Saturday a.m. Rangers stuff
by Adam J. Morris on May 28, 2011 9:55 AM CDT
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PrintI don't even really know what to say about things right now.
That game last night has me about as demoralized about this team as I've been at any point this year.
Joey Matches calls it "the lousiest game of the season," and I tend to agree.
I don't want to see Dave Bush pitch for the Rangers, ever again. But if the Rangers decide to bring up someone from AAA so they have a fresh arm for today's game -- after using every member of the bullpen yesterday -- I'm not convinced that Neftali Feliz shouldn't be the guy who should go down. He has options, he pitched two innings yesterday and thus is probably unavailable for the rest of the weekend, and he's pitched poorly all season. Send him to Round Rock, tell him to get his head right, and let him come back in 10 days when he's eligible to return.
The one thing that gives you some reason for optimism about this season is that the rest of the A.L. West isn't any good, either, and none of the other teams look like they're going to put any distance between themselves and the rest of the division.
Jeff Wilson's game story talks about the blown Feliz save, and has some interesting comments about what was going on:
T.R. Sullivan's game story includes Yorvit Torrealba saying to blame him if Feliz is throwing too many fastballs, and Ron Washington saying everything is fine with Feliz. There's also a quote from Ned Yost saying that he thought the game was over in the 11th when Nelson Cruz hit a two out blast to deep left that was knocked down by the wind.
Yeah, I thought it was over then, too. Stupid wind.
Evan Grant has his post-game thoughts up at the DMN blog.
Brandon Webb is going to start a rehab assignment with Frisco next week, even though he's still just throwing 84 mph. I'm not terribly interested in Webb at this point, though...there's little indication at this point that he's going to be able to throw hard enough to be able to have an impact at the major league level this year.
The S-T's notes include stuff on Michael Kirkman's return, Julio Borbon's status, and Josh Hamilton and Endy Chavez being close to being able to return to the outfield.
Sullivan says Hamilton expects to return to left field for today's game, although that would seemingly just result in an overall defensive shuffle, with Nelson Cruz returning to right field, Mitch Moreland going to first base, and Michael Young going to DH.
Sullivan also says that Scott Feldman's rehab assignment has been halted and he's being shut down to try to improve the strength in his legs.
Grant has a blog post upabout some of the details and myths about the play by play situation, and the decision for John Rhadigan to move back to his old pre- and post-game role.
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weather does not like the Rangers
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
Before last night..
I wasn’t overly concerned with Feliz. He hadn’t been AS good this season, but he started the season off strong, and hadn’t looked great when he first came back from injury, but I kind of figured it would be a situation where he didn’t look that good until he did and after a few good outings he’d be fucking peachy and boom, problem solved.
I’m not as sold now.
I've been concerned about him since he went back to the bullpen.
He’s never looked like 2010 Feliz this year.
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
"do you a jet ski rental place would work here" - Mike E, 5/10/2011, in response to me saying I would rather face the Thunder than the Grizzlies in the WCF.
I think it would be a terrible idea to send Feliz down.
Throw back out there as soon as possible. I think this outing could be looked back upon as a turning point.
Yeah, giving up that monster dong to Gordon is really going to turn things around.
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
"do you a jet ski rental place would work here" - Mike E, 5/10/2011, in response to me saying I would rather face the Thunder than the Grizzlies in the WCF.
No, I saw it.
And it creates more questions than it answers.
I don’t think anyone doubts that he has the physical ability to get hitters out, but if he can go out there and get 1-2-3 innings by mixing in offspeed pitches, why isn’t he doing it? Why didn’t that sequence happen in his first inning, when it would have won the game?
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
"do you a jet ski rental place would work here" - Mike E, 5/10/2011, in response to me saying I would rather face the Thunder than the Grizzlies in the WCF.
Maybe that finally pounded the idea into his head?
In a 1-2-3 inning, Feliz used the breaking ball three times for strikes and got outs on two of them. One of the outs was a strikeout of Jeff Francoeur. Feliz had gone three consecutive outings without a strikeout.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
Maybe. But did anyone think the slider actually looked like a good pitch,
setting aside the results?
