompson isn't a Wunderkind...
i know he looks like a 12 year old, but Wunderkinds are generally exceptionally talented :P
...just a bit outside....
by Ankiels Missing Curveball on Apr 2, 2008 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Sure he is...
The dude is pretty incredible for 12.
by thefutureofamerica on Apr 2, 2008 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions
New Math?
There are 162 starts in the year. If wainwright doesn't get an extra start, there are still the same number of starts remaining for everyone else, no matter what. Not to mention that he's still young, and there's no reason to be overextending his arm by starting him out of cycle, even if the rest days line up.
"You say the world has lost it's love. I say embrace what it's made of" - Dar Williams
I'm under the assumption
that if Wainwright starts one more game in April at the expense of Wellemeyer, that is one more start Wellemeyer loses later to Pineiro or Mulder.
But I guess it doesn't really change anything. My idea was that he'd be going on Thursday (per the rotoworld guys) instead of Leach's scenerio of Friday. That would have Wainwright starting on the 13th, thus allowing LaRussa to use the off-day to skip either Thompson or Looper and by the next turn in the rotation, Piniero should be returning.
Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS
by Hardcore Legend on Apr 2, 2008 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm fine with this
If anything happens to AW's arm, this season is toast. There's no way I start him on short rest...
Well the girls would turn the color of the avocado when he'd drive down the street in his El Dorado
2008 Draft
I think we did well enough in 2007 in terms pitching, and we have enough talent at OF, that I'd spend the first 2-3 picks on MI talent if I ran the zoo.
Best. Player. Available.
Any other strategy, any other "focus" is just not smart. You can use it as a tie-breaker, but take the best---player---available.
With no evidence to the contrary, Colby Rasmus is clutch
Lohse gets a lot of credit
I thought Lohse pitched very well. The walks didn't hurt him and he was in control all five innings. A different umpire gives him that outside corner to RH batters and he has 2 or 3 more strikeouts. That is a tough lineup he fafaced
Something that bothered me about last night's game:
Granted, it's one game. Not a big deal. But I hope it's not an indication of things to come.
Leading off the eighth and the ninth, we're down by one run and both Schumaker (in the eighth) and Ankiel (in the ninth) swing at the first pitch.
I understand both Fuentes and Corpas are good relievers who aren't going to walk a lot of guys, but when you're down by a run late in the game you need people on base. Why the hell are you swinging at the first pitch?
Schumaker had Duncan and Pujols coming up behind him. One swing from either of those two with him on base could give us the lead. Granted, Ankiel had a weaker duo behind him (Glaus and Molina), but it's still no excuse for swinging at the first pitch close and late.
Like I said, one game....not do or die. But I hope somebody in the dugout talked to them after those at bats and at least asked them what they were thinking.
First pitch swinging
The place I noticed the first pitch swing seemed to be Glaus. I wonder if he does this often? He seemed very aggressive at the plate. For someone with his walk ratio, it surprised me. Maybe it's the comp to our middle order hitters of years past. It seems so striking after a decade of watching McGwire, Pujols, Rolen and Edmonds.
I am sure I'm thinking way too much after a handful of plate appearances.
I hate first pitch swinging
But perhaps this is just the way they want set the season up. The last few years, the Cards hitters were taking pitches till the first strike, espeacially Pujols. Maybe they want change that up. Don't like it.... unless of course they start getting hits. But I bet first pitch hitting batting averages are low.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Apr 2, 2008 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions
if you go up there looking for a certain pitch type and location
and you see it on the first pitch, then what the hell --- take a hack. you might not see that pitch again the rest of the at-bat. and you're better off swinging at a pitch you are looking for than taking that pitch for strike one and falling behind in the count.
hacking at any strike is a bad idea; you don't want to swing at a pitch at the knees on the corner. but if it's a pitch you can handle, let er rip. i can't recall what type of pitches schu and ank swung at ---- anybody remember? were they pitcher's pitches, or pitches they could handle?
OK, sigh...
