Roaming around MiLB.com, namely the Indy site, I stumbled across this strange article. The basic premise is that JVB and/or Bullington can't figure out why they pitch so well at AAA and so terribly in Pittsburgh. I'm fairly sure most of you are capable of answering that question for them, but I'd like to take a look at this anyway...

"Even right-hander John Van Benschoten is perplexed by how he implodes in the majors with Pittsburgh yet dominates in Triple-A with Indianapolis."

I think "only John VanBenschoten" might be a better word choice. When you can't get your BB/9 below 3.3, and your K/9 gradually starts dropping to 7.0 and lower...something is bound to give.

"I don't know. I don't know what happens up there. No one knows. A lot of people think they know, but they really don't have a clue because I don't have a clue. All I've got to do is pitch well here and if the Pirates don't want me, someone else might."

Jonny Boy, the fact that you don't understand the concept I just mentioned (when you get promoted and continue to nibble, you get burned more frequently) doesn't mean that nobody else fails to grasp the same concept. And I think your track record shows that merely pitching well at AAA is not enough.

The difficult final minors-to-majors adjustment is as common as it is historic. Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds barely treaded water in their first call-ups. Look around the major leagues today. The Cincinnati Reds' Homer Bailey, a first-round pick with a rocket arm, struggled so mightily -- he was 0-3 with an 8.76 ERA -- he was sent down again to Triple-A Louisville. The New York Yankees' Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes are a combined 0-7 with a 7.98 ERA. Tampa Bay's touted third base prospect Evan Longoria is hitting .249.

Bonds: .223 avg, .746 OPS in 413 AB (at age 21)

A-Rod: .224 avg, .611 OPS, 62:9 K/BB in 196 AB's (at age 18/19)

Homer Bailey: still only 22, also posted 63 BB in 130+ innings at Louisville this year and last. Plus his home park is a bandbox.

Hughes and Kennedy: 22 and 23 years old, respectively, and with a total of 24 and 20 career starts above AA. I think they're still developing, probably, and came up when they did more out of the Yankee's need than of their own readiness to do so.

Longoria: actually now a .262 avg, and an .855 OPS thanks to 19 2B and 14 HR in only 245 AB's (at age 22)

JVB: made his second appearance at the major league level at age 27.

Great comparison choices, Mr. Article Writer Man.

Though, Bailey isn't a terrible choice. They both have been tagged at the major league level, and neither is surprising given their peripherals at AAA. Though, again, Bailey has the extra qualifiers of still being young and spending half his time in a horrific pitcher's park.

"The biggest difference between the majors and Triple-A is those couple mistakes, you don't usually get away with them up here." ...

The biggest difference Jewett sees is when Van Benschoten is in Indy, he attacks the strike zone more aggressively as opposed to throwing pitches based on adverse situations.

Exactly, this is how 7 K's and 3.5 BB/9 in AAA turns into 6 K's and 6 BB/9 at the majors. And when you aren't unhittable, those are extra baserunners you can't afford to allow.

Still confused, John? Cause I think everybody else has you figured out.