The Next Roster Move
by David Todd on May 5, 2011 11:09 AM EDT
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PrintJeff Karstens has now made four starts for the Pirates since Ross Ohlendorf went on the DL. Karstens has given the team exactly what most people expected and roughly what his career numbers suggested he would. He has pitched 21 innings, not getting out of the fifth on two occasions. He has a solid 17:5 K/BB ratio, but opposing batters have a .907 OPS against him. The team is 2-2 in the four games.
Ohlendorf threw some batting practice yesterday, but he is likely to miss at least three more turns in the rotation. I don't see the point in continuing to run Karstens out there. It's time to recall Brad Lincoln and give him these next few turns in the rotation.
I realize Lincoln has not been great in Indianapolis thus far. But his 1-3 record and 6.49 ERA mask some very good underlying peripherals. In 26.1 innings he has only given up 28 hits and 3 BBs for a WHIP of 1.177. His 24:3 K:BB ratio is outstanding. I haven't seen Lincoln pitch in Indy so I don't know how his stuff has looked, but he had his best outing in terms of runs allowed earlier this week.
Lincoln turns 26 this month. He had a rough debut season in the majors last year, but he looked good this spring before he got hit with a batted ball and had to miss time. Now that he's made five starts in Indy it's time to figure out if he is part of the plan going forward. Using Karstens doesn't give the team a better chance of winning and it doesn't help in figuring out where Lincoln stands. The data points gained over three or four starts can be valuable in this evaluation. It's time to make the move.
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If the team were to recall Lincoln they would need to make a corresponding roster move. Ten days ago the obvious move would have been to send down Daniel McCutchen. Jeff Karstens would return to the long-man role, and Cutch would be superfluous. However, McCutchen has actually been pretty good and is now unscored-upon in nine outings and 12 innings of work. Maybe the team would like to find out if he could be the guy who fills that long man role going forward. (Birthday note No. 1: McCutchen and Karstens were born two days apart in 1982. McCutchen is older.)
The two other options are to send down either Daniel Moskos or Mike Crotta. The Moskos decision is straightforward. You either want two lefties in the pen or you don't care. If you want two, he stays. If you don't care, he goes. I was a little surprised he didn't work the ninth inning of the 7-2 game yesterday in San Diego.
Mike Crotta is the third option to be sent down. Crotta has had some command issues lately but has also been a bit unlucky. Being a sinkerballer, he brings a different look out of the pen, but I'm not sure Clint Hurdle will continue to use him in high-leverage situations. Crotta had three clean outings to start the season, but he has given up at least one hit in all ten outings since then and is now sporting a WHIP of 1.900 and .919 OPS against.
As good as the bullpen has been, the two stories no one is talking about are how solid Dan McCutchen has been and how bad Mike Crotta has been after his early success. (Birthday note No. 2: Crotta and Karstens were born on the same day. Karstens is two years older.)
I don't think this decision is as clear-cut as it might first appear. I'm probably not in the consensus on this one, but I would send down Crotta and get him regular work in Indy. His sinker is a nice alternative, but he hasn't been effective (edit by Charlie: although inconsistent ball and strike calls by the umpires haven't helped him) and McCutchen has looked good. I'd also prefer two lefties in the pen.
But the first move needs to be made. Recall Brad Lincoln.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the managing editor (Charlie) or SB Nation. FanPosts are written by Bucs Dugout readers.
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yup
Crotta was not bad, Ronny just doesnt know what a glove is or how to use it.
I wouldn’t mind giving Lincoln a chance, probably would send Moskos down since it appears they aren’t going to be giving him many innings here.
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
i agree
crotta is the one to send down. i’m wondering, if they really don’t want to bring lincoln up, if mccutchen is stretched out enough to make a spot start or two. i’m not sure he’s any better than karstens, but he’s performed quite well so far and could be a slight upgrade. lincoln should take precedence over both of them, but if they refuse to bring him up, and mccutchen is able to do so, why not give him a try?
