One in four Bucs batters are whiffing. Ouch.

It’s the last day of the New Bucs Pledge drive!  I’m proud to say you exceeded my goal allowing me to keep the paywall down this year.  All donations made today will be matched from a second business up to $400 so that we can send the scouts out to watch our prospects more often during the year.  Those who pledge get extra goodies during the year!

You can read more about the pledge drive here and here.  Click the button below to make your pledge on PayPal’s secure server using your credit card, or log in to PayPal and send your donation directly to jake at newbucs.com.

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The Bucs are averaging 8.8 strikeouts per game – 22 alone in the last two games — which is by far and away the highest of all the spring clubs.  You may say it’s still early in the spring, and you may say many of the strikeouts are from our minor league prospects, but it’s still a figure which should start raising a red flag in our front office considering the quality of pitching we have faced hasn’t exactly been top of the rotation stuff. 

Something is not right because even Lady Luck allows better than a 26% team-wide strikeout rate.

On the pitching side, Joe Kerrigan is getting his money’s worth using the one-pitcher-per-inning scheme as that has allowed him to keep batters off guard while throwing fresh arms every inning.  The result has been a respectable 3.57 ERA carried over 35 innings while only allowing 27 hits.  But again, they haven’t exactly faced solid A lineups either except against the Yankees and batters for the most part are absolutely crushing many of our offerings, so it’s only a matter of time before more of those laser shots start falling in and raising our third lowest batting average allowed of .213 (our 6.88 hits allowed per nine innings is the lowest of the spring).

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The Bucs had their spring training home opener Saturday and played in front of a full house.  Ironically, management tossed out a convoluted lineup showcasing just three of our projected opening day starters in front of the fans.  In essence, it was the tightest defensive card John Russell could possibly muster and it paid off.

When they had a chance to field the ball, that is.

Kevin Hart opened the game and obviously had mechanical issues from pitch one.  He ended up walking 4 of the 7 batters he faced, allowed a laser bullet off the base of the right field wall to Church for a triple, threw a wild pitch that should have been called a passed ball since it went right between Jaramillo’s legs allowing a run to score, and even his outs were hit hard as Ibanez crushed a bullet to Vazquez at second which he hung on to for a great diving play turning two. 

Audio clip.

One thing that bothered me was a report I received from someone at the game (not a pro) who said Hart didn’t look like he was finishing his pitches and Kerrigan went out one time to try to get him under control again. Media reports suggest Hart was just pumped up but when a guy throw that many balls..  You also have to wonder why Kerrigan didn’t send Jaramillo out more often to Hart with his messages.. why take a chance in the guy hurting himself if he’s opening up too early or landing hard? Anyway, back to the drawing board for Kerrigan and Hart.  

Blanton was hit hard as I expected he would be but we were only able to get three runs off him (big blow was a Church home run.. imagine that, the guy hits only four all last year.. ) before he seemed to pull the string in the first striking out Tabata and LaRoche to end the threat so he could go sit down.  Another threat in the second was terminated just about as fast. 

Crosby flashed some leather during the game as did Vasquez.. both guys you would expect to hear their names called out for good plays on the field, Kerrigan’s army of one-inning’ers hung on to keep the game locked up with Jackson giving up the third run (his sinker is obviously still MIA and will be for a couple of weeks I’d guess), and McCutchen had a 2-2 day with an atypical (for him) walk, stole a base, and was caught stealing another time. 

The additional concerns I heard were Hart being allowed to throw 35 pitches in the first under that stress, Jaramillo not blocking pitches, Alavarez not picking a ball that shot right past him yet later made a nice play, and Milledge with some very poor route recognition albeit his speed helped him to make a correction one time when he dove to make a play.  You may remember me stating a month or so ago that I expect to see Milledge leaving his feet a lot this year costing us a ton of runs.

At least it wasn’t a loss, huh?

Box score.

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Ohlendorf goes Sunday against the Twins as Kerrigan starts taking his troops to two innings of work.  It’s a split-squad game for the Twins so I suspect we’ll only see a few Twins regulars.

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Only four days left for you to get registered at MLB if you plan to be on one of our fantasy leagues this year.  If you haven’t received an e-mail from me or an invitation from MLB, leave a comment below or e-mail me using the contact form above.

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Yes Brian, I saw the upset at Clemson.  Wow.. looks like Lamb got the best of Dyson.

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Bryce Harper Update — College of Southern Nevada PR Release

Box scores
Game 1:  http://sites.csn.edu/dcabrera/baseball/2010/csn19.htm
Game 2:  http://sites.csn.edu/dcabrera/baseball/2010/csn20.htm

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – College of Southern Nevada baseball player Bryce Harper hit two home runs in a Scenic West Athletic Conference doubleheader at College of Southern Idaho on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to sweep the twinbill as top-ranked CSN won the opener 10-8 before dropping the nightcap 8-7 in extra innings at Skip Walker Field.

The Coyotes (16-4, 3-1 SWAC) opened up a 10-2 lead in the first game before allowing the Golden Eagles (10-8, 1-3 SWAC) right back in the game with a 6-run sixth inning.  Tyler Hanks relieved Kiel Harmon, who struggled following a brilliant pitching performance by Bryan Harper.  Harper struck out 10 batters in five innings after allowing two runs on three hits early on.  Trent Cook and Trevor Kirk each had two hits to pace CSN.

In the second game, CSI first baseman Michael Wesner hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, setting up a game-winning RBI double in the eighth by Ryan Cooperstone to give the Golden Eagles the victory in a game featuring six lead changes.

Bryce Harper went a combined 7-for-8 with two solo home runs, two doubles and two RBIs.  Ryan Scott also hit a solo home run for the Coyotes in the second game.

Related posts:

1. Bucs: 12 offensive K’s, 3 E’s, and a win
2. Bucs Lose; Bucs Lose. What else is new?
3. Incompetence of Gorzelanny trade shines as Hart goes on DL
4. Pledge Drive Update
5. Bucs: concern about Aki’s strikeout rate batting second?!?