[UPDATE]: Carlos Torres has been called up to help shore up the bullpen for the weekend series.
According to The Cowboy:
Jhoulys Chacin starter for Rockies home opener. Last 21 starts, 3-11, 5.14, 63 BB 119 IP. Rocks hope AAA refresher gets him back on track.
Thomas Harding feels that Alex White will be called up to replace him.
“Dead arm phase” according to Renck. But this dead arm has lasted all spring, maybe even going back to the second half last year. I’d be inclined to shut him down completely for a while. One thing I’m sure of: calling him out in public won’t bring back 3 mph of fastball velocity. It’s not as if he’s trying to suck. That didn’t work with Ubaldo either. Ubaldo got shut down with (literally) a hangnail and he got ripped for… Read more »
Ag, has he recently been called out/ripped in public by the organization? Or do you refer to the winter when O’Dowd was doing so? Just wondering. Sure hope he finds it.
Ag, once again, what is your point in beating this dead horse? DOD made a remark before ST even started, the parties involved got together and discussed it man to man and the issue was put to rest. You come across as a very intelligent individual, but I don’t understand why you sometimes grab a hold of a subject and beat it to death as though you are on some sort of crusade. I think you’ve made it quite clear… Read more »
I sure hope White is ready. He was NOT impressive last year. But he also had some sort of hangnail or blister or dandruff injury dogging him.
Alex White had the torn (some strange name for ligaments in his finger) which takes several months to recover completely. Same injury as DLR two years ago and DLR wasn’t 100% after returning to mound for a couple of months. White is completely healthy now as he had the entire winter to recover completely from it.
I’m struggling with the dead arm theory but I guess it is possbile. There are reaching implications with that though.
We all know that Chacin has sucked this year and after mid-June last year. We know before that he was impressive at the beginning of last year and had shown flashes before that. Getting sent down does not mean you won’t become a good pitcher, maybe a great pitcher. Roy Halliday was sent down to A ball and despite his struggles last night I think we would all agree he turned out pretty darn good. Sandy Koulfax and Warren Spahn… Read more »
On a happy note, there is an excellent article on De La Rosa in the Modesto Bee:
http://www.modbee.com/2012/05/03/2184157/long-road-back.html
Sounds like he is on track to be as dominant as we will need!
After witnessing up close and personal the debacle that occured in Chacin’s last start, I can conclude one of only two things. One, but not both, conclusions are derived after reading Dirk Hayhurst’s brilliant book, “Out of My League,” which chronicle the minor league lifestyle compared with the major league lifestyle he experienced. Chacin is either lacking in the long-term talent needed to maintain a successful career at the major league level OR, as I suspect, not applying the talent… Read more »
NICE Ed! I agree 100% … wow … I think you summed it up pretty well.
How ironic you read that book by Dick Hayhurst. I am reading his other book, “The Bullpen Gospels.” I was trying to choose between the two books before I settled on The Bullpen Gospels. Loved that book as it takes you behind the scenes of what really goes on off the field and on. I guess I’ll have to read that book “Out of my League” as well.
Out of My League is the sequel to The Bullpen Gospels…these are two of the best baseball books I have ever read, and I’ve read quite a few.
Read TBG first and then follow up with OOML.
Brilliant writing by someone who lived it.
Thanks for the recommendation Ed. I just ordered a copy.
I think it was Prog that ripped me for comparing Chacin to Ubaldo the another day in chat. Glad to see other people agree with me.
Maybe they both have dramatic fall offs, but Chacin was never half the pitcher Ubaldo was. So, pretty hard for them to be comparable in my book.
I can’t remember how many times during 2010-2011 that the camera would pan to the dugout and the Ubaldo, Chacin, Esmil Rogers “clique” could be seen hanging out. Often it seemed as though they weren’t paying attention to the game. At the time, I shrugged it off, because Ubaldo was rolling and the other two were learning ( and generally doing well ). It seems as though Esmil has ramped it up since Ubaldo’s departure. But Chacin still seems to… Read more »
Funny SDCarp, i remember things quite differently – every time they panned I’d noticed Ubaldo standing at the “fence” of the dugout, watching the game and playing with a ball in his hand…i did see him at times with the others, but what stands out was how many times they would show the dugout and he was right up front, watching the action…i guess it is true, witnesses can’t really be relied on because they all bring their own perspective/prejudice… Read more »
Great post Ed. I wonder how many major leaguers on all the teams go through this. Should have gotten my degree in sports psychology!
Go Rockies!
There is supposed to be a corresponding move before the game tomorrow. I suspect it will be a bullpen arm, likely Zach Putnam, to reinforce our relief corps. I put myself in the organization’s shoes and see what I would have done. How about this? Call up Alex White (because he has MLB experience and only one completely healthy and stretched out). Have Jamie Moyer pitch Friday with Nicasio going Saturday. That would be on five days rest for both.… Read more »
Carlos Torres has been called up to help the bullpen…
Ed, RMH–
You guys have convinced me to read the Dirk Hayhurst books. I’ve read some of his essays and they’re great.
Interesting article on Ubaldo at cleveland dot com. Here’s a clip: “Jimenez worked hard in the off-season program assigned to him. He came into spring training in excellent condition. The Indians didn’t worry about him failing to average 96 mph. They believe with decent control, he would win a lot of games with a fastball in the 92-93 mph range, well above the big-league average of 90. But the control is erratic, his fastball is straight and hitters seldom swing… Read more »
It’s a fickle game. Just read an article on John Danks ( CWS ). Same thing. Good pitcher, but has fallen part, and the solution doesn’t seem near.
Ed, I just ordered the The Bullpen Gospels. Thanks for the tip!
Life-long Yankee hater here, but even I’m depressed about Mariano Rivera. Other Yankees I dislike but respect (Jeter); Rivera? I couldn’t help but respect and like him. Shame to see his career end that way.
I have spent fifty years hating the Yankees, and I am not likely to change that anytime soon. Still Ag you are right about Mariano Rivera as he was one of the few Yankees allowed to be selected for my fantasy baseball team each year. Last week I noted to anyone who would listen (quite happily!) that the Yankees were in trouble this year, and with this latest development (Rivera) that 2012 trouble just became a NY nightmare. And that… Read more »
BTW I have to also mention that my Birds are near the top of the much AL East division.
Yeah, go Orioles! They’ve been like the Royals lately: on paper they’re doing the right things now, but nothing has turned out right. Maybe their luck will turn.
The Blue Jays are probably my team to watch. Quietly they’ve moved up into the upper tier in the AL, and with the Red Sox and Yankees stumbling they’ve got a little opening.