By Jake, on July 12, 2009, at 8:17 pm |
I suppose on Monday we’re going to read that Virgil Vasquez has a sore elbow or a barking shoulder. I mean, that’s what we’re used to hearing after a guy gets blasted off the face of the earth like he did Sunday. Right? Instead I hope to see the young man sent back down to 3A to continue working on his stuff and in the meantime, Ian Snell brought back up and put in the rotation where he belongs.
I also hope to hear a thank you uttered from Snell when he returns, the fans supporting him for the rest of the year no matter if he loses the next 10 starts or wins them, and I hope Vasquez doesn’t hang his head so low he doesn’t know which way is up because he has value, it’s just not in starting in the major leagues quite yet.
Those would be my two simple wishes (has Snell been down 30 days yet?).
That being said, Jeff Karstens did a nice job mopping up but by the time he came in the Phillies had given the Pirates such a hard one-two punch it wouldn’t have mattered if you or I were pitching – they backed off as professionals do. I tip my hat to them for that. Now I don’t want to sound like I’m minimizing Karsten’s work because I’m not, but he was very hittable and it was pretty obvious their guys knew we were down for the count and respecting them for knocking us to the ground.
But we have to get up from the string of whippings we’ve taken and start hitting back.
Continue reading » Hey – blitzing isn't fair in baseball!
By Jake, on July 2, 2009, at 7:01 pm |
Henry Wofford’s compelling article about Ian Snell’s current battle with depression left me with mixed emotions. On one hand I didn’t know whether or not to believe Snell yet on the other hand I wanted to tip my hat to him for speaking out. But the more I thought back on Snell’s body language on the mound, the more depression made sense. One of those outings was against the Mets June 1st. That picture is below:
Continue reading » Dear Ian Snell: May you find inner peace
By Jake, on June 29, 2009, at 9:19 am |
Listen to the Neal Huntington Show Sunday.
It’s hard to fault Neal Huntington and Frank Coonelly for signing Snell to a three-year $8.6M deal in 2008 because on paper, Snell was worth at least +1.5 to +2 WAR at the time and therefore well worth the guaranteed money. Where you can blame them is on the timing – Snell was already locked up for 2008 at $0.435M so why reach out in spring training and hand an obvious immature player too much money knowing his tools were of the limited variety?
One reason the Pirates probably took the risk is because, again on paper, Snell was thought to be headed for a breakout season and they knew if he did, they wouldn’t be able to afford him after the season. Not only that, but the Bucs were risking Snell would indeed throw good early in the year and by signing him to a contract significantly below market value for starting pitching, they would hold more trade value at the July break.
It was two risks that Huntington and Coonelly took they got burned on.
Continue reading » Huntington: Coonelly and I were incompetent
By Jake, on June 26, 2009, at 1:26 am |
“For instance, the Pirates have a few pitchers who are known to give the field staff fits. Well, they just met their match – or they will when they meet Kerrigan. I kidded to one Pirates official that I’ll be sure to send Ian Snell a spring training care package with adult Depends in it because – I believe – he’s going to need them.“ — Bucco Blog, Decontamination Time post, October 20, 2008
Snell lasted all of four and one-half months.
“4. Ian Snell. Like Gorzelanny, this will be his second consecutive year on the Fooler list. Look for him to bust out early, tame off in May, crash and burn in June or July, and end up in the pen in September with the Pirates trying to keep his arm, and head, attached. If somehow he decides he wants to pitch instead of throwing again, he has the ability to put up startling strikeout numbers although his BABIP and HR/9 might go through the roof.” — Bucco Blog, 2009 Sleepers and Foolers post February 5, 2009
And he crashed in late June, so it’s not like any of this was really unexpected.
Continue reading » Ian Snell is run out of town
By Jake, on June 23, 2009, at 5:58 pm |
My live start of the game notes are below. Essentially, our outfielders cost us three runs despite Snell’s problems and that was the difference in this game. I was sure Pearce would get exposed with Snell throwing so I’m not so sure I understand Russell’s desire to start him in right, especially the way Moss has been swinging the bat lately. Perhaps Russell got sucked into fan pressure – or perhaps he felt Huff would be too much for Moss?
Snell started the game off much like we’ve seen him lately pitching at PNC – everything offspeed up in the zone and his fastballs generally around the knees away. Problem was, and as I alluded to in the game notes below, you can’t paint Guccione’s plate so Snell had to come in and he refused by throwing more offspeed junk than normal. Unfortunately, his offspeed stuff wasn’t working and got hammered.
I thought it was pretty easy to see Snell lose his composure and I was surprised Kerrigan didn’t even bother to go out and calm him down until it was much too late in the 3rd. Even Diaz refused to go out until it was too late. Remember now, Snell ran his mouth about umpire calls not too long ago and so I had suspected he might hit a brick wall against this crew because neither Guccione or Rapuano typically give painted calls. Now did Guccione squeeze Snell just a tick more than normal as a payback? Doubtful. But it sure seemed that way.