Garoon: Banned on LSB. Available Only Via Supplement.
I was OTP and missed the 9th, so I am of no assistance here.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
But Brooks has the slider at -0.6914
Which is pretty salty.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
I don't even come close to trusting the linear weights for 5 pitches.
Those are based on the results of the pitch, no? Nobody’s arguing the results weren’t good — just whether that pitch is going to keep achieving them.
Garoon: Banned on LSB. Available Only Via Supplement.
If a guy can tune it up in the high nineties
…and he only pitches an inning a night, his other stuff doesn’t have to be that good as long as he can keep it away from the middle of the plate. The hitter just needs something else to think about. If he knows the heat is coming then there are few big leaguers who aren’t going to be able to get around on it.
But that’s only part of it. Feliz has some kind of problem. Glancing through this thread, some people say it’s injury and others say mental. I will not claim to know which, but there is something else because he cannot locate whatever it is that he’s throwing. They need to figure this out. Maybe the team already knows and they’re working with him on it.
by Black Francis on May 28, 2011 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions
If the guy's tipping his breaking ball, and/or can't locate it,
then that’s not going to give the hitter much else to think about, especially if the guy can’t locate his fastball, either.
Garoon: Banned on LSB. Available Only Via Supplement.
He hasn't really thrown enough breaking balls to know if he's tipping them.
by Black Francis on May 28, 2011 2:33 PM CDT up reply actions
I'd like to think that, but I don't have to.
I don’t know what to think, right now.
He’s actually thrown the off-speed pitch more frequently this season than last, if you believe FanGraphs’ PitchFX numbers. The mean velocity on the fastball is still down, and it’s not entirely clear to me from his velocity charts that he’s back where he was. His horizontal movement on the fastball is down statistically, which makes sense, because that’s how it looks on the TV broadcast, too.
I’d say his biggest problem has been location, but as a couple other folks have pointed out, it’s not entirely clear from PitchFX that he’s been pitching to either hand of batter that much differently. This is where I think the key might lie, though: even if, on average, his fastball is winding up in the same spots, is he able to locate it where he wants in sequence?
Garoon: Banned on LSB. Available Only Via Supplement.
Being able to break down
PitchFX by sequence would be nice for many cases, even accounting for the further splicing of your sample size.
"I’d love to walk in and hug everybody every day, but that’s not critical to us winning." - Jon Daniels
by GhettoBear04 on May 28, 2011 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Especially in conjuction with the information guys like Parks bring.
I have to believe teams are already doing something like this.
Garoon: Banned on LSB. Available Only Via Supplement.
Yep.
Also, I know that the Rays used PitchFX (or something similar) to look at the release point of pitchers to see if they are tipping a pitch with it. It seems likely to me that teams use it for that as well.
"I’d love to walk in and hug everybody every day, but that’s not critical to us winning." - Jon Daniels
by GhettoBear04 on May 28, 2011 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions
I did, and it wasn't especially spectacular.
His slider looked, for the most part, awful — at least two of them stayed way up, showed little slide, and (from my admittedly poor and inexpert TV viewing) appeared to be delivered slightly differently than his fastball — and it’s going to be interesting to see what happens if he keeps throwing it like that, and batters (re)adjust.
It’s one thing for Feliz to mix in off-speed stuff after not doing it at all throughout most of his appearances, including the first inning of yesterday’s game. Stands to reason batters who’ve prepared for one thing might not be as apt to recognize another. (David Laurila’s interviews with Byrd and Gonzalez make for interesting background, here.) It’ll be another thing for Feliz to come out with batters aware that he’s not just fastball, fastball, fastball, and still fool them with that slider.
Garoon: Banned on LSB. Available Only Via Supplement.
I think he isn't fully healthy.
"I’d love to walk in and hug everybody every day, but that’s not critical to us winning." - Jon Daniels
by GhettoBear04 on May 28, 2011 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions
Control has been a problem
So I agree.
