Navigation: Jump to content areas:

Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Jeremy Lin And How The Pac-12 Missed Him

Bad Ideas And The People Who Love Them

Wbc_029_tiny by Jeff Sullivan on in Seattle Mariners News, Bad

*sigh*

With Bedard sidelined, the Mariners will return Ryan Rowland-Smith to the bullpen and start Jarrod Washburn on Saturday, then Miguel Batista on Sunday.

And after the All-Star break?

Riggleman said the tentative plan was to start Felix Hernandez, Washburn, Silva and then Bedard after the break.

“It would be nice to start the second half with the pitching staff we envisioned coming out of camp,” Riggleman said.

There are currently three pitchers in the Mariner dugout who may be capable of starting games next year and delivering a reasonable performance for next to nothing. If Riggleman has his way, none of them will be able to prepare for such an opportunity down the stretch. But hey, at least Batista earned his way back. While his season numbers may be beyond embarrassing, those three innings of relief were something else.

Comment 417 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

God Dammit.

Get your fucking heads out of your asses, FO/Rigglemania.

Go Nova

by dbroncos31 on Jul 9, 2008 9:03 AM PDT reply actions  

When I got tickets for the second game after the AS break

I envisioned Felix starting that game. Fuck you Bedard, pitch through pain you little maggot, pitch til your fucking shoulder turns to hamburger.

by JI on Jul 9, 2008 9:04 AM PDT reply actions  

Strasburg!

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Also, I'm always down for some online Grand Theft Auto IV or Rock Band. Gamertag: Phildopip

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Jul 9, 2008 9:08 AM PDT reply actions  

I really believe

that the team is covertly tanking the season to land the #1 pick, hence crap like this and Vidro batting cleanup.

by Gomez on Jul 9, 2008 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions  

It's not like RRS is going to be amazing as a starter right now though

he still needs to work on stretching out, so right now if he’s giving them ~4 innings and 1-2 RA, you can always call on Batista or Corcoran to blow the game anyway.

by seattlebruin on Jul 9, 2008 9:18 AM PDT up reply actions  

but of course...

Batista is amazing as a starter right now haha

by Smith18 on Jul 9, 2008 9:23 AM PDT up reply actions  

But RRS has upside as a starter

Why take chances when Batista’s pitching assures you of losses? You can always stretch RRS out next year ;P

by Gomez on Jul 9, 2008 9:26 AM PDT up reply actions  

If they had brains

Train him up now while we have a throw away season and virtually nothing to lose (oh right…if we win we wont get the #1 pick) so that he can be used next year when we have a fresh plate and he will have built stamina to be a successful starter

by Smith18 on Jul 9, 2008 9:29 AM PDT up reply actions  

(keep in mind I'm being facetious)

I agree with gustaf below that they’re likely just showcasing their crap in hopes that someone will make a deal for said crap, and then they’ll slide RRS back into the rotation.

by Gomez on Jul 9, 2008 9:31 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah, I figured the silver lining this year

is that we’re the season was already over 2 months in, so we can at least see if what we want next year. Like Jeff said, who among RRS, Morrow, and Dickey can be a starter? But if only one (and possibly none) get to start, it might be hard to decide come spring training. Hopefully we’re just banking on Batista getting 2 good starts in so we can trade him, and hopefully we trade Washburn and move RRS back into a starting role.

by LantermanC on Jul 9, 2008 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions  

I'm just not sure how good I feel about RRS, Morrow and Dickey in the same rotation

yeah, all three are made of awesome for varying reasons, but when you get right down to it, you have three relatively high risk guys that you’re counting on (Morrow/RRS due to stretching out and experience concerns, Dickey due to his erratic pitching this season). You’d probably expect at least one of them to flame out, but then I guess that’s what replacement level left-handed starters in AAA are for.

by seattlebruin on Jul 9, 2008 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions  

I warned

you about Riggleman.

Where is Mick Kelleher when we need him?

by 3744nsheffield on Jul 9, 2008 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions  

FUCK THIS MOTHERFUCKING SHIT!!!

I’ve been trying to have patience with Riggleman and company starting the likes of Jose Vidro, Richie Sexson, and Miguel Cairo with the understanding that THIS HORSESHIT WOULD STOP WHEN THE TRADE DEADLINE PASSED!!