Guess I'm old school then. Good info lboros, thanks. I think I'll still be irritated, just not as much.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Apr 2, 2008 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions
i do get irritated if they hack at a borderline pitch
if they go after a first pitch that might be called ball 1, or a pitch that's down at the knees where all they can do is ground it to 2b, then yeah ---- that's bad hitting. if that's what schu and ank did last night, then i agree w/ the criticism.
but if the first pitch is hittable, and it's a pitch you're looking for --- bombs away, baby.
bombs away, baby.
Speaking of babies, the young ones looked really good last night. Hope this continues. Knew it was going to be a tough night when Pujols wiffed on a 3-2 pitch (down the middle, too) with Duncan running. I'm fine with the strategy, the result sucked, though.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Apr 2, 2008 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Problem is
that IS what Schu and Ank did last night.
If I remember correctly, Schu's pitch was low-inside corner. Ank's was low outside. Both of them were borderline strikes.
That was particularly what irritated me about the at bats.
I'm pretty sure
ankiel swung at a bad pitch. I don't remember Schu's at bat.
However, ankiel hits bad pitches pretty well, so I don';t know how much we should criticize him. The "rules" don't apply to some guys...
Well the girls would turn the color of the avocado when he'd drive down the street in his El Dorado
Tony said something
about this after the rain out
When center fielder Rick Ankiel swung at a 3-0 pitch Monday, he was doing so under direct orders. Colorado pitcher Jeff Francis already had walked two Cardinals, and of his first 15 pitches, 13 were balls. But Ankiel fouled off the 3-0 pitch before cracking a two-run double that the rainout erased. "I gave him the sign," La Russa said. "He got the hit sign. If that's a bad time to swing, then I would blame the manager."
La Russa said there are situations when he'll push his players for faster action when rain threatens a game they're leading and it's not yet an official game. If it's the bottom of the fourth and a delay is obvious, La Russa will give the instruction, "Swing at the first pitch."
I understand calling a hit and run or for a bunt, but all this micro-managing drives me up the wall. Their pros, give them a scouting report and send them out there to do their jobs.
"Do what you want to the women and children but leave me alone"- George Carlin
by That's a Winner on Apr 2, 2008 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions
I got no problem with that
Ankiel can hit the ball a long way and in a 3-0 count, he's very likely to get a strike that gets a lot of the plate. The sooner Ankiel starts hitting, the better for the entire lineup. I wouldn't call that micro-managing in this case, since Ankiel would've been taking pitches in this count that he'd rather be swinging at if Tony hadn't given him the green light. He was putting him in a situation where his likelihood of succeeding was high.
agreed
Tony gave Ank the sign to swing if the pitcher throws a hitable pitch. Lot's of managers will do this with guys to get them going or to give them a shot a swinging at a fat pitch. Nothing wrong with the strategy, in the end the ball is in the players court. If they want to swing they can.
I'm not a big fan of taking a pitch just because it is late and you are trailing...
You should swing at the pitch you are looking for no matter the score or situation (obviously not if you have 2 strikes) if it had been a hit no one would complain about it. Whether or not it was "their pitch" that Skippy and Ank swung at, I don't know.
"Back in the day when I played, a pitcher had 3 pitches: a fastball, a curveball, a slider, a changeup and a good sinker pitch." - Mike Shannon
Colorado doesn't have a "young & cheap" bullpen...
Other than Corpas (age 25 / $8M(4 years)) & Buchholz (age 26 / $.375M), here are the ages and salaries of the pitchers in the Rockies 'pen:
Matt Herges - 38 yrs old / $2.5M
Luis Vizcaino - 32 yrs old / $3.5M
Brian Fuentes - 31 yrs old / $5M
Micah Bowie - 32 yrs old / $.65M
Kip Wells - 31 yrs old / $3.1M
Contract info found here.
Kip Wells
Stealing from Strauss here.
In his seven wins Wells constructed a 0.90 ERA; in his 10 no-decisions a 3.89 ERA; and in his 17 losses an 8.86 ERA.
