I’ve always noticed this interesting tendency for fans to get especially personal and attribute moral failings to starting pitchers they think aren’t performing as they should. Usually they’re accused of being “gutless.” Fans threw that at Benson and Wells all the time. Duke, too, until this year. That doesn’t fit with Snell, who’s missed, what, one start his whole career? So instead he’s a serial killer or something.

Is it really that complicated? In 2007, Snell consistently threw 94-96. Now he throws 89-91. I saw some research recently, in the BP or HBT annual I think, showing that pitchers on average are at their peak at surprisingly young ages. Basically, many peak right after they get to the majors, much earlier than hitters, and go downhill from there. IOW, the Doc Gooden career trajectory. (No coke jokes, please.) Considering what pitching does to the human arm, it isn’t all that surprising. Snell was a legit #2 starter for about a year, but the stuff isn’t quite there any more. He’ll probably be a decent #4 for some time if he learns to keep after hitters and not turn every single 1-2 count into a full count, like he did yesterday. But I don’t see what that has to do with him being an asshole, assuming he really is.

I expanded my post because it looked and felt skinny to me. This was after WTM’s comment, but before anybody else’s, and I didn’t see WTM’s comment before I did it (I’m going to read it now).

You’re right, Vlad, about the one way relationship. I went to spring training this year bent on getting my wife’s Jack Wilson batting practice jersey signed for her. I waited around with one other guy for an hour and finally caught Jack in his car. Felt like I’ve known him for years as a result of my wife, He signed the jersey, but I came away from it thinking what you just said. We’re so used to him laughing and joking around I was disappointed when he wasn’t like that…

Living close to Chicago and watching all of the Cub games I’ve grown accustomed to arrogant, obnoxious ballplayers such as Zambrano, Soriano, Sosa, and others so that I don’t think of Snell as a malcontent or trouble maker. Anything he does pales in comparison to this triumverate and so I don’t notice anything about him that I dislike except his inconsistency on the mound which I think can be worked out. He seems to have the requisite skills and moderately even temperment necessary to succeed and I only hope that we keep him and not make some of the rumered trades because I don’t think we’ll get a fair amount of talent in return for him. I still think Ian will prove to be a valuable asset to our staff and I hope he is given the opportunity to prove me correct.

Yeah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.

Agree about the analysis. One thing that I found interesting is that everybody thought Paul Potts is a great character because he doesn’t look attractive and can sing well. He then said, paraphrased, that talent show was his only hope of getting away from his life with his salesman job and his wife and his kids.

One thing about Snell… Snell was never supposed to be a major league starter until we had serious starting pitcher issues. He did alright in his first year, very well in his second, and has been a stopgap starter since then. Pretty much what he was projected to be.

ive met alot of the pirates after games and at different functions, but none were ever nicer than snell was. he was so nice to all the fans and signed autographs for probably like an hour.
the image of him as a cancer has always bothered me, so thanks for this post vlad.