No matter how delusional, as long as there was any hope of trading these bums I could cross my eyes and tilt my head and suffer through it. But WTF. Once the trade deadline is gone, if Riggleman is still trotting Vidro, Sexson and Cairo out there then I. Give. Up. What on earth does this accomplish other than pissing off your fan base and wasting time that could be used to have a look at pieces that actually might be useful to the future of this ballclub.

Man, I really hope this team is sold and Howard/Lincoln/Riggleman and all just disappear.

by manyoso on Jul 9, 2008 9:12 AM PDT reply actions  

Amen to that!

Back to saving money on (random bought, non season plan) tickets!

by Smith18 on Jul 9, 2008 9:26 AM PDT up reply actions  

I think we are overreacting

I think management is hoping to showcase Washburn’s mediocrity in order to deal him. (All of us would do backflips to get his salary off the ‘09 books). Assuming that happens, we only have a couple more Washburn starts to live through.

RRS will be primed and ready to slide into the rotation when Washburn gets dealt.

As for Batista, I bet management is hoping to create a market for him as well. His dealine is not July 31. He will EASILY clear waivers, meaning he has a month and a half to fool teams into thinking he can get outs.

For ‘09 purposes, starting those two guys actually makes sense in that it increases the chances that one or both will be traded for a bucket of balls.

by gustafm on Jul 9, 2008 9:26 AM PDT reply actions  

There is no way I'm settling for a bucket of balls for Batista

We had better get at least 50 high-quality wood bats in return as well or no deal

by seattlebruin on Jul 9, 2008 9:33 AM PDT up reply actions  

I am (not so secretly) hoping that

Washburn has done well the past start and will be looking good to the NL as a middle reliever and at least has SOME trade value if he continues to pitch somewhat well.

As to if they would put RR-S in the rotation if Washburn gets dealt…one can only hope.

I would rather see RR-S than Batista or even Silva lol (didnt say myy wishes were realistic) but maybe you are right.

by Smith18 on Jul 9, 2008 9:36 AM PDT reply actions  

someone expected something different

from this organization? I seriously doubt anyone on the team gets moved or demoted while in this “temporary” flux situation with the GM and Manager…. maybe one player, but doubtful anything more then that.

Midnight Baseball - No Lights - Only in Alaska!

by MfaninAlaska on Jul 9, 2008 9:42 AM PDT reply actions  

Riggleman is a shitty manager

He’s just as bad as McLaren at least. God if he’s around in ‘09 that is going to suck so bad >:(

by OlSalty on Jul 9, 2008 10:58 AM PDT reply actions  

Even if Lee P. is the new GM, I doubt they retain Riggleman.

Hell, I bet the only member of the coaching staff they retain is Norm Charlton, just so we can hang on to that ‘95 magic a little longer.

by BrianL on Jul 9, 2008 11:03 AM PDT up reply actions  

The bullpen has been pretty good.

Not that he really has anything to do with it.

AKA "BRO-RAY" according to drunk Graham...

by Thingray on Jul 9, 2008 11:28 AM PDT up reply actions  

Why, because he's playing Vidro, Bloomquist and Cairo? And this throwaway comment?

How do we know these are entirely his decisions?

And the comment about having his original rotation means nothing. It’s a throwaway thought.

by Gomez on Jul 9, 2008 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions  

Why would the front office tell him to play Vidro? Or Bloomquist? Or Cairo?

Or Batista? All of these are guys who will be gone next year most likely and we are playing for nothing. It’s not like they have any trade value either. Certainly there is a possibility that he is being ordered to play these guys but it wouldn’t make any sense as far as the goals of the front office are concerned to go out of their way to play them, and there is no evidence that his lineups are being dictated for him.

I don’t buy that they’re intentionally trying to lose, Lincoln and Armstrong must still be concerned about their jobs and a strong finish would help them keep them even if it was bad for the future success of the club.

by OlSalty on Jul 9, 2008 11:18 AM PDT up reply actions  

What the hell kind of trade value do three guys who can't OPS .600 have?

Okay, Willie is slightly above .600, but he’s slugging .248…..248!

What value does one of the worst pitchers in baseball in Miguel Batista have?

