2011 MLB Thread

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Dusty,

The Reds have four losses. Nick Masset has three losses. Masset is a mess right now, so please stop putting him in high leverage situations.

Thanks.

ps- If you continue to overuse Chapman and kill him I'll never forgive you.

Just curious here, how is Chapman being overused?

He's pitched on back to back days once (yesterday), he's never pitched more than an inning. He's pitched the same amount of times as most other Reds relievers. I know Dusty does overuse pitcher and kills them, but I just don't see it in this case. . . yet.

[JPhillips]

Chapman pitched in four out of five games and his velocity yesterday was well below normal. Admittedly some of my trepidation comes from Dusty's old habits, but Chapman just hasn't been a reliever long enough to give him that level of work.

[JediKooter]

Is it me or does Pujols look like he's lost a lot of weight? His neck isn't as gargantuan as it has looked in the past and overall, he looks smaller.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Chapman pitched in four out of five games and his velocity yesterday was well below normal. Admittedly some of my trepidation comes from Dusty's old habits, but Chapman just hasn't been a reliever long enough to give him that level of work.

I feel for you guys. The Reds have a lot of talent arms (Volquez, Leake, Wood, Chapman, Bailey), but you have "The Shredder" handling them - its like building a comedy club that you sink $20M into, and then opening with Carrot Top.

[TroyF]

Bullpen tried to blow the game, but the Rockies held on and are 9-2 going into the second game of today's double header. (MLB website has a headline that the Rockies completed the sweep of the Mets, someone needs to tell em there is one more to be played)

CarGo hit his first HR of the year. Tulo had 3 more hits including another bomb. Tulo now has 6 homers, 13 RBI and 10 walks in 10 games played this year.

They are playing poor competition, but that's never stopped them from having horrific April's before. It's interesting to see them starting off so hot.

[Lathum]

Fuck You David Wright

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Fuck You David Wright

He crushed a ball to the RF warning track to end the game. Not sure that deserves much anger.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by TroyF

He crushed a ball to the RF warning track to end the game. Not sure that deserves much anger.

I just was watching the gamecast.

Fuck You CitiField

[Ramzavail]

sure it does. when you are Met fan.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Lathum

I just was watching the gamecast.

Fuck You CitiField

I think it'd have been a HR in just about any other ballpark. He hammered the ball.

Mets showed a little bit of life anyway. Reyes looks like he's back and playing sensational. I wonder if they try to ship him off for as many prospects as they can get.

[rowech]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Just curious here, how is Chapman being overused?

He's pitched on back to back days once (yesterday), he's never pitched more than an inning. He's pitched the same amount of times as most other Reds relievers. I know Dusty does overuse pitcher and kills them, but I just don't see it in this case. . . yet.

If he can't handle the workload they've given him then he shouldn't be a major league pitcher.

[rowech]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

I feel for you guys. The Reds have a lot of talent arms (Volquez, Leake, Wood, Chapman, Bailey), but you have "The Shredder" handling them - its like building a comedy club that you sink $20M into, and then opening with Carrot Top.

He's handled all of these guys really well in my opinion. I know he has the reputation but he hasn't come even close to treating these guys like he did Prior and Wood.

[TroyF]

Rockies now 6 outs from being 10-2 with a 7-1 road trip. I don't think they have ever had a 7-1 road trip. Hell, they could go 24-49 in their remaining road games and equal last years total if they hold on to this.

Tulo hit another HR. 7 HR for him now.

I just hope he stays healthy. he's my favorite player in the game to watch and I have thought all along if he could get off to a better start in April and stay healthy he would win the MVP.

[Crapshoot]

I hate the SOB, but Tulo may be the best player in the game today (with position value taken into account). That being said, the Rockies early daylight could well prove to be the difference in the NL West - I favored the Giants, but didn't think they were 4-5 games better by any means (more of a tossup). What's worrysome for me is that these @%%@$%@ are doing it on the road.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Mets showed a little bit of life anyway. Reyes looks like he's back and playing sensational. I wonder if they try to ship him off for as many prospects as they can get.