I don’t think this decision is as clear cut as it might first appear. I’m probably not in the consensus on this one, but I would send down Crotta and get him regular work in Indy. His sinker is a nice alternative, but he hasn’t been effective and McCutchen has looked good.
But the first move needs to be made. Recall Brad Lincoln.
I agree 100%
If a pitcher had to go to AAA right now, I’d probably send Crotta as well. Read some comments from Hurdle today in the Trib’s game notes that indicated they feel Crotta’s stuff has dropped off lately. McCutchen’s FB seems to play up a little out of the pen, which makes the change more effective and might be enough to make him effective for a long/mid relief role.
But, I’m not sure they need to make a move right now. I’d like to see Lincoln get another chance, but I’m not sure the time is right. Ideally, he comes up with some confidence after a good run in Indy.
? Cutch FB ?
I’ve seen mostly 89, 90 on his readings, which is odd but pretty much the same speed he was at as a starter.
I could very well be wrong...
I only saw a few of his outings, but I thought I saw some 91-92s with, more importantly, more life/movement. Strictly anecdotal observation, didn’t bother to check PitchFx data, so I deserve a good finger-waving if I’m wrong.
haven't watched Lincoln
but he seems to have a real gopher ball problem. If I hadn’t seen Charlie Morton last year, I’d have been more optimistic about that regressing to the mean, but since I have, I am not sure that the home runs are not a product of bad pitching.
IOW, I think Lincoln’s best shot may be in MR/8th inning kinda roles, unless he starts doing better in Indy. As such, I don’t terribly care if he comes up to Pitt soon or not.
OT: Who is the pitching coach in Indy? Does anyone find it curious that all of Wilson, Owens and Lincoln have had trouble with the long ball? If anyone watches Indy games with any frequency, does it seem like they’ve changed something in their approach/mechanics?
Pitching Coach: Tom Filer — has some big league experience to his credit (What I do find interesting is the discrepancy between Dean Treanor’s bio on the Indians website and baseballreference…take a look when you have a sec.)
I don’t find it curious that guys like Wilson and Owens, in their first starts in AAA, are giving up some gopher balls. Regardless, Wilson seems to still be having success. Owens had 2 good starts to start the season, and has struggled his last 3 — as you asked, has something changed? Or maybe the hitters have adapted faster to him than he has to them…
by insane_sanity on May 5, 2011 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Owens
He was getting hit hard in his first 2 outings as well. I said he was clearly not ready after his 2nd start, and nothing has changed my mind since then.
Justin Wilson is playing his way onto the promotion radar, as well.
by Adam Reynolds on May 5, 2011 12:09 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
40 man isn’t really an issue because of Leroux. Wilson still walking too many guys. This is just his first year in AAA and he’s just 23, they probably want to see him get the walks down before bringing him up. If he gets a call up at all this season, it will probably be in September.
But....
Leroux is so goo— oh, nevermind. He got demoted and then whacked in AA. Yeah, let’s let him fly.
there's only 39 guys on the 40 man right now
they moved Olsen to the 60 day DL when they claimed Paul, then removed Bowker when they added Paul to the active roster
Hopefully
They’ll drop Leroux. I feel like a 38 man roster is more productive
The glare of the spotlight is harsh, and the pressure that success breeds immense. We revere our heroes, but expect much. And criticism can come as easily as praise.
I'd have to agree angus
I’d look at making a move that won’t have any 40-man ramifications first.