Snell pitched better than his line. Two of the three walks he allowed included several questionable calls which is substantiated with PITCHf/x. Throw in the two outfield blunders and we’re only talking three hits, one walk, and one run allowed. But once he went over 40 pitches in the third, he had to come out and the 50 he threw is just nuts.
Continue reading » McCutchen, Pearce give up 3 runs on D, Bucs lose
By Jake, on June 17, 2009, at 10:48 pm |
I was wrong – I expected Ian Snell to get mauled Wednesday night but he didn’t. In fact, he overthrew his pitches so badly he was barely hittable through the first three innings because he wasn’t close to the zone. Despite being behind almost every batter from the first on, Snell managed to keep it together.. even through a 41 pitch — yes, I said 41 pitch – third allowing just two runs. Then he settled down. Well that’s not true – then Twins batters started free swinging early in the count and Snell retired something like 8 or 9 straight.
Not only did Snell touch 96 on the stadium gun, he even had just a little late wrinkle boring in on right hand batters on that four seamer making me wonder which type of gun is used at the Met. I’ve never seen late movement on a 96 mph fastball out of Snell’s hand. In fact, I’ve never seen any movement on it.
Liriano wasn’t sharp at all. I had heard his velocity was back but that wasn’t the case – he sat in the low 90’s and really didn’t have much life on that. So instead of us striking out ten times as I surmised might happen, we only struck out six times and put some hard balls in play off him scoring four runs, including this McCutchen bomb.
How kewl was that?
When they brought in Sean Henn, the party was over - we erupted for three more runs putting the game out of reach. So I was wayyy off on this game’s matchup, thank gosh.
Continue reading » Snell blows gasket, keeps on running; Bucs win
By Jake, on June 7, 2009, at 11:18 pm |
Through the first four innings the Astros had managed just one run off Snell and that was sort of lucky. In the second with Lee at first from a low line drive single that wasn’t caught by Vazquez, Berkman swung at strike three for the first out with Lee on the run. Jaramillo’s throw went high but Vazquez did a good job of handling it and putting a fast swipe tag on the sliding Lee to get a double play. Problem was, Lee was safe.
Blum then doubled on a line drive into right which would have scored Lee and then Kepplinger hit a light line drive into shallow center that froze McCutchen for a second too long (his first body movement was actually backwards) and the ball fell in. McCutchen gloved the ball on one bounce and threw a one-hopper to the plate but it tailed up the first base line and the sliding Blum was safe scoring the Astros first run.
In the fifth with the score 1-1 and one out, Kepplinger doubled into the right field corner and then Quintero hit a long fly ball into right center which McCutchen froze on again, then his first step was the wrong direction so he immediately turned and rocketed toward the warning track only to miss the ball by two steps as it went for a double scoring Kepplinger and putting the Astros up 2-1.
So up to that point both runs scored off Snell were directly the result of late routes by McCutchen unlike Saturday night’s game when a line drive went off his glove but that runner was eventually stranded.
Continue reading » McCutchen's routes cost us early, pen costs us late
By Jake, on June 2, 2009, at 9:57 pm |
Not much time to write after the game but here goes..
Nice win for the Bucs over one of the masters, Johan Santana who was obviously not 100%. Duke pitched well, our defense was super, we sensed the kill and went after it in the sixth as good streaky rosters do, and we held on for the win. That’s the way to take care of business against a weaker team.. a very nice win.
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Someone send our catchers a fishing net so they can catch Nate McLouth’s throws home. Game after game we’re watching horrid throws from very shallow center. What’s up with that?
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Anybody know what happened to Neil Walker? Hand injury?
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How about Matt McSwain, one run in six and one-third frames for his sixth victory in a row. This dude is overclocking! Papa has to be proud considering how far this young man has come since his offseason trouble.
Continue reading » Bucs beat Santana & Mets "B" lineup
By Jake, on June 1, 2009, at 10:35 pm |
Snell pitched, Bucs Lose. Again. That was the title of my initial post and I never expected to change it. But Snell held on after being scalded by his daddy Joe Kerrigan and the Bucs started to whittle their way back. When Vasquez struck out on ball four with the bases loaded in the 6th with us down 5-3, I went to work on my post for the night. After all, the Mets had only lost one game this year leading after 7 and they came in with the league’s best pen ERA.
But we never broke stride and in the 8th it all came together. Adam LaRoche – clearly starting to see the ball better – crushed a Feliciano heater into right field leading off that Sheffield misplayed into a double, Hinske then ground to second moving LaRoche to third, and then Feliciano was pulled for JJ Putz. Andy LaRoche ground to second but it went off Castillo’s glove and Adam LaRoche scored. It was now 5-4 Mets. Jaramillo lined one softly into center for a single putting men at first and second with one out and guess who came to the plate?
Continue reading » WOW.. Bucs come back to beat Mets pen late
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