They have no trade value to inflate, NOBODY is that stupid. You’re not going to get better than a warm body for any of them if you even get that so what is the point? They are all farrrr below replacement level and every front office in baseball must realize that.

by OlSalty on Jul 9, 2008 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions  

We know they don't have trade value, I admit that.

This season is toast, another three weeks of Vidro/Sexson/Tits/Cairo isn’t going to hurt. Showcase them, see if something materializes. If not, dump them after the deadline.

by BrianL on Jul 9, 2008 11:27 AM PDT up reply actions  

Amen.

AKA "BRO-RAY" according to drunk Graham...

by Thingray on Jul 9, 2008 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions  

It's an idea

But “Riggleman totally did this himself because he’s an idiot” is also an idea.

by Gomez on Jul 9, 2008 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions  

He's the one who makes the lineups

It’s less of a stretch to hold him responsible for his own responsibilities than it is to say his bosses told him to do it without evidence. Do you really think the front office commanded him to bat Vidro cleanup 8 times? Putting him in the lineup is one thing, but telling Riggleman where to bat him too is some serious meddling. Did his bosses call him on the phone during the middle of a game and tell him to pinch hit Vidro for Clement a few days ago too? Like I said, it doesn’t serve the FO’s interests to keep losing as their jobs are still on the line, so if it is happening, whatever the reason is it’s probably not sabotage.

by OlSalty on Jul 9, 2008 11:33 AM PDT up reply actions  

Maybe they did, or maybe he doesn't want to explain to them why Vidro isn't playing

There could be a variety of internal reasons he’s doing it, besides “He just does it by rote because has the intelligence of a FAS baby.”

by Gomez on Jul 9, 2008 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions  

FWIW,

as long as Putz is out or ineffective, Morrow may be worth more to the organization as a closer than as a starter. Of course without seeing what he can do in 6 innings prevents you from being able to say one way or another. But… let’s say he goes from being the angry deity reliever he’s become this season to a ~4.5R/9 guy. That’s a net loss, right?

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 11:03 AM PDT reply actions  

Worth more as in... give us a better win/loss record?

I still hope we get Strasburg. (Pie in the sky dream, Felix, Bedard, Sheets, Strasburg, Morrow?, drool)

by LantermanC on Jul 9, 2008 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions  

I should mention

that I think it’s crucial to see what Morrow can do as a starter first, so please put away the pitchforks and the noose.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions  

Why does a team whose season is over need a closer now over a starter next year?

JJ (hopefully) won’t be hurt next year and we’re going to need another SP. We also have Josh Fields to take Morrow’s spot in the bullpen if necessary, and bullpen arms are easier to find than starting pitchers anyway. There’s no way we can lose by at least finding out if he can effectively transition to starter during the rest of this throw-away season.

by OlSalty on Jul 9, 2008 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions  

Because the FO

still thinks we have something to play for this season. Why else would they stick with crap like Vidro and Cairo, while also throwing RRS into the bullpen instead of sending him to Tacoma to stretch out and bringing up someone like O’Flaherty if they need another lefty? We can’t get any worse then we already are so why not send Morrow to Tacoma to stretch too?

Too close for missles, switching to guns.

by Paseman on Jul 9, 2008 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions  

I doubt they have any such delusions

I don’t know why Vidro is still on the roster, but whatever their reasons for this are, it’s not trying to contend.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

That was tongue in cheek

Too close for missles, switching to guns.

by Paseman on Jul 9, 2008 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions  

EOF is injured if I'm not mistaken.

AKA "BRO-RAY" according to drunk Graham...

by Thingray on Jul 9, 2008 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions  

Per Kirby Arnold, guess what?

Back spasms. Tacoma was hoping he’d be back this past week… but not yet.

by Gomez on Jul 9, 2008 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions  

Seriously?!?

That seems to be “the injury” this year.

AKA "BRO-RAY" according to drunk Graham...

by Thingray on Jul 9, 2008 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions  

Can we hire Tim Ruskell

To GM the Mariners during the NFL offseason?

Too close for missles, switching to guns.

by Paseman on Jul 9, 2008 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions  

Oh dear.