Keeping Leroux on the 40-man could provide us with a little wiggle room if another waiver wire name shows up…that could be worth a look.
by insane_sanity on May 5, 2011 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
problem with that is we're not #1 on the waiver wire list any longer... we're about middle of the pack now
and somebody better REC me for that bit of knowledge, son.
by white angus on May 5, 2011 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
it was a May 1st date -- it was brought up on previous boards
and asking for a REC doesn’t get you jack.
by insane_sanity on May 5, 2011 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions
If another WW name shows up, you still have to make a 25 man move.
by Adam Reynolds on May 5, 2011 12:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
yeah
and now that I think about it…how many starting pitchers (1) hit the waiver wire, and (2) will last 15 people….we’ve got enough guys that could fit that bill.
by insane_sanity on May 5, 2011 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions
and now that I think about it…how many starting pitchers (1) hit the waiver wire, and (2) will last 15 people
It happens sometimes. Pat Misch has made it through waivers twice already this year, for example.
right
and we’ve got enough Pat Misch’s
had a decent 2010 in AAA, eh?
by insane_sanity on May 5, 2011 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Decent sounds about right.
Would’ve liked to see a few more Ks, but on the whole it was solid. The part he spent in MLB wasn’t too bad, either.
I don’t think Misch is a future star or anything, but there are worse fifth starters out there. He’s cheap, he’s left-handed, and in six starts last year he was good for a 4.28 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 21/4 K/BB in 33 2/3 IP.
Or you can leave it like it is
I agree Lincoln is a better long term hope than any of the three you mentioned, although I think McCutchen is a good reliever and should remain there and Moskos has back of rotation potential. Karstens is not as good as Lincoln, but I would still rather see Karstens right now.
The reason why is that this is a short term call up. Ohlendorf is coming back in a couple of starts. When Lincoln comes up he needs to stay up. The bouncing up and down is not a good idea for a starter. Consistency and rhythm are important. Since this is a short term gig, just stick with the fill in who is .500.
by SojourningPirate on May 5, 2011 2:21 PM EDT reply actions
I don't know....
that there are any guarantees that Ohlendorf will be back soon or will stay healthy when he does come back.
The Hammer Speaks
Extra Innings
Twitter: @DTonPirates and @hammerspeaks
Good...
his devliery is terrible. He doesn’t repeat it well and he is susceptible to injury because he is constantly flying open and often off balance, imo.
Not to Beat a Dead Kerwin...but
this just sparked a memory. Kerrigan had moved Ohlendorf’s arm slot higher so that he gained some velocity and, IIRC, all of his pitches were coming from the same arm slot then. The Trib article basically says Searage and Ohlendorf are undoing that because of the strain it puts on the muscle that he’s been straining. IMO, Ohlendorf was Kerrigan’s one possible success story…I guess not anymore.
Kerrigan also killed Ohlendorf’s FB when he converted him to a sinkerballer.
Ohlendorf used to throw 94 easy…running his 4-seamer up to 96+. Rather than keeping that pitch, and adding the sinker to his repertoire, Kerrigan shelved the 4-seamer and had him go straight sinker.
If I’m not mistaken (and I’m going on memory here), in 2009 after the All-Star break Ohlendorf came out throwing both the sinker and the 4-seamer. He was “dominant” (relatively speaking) before they shut him down late in the season. I really don’t recall him using both pitches at the same time after that.
Charlie has the ability to run his 4-seamer up there at 96 (he did it earlier this season), and can do so without losing his sinker. If you throw all sinkers, you CAN lose your mph on your 4-seamer. I think the sinker is a trap — if you start to rely on it all the time (75%, anyone?) you’ll lose other weapons.
by insane_sanity on May 6, 2011 9:20 AM EDT up reply actions
seriously
I think he F’d up one…and didn’t want to “make the same mistake” twice (?)
IMO, if he had both of them THROW BOTH PITCHES…we’d all be better off for that.
by insane_sanity on May 6, 2011 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Do the Pirates have...
any pitchers that Kerrigan actually helped?? Or did he screw them all up??
Karstens is doing sufficient work.
I’m not sure now is the time to worry about “the plan.” Right now, the goal is to win games, and Karstens gives the team the best chance at the moment. If Lincoln goes on a tear or the Bucs fall out of the race, then maybe I change my mind, but right now, I think Karstens is more than OK.
