Be Careful What You Wish For
by Adam J. Morris on Mar 29, 2008 4:16 PM CDT
39 comments
So I'm checking out a couple of M's sites, and read this item on Lookout Landing that talks about the makeup of the M's bench and bullpen.
It includes this quote:
Bullpen Summary: Not too bad. I'd have liked to see Dickey there, but that's mainly because I love watching knuckleballers, and at least we kept him in the organisation.
Heh. How many of you thought you'd read an intelligent baseball blogger lamenting his team not carrying R.A. Dickey?
Methinks Jeff hasn't had enough experience actually watching Dickey pitch for his team. He should be careful what he wishes for, because I don't know he'd be all that thrilled watching the pyrotechnic display should Dickey end up in the M's pen at some point this year.
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He says wilkerson is an upgrade defensively in right?
was guillen terrible or something? i thought his defensive rep was decent.
by DSheppard on Mar 29, 2008 4:20 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Last quick reply
Guillen was hobbled with a bum ankle for us for the 1st half of the season. As a result, he completely sucked on defense and had almost no range. Wilkerson's no more than decent with the glove, but he'll be an improvement over what we got from an injured Guillen last year.
Mike Morse, who is platooning with Wilkerson for some god awful reason, is a different story. He's worse than Raul Ibanez.
Previously NoNameX -- Go M's!
by JLC on Mar 29, 2008 5:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Finally
I can agree on something with Jeff: I'd have liked to have seen Dickey in there as well.
by SteveP on Mar 29, 2008 4:21 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Dickey
I don't completely discount the prospect that he may be figuring this knuckleball thing out. He was pretty good last year in AAA.
Apparently the shock from poor RA's start in April '06 has worn off me somewhat.
But that river of tears has dried for all of us.
by trza on Mar 29, 2008 4:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Yes, Dickey has switched completely to knuckleball
Now he throws similar to Tim Wakefield. His 3.72 ERA in 2007 in AAA was solid and we originally picked him up for 5th starter insurance, but that became needless with the Bedard acquisition. His ST ERA was below 2, but the M's didn't want to risk losing Cha Baek on waivers because he was out of options.
He's a different pitcher now, though I can't help Texas fans believe that if you're scarred for life.
Previously NoNameX -- Go M's!
by JLC on Mar 29, 2008 5:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dickey
He was a knuckleballer in Texas for a while, too...he just wasn't any good at it. I'm pretty sure he was throwing the knuckler full-time when he had that godawful start in April of 2006.
by Adam J. Morris on Mar 29, 2008 5:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah he was.
And while I haven't seen him very much since he left, I can't imagine he's gotten that much better. Certainly couldn't get worse, though.
by brettgardner on Mar 29, 2008 6:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Can't be sure when he started throwing it
But I know it was only recently that he started to make refinements and perfect the pitch. It's not like we're looking at Dickey as an ace or a #4 starter like Wakefield. We mostly like him because he throws the knuckleball and he can eat innings as a mop-up/spot starter.
But the odds of him becoming a better knuckleballer and pitcher than Wakefield are practically nil. At the same time, I don't think he's quite the disaster and failure he was in Texas. Certainly better than Ho Ramirez, which is good enough for most M's fans.
Previously NoNameX -- Go M's!
by JLC on Mar 29, 2008 6:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
He was throwing it then
but it was his first time throwing it in a Major League game. The knuckleball is a totally different pitch from anything else, and so he was basically learning to pitch all over again. I would expect him to be a lot better at it now with two years of practice than he was two years ago.
by Inkara1 on Mar 30, 2008 12:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Another M's Fan Take on Dickey
He had a really good spring and the idea was that he could eat a lot of innings in relief with that knuckleball. Last year, the M's bullpen imploded late in the year when our crappy starters averaged about 5 innings per start.
Hopefully that won't be as much of an issue with the addition of Bedard and Silva. And the subtraction of Haracio Ramirez and Jeff Weaver - our versions of pre-knuckleball Dickey.
by cjdahl on Mar 29, 2008 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why is Jeff
spelling like he's British?
by Brett Perryman on Mar 29, 2008 5:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Because that is not Jeff.
Previously NoNameX -- Go M's!
by JLC on Mar 29, 2008 5:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Graham is British
My bad for not adding that.
Previously NoNameX -- Go M's!
by JLC on Mar 29, 2008 6:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Damn...
I'm gone for a week and...
1) LSB switches over to 2.0
2) The Rangers team site has a new format
3) And now people want R.A. Dickey in their favorite teams "organisation"
I feel like my world has been flipped upside down.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
by slc ranger on Mar 29, 2008 5:50 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I know what you mean
There seems to be sweeping changes going on all across the internet right now.
MLBlogs has just changed formats too, which is where I have my blog at... So I have to go through the learning process all over again regarding that. It's like entire Rangers blogoshere is upaditing itself, one peice at a time.
by lonestarJon on Mar 29, 2008 6:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
FYI
KTXA TV ch 21 has a Rangers preview show starting at 6:00 - Bill Jones hosting.
by shroomer on Mar 29, 2008 6:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Jim Sundberg
can't say "Saltalamacchia" or "festivities."
by Brett Perryman on Mar 29, 2008 6:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just curious
But how does he mispronounce those two words? I mean, what does he say instead?
by lonestarJon on Mar 29, 2008 6:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Saltiamacchia
and festivi...(intelligible)
by Brett Perryman on Mar 29, 2008 6:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Heh
That's funny.
Say Z... when are you gonna get an avitar, man? I always thought maybe you'd get yourself an avitar of that Zywica minor leaguer you took your screenname from. That'd bee cool, IMO.
by lonestarJon on Mar 29, 2008 6:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm not really an avitar
kind of guy.
by Brett Perryman on Mar 29, 2008 6:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ah, okay...
Just wanted to make that suggestion.
by lonestarJon on Mar 29, 2008 6:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
didn't you used to have
that picture of mike zywica - either his jersey or his back while he was wearing his jersey - on newberg?
by ab03 on Mar 29, 2008 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Here ya go
That'd make it easy to pick you outta the mob.
by shroomer on Mar 29, 2008 6:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Since we're talking Mariners . . .
John McLaren has put out the Mariners opening day lineup.
1. Ichiro CF
2. Lopez 2B
3. Ibanez LF
4. Sexson 1B
5. Beltre 3B
6. Wilkerson RF
7. Vidro DH
8. Johjima C
9. Betancourt SS
Although Wilkerson hasn't played much the last few games and is listed as day-to-day.
by Randy Richardson on Mar 30, 2008 1:56 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Man
Jose Lopez is batting second? Really?
That's almost as bad as Gerald Laird batting second.
by lonestarJon on Mar 30, 2008 2:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
not that intimidating
now if only we had two aces...
by DSheppard on Mar 30, 2008 2:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep...
lineup doesn't impress me at all, but their starting pitching with Bedard and King Felix should be very good.
I expect to see them in a lot of 3-2 and 4-2 games this year. They have a pretty good pen as well.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
by slc ranger on Mar 30, 2008 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well...
They sent Brandon Morrow to AAA... that dumbass move makes their 'pen a lot less fearsome to start the year... but once they call him up, they won't be looking too bad at all.
by lonestarJon on Mar 31, 2008 12:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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