When Kip is Good he is really good. When he is bad he is really bad. He tends to be good a little early on then just break down. That's why I hate him. (on my team, not as a person.) Because you're just like *&(^() I know you can pitch good. What the *()&%^ was that? And he tends to be bad more than bad.
I still believe that is a mental toughness issue...
that is more of what baseball is than anything else...
"Back in the day when I played, a pitcher had 3 pitches: a fastball, a curveball, a slider, a changeup and a good sinker pitch." - Mike Shannon
attitude
i always thought kipper's attitude had a lot to do with how he pitched. he didn't want to pitch from the pen so when tony put him there he came out pissed and throwing smoke. when he started he was comfortable and mentally didn't have that pissed off edge.
i was kind of worried that he was pitching last night because i knew he was going to be pissed at us for letting him go (even though we obviously had good reason) and therefore was going to come out with that pissed off attitude.
i think that accounted for his inconsistency a lot of the time.
"Sorry about him, he's dealing with being an inker. " - Chasing Amy
Trading deadline talk?
Hmmm its April 3, one game in the books. Isn't the trading deadline July 31? Lets get thru April first before talking about trades. Relax gentlemen. Yeah I know there's nothing worse than premature anticipation! Right ladies!!!
CliffNotes: "My Dad wanted me to be a baseball player!"
Roy Hobbs: "The Natural"
+1
One game = the definition of small sample size. And 99 percent of us here know it.
But you know, we gotta blow off steam too. Losing to the Kipper does make this loss sting a little more than average.
by MdRedbirdFreak on Apr 2, 2008 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Thoughts from last night
I would have liked Ludwick to pinch hit for Duncan in the 8th. Duncan batting 2nd doesn't seem to be a good fit.
If you are going to play him
batting 2nd is the only place for Duncan. He just seems lost at the plate to me when he is not hitting in front of Pujols.
Really?
I was thinking that Duncan actually hit better in the 4th slot than he did anywhere else last year. I don't have the time to look it up at the moment, though. Anybody help?
Personally, I hate Duncan in the 2 hole. I would rather see him hitting 4th, Glaus 5th, and Ankiel 6th. This would have the added benefit of allowing Ankiel to be a bit more creative on the bases and try to use his speed with the bottom of the order up.
No Es Bueno!
by the red baron on Apr 2, 2008 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions
if kennedy
reverts back to form i wouldn't mind him there. he doesn't have the pop but he used to get on base well enough. the more people we can put on base in front of pujols and the more protection we can have behind him the better imho.
i always thought duncan was a better hitter in front of pujols but sometime recently somebody posted the stats and they tell a different story. i think he hit better behind pujols but i want to say the sample size was smaller. i could be wrong, i'll look for it.
"Sorry about him, he's dealing with being an inker. " - Chasing Amy
I like Ank in the 2
Dunc in 4 with Glaus behind him gives him some cover. Ank in the 2 gives us power, some speed, and the lefty in front of AP.
Although, if AK comes back to a .290 hitter, he's a much better fit in the 2 than anywhere else in the lineup.
"Dude, we're running out of stadium" - said on the way to our seats in Section 428.
virtually the same
pos ave obp slg ops babip ops+
Batting 2nd .274 .352 .538 .890 .304 101
Batting 4th .256 .359 .513 .872 .318 98
Baseballreference.com - career stats. He hasn't been swinging too well all spring - I was a little surprised to see him in the two spot. Don't think it mattered too much in the end though.
by cdb on Apr 2, 2008 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions
My mistake.
I thought there was a marked difference. Thanks, cdb.
No Es Bueno!
by the red baron on Apr 2, 2008 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Last year
.803 OPS in 2nd and .916 OPS in 4th slot, so last year there was a big difference for him.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/bsplit.cgi?n1=duncach01&year=2007
Offense
Duncan going 1-for-4 with a walk = .400 OBP in front of Pujols, which is ideal.
How many games will Pujols/Ankiel/Glaus go 1-for-11 with 4 LOB? Likely not many.