Adam
Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation Pittsburgh, Daily Collegian Sports, BT Powerhouse, @fugimaster24
God Created the World Out Of Nothing, Paterno Built A National Superpower On Cow Fields...
I'd like to agree with you...
But if Karstens is the difference between getting 77 wins and 75 wins… I’ll take the 75 if it means an extended look at what we have in Brad Lincoln before next season, when push will really come to shove and those two wins will make a big difference…
What if 77 = "in the race" though? a la 1997?
If Lincoln gets his ERA in line with his peripherals, then hey, bring him up. The reality, though, is he’s still giving up more run than Karstens right now in AAA and the Pirates are two games back of the Cardinals. Odds are, the Pirates will still get more than an extended look at Lincoln as they fall out of the race, but while they’re in it, they need to go with the guys who have shown they can get outs, no matter what the peripherals say.
Adam
Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation Pittsburgh, Daily Collegian Sports, BT Powerhouse, @fugimaster24
God Created the World Out Of Nothing, Paterno Built A National Superpower On Cow Fields...
This...
Lincoln is brought up if you think he can outperform Karstens. Dtodd has a point though, Lincoln’s peripherals are much better than his ERA so I guess it comes down to does he “look” ready (coach’s opinion).
My take as well
It’s not clear exactly how effective Lincoln is really being. In the big picture, I think it’s an appropriate time to bring him up. I just have no idea whether, right now, he’s prepared to get outs in the big leagues.
For those that think...
ERA is a “worthless” stat for starting pitchers, Lincoln will be a field test for your theory. His peripherals say he’s pitching well. His ERA does not. I’d say call him up and let’s find out. If he pitches well, that forces JMac to have several consistent games till Ohlie gets back. And there’s nothing that absolutely says that Ohlie goes back into the rotation.
As far as who to farm out…the obvious choice is Crotta.
As I've said many times
Once Lincoln can throw his curveball for strike, then he deserves a chance in MLB. I haven’t reviewed the video to see how that’s coming, but maybe I should put together a video.
if you can find the time
please do. really enjoyed the ones you put together of Owens and D’Arnaud, and it really adds to the discussion here to get a look.
Redeemed.
and
the same is true for James McDonald, though. In the games he struggles, his offspeed stuff is off the plate.
It is that consistency that ran him out of L.A. It is that consistency we’re looking for here.
by insane_sanity on May 5, 2011 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Looking at the numbers pretty quickly, it looks like he’s gotten relatively poor relief support this far in AAA. Only a 54% strand rate – that’s pretty grim. Normal is right around 70%.
Mr. E
I thought we saw a very different Brad Lincoln in relief at the end of last year. I know it was a small sample size, but he strikes me more as a guy who could be more like Resop or Meek than a quality big-league starter.
I just base it off his 2 pitch ability and it would keep his FB mid 90’s, which it needs to be with as straight as it is.
I'll assume
just like the rest of the Pirates pitchers, they’ve got Lincoln throwing from the glove-side of the rubber?
You’d think, if his FB is straight and flat, they’d look to move him to the arm-side and change the angles a bit for him. If you can’t add any movement, why not change the angles?
by insane_sanity on May 6, 2011 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions
ERA is worthless in and of itself...