I was just saying that earlier today to a coworker.

[RedKingGold]

Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay pitch back-to-back complete games.

This season is fun.

[EagleFan]

The bullpen is well rested.

[sovereignstar v2]

Can we retract the Rays already?

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by rowech

If he can't handle the workload they've given him then he shouldn't be a major league pitcher.

Please. He's been a reliever for less than a year. Not a major league reliever, a reliever period. Overusing him and blaming it on his lack of toughness is a really stupid way to treat one of the team's biggest assets. When he's on the do for six weeks I guess we can take comfort knowing he just shouldn't have been a major league pitcher.

[EagleFan]

Doesn't he actually have to be overused before that can be an excuse?

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Lathum

I was just saying that earlier today to a coworker.

Yeah he'll be traded away. No chance they commit long term money to him with this ownership group, let alone how they worry about his injuries. He should bring a nice haul back.

I may have misheard it because I was at the gym at the time, but pretty sure during Game 2 today, Gary Cohen said that the Rockies had 4 wins in 26 games at Shea/Citi prior to this series...when they won 4 games.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Logan

Yeah he'll be traded away. No chance they commit long term money to him with this ownership group, let alone how they worry about his injuries. He should bring a nice haul back.

I may have misheard it because I was at the gym at the time, but pretty sure during Game 2 today, Gary Cohen said that the Rockies had 4 wins in 26 games at Shea/Citi prior to this series...when they won 4 games.

That's accurate. The Rockies have always been a horrible road team. In their history, they finished over .500 on the road one time. A 41-40 mark a couple of years ago.

Playing on the road against the Mets has always been a house of horrors. In the 3 years previous to this the Rockies played 10 games against the Mets. They went 2-8 in those ten games and were shut out 6 times.

I know the early part of the schedule was/is easy. I thought the Rockies could finally have a good start and get out of April about 3 or 4 games over .500 and start the year good for once. To be 10-2 with all of these road wins? I didn't think that was possible. Not in a million years. It's been a dream start.

[lighthousekeeper]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar v2

Can we retract the Rays already?

Who are you, Steve Irwin?

[rowech]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Please. He's been a reliever for less than a year. Not a major league reliever, a reliever period. Overusing him and blaming it on his lack of toughness is a really stupid way to treat one of the team's biggest assets. When he's on the do for six weeks I guess we can take comfort knowing he just shouldn't have been a major league pitcher.

Here are his game logs...

Aroldis Chapman 2010 Pitching Gamelogs - Baseball-Reference.com

Aroldis Chapman 2011 Pitching Gamelogs - Baseball-Reference.com

How are they any different last year than this year? He's supposed to be a starting pitcher too boot. If he can't handle those workloads, then I stand by my statement.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by rowech

Here are his game logs...

Aroldis Chapman 2010 Pitching Gamelogs - Baseball-Reference.com

Aroldis Chapman 2011 Pitching Gamelogs - Baseball-Reference.com

How are they any different last year than this year? He's supposed to be a starting pitcher too boot. If he can't handle those workloads, then I stand by my statement.

He lost @10 mph on his fastball and Hernandez called for the trainer because he felt something was wrong. When examined the doctor found significant inflammation and the Reds are going to rest him for a couple of days.

Guess the Reds should cut him.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

He lost @10 mph on his fastball and Hernandez called for the trainer because he felt something was wrong. When examined the doctor found significant inflammation and the Reds are going to rest him for a couple of days.

Guess the Reds should cut him.

Nobody is saying that, but he has to actually be overworked before you can blame his problems on being overworked. He's pitched 5 and 1/3 innings in 12 Reds games this year. (With 6 appearances)

It's not like Dusty is throwing him 3 IP and making him come back on back to back nights and throw 5 more innings.

It's easy to bash Dusty for overuse. He's historically been horrible at it and has ruined pitchers because of his strategy. But he's simply not managing pitchers incorrectly this year.

In 12 games, Reds starters have thrown over 100 pitches exactly ZERO times. the bullpen? 4 guys have 6 appearances out of the pen. 2 others have come in 5 times. Not a single reliever has thrown over 6 2/3 innings.