That makes our receiving situation pale in comparison.

by BrianL on Jul 9, 2008 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions  

Even more sad than last year though

By a lot. Berrian/Muhammad was mediocre, Hester/Booker is going to be epicly bad.

by OlSalty on Jul 9, 2008 11:54 AM PDT up reply actions  

You're underrating Mark Bradley

Rashied Davis is ehhhhh
Brandon Lloyd has a chance to not suck

by Last Fan Of Jose Lopez on Jul 9, 2008 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions  

Lloyd and Davis are both awful

Bradley might be okay. But considering who will be throwing to him I doubt he’ll look very good.

And the Bears have serious question marks at RB too and a mediocre O-line. I’d be really surprised if they weren’t the worst offense in football next year, maybe one of the worst of all time.

by OlSalty on Jul 9, 2008 12:15 PM PDT up reply actions  

the niners could give them a run for their money

although Frank Gore will probably keep the niners above the bears.

I hope those two teams play each other. First one to 0 wins.

by MFAN on Jul 9, 2008 12:22 PM PDT up reply actions  

Wow Duke's special teams really sucked

Like 3 guys had a full wrap-up on him and just fell down

by OlSalty on Jul 9, 2008 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions  

Screw you.

AKA "BRO-RAY" according to drunk Graham...

by Thingray on Jul 9, 2008 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions  

Not true

There is a ceiling of awesome

by Robert on Jul 9, 2008 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions  

I really think it's a better team.

The offense has taken a step or two back, but the defense is leaps and bounds better than what we had in ‘05. Overall it’s a net improvement.

by BrianL on Jul 9, 2008 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think this is going to be a really special year.

I’ve thought that before and been totally wrong, though.

by Aaron Campeau on Jul 9, 2008 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions  

This year will be awesome

Its just that the 05 team was my version of the 95 mariners. Nothing will ever bet them in my heart.

by Robert on Jul 9, 2008 12:12 PM PDT up reply actions  

The one thing holding us back last season was the run game.

We didn’t have one. Period. Think how much that could have helped us in Green Bay to keep the Packers offense off the field.

Look at what we’ve got now. Just by adding Mike Wahle and shifting Rob Sims to RG, the O-Line is leaps and bounds better. We’ve got a backfield committee of Julius Jones, Mo Morris, TJ Duckett, Leonard Weaver, and Owen Schmitt.

by BrianL on Jul 9, 2008 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions  

I'm still worried about our WRs.

I guess if our TE pans out, we can be ok on our WR, since Hasselbeck seems the type of guy who can throw to anyone. I’m pretty confident in our running game as well.

by LantermanC on Jul 9, 2008 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

See comment just above yours

and the point is that any team needs both quality relievers and starters. Some guys, like Putz or Raffy Soriano, are way, way more valuable as relievers and I’m not excluding the possibility that Morrow’s one such guy.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions  

Out of curiosity, what is Brad Ziegler's tRA right now?

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Also, I'm always down for some online Grand Theft Auto IV or Rock Band. Gamertag: Phildopip

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Jul 9, 2008 11:42 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yes

Dennis Sarfate broke my spreadsheet for a while last year

by Graham MacAree on Jul 9, 2008 12:40 PM PDT up reply actions  

Oh good, you're here

I have a question

How bad of an assumption would it be to use the MLB values for a college pitcher? If the approximate values scale with respect to each other, would the final result be a (marginally) useful product? I have an idea for a side project for the day.

by seattlebruin on Jul 9, 2008 12:42 PM PDT up reply actions  

Well I'd have to compile the data for [X sample of college pitchers]

and I’m not particularly interested in doing so for a conference or a region.

by seattlebruin on Jul 9, 2008 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions  

Also, correct me if I'm wrong

but tRA scales similar to ERA (in a general, general sense), correct? So the average tRA should be equal to the average runs allowed per game throughout MLB per season?

by seattlebruin on Jul 9, 2008 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions  

Tell me about it.

I’m on pins and needles waiting for Arshavin to head somewhere.

by Matthew on Jul 9, 2008 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah, he'll probably end up there

Spain seems to be his preferred destination. I can’t say I’d be too disappointed – dude has a good tournament, and all of a sudden he’s the Next Big Thing? I’m skeptical.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Jul 9, 2008 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions  

Russian players are well under the radar, and for good reason.