but the sample size is too small to make a call based solely on peripherals. I’d like to hear a recent scouting report: fastball velocity and movement, fastball command, curveball command, changeup improvement, etc. I defintely want him to be ready before making a move. Besides, I’m one of the few that is comfortable running Karstens out there right now. He’s still giving up HR balls because he’s not overpowering and he sometimes gets too much of the plate but his stuff is really moving this year as evidenced by his increased K rate. In fact he’s leading all of our starters with 7.43 K’s/9 and his xFIP is 3.64; not bad for a 5th starter. I’d be willing to bet that most people would be happy with those numbers in the 5th spot if they didn’t know who they belonged to. Now if management feels Lincoln can outperform Karstens lets bring him up otherwise I don’t see the rush unless Lincoln is dominating AAA, which he isn’t doing. In fact he’s not much better than he was last year in Indy; if at all. His FIP is 4.15 and it was 3.65 last year in AAA (I don’t have xFIP data for minor leaguers). There will be plenty of time to try Lincoln out in the rotation in the 2nd half if/when we fall out of contention but right now it would be a slap in the face to all Pirate fans to run Lincoln out there if there is not a genuine feeling that his presence represents an improvement.
kinda agree
I also remember when 2 years back, we had piggybacking starters, with Veal going 2 and Karstens going 3. I think something like that with Karstens and DCutch might work. Look for 3 innings from each, and if they are doing OK through 3, give them a 4th, with a quick hook ready.
Not a bad idea...
but keep this in mind: per xFIP (which is the best stat on FanGraphs in predicting ERA) Karstens is the best starter on the team right now. I wouldn’t mind the Pirates running him out there while Ohly is out to see if he can keep it up. He doesn’t seem to be getting pounded the third time through the lineup like he was last year. I’ll have to check BBRef later to confirm that.
Veal
Speaking of which has anyone heard anything? I can’t recall hearing any updates post spring training.
not much is likely to happen on that front anyway
i’ve never felt like it was worth following too closely… too much of a project with the walks anyway, and this is before surgery…
kevin correia
likes to play pitcher
canadas marriage is like their money, or military, no one takes it seriously
Yeah, let's get Lincoln back to the bigs:
We need further proof of Dave Littlefield’s excellent #1 picks…Walker, Cutch, Lincoln, Moskos….DL deserves another GM job.
As bad as this sounds and all but maybe he was finally figuring it out? We dont know what ownership said to him but his picks doing pretty decent. I remember Lincoln being compared to Ben Sheets at one time.
by Joey Mooney on May 5, 2011 8:10 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
i got that
i was replying to Joey Mooney’s post in this one.
Although I wouldn’t mind if DL got another job somewhere. In fact, I’d be very happy!
Only problem being…we haven’t seen any of Neal’s draftees beyond the 1st round do anything in the majors either. Wilson’s probably the 1st one with a shot.
Owens was a DL draftee
Not actually affiliated with whygavs.
by WHYG Zane Smith on May 5, 2011 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions
too soon to tell
Of course, Neal’s post-1st round draftees haven’t had much chance to make an impact in the majors, whereas DL’s have mostly shown that they never will. Not many third-rounders from the 2008 draft have had an impact in the majors yet. (I’d like Mercer to be closer, though.) And the decision not to sign Scheppers looks OK to me now; last I heard he’s on the AAA DL.
Not actually affiliated with whygavs.
by WHYG Zane Smith on May 5, 2011 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Neal has had 3 drafts. most draftees spend nearly twice that amount of time in the minors
so you cant judge NH because of that
pretty much what WHYGZaneSmith said
you wouldn’t expect lower rounders to shoot through the minors, would you?
Not 20th rounders…no…but in the first 5 rounds or so, you would expect some of the pitchers to make decently quick progress.
Bullington is now 4-0 in Japan, and remember they started a couple weeks late this year.
His arm will probably fall off by August, but I’m happy for the guy to have some success somewhere.
Speaking of Ohlendorf,
how long has it been since he’s done anything positive?
We shouldn’t count on much from him, either.
last year
was pretty positive, as a whole, despite his terrible W/L record and all the injuries. He didnt light the world on fire, but he was mostly effective.
I also agree he may end up in the bullpen long term, but despite the injuries, if he continues to be able to start decently, let him be a starter until it’s clear he can’t be a starter.
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on last year.
Other than a second-half surge in 2009 by Ollie, I’ve been pretty unimpressed with him.