It goes deeper. People take out their frustrations with Josey on their real-life acquaintances, which propagates forward, and before you know it you’ve got more marriages in an easily-smashable state.-Closure GT on 12/14/2010 9:48 AM
Josh Hamilton: "I just show up, look at the lineup and play where I’m told. If they want me to catch, I’ll catch."
Plus the over-reliance on the fastball.
Plus the DL trip.
Plus the being used 3 days in a row early in the season.
It’s not for certain, but there are certainly red flags.
"I’d love to walk in and hug everybody every day, but that’s not critical to us winning." - Jon Daniels
by GhettoBear04 on May 28, 2011 11:06 AM CDT up reply actions
It's weird, but I sort of hope you're right.
As I mentioned last night in the GDT after he gave up the homer — so, appropriate caveat there — my larger concern at this point is that this is a case of mental issues leading to physical ones. It looks to me as if he’s gained weight, and it isn’t all muscle. (I think other folks have mentioned this?) His body language is bad. Add that to his comments to the media in the off-season and during the season, and I’m wondering if this isn’t a sophomore slump predicated less on injury than ego…
I hope I’m wrong.
Garoon: Banned on LSB. Available Only Via Supplement.
Also, it should be obvious, but this is completely speculative.
I know some folks here and elsewhere will vociferously object to that, but there you go.
Garoon: Banned on LSB. Available Only Via Supplement.
Sadly, it looks like this is a strong possibility of what is happening.
It seems like its more in his head than anything else.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Sending down Feliz is dumb.
Find out what’s wrong (appears to be physical) and fix him. Maybe he temporarily loses the closer gig and moves to the 8th inning but there’s no reason to send him down.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"You want false modesty? F that."
by Josey Wales on May 28, 2011 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions
I think its mental
If it was physical I dont think the Rangers would keep sending him out there
Agreed.
Move him to the 8th inning, not Round Rock.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"You want false modesty? F that."
by Josey Wales on May 28, 2011 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions
If he can't hold a lead in the ninth he's not going to hold one in the eighth.
Sending him down for ten days isn’t dumb.
by Black Francis on May 28, 2011 1:42 PM CDT up reply actions
I no longer think the problem is physical with him
The control and velocity isn’t there on a consistent basis, but if he was hurt, you’d think it wouldn’t be there at all.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Teixeira hit his 14th last night.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"You want false modesty? F that."
by Josey Wales on May 28, 2011 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions
So his OPS as a 1B is now beneath future HOFers Howie Kendrick and Jhonny Peralta
Anyways, try to stay on topic Outlaw. We’re talking about Feliz, not your obsession with Teixeira.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Aren't you the poster with Teixeira in your signature?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"You want false modesty? F that."
by Josey Wales on May 28, 2011 11:03 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
So you don't want to stay on topic?
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
To me, Feliz seems like the kind of guy who would speak up immediately about an injury
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
by Ryin A on May 28, 2011 1:35 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
10th inning was better.
He is not consistently getting on top of his breaking ball. He is just slinging it, like he did when he was first learing to throw a breaking ball. I’m not convinced that he is 100% healthy. For some reason, his mechanics are awful.
"Anyone that knows me, an' the game of baseball, know what Ron Washington is about."
.
front shoulder is pulling out
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
by Ryin A on May 28, 2011 1:36 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
You can coach my beer league softball team anytime, bub.
"I don't really like pitchers." - Nelson Cruz
Only if I can wear my Bike coaching shorts...
…and Spot Bilt turf cleats.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
by Ryin A on May 28, 2011 3:37 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Good recap of the Rhadigan ClusterF by EGrant.
Don’t know if it was talked about in LSB but Cocksucker Corby Davidson (from The Hardline) also chimed in yesterday about how unfair this was to Rhadigan and how poorly he was treated. He made it a point to single out both John Blake & Nolan Ryan for blame.