So its not terribly surprising he’s getting some love now. If you see some video of him playing in the russian leagues, and granted some of those teams would lose to the U-17 teams here, he’s been pretty hot shit for some time.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions  

You have a tablet or something?

That’s insanely good freehand typeface

by Matthew on Jul 9, 2008 1:16 PM PDT up reply actions  

I agree.

It’s infinitely better than my handwriting using a pen. The more I look at it, the more it blows my mind away. How can someone be better with a mouse than I am with a pen?

by LantermanC on Jul 9, 2008 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions  

The original pun thread was absolutely fantastic.

The problem isn’t necessarily the jokes, it’s the fact that the jokes keep going for days and days and weeks and weeks. Few jokes have that kind of staying power.

by Aaron Campeau on Jul 9, 2008 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions  

Recently its mostly been this running joke

about ROY and blog-comment trade value. Which is an early candidate for dead meme of the year if you ask me. I think over 2/3 of all comments on this blog have had to do with this recently.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 12:21 PM PDT up reply actions  

This is fucking retarded.

RRS wasn’t even stretched out yet.

Shit.

Cuba Si! Yanqi No!

by Patrick517 on Jul 9, 2008 12:38 PM PDT reply actions  

If every grounder to short off him

didn’t go into LF for a double he’d still be in the rotation.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 12:39 PM PDT up reply actions  

It's a continuing inability to identify sunk costs.

It’s mind bogglingly stupid, and it drives me insane.

by Aaron Campeau on Jul 9, 2008 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions  

This confuses me to no end.

I think we all agree that ownership likes money, and therefore running this club like a business is a good idea. Hell, we’ve accused them of caring more about profits than winning.

Why, praytell, can’t this team identify sunk costs? It’s a basic business skill!

by BrianL on Jul 9, 2008 12:50 PM PDT up reply actions  

It's because the baseball people DON'T have any business sense

and the people WITH business sense only tell the baseball people what to do when they want to feel like baseball people. It’s totally backwards and insane.

by Aaron Campeau on Jul 9, 2008 12:58 PM PDT up reply actions  

“With 90 games left in the season, we thought we owed it to our fans and ourselves to win as many games as we possibly can,” Pelekoudas said.

:sigh:

by Jeff Sullivan on Jul 9, 2008 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions  

With so much salary to eat, we really need some revenue.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 12:51 PM PDT up reply actions  

There are far fewer picks in the NFL draft and way more positions

Plus, 2nd chances for failed head coaches are much harder to come by when you fail.

by Gomez on Jul 9, 2008 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions  

I'd rather have the 20th pick in the NFL draft than the 1st

the 1st pick is going to cost a ton more money and probably isn’t a heck of a lot better (although there are exceptions).

by MFAN on Jul 9, 2008 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions  

I <3 Timmay.

Seriously, though, I wish you could trade draft picks in baseball.

by BrianL on Jul 9, 2008 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions  

So true

didnt Tuesday Morning QB do an article that proved that second round and later picks were a better value than 1st round picks by a wide margin?

The poster formerly known as Matt.

by bluemax on Jul 9, 2008 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions  

I believe so

Even then, all you have to do is take an overall survey of active NFL players, their roles, and see where they were drafted to realize that there’s enough talent in the middle rounds that 2-3 good but lower picks often net you more value than a single top 5-10 pick, because they can address several team needs rather than a top pick addressing one.

by Gomez on Jul 9, 2008 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions  

Not too mention initial cost

top picks get way more money. I’ve learned to be way more excited about multiple second round picks than one first rounder.

The poster formerly known as Matt.

by bluemax on Jul 9, 2008 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions  

I'm going to go ahead and focus on the 'tentative' part.

If god is merciful, Washburn is dealt before I turn the calendar and that RRS is the guy to take his place. So.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 12:43 PM PDT reply actions  

If God were merciful

He would have taken Richie, Vidro and Cairo out behind the shed and put them out of their misery… and by extension the misery of M’s fans everywhere

Too close for missles, switching to guns.

by Paseman on Jul 9, 2008 12:47 PM PDT up reply actions  

I'm sorry but I don't See any way

That making me watch Vidro bat fourth and Richie pretend to be a baseball player somehow makes God merciful… I’m open to being enlightened though

Too close for missles, switching to guns.

by Paseman on Jul 9, 2008 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions  

Sorry

That picture below was supposed to be my response to that

Too close for missles, switching to guns.

by Paseman on Jul 9, 2008 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions  

What?