Dusty is not shredding any of his pitchers right now, no matter how much you want to talk about how he's done it in the past.

I'm not saying Chapman should be cut, I'm not saying Chapman is a sissy. But I am saying that his arm trouble has zero to do with Dusty's managing as of right now.

[fantom1979]

I hurt my shoulder yesterday while painting the ceiling. I got about 20 sqft done and something popped in my shoulder. I immediately blamed my wife for making me paint too much in one day.

[stevew]

Is her name Dusty?

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Nobody is saying that, but he has to actually be overworked before you can blame his problems on being overworked. He's pitched 5 and 1/3 innings in 12 Reds games this year. (With 6 appearances)

It's not like Dusty is throwing him 3 IP and making him come back on back to back nights and throw 5 more innings.

It's easy to bash Dusty for overuse. He's historically been horrible at it and has ruined pitchers because of his strategy. But he's simply not managing pitchers incorrectly this year.

In 12 games, Reds starters have thrown over 100 pitches exactly ZERO times. the bullpen? 4 guys have 6 appearances out of the pen. 2 others have come in 5 times. Not a single reliever has thrown over 6 2/3 innings.

Dusty is not shredding any of his pitchers right now, no matter how much you want to talk about how he's done it in the past.

I'm not saying Chapman should be cut, I'm not saying Chapman is a sissy. But I am saying that his arm trouble has zero to do with Dusty's managing as of right now.

This early in his career Chapman shouldn't be used four out of five nights. Especially when his velocity was down on the third appearance. It's not enough to ruin Chapman, but Dusty certainly was overusing Chapman over the last week.

And you haven't said Chapman is a sissy, but rowech did say that he shouldn't be a major league pitcher if he couldn't handle the workload.

[molson]

The Sox extend Adrian Gonzalez for $154 million/7 years. (Or a little more than half of what Pujols apparently is asking for).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

This early in his career

How soon is too soon? The dude is probably pushing 30 already.

but rowech did say that he shouldn't be a major league pitcher if he couldn't handle the workload.

If he can't, he certainly shouldn't be riding a $30m contract.

[JPhillips]

Is it possible to ever overwork a pitcher?

And I'd argue overusing a guy is a piss poor way to manage a thirty million dollar asset.

[stevew]

I'm not sure why they are using Chapman in a relief role this year. I would assume that he would have more value as a starting pitcher. If this means sending him down to AAA for a month until Dusty injures one of the other starters, so be it. Now they are likely to create a Joba-esque situation whereby a guy is not your closer but is unable to swing back to starting. If the eventual goal is to trade Cordero, I suppose that they could do that. I'd assume the guy has a major elbow problem in the near future because he throws so hard and I don't really think that striving for proper pitching form is high on the to do list for Cuban coaches.

[stevew]

PS, I'm getting tired of waiting for Joey Votto to come out and pressure wash my deck.

[Ksyrup]

Bryce Harper is in the last game of a 4-game series against the Lexington Legends today (likely rained out, given the forecast). Yesterday, first time he came up as he's walking to the batter's box, the stadium announcer announced that if he struck out, the entire stadium would get a free chick-fil-a sandwich.

First pitch, fouled it off. Second pitch, strike two looking. Crowd went from chanting STRIKE-OUT! STRIKEOUT! to CHICK-EN! CHICK-EN!

Next 2 pitches, balls.

Fifth pitch - opposite field HR.

Crowd gave him a standing O.

[rowech]

Originally Posted by stevew

I'm not sure why they are using Chapman in a relief role this year. I would assume that he would have more value as a starting pitcher. If this means sending him down to AAA for a month until Dusty injures one of the other starters, so be it. Now they are likely to create a Joba-esque situation whereby a guy is not your closer but is unable to swing back to starting. If the eventual goal is to trade Cordero, I suppose that they could do that. I'd assume the guy has a major elbow problem in the near future because he throws so hard and I don't really think that striving for proper pitching form is high on the to do list for Cuban coaches.