Greggo lost his gig (some might call that the job of a lifetime) with The Ticket nearly 3 years ago yet The Hardline still goes out of their way to make fun of him. Corby, STFU. Nobody cares if Rhadigan was your buddy.
John Rhadigan lost his job because of blatant incompetence. Somebody with the power to make this decision could see that Rhadigan was a donkey and no matter how many times you went to the whip, he was never ever going to be a quarter-horse.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"You want false modesty? F that."
by Josey Wales on May 28, 2011 10:10 AM CDT reply actions 3 recs
The DFW media doesn't get it.
If you don’t want to rip your lunch date, fine—keep silent. But don’t piss down our legs and tell us it is raining.
"Anyone that knows me, an' the game of baseball, know what Ron Washington is about."
by Atticus F on May 28, 2011 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions 8 recs
Did you read Bass's stuff in the PGT?
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
I hadn't until you mentioned this
I just went back and re-read it.
I don’t get the idea that I want a public flogging. I thought the way Tom Grieve handled it last night during the broadcast was great, and folks could say something similar and leave it at that.
Its the complaints about this being so unfair and the Rangers should have made the move from folks who then acknowledge that they hardly watched any games that irritated me so much.
by Adam J. Morris on May 28, 2011 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions
Your last line...exactly.
And I got on D&M the other day for this.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
I wanted was the media to be fair about Rhadigan's performance.
If they couldn’t because of friendships with him, I would’ve been fine with, “He’s my friend, and I’m not going there.” But like you said, it was the constant defense and “He’s improving!” from those who would then say they hardly watched the games that was just ridiculous.
Where can I read Bass’s take? What’s PGT?
by triplespluscv on May 28, 2011 10:04 PM CDT up reply actions
"P-ost G-ame T-hread"
Innovators look at the same thing as everyone else, yet see something different.
by K. Scott Bailey on May 28, 2011 10:05 PM CDT up reply actions
Double word
Despite the fact that it was a lousy game last night, it was a pleasure to listen to. Barnett might not be the best in the world but he is a pleasure to listen to after Rhads
I was impressed with Grant's post.
He irritated the hell out of me with his twitter defenses of Rhadigan, but he was rational in the blog post. It was nice to see.
A post from JW that I completely agree with?
Innovators look at the same thing as everyone else, yet see something different.
by K. Scott Bailey on May 28, 2011 9:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Feilz not throwing curve
what was the injury he went on the DL with, shoulder? Maybe it hurts to throw the curve
He hasn't really thrown a curve in a long time.
So this isn’t new.
Ever been in a boardroom, or a gang fight? Ever save a life? Ever won a court case against the odds? Ever held a dying buddy in your arms?.- jackanape on "perspective," 11/8/2010.
"do you a jet ski rental place would work here" - Mike E, 5/10/2011, in response to me saying I would rather face the Thunder than the Grizzlies in the WCF.
well, what did he say about being jerked around by the rangers
that was in ST, maybe he was feeling discomfort then
Nice
The crowd of 39,390 fans pushed the Rangers over 1 million for the year in their 28th home date. It’s the second-earliest the Rangers have reached 1 million. The other occasion was in the park’s first year in 1994.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
Quite amazing how DFW responded to Tom Hicks not being the owner of This Thing.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"You want false modesty? F that."
by Josey Wales on May 28, 2011 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm sure that WS thing had nothing to do with it.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
nope - not at all
they are all showing up in support of Nolan Ryan.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
Bullpens are unstable.
Ugh.
"By MLB.TV, we can see J. Hamilton's homer, M. Young's clutch, and N. Feliz's explosive. All about Rangers things can be our interest" --South Korean Rangers fan
"LSB is big on the sanctity of life for some reason." ---LSJ
Sean O'Sullivan will heal thy soul.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
We better hope Harrison is good tonight.
It goes deeper. People take out their frustrations with Josey on their real-life acquaintances, which propagates forward, and before you know it you’ve got more marriages in an easily-smashable state.-Closure GT on 12/14/2010 9:48 AM
Josh Hamilton: "I just show up, look at the lineup and play where I’m told. If they want me to catch, I’ll catch."