I’m supposed to be alright watching this filth the Mariners toss out on a nightly basis because we “MIGHT’ get the first pick and get this KID who MIGHT be good in three years?

Too close for missles, switching to guns.

by Paseman on Jul 9, 2008 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions  

I would be a little more excited

If he was a power hitting lefty that would end up in the heart of our lineup. But man, I didn’t realize our situation was that bleak..

Too close for missles, switching to guns.

by Paseman on Jul 9, 2008 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions  

Actually,

it’s going to be a hard throwing college reliever with control problems, but you gotta live for something.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 1:10 PM PDT up reply actions  

Not "alright" necessarily.

But it’s the best you can hope for at this point.

by Aaron Campeau on Jul 9, 2008 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions  

Do you think Dickey could be a serviceable #5 in the long term?

He’s a great spot starter to be sure, but I think they should do better in looking for a starter beyond this season.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions  

That's what I'm saying.

I think he’s more valuable as a swing guy and would rather leave him in that role. Morrow I think should start in AAA first, just so he doesn’t go all Ankiel.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think I like this.

Under your suggestion, the rotation would look like this after the deadline:

Felix
Bedard
Silva
RRS
Dickey

With Morrow at AAA or AA to stretch out. We could concievably recall him in September when callup space is available to see how he fares. At the same time, you get long, extended looks at RRS and Dickey.

by BrianL on Jul 9, 2008 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions  

If that were Batista instead of Dickey at number 5

it’s equally good. Bedard being who he is means Batista needs to stay stretched out as a stater while Dickey is a freak of nature. So Batista makes more sense in that scenario.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think I'd prefer to see Dickey at 5.

Like Jeff said, it’s worth finding out if he can be a cheap #5.

by BrianL on Jul 9, 2008 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions  

I have great news in case we have a rotation spot available this offseason

Jon Garland rhp
3 years/$29M (2006-08)

  • acquired in trade (from Chicago White Sox) 11/19/07 (as part of deal, Angels paid White Sox $1.5M)
  • signed extension 12/05
  • 06:$7M, 07:$10M, 08:$12M

by Jeff Sullivan on Jul 9, 2008 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

I've taken a lot of shitty M's moves

But if they gave Garland a Silva contract this offseason I’d probably have to give it up for a while.

by Gomez on Jul 9, 2008 1:19 PM PDT up reply actions  

You should start making bullet points with hearts:

♥ Jarrod Wasburn sucks
♥ Jose Vidro sucks
♥ STRASBURG!

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Also, I'm always down for some online Grand Theft Auto IV or Rock Band. Gamertag: Phildopip

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Jul 9, 2008 1:21 PM PDT up reply actions  

2 points:

-Dickey pitches long stints out of the pen, going 4, 5 innings at a time. And he’ll be picking up whatever starts Bedard misses, so five or six more this season.
-Batista is not really as bad as he has been this year. He’s only stranding 65% of runners despite a normal HR rate and a slightly elevated BABIP. He’s walking way more batters than ever before, but he’s also been pitching through injury. He’s not this bad.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions  

Batista has a 7.32 tRA

That may be all injuries, I don’t know, but I’d like to see him pitch well out of the bullpen for at least a month before I think it’s worth seeing if he can start again.

by Jeff Sullivan on Jul 9, 2008 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions  

That would be the 6+BB/9

And pitching out of the pen is unlikely to help with control problems. Minor league rehab might be a better solution, I don’t know. But tRA is not in itself predictive, is it?

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions  

It's more predictive than anything else we've got

At this point, finding out if RRS/Morrow/Dickey can contribute out of the rotation would mean a hell of a lot more than trying to get Batista back on track. We know that a healthy Batista can put up a 5-5.50 tRA, and that an unhealthy Batista is terrible. What we don’t know is much of anything about the others.

by Jeff Sullivan on Jul 9, 2008 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions  

What he/she said. You gotta regress the walk and K rates a bit.