They can't trade Cordero...his contract is awful.

When you take a guy who has been a starter, switch him to a reliever for two or more full seasons, and then try and switch him back I think you're going to find more often than not, the guy never makes it back to a starting role. It think it'll be the same for Chapman. I don't think he'll ever be a starter. Which could be okay if he's in the closer role because he will still add a lot of value there as well.

[Ksyrup]

Joba was doing just fine as a starter until he sustained an injury that doesn't appear to have had anything to do with being a reliever the year before. He's not been the same, as either a reliever or starter, since. People want to blame Cashman and the "new way of thinking" for Joba turning out to be nothing more than a league-average reliever, but the fact is, he's no different than any other young pitcher - one injury and all that promise flushes down the drain.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by stevew

I'm not sure why they are using Chapman in a relief role this year. I would assume that he would have more value as a starting pitcher. If this means sending him down to AAA for a month until Dusty injures one of the other starters, so be it. Now they are likely to create a Joba-esque situation whereby a guy is not your closer but is unable to swing back to starting. If the eventual goal is to trade Cordero, I suppose that they could do that. I'd assume the guy has a major elbow problem in the near future because he throws so hard and I don't really think that striving for proper pitching form is high on the to do list for Cuban coaches.

I believe Cordero's contract ends after this year. Even with his inconsistencies he'll be worth some draft compensation that's almost certainly going to be worth more than trading him.

I agree with Rowech that Chapman is likely to be the next closer, especially if Masset continues to struggle. It's a shame because he could be a Randy Johnson type starter, but Dusty loves him in the pen and the Reds have a lot of 3-4-5 starters that will look good enough to cover the starting rotation.

[stevew]

Charlie Morton still sucks. Regardless of tonight's gem.

[molson]

The spectacular implosion that is the 2011 Red Sox reaches a new level tonight, as the fans at the park have finally turned on them. Saltalamacchia looks like a nervous, clumsy T-ball player.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by molson

The spectacular implosion that is the 2011 Red Sox reaches a new level tonight, as the fans at the park have finally turned on them. Saltalamacchia looks like a nervous, clumsy T-ball player.

What a fucking mess.

[lungs]

Yuniesky Betancourt is terrible.

[samifan24]

The Indians keep on rolling.

[Suicane75]

Pedro Alvarez is welcomed to start hitting any time.

[stevew]

Same with Cutch

[Suicane75]

At least he's shown he's got something. I'm really worried Alvarez is sinking into a hole he can't climb out of.

And I don't mean to hate on the Royals but bottom of the 9th, Mariners mounting a rally and whoever their radio pbp guy could not seem any less interested in or excited about the game. Then i hear the public address guy in the background and he sounds just as soulless and a little like Elmer Fudd. I actually felt sorry for the fans as it appears nothing about that team is cause for joy.

[sovereignstar v2]

I dunno. Michael Tucker looks like he'll be a good one.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by lungs

Water is wet.

Fixed that for you.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar v2

I dunno. Michael Tucker looks like he'll be a good one.

Hey buddy, did YOU ever score 80 runs in a major league season?

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Rockies now 6 outs from being 10-2 with a 7-1 road trip. I don't think they have ever had a 7-1 road trip. Hell, they could go 24-49 in their remaining road games and equal last years total if they hold on to this.

Tulo hit another HR. 7 HR for him now.

I just hope he stays healthy. he's my favorite player in the game to watch and I have thought all along if he could get off to a better start in April and stay healthy he would win the MVP.

Rockies win again against the Cubs, 5-0. What's funny to me is that Tulo clubbed all those home runs in Citi Field, which is notoriously difficult to get a home run at, but they get back to Denver and neither he nor anyone else got one out in one of the most home run-friendly parks in existence. Still, they're 11-2. In a usually tight and unpredictable division like the NL West, this sort of run to start the season means Colorado's going to be contending for the long haul this year, and not just for the Wild Card, either. Only other time they've had this sort of edge on the division was in '95, but that didn't hold up and they settled for the Wild Card.