And some above hit the nail on the head with some of the issues with his mechanics. It’s hard for me to believe he will ever be a consistently good starter for us-or anyone else.
yeah
despite his struggles, taking his body of work as a whole over the entire season, he was a decent starter
there’s definitely reasons for concern though. but if he keeps finding a way to get it done, let him keep starting…
wasn't it just this past offseason that he wrote that agriculture paper for Washington
I’d consider that positive….
by insane_sanity on May 6, 2011 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm against bringing Lncoln up
Lincoln is in the minors because he has things to work on. With his early injury, he is just not built up to the level that most pitchers were at the end of spring training. I really doubt he has worked on things much.
I’ve heard he needs to throw his curve for strikes, he needs to get a changup he is confident in using, and he needs to get some movement on his fastball. Until I hear reports that he has improved in those areas, I am against bringing him up. Let him finish his development.
I don’t care how old he is, we still control him for what should be his best years. I also think we can analize his small sample size of numbers to death and it won’t change the fact that he has things to work on. I believe he and Alvarez were both called up too early last season and it has hindered their development rather than helped it.
Having been in Indy last week,
here’re my notes on Lincoln’s start 5/27:
Smooth delivery in BP during warmup session ( I was sitting at the rail next to the BP, about 1/3 of the way from Lincoln to Dusty Brown), a little movement on his FB, not much, IMO.
6.1 IP, 6 R (all earned? I’m not sure, and don’t care to look it up.)
FB: worked in the 89-92 mph range
4 K’s (perhaps more – I missed two innings doing research at the field), 3 swinging.
2 BB (see above note)
CB: 83-84 mph, 10-4 movement
cruised thru 2nd inning, 6 pitches, 1 KS pop foulout to 1B, GB 5-3
Mixed speeds well early, moved inside and out pretty well.
VERY slow coming to the plate with runners on – almost alarmingly slow – showed no evidence of a slidestep.
Gave up a 3R HR to #6 hitter w/2 outs in 4th on a horrible FB (maybe slider – not in my notes, but it was pecker-high, andright down Broadway), and a 2-R HR to #9 hitter after beaning the #8 hitter.
7th inning, still working 90-91 FB, working inside well, until HBP & HR
I wasn’t impressed, overall. Agree with others that he needs work.
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
lol I hope you mean 2-7 on the CB unless he suddenly switched to throwing left handed. Of course that might explain why his fastball velocity is so down. Was he throwing a 2 seamer?
10-4, good buddy...
Yeah – mean as seen by the batter / catcher.
Dunno what grip he was using, 2- or 4-seam, but as I noted, there wasn’t a lot of movement on it in general (side to side or dip), as far as I could see. But then, I’m old and my eyesight ain’t what it used to be.
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
by cocktailsfor2 on May 5, 2011 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Gotcha. You are probably right on the catcher view thing, but it’s still strange Lincoln is that low in velocity.
That was according to the stadium gun... YMMV.
Like I said – overall – not impressed.
Not depressed, either, though.
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
by cocktailsfor2 on May 6, 2011 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions
i thought the same thing
that’d be a hell of a pitch though from a righty wouldnt it?
It would be a screwball.
Everything that guy just said is bullshit . . .thank you
Nice post, cocktails.
dtoddwin’s fanpost is based on the premise that we need to see what Lincoln can do now and that by some measurements his numbers at AAA are not all that bad. But he admits he hasn’t SEEN him pitch so let’s wait til the people in the organization who watch him every time out decide he is ready again for the majors.
Domo, patthatt-san.
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
by cocktailsfor2 on May 6, 2011 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Royals News
With Hosmer getting called up, maybe the next move is kicking the tires and asking about Kila. #justsayin
They did option him down
Quite an interesting decision…
The glare of the spotlight is harsh, and the pressure that success breeds immense. We revere our heroes, but expect much. And criticism can come as easily as praise.
