Cannon
 

This Clayton Ker Gal has thrown 115 pitches in 6 innings. She has not improved in this area. One reason for that is she doesn't trust her fastball in full count situations. She keeps throwing junk in the lower part of the zone, and they keep fouling it off. Finally, she gets them to hit a ground ball in fair territory, and gets out of it. Now, she is a useful pitcher, but I think this way of pitching hurts her own team's offense. It's my own opinion that, in a psychological battle of wills (close low-scoring game,) there is a marked advantage to the team that is the most efficient at getting the other team out. It's not a confidence builder to constantly be fighting off another team's offensive threats. Not only that, but she often hangs a junk pitch when she gets in the 6th, or 7th inning. She didn't tonite, but she usually will. That usually puts her team down. She seems like a perfect fit for the Yankees hi-scoring team.

Blake took a big bite. He earned that cookie pitch. Nice at bat for the mediocre Unabomber.

Broxton with a 4 run lead in the 8th. Must (now, and forever) have a very short leash on this cow. That's key. Like Reagan with the Russians. Never again trust, or you will get a face crushed.

Brain food finally kicking in. Geritol man takes cow out (before she blows the whole lead.) I can take losing a big lead, but can't take Broxton doing it.

Kuo throws 96 on the outside corner, and we are out of the 8th inning. His control ain't good enough to be a closer, but at least his head is male.

4 in a row on the road. Couldn't tell ya the last time that took place. Might be pre-Geedubbya. They need to win 23 of 33, and if it (90 wins) ain't enough, then it's still better than quiting. They need to get as much respect back as possible. Brox did a lot of damage to the organization 2 weeks ago. My Dad took a header that night. 85 year old Italian guy (living next door to him) put his fist through a wall. That night in Philly was at least a mini stroke. Took about 10-11 days for the team to get over that crap.

For those who might think Scuds isn't mostly insane, the pitcher in question produced this line last night:

6 IP
5 hits
1 run
2 walks
6 k's

For the season he is:
11-8
3.01 era
171 IP
138 hits
74 BB's
180 k's

He has walked 25 fewer men than he did last year in the same amount of innings.

In 27 starts the Dodgers have scored 3 or less runs (total game) 12 times.

Oh yeah he has 24 ML wins and is 22 years old. He makes $440k this year. I'd hate to have him on my team...


Broxton is obviously injured. He has lost 2 mph off his fastball and 1 mph off of his slider from last year. Not to mention his .360 BABIP shows he has been quite unlucky as well.

well done....I didnt think brox was totally off his game

You said she'd start getting deeper in games. She's not. That's the issue, and you tried distraction (also called me "mostly insane") when you were confronted with it. She threw 115 pitches in 6 innings. Point is she isn't getting better at working on her worst problem(pitch count.) I never mentioned bases on balls. You mentioned it, because you don't have a good excuse for her high pitch counts. You brought up everything EXCEPT the issue I mentioned, and nobody notices it but me (but I am the supposed to be the insane one here.) I don't think Brox is injured. I watch most games, and haven't heard it. This is a quick damage control device that you've come up with. Is there some reason you brought Broxton up? Were you just enjoying riding a wave of distraction, and couldn't stop adding stuff to the pot?

Manny got thrown out for arguing a pitch that was nowhere near being a strike.
If it's anything within a foot of the zone, they'll call it on him. That's getting pretty routine. White Sox take note, cuz that zone has gotten real wide when this guy goes up there. They look like they'll probably lose again, and the Phils seem to have figured out how to beat the Padres. So, I'm guessing you'll get Manny. I think it's probably best. Narcissists need new people that they haven't pssd off yet.

Through 170 IP last year Kershaw had thrown 2874 pitches
Through 170 IP this year he has thrown 2294.

So in your mind he isnt more efficent but the facts show he has taken 580 FEWER pitches to get through the same amount of innings. Last year through 8/30 he had failed to get 6 IP in a game he started 13 times, this year through 8/29 he has failed to get to 6 IP only 6 times. You dont have to be Bill James to understand that this is a very good sign.

His last 8 starts IP/Pitches
6 IP / 104
8 IP / 112
7 IP / 117
6.2 IP / 107
6 IP / 113
7 IP / 116
7 IP / 118
6 IP /115

This is what every manager hopes to get out of a 22 year old starter.

Here is David Price's last 8 starts (and he is 25, when he was 22 he was still being babied)
5 IP / 96
7 IP / 105
6.1 IP / 115
7 IP / 119
5 IP / 115
6 IP / 109
6 IP / 98
7 IP / 106

Complaining about Clayton Kershaw is insane.

And when a power pitching 25 year old like broxton loses 2 mph off of his fastball, yeah that is a sign that it isn't "mental" but physical.

Last year, through 171.0 innings, he pitched 3028.

This year, through 170.1 innings, he's thrown 2878 pitches.

It's gunna be about 120 or so less pitches this year. It's not the improvement we'd all hoped for. I don't think it's insane to complain about him throwing 115 pitches in 6 innings. I think you need your best players to play very well, or you're in trouble. So, it' makes more sense to be pssd at them than to be pssd at mediocre players like Casey Blake etc. I was a little wrong. On pitch count, he's been slightly better this year. Tucky Chucky was way wrong (bout 460 pitches wrong.) I'd say we are starting to get old.

http://www.fangraphs.com/pitchfx.asp...036&position=P

Now, his fastball looks to have maybe lost a couple mph, are you saying he's injured, too?

Can't be throwing 38-50 balls in 5-7 innings. Just how long you think he can go before he has to be cut on?

Turks think Manny's strike zone gets wider due to him being a wide man. I did not come up with that. Somebody actually said that to me.

No. His velocity on his other pitches has risen. Often when a pitchers fastball velocity ticks down a bit the walk rate lowers like his has. But he is throwing the slider and curve ball with more velocity than he had been. The other guy had all his pitches lose velocity.

Randall can you please call Kendrick and ask him to pitch a focused and controlled game tonight??

Its the important part of the season now and its troublesome having to worry about Kendrick every 5th game

LOL...You really think you might not make the post? You should be all over Monasterios tonite. He's pretty shakey pizza.

Laying for ya. Knew, when Casey Blake helped ya, that Monasterios would help ya, too. What a pitch to Schneider huh? Real beauty.