He will be great.
/JBIMaknee
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
Harry is going to save this team
Go Rice Owls!
Matt Harrison - once upon a time a good #3 starter...
Oh man...
Doctors performed biopsies on a tumor in Carter’s brain on Friday morning and Duke Medicine says in a release that preliminary results show it "appears to be malignant."
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
Hmm, I missed this
Tigers, A’s Swap Scott Sizemore, David Purcey
Evidently Sizemore will compete for the 3rd base job.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
wait, isnt sizemore pretty good?
"I’d love to walk in and hug everybody every day, but that’s not critical to us winning." The JeDi
Would you trade Napoli to the Giants for bullpen help?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"You want false modesty? F that."
No.
Napoli’s value isn’t real high right now and still has more valuable than just about anyone the Giants have, save Brian Wilson, and they’re not making that trade.
If they’re interested in a pre-owned Taylor Teagarden, however…
You're not going to get anything for Teagarden.
You might get something of value for Napoli
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Don't become the '82 Milwaukee Brewers."
"You want false modesty? F that."
by Josey Wales on May 28, 2011 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions
what??? his value isn't high???
last week he was heralded as the team’s mvp. you guys jumped my ass when i suggested he wasn’t providing much help with his .193 avg. is the difference in .193 and .183 that dramatic???
ok – i may be slow, but i’m learning… .193 mvp. .183 can’t get anything in return. got it.
by sam in so cal on May 28, 2011 12:14 PM CDT up reply actions
I've given up on Sam with regards to this.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
.
“I’ve only got a few fingers left to put in the dike,” Baker said.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
Dusty?
It goes deeper. People take out their frustrations with Josey on their real-life acquaintances, which propagates forward, and before you know it you’ve got more marriages in an easily-smashable state.-Closure GT on 12/14/2010 9:48 AM
Josh Hamilton: "I just show up, look at the lineup and play where I’m told. If they want me to catch, I’ll catch."
Woah, Morales update:
The team said Friday a bone graft was also done during Thursday’s three-hour surgery in Vail, Colo.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
It'd be sad if he's done.
But this is really sounding as if it could be devastating to his career.
Garoon: Banned on LSB. Available Only Via Supplement.
It is really kind of humbling to think about
players get a freak injury that doesn’t seem like that big a deal, and then one surgery after another and years go by, and next thing you know they’re out of the game.
We Rangers fans know all too well how that can happen (Zimmerman, Greer, Mateo, Thompson – just to name the circa 2000 guys).
You know some of these younger players have to be terrified of this exact thing happening to them; I’m half convinced that Feliz’s problems all have to do with him getting injured and sensing his baseball mortality for the first time. I think he’s pitching scared – not scared of giving up the big hit (i.e., Harry or Holland), but scared to go all out and hurt something.
Go Rice Owls!
Matt Harrison - once upon a time a good #3 starter...
I wonder if the freak injury
was caused by some underlying problem that’s also contributing to all the issues he’s having getting it healed now. I have no idea what that problem would be, I’m just speculating.
It really is unfortunate. I feel bad for him.
Agree
Scary stuff, even though I dislike anything Angels related, can’t help but feel bad for him.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
Although, at least he has earned ~7mil in his career
Poor Mateo didn’t even make any money…I think I may have sports cried the night he was injured.
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
This is how I feel after last night's game:
"We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames." - Ron Washington 04/03/11
Hopefully, this is how I will feel after tonight's game:
"We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames." - Ron Washington 04/03/11
Drunk and anti-semitic?
"...out of the shadows of unprecedented success, the sun shines down upon this team waiting to thrill anew." - ghostofErikThompson
by jam0152 on May 28, 2011 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
William Wallace wasn't drunk and anti-semitic...
At least, I don’t think he was. They didn’t really address that part of his life in the highly factual retelling of his story, Braveheart.