Izutis goes 0-for-3 with 3 LOB and 1 K. How many games will he have a line like that? Likely many.
What is the over/under that Kennedy hits over .300 this season? He looks like a completely different player than last season.
Other then Glaus
The Cards seemed relaxed and confident. McClellan was sure pumped up. It's been a while since I've seen a pitcher pitch that fast. Molina was great going out to talk to him after the 3-0 count to settle the young fella down. That was a battle I enjoyed watching.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Apr 2, 2008 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions
Glaus
That was a tough play he tried to make, he simply just dropped his arm a bit too much and the ball sailed on him. It's also a tough grab for Yadi because he is trying to set up to block the plate and any ball a bit off line will be tough for him to adjust and catch. It also did not help the throw was kind of across the baserunner.
I like what I saw in some guys last night. Lohse looked like he can be solid, I guess that is what you expect from league average. Heck maybe this will be a break out year, those league average guys tend to have a few really good seasons in them. I like McClellan out of the pen! worked fast, attacked hitters, when he missed the zone is was not by very much either.
Franklin is my main concern. He is really going to be put in some of the highest leverage situations. He needs to come through.
I like Duncan's .400 OBP in front of Albert all year!
Duncan hit two of them.
On the nose. He should have had that first one. But oh well. He'll get his make-up bloop hit later.
the offense
was lackluster and uninspired against a guy who is career 7000 games below .500 pitcher. Maybe we need Clydesdales and convertibles before every game.
and it was 40 degrees
It's easy not to notice that, but it's tough to play baseball in those conditions.
Well the girls would turn the color of the avocado when he'd drive down the street in his El Dorado
Franklin
looked exactly like the weak link in the bullpen he seemed to be throughout spring training. I sensed trouble last night the moment he was announced. No one seems to remember that he was relatively ineffective in August and September last year also. That two-year contract he received is looking increasingly questionable. I hope TLR isn't stubbornly wedded to the idea of continually sending him out in the eighth inning no matter what. I'm hoping we'll see Perez, Motte, or Kinney--remember him?--in that spot before too long.
memory
unfortunately, your franklin memories are on the button! seems another case of the birds think they have found a diamond in the rough/miracle of 34th st. guy and then double-down on him. i will be surprised if this works out. i hold the same hope for welly. not everybody else in b-ball is clueless.
If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, perhaps you haven't grasped the situation!
Fearful of Franklin
I'm glad someone else gets nervous with Franklin. Gets me every time. I particularly get nervous when he is facing high leverage situations. Coming into the 8th inning a one run lead and having to face the top of the Rockies' order is simply not when I want to see Ryan Franklin. Send Springer in, at least he could strike them out (66k in 66ip last year). Franklin doesn't strike people out (40k in 80ip last year). I don't want guys like Tulo, Helton and Holliday hitting against a contact pitcher. That just seems foolish to me.
Unrelated: I've changed my name from birdsonthebat. I felt bad seeing that I'd basically copied BirdsontheBat when I first signed up and wanted to ditch it at the platform switch, but I messed up somehow. Now that I've seen birdsonbat, birdsonthehat and probably a few more, I decided it's time to switch. So I did. And, Anybody know if I can delete my old account or claim it under the new one? Thanks.
by sra on Apr 2, 2008 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions
flores
i wanted to give randy flores some props he looked very good last nite. The strike zone looked small at times last nite. Bases loaded and nobody out, only gives up one run its hard to give him the blame for it.
"Textbooks are Soviet propaganda" - Rev. Jerry Falwell
That loud crashing sound you hear
is the thud Ted Lilly is making as he comes crashing back down to Earth.
Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS
friends?
What friends? We don't need no friends? We don't need to have no stinking friends?