Kila
Has 10% walk rate + sub-25% K rate at majors, it’s somewhat intriguing.
If he ever gets put on waivers
we have no chance to obtain him now since it’s May.
I’m sure the Padres would love to obtain him right about now.
Padres don't need him.
They’ve already got two good internal 1B options in Blanks and Rizzo.
Never understood why they signed Hawpe in the first place. He’s old and declining, he was never all that good in the first place, and it’s like their park was specifically engineered to minimize his strengths and magnify his weaknesses.
because Blanks has looked overmatched at the major league level?
which he has. His power was sapped by that ballpark.
because Blanks has looked overmatched at the major league level?
Kyle Blanks, MLB, 2009-10: .761 OPS (110 OPS+)
Brad Hawpe, MLB, 2010: .758 OPS, (94 OPS+)
and just as bad defensively as Hawpe too
they are obviously hoping Hawpe can find his stroke again. sometimes you sign a player hoping they regain their luster.
just like Bowker, what has Blanks really done. At least Hawpe has done something.
Well
To be fair to them, Blanks was recovering from TJ surgery and Rizzo hadn’t gotten a taste of Triple A yet. However, at this point Rizzo is putting up Playstation numbers (though I guess adjust them a bit for the park/league).
Even if you wanted to bring in a 1B...
…why pick someone like Hawpe, who couldn’t have looked more done if he’d had a meat fork sticking out of his back?
Apparently giving Berkman $13m to play 1st for us might not have been terrible.
by Mr. E on May 7, 2011 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
THIS
is the greatest statement ever made on BD.
No shit.
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
by cocktailsfor2 on May 8, 2011 2:06 AM EDT up reply actions
IF berkman would put up those numbers in Pitt
Bautista probably wouldnt have hit 54 dingers with the pirates either.
Explain
I would’ve presumed that a gopherball is one that would be able to be hit at gophers (and get GB outs). What is the reasoning with them being ones that go for HRs?
they go fer a long way, I think
Not actually affiliated with whygavs.
by WHYG Zane Smith on May 5, 2011 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions
though every dictionary I can find says "orig. unknown"
Not actually affiliated with whygavs.
by WHYG Zane Smith on May 5, 2011 9:02 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
This is most likely it – my first job was gopher on a construction crew – go fer this, go fer that….
"Who is John Galt?"
Not our next roster move...
but noticed on the SportsNation.com sidebar here.
Nyjer Morgan came back off the DL from a quad injury 2 days ago. And broke his finger trying to bunt tonight. Back to the DL he goes for another 2-4 weeks.
saw that
he went bonkers in the dugout afterward as well
I thought he was throwing a fit
at himself because of the poor execution; didn’t realize it was an injury. Makes sense, though.
by Central*Scrutinizer on May 6, 2011 2:54 AM EDT up reply actions
i assumed it was for the injury
guys generally dont kick stuff and cuss out loud over a failed bunt attempt. although it is nyjer we’re talking about…
Thats what you get for facing a pitcher on a bunt
instead of just turning your shoulders to square up.
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"Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand." Wes Westrum
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by WVPiratesfan on May 6, 2011 12:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Here's what should be done
when Ohlie is off the DL in a couple weeks.
Send Crotta down to Indy.
Keep Moskos here for the 2 lefties.
Ohlendorf back in the rotation on a strict pitch count with Karstens on stand by
Keep Lincoln down. Seems to be a 2-3 inning guy anymore which is a dam shame.
Wilson and Owens stays in Indy until September (when they’ll hafta to be placed on the 40-man eventually)
Drop Leroux from 40-man
Not a bad plan at all.
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
by cocktailsfor2 on May 6, 2011 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions
i'd like to add...
if Maholm or another starter is dealt, the more polished of Wilson/Owens/Lincoln should get called up unless we recieve a starter back in that deal…
considering the FA market for starters next fall will be bare
That couldn’t hurt.
Owens needs to step up.
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