"We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames." - Ron Washington 04/03/11
Who the F... gives up 3 home runs in one inning?
i had to hit the rack early last night so the wife could drag me to garage sales all morning, and did not see the end of the game, what a way to wake up, it put me in a great mood, that and getting up at 5 freakin AM. damn this season it killing me.
Quote from Yankees GM about the Texas Rangers Beating them in the 2010 ALCS "They manhandled us," Cashman said. "It was like a steamroller. We couldn't stop them."
How much would the Rangers get for Dave Bush
if they sold him in a garage sale?
"We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames." - Ron Washington 04/03/11
heh
"We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames." - Ron Washington 04/03/11
by erudy on May 28, 2011 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
I am sure my neighbor just heard that guffaw from me
:D
We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames.-Wash, 04/03/11
I suppose I'm one of the few folks not really upset about the way last night's game ended.
I was at the game last night, and the only thing that really bothered me on our side was the Feliz outing and the Colby start. Beyond that, the bullpen overall (read: everyone not named Neftali or Dave) did an oustanding job. Given how craptastic they’ve been at holding tied games, I never would have imagined that it would even MAKE it to Bush.
So big props to Lowe, Rhodes, Oliver, Kirkman, and Yoshi.
Don’t get me started on that third strike to Cruz bottom 9, though.
Glass half full....
I like it.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
"Baseball's all that's real" - JB
by Ryin A on May 28, 2011 3:39 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
More of a.... Losses suck, but a craptastic bullpen sucks more.
I’ll take a more solid bullpen in exchange for this loss, rest of the way.
Am I the only one...
that was encouraged by Feliz last night? His velocity was solid and although a couple fastballs got away from him he threw quite a few on the outside corner at the knees where he wanted them too.
I’m at the point where I think I’m just as frustrated at Wash/Maddux/Torrealba as I am at Feliz. They need to be making him mix in his offspeed pitch. Period. If he keeps shaking you off then you go out to the mound and tell him what needs to be done. This shit yesterday about Maddux just now telling him he needs to mix up his pitches is bullshit. And we’ve heard Wash say many times that he doesn’t want Feliz messing around with guys when he’s trying to close out a game. He wants him to go out there and attack them with his best stuff. I take that as Wash wanting Feliz to stick with the fastball too.
Sending Feliz down isn’t smart. The only way I do that is if he’s not willing to work with the coaches and catchers when they call for the offspeed stuff. If Feliz is simply refusing to throw it then yes, send his ass down. Other than that, if Maddux and Torrealba are putting down the ’ol #1 everytime and Feliz is just throwing it, then fuck Wash/Maddux/Torrealba.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Yes. You are probably the only one.
Feliz isn’t a ML pitcher right now. He’s going out there and getting outs via luck.
He needs to either fix his mechanics or rediscover his confidence.
AAA is the place to do that… not a team trying to win a division.
Better pitchers than him have been sent down to figure stuff out. It isn’t the end of the world.
"I hope the image of my erect penis sears into your brain." by ab03 on Mar 24, 2011 9:13 PM CDT
It seems like every loss we have...
is the “lousiest loss of the season” the next day. I don’t know how anyone could of watch Bush come in and expect to get a win out of it. I also wasn’t the least bit surprised about the Feliz homerun to Gordon. The kid is screwed up right now and either needs to be getting his confidence back at RR or pitching in low pressure situations.
Oh, this is the spot where everyone else puts long, annoying stories that take up the entire page.
That's because Feliz should be starting.
And Ogando should’ve been the closer. Then he’d be mixing stuff in and being much better instead of having the mentality that Wash pounded in him last season to just ‘throw the heat’
At least Ogando has been swell as a starter.
"Look if you want a journalist hire a UT grad. If you want a doctor you pick a Baylor grad. If you need a vet you see an Aggie grad. And if you need a pizza you call a Tech grad." -BUBacker
Maybe he needs longer to warmup
They need to have him up in the very beginning of the 8th to get him stretched out. He seemed fine in his second inning of work last night, that’s why I say this.
I own Mickey Tettleton's couch.
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