Sorry, saw Treasure of Sierra Madre too many times I guess.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Apr 2, 2008 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions
did i miss something?
i'm seeing lilly with 3 ip, 4k and only 1 run and 42 pitches. seems pretty solid to me...
by TheFranchise9 on Apr 2, 2008 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions
First batter was Rickie Weeks
Leadoff home run didn't portend for as effective an outing as it's been.
ask again
I think you jinxed him - now an additional 2 runs in the fourth
by cdb on Apr 2, 2008 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions
very nice
now 3 runs in 4 innings and an elevated pitch count. that's better.
by TheFranchise9 on Apr 2, 2008 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions
He didn't look so hot all game
The end was nigh.
Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS
by Hardcore Legend on Apr 2, 2008 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions
KC at Detroit
Three singles by Renteria, diddly-poo by the rest of Detroit's line-up. Pretty impressive game for Bannister and a couple young relievers for KC; they also got 8 K with only 1 BB.
0 for 24 for everyone...
not named Edgar... Quite a feat considering the lineup.
Who needs Antonetti? Give Luhniak a chance!
it would be awesome
to see KC go into Detroit and sweep to start the season...
Well the girls would turn the color of the avocado when he'd drive down the street in his El Dorado
No one ever believes me, but the Royals have been amassing some good talent
the last few years. And now they have a new wave "OBP is the most important thing when I set my line up" manager. I'm interested to see how it all unfolds. Not too shabby a start I'd say......
She isn't crazy, she's just not impressed.
There's the Cubs I know and love
Interesting fact: Kendall threw out a runner earlier. Soto hasn't thrown any of three runners out this inning.
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
ERROR!
The cubbies Soto just launched a ball into CF trying to pick off Kendall!
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
Boo Bears
The classful cub fans are already booing! It's so early in the season!
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
Ted Lilly has come back to earth...
I love it. I knew there was no way he was as good as he looked last year. He can join Ryan Franklin in the back to normal club.
...just a bit outside....
by Ankiels Missing Curveball on Apr 2, 2008 4:28 PM EDT reply actions
Franklin is a useful pitcher
He's just not a setup guy. He had a great 4 months last year and now TLR and Dave seem to think that he must be kept in the setup role. If he was pushed to a more normal role of 5th or 6th inning guy, sometimes going multiple innings, I think he would be very effective and a plus contributor. However, when you give him the high leverage eighth inning you are putting him in a situation where a single mistake generally means a loss. Franklin's stuff is just not good enough for that responsibility. Springer or McClellan (or C. Perez, Worrell, or Motte) all profile as better setup guys because they miss bats.
Lilly pitched no better...
in '07 than in any previous year. The difference in his stats was entirely due to moving from the best division to the worst.
I disagree
...just a bit outside....
by Ankiels Missing Curveball on Apr 2, 2008 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Bases Loaded
for the Brew Crew, 0 outs, Bill Hall coming up to bat.
So far, 5-1 MIL
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
and
they leave the bases loaded!
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on Apr 2, 2008 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Suppan cruising
But he's at 105 pitches, should be out soon. Time to see if the Brew Crew bullpen can stop from making this game interesting.
Soriano K's
with 2 men on.
...just a bit outside....
by Ankiels Missing Curveball on Apr 2, 2008 4:59 PM EDT reply actions
And the Brewers win!
Nice job by Sup today. Hope the Brew Crew bring their brooms tomorrow to finish off a sweep of the Cubs.
I work with a cubs fan.
Who went up with his kid to opening day. We talked about the game today.
EF: "Man, that game most have sucked."
CF: "Not really. We had a good time."
EF: "I mean. The ending sucked."
CF: "Well we got to see fukudome hit that home run. That was great."
EF: "Yeah. That's what I mean. He hits that home run and you just know you are going to win and then to lose it in the next inning..."
CF: "Oh. We knew we were going to lose."
....
Hope springs eternal?
damn, we might have a run-scoring machine on our hands... that is, if you replace the rained out opener for yesterday's Kip Wells fluke (you know the guy is going to be horrible in a few months). I actually got to watch tonight's game, and I am pretty excited about this season. Should be the most interesting season for quite some time. poor cubbies!
Ankiel is Jesus!
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Apr 3, 2008 12:28 AM EDT reply actions
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