And again, while I agree that Dickey might be a tad better in the long run, they do need a 5 man rotation so the need to keep Batista stretched out in case Bedard goes down, while Dickey can start on 2 hours sleep with a wicked hangover and food poisoning.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions  

If you follow the thread back far enough

the hope was that Washburn gets traded and RRS is the guy to fill his shoes. The disagreement then was whether Dickey or Batista get the last spot, and i was saying it’s about even between the two, though I’d lean more toward Batista.

Morrow will never start as long as Putz is out, I think. But since we’re talking about what ought to happen, not what will, I think Morrow should absolutely not have his first professional starts be in the majors.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions  

Right, my mistake.

So anyway, I guess my question is what do we really have to gain by leaving Dickey in the bullpen and letting Batista resume starting?

I know what you mean about having Dickey as the emergency long man, but on only two occasions this year did he have to relieve for more than a couple innings, and Batista would be more than capable of soaking that up. It’s not like we’re playing for anything in 2008 anyway, so I don’t even think it’s that big of a deal. Seems like finding out if Dickey can start is of greater importance than protecting the bullpen from the occasional taxing (which wouldn’t be a factor for very long anyway since rosters expand in September).

by Jeff Sullivan on Jul 9, 2008 1:52 PM PDT up reply actions  

I guess it seems like every time Batista starts Dickey ends up pitching 3-4 innings anyway.

I kid.

When you put it that way.. yeah there’s not much to gain. Some protection for the bullpen, maybe, but as you say rosters expand soon. Part of it is I do believe Batista is better than he has been pitching and having him show that this year may keep the team away from Garland and his ilk. But then, the real answer would lie in putting Tits on the DL for two weeks, then sending him to AA to find the zone before coming back up in mid-August to show that he’s still a ML starter. And yes, in that scenario Dickey starts in his stead.

Another thing is… you know, I’m tired of talking about Batista.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

Sorry, I misspoke.

tRA is subject to the same small sample variation as any other stat, so a half-season’s worth of tRA is not all that predictive, though certainly more so than ERA, FIP, or whatever else is out there. tRA* is better, although I forgot what kind of regression Graham uses (I thought it was pretty basic), and perhaps given the injury complaints looking at his 3-year average might be the best thing.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jul 9, 2008 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions  

Hey does anyone know

Is Clint Nageotte(?) still alive?

Too close for missles, switching to guns.

by Paseman on Jul 9, 2008 1:18 PM PDT reply actions  

Yep

He’s pitching in New York.

Somewhere, I hear a voice saying “There is no floor.”

by marc w on Jul 9, 2008 1:49 PM PDT up reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed

Search

User Tools

By reading a game thread of your own volition you agree to accept all liability for any and all damage done to your delicate sensibilities.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Moar_bacon_small
Everything I Know About Jesus Montero

by Lord Duggan 5 days ago

25 comments | 45 recs

Recent FanPosts

Wbc_029_small
Friday Morning Music Thread

by Jeff Sullivan 2 days ago

228 comments

Small
OTDOD - Early February Edition

by Faux 4 days ago

255 comments | 2 recs

Agentejebaox3_small
A Statistical Analysis of Mariners' Fan Support

by Agent_J 6 days ago

22 comments

Small
Who will have a better season?

by bp42810 16 days ago

22 comments

Claw_small
BA's Top 10 M's Prospects

by JY 16 days ago

217 comments | 7 recs

Wbc_029_small
Friday Morning Music Thread

by Jeff Sullivan 16 days ago

16 comments

Small
Munenori Kawasaki Predictions!!!

by marina-zu 17 days ago

20 comments

Small
The Longevity and Future Success of Felix Hernandez.

by TheFranchise78 17 days ago

10 comments

Small
The present vs future conundrum

by paulmer37 18 days ago

12 comments

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Recent Posts

In Association With

Baseball Nation Recent Stories

Photo

The Ultimate Guide To Spring Training

Juan Pierre of the Chicago White Sox waves to the fans at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

Juan Pierre Could Set A Major League Record In 2012

SCOTTSDALE, AZ: Buster Posey #28 of the San Francisco Giants runs drills before a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Tringali/Getty Images)

SI.com: Buster Posey's Comeback Trail

More from Baseball Nation >

Sexy People

Wbc_029_small Jeff Sullivan

Small Matthew