MLB - 2007 Season

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Guynemer
Yankees-Red Sox ***** waving:

The other 28 teams in MLB:

[Imran Siddiqui]

based on what was known and reasonably expected at the time the deal was negotiated, it wasn't a huge risk.

Because the BoSox have Yankee-like cash. For, say, the Detroit Tigers it would have been.

Realistically, that is quite a chunk of change for a pitcher who was assumed to be a top of the rotation starter, but no one is really quite sure (Japanese starting pitchers don't exactly have a great track record in the majors - Nomo is the most successful and has an ERA+ of 98).

True its early, but he hasn't been blowing the socks off folks like it was assumed he would.

[Arrian]

Calmer predictions had him as a #3 starter, which in the AL East probably means a 4.25ish ERA. Which has quite a bit of value (assuming he throws ~200 innings).

There were a lot of ~3 ERA predictions, which struck me as unduly optomistic, especially in his first season.

We'll see, won't we? On the one hand, one expects a transition period. On the other, he's pretty much a finished product. He's an experienced pitcher, not some prospect coming up and still learning. Can he make an adjustment and avoid the bizzaro innings that have been causing him so much trouble? Perhaps he can. We'll see.

-Arrian

[Arrian]

So "Might Matt" DeSalvo gets the start for the Yanks tonight. They've used a crazy number of rookie pitchers this year. I think the kid is gonna get rocked. He walks too many guys. Even Hughes, the crown jewel, struggled in his debut. DeSalvo isn't nearly as good as Hughes. Granted, Toronto > Seattle (offense), but still.

-Arrian

[Ming]

Originally posted by Arrian
So "Might Matt" DeSalvo gets the start for the Yanks tonight. They've used a crazy number of rookie pitchers this year.

No surprise that they signed Clemens

[Arrian]

Obviously the injuries brought things to a head.

By the way, I'm sure everyone is shocked - SHOCKED - to hear that, despite surgery not being recommended by Dr. James Andrews (the man himself when it comes to such things), Pavano is leaning toward having TJ surgery on his elbow, meaning he's thrown his last pitch as a Yankee.

Worst. Signing. Ever.

-Arrian

[Fistandantilus]

Originally posted by Arrian
Calmer predictions had him as a #3 starter, which in the AL East probably means a 4.25ish ERA. Which has quite a bit of value (assuming he throws ~200 innings).

If "calmer predictions" mean "the ones made by people with common sense" I agree

He's not going to be an ace in his first season but he's better than Matt Clement imo

[SlowwHand]

Texan goes to Hell

A Texan dies and goes to hell. While down there the devil notices that the Texan is not suffering like the rest. He checks the gauges and sees that it's 100 degrees and about 80% humidity.

So he goes over to the Texan and asks why he's so happy.

The Texan says, "I really like it here. The temperature is just like Dallas in June."

The devil isn't happy with the Texan's answer and decides to fix him, so he goes over and turns up the temperature to 120 degrees and the humidity to 90%.

After turning everything up he goes looking for the Texan.

He finds him standing around unbuttoning his shirt, just as happy as can be.

The devil quizzes the Texan again as to why he's so happy.

The Texan says, "This is even better. It's like Houston in July."

The devil, now really upset, decides to make the Texan really understand that hell is no paradise.
He walks over to the controls and turns the heat up to 140 degrees and the humidity to 100%.

"Now let's see what the Texan is up to," he thinks.

So he goes looking for the Texan. The devil finds the Texan taking his shirt off basking in the heat, even happier than before.

The devil can't figure it out. He asks the Texan why he's happy now. The Texan replies, "This is great,

it's just like Brownsville in August."

The devil says, "That's it, I'll get this guy."
He walks over and turns the temperature down to a freezing 25 degrees below zero.
"Now let's see what the Texan has to say about this," the devil thinks to himself.

He looks around and finds the Texan jumping up and down for joy.

"What are you so happy about now," ask the devil.

Still excited, the Texan replies, "The Rangers have finally won the world series!"

[Fistandantilus]

Texans

[Arrian]

Well that was a particularly ****ty call last night. The ump admitted it, which I guess is nice, but it doesn't change the game. 2-1 win becomes 3-2 loss.

Matt DeSalvo proved me wrong (though against a better offensive team I think those walks would've cost him) and pitched very well. That's my consolation today.

-Arrian

[MichaeltheGreat]

2-1 lead at home against a 36-year old starter with an ERA well north of 5 this season, with a lifetime losing record, on a weak-hitting team from the weakest division in the AL, for a 2-2 split on the series, and we're talking about a blown call?

Oh Mo, how the once-mighty have fallen.


At least you have the Rangers in town for three.

Oh, and Sloww:

[Arrian]

Obviously the Yankee offense should've done better than 2 runs off of Batista. That's the primary culprit right there, no doubt.

The call was terrible, though, and it rankles. The guy was out by three feet. As for Mo, I still don't know how Beltre hit that ball out, given the location and velocity of the pitch (IIRC 93mph, up around the shoulders, though it was middle of the plate). Tip the cap on that one. I'm still not all that worked up about Mo. The stuff is still there - it's his command that has been a problem for the most part. That's something that he should be able to sort out.

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

Obviously the Yankee offense should've done better than 2 runs off of Batista. That's the primary culprit right there, no doubt.

Of course, but that is why its a 162 game season . Sometimes some really bad hurlers catch fire and can make a good hitting team look bad. Hell, if Victor Zambrano can look like a major league pitcher in some of his starts...

[OzzyKP]

Zumaya to miss three months
Right-hand finger has ruptured tendon

May 8, 2007

Right-handed reliever Joel Zumaya is expected to miss about three months because of surgery for an injured finger, the Tigers announced Monday.

During an examination Monday in New York, Dr. Charles Melone found that Zumaya has a ruptured tendon in the middle finger on his pitching hand. Dr. Melone, an orthopedic hand surgeon, will operate on Zumaya on Thursday.

The club announced that Zumaya -- 0-1 with one save and a 3.63 ERA in 13 games -- is expected to pitch again for the Tigers in "an estimated 12 weeks." That's just shy of three months, or half of the six-month season.

It's the second time the club announced that a valuable pitcher is expected to miss half of the season. The first came when left-handed starter Kenny Rogers underwent shoulder surgery a few days before Opening Day.

Rogers and Zumaya were vital to the Tigers' winning the American League pennant last season. Zumaya, a rookie, held leads in the seventh and eighth innings as he consistently overpowered hitters with a fastball that often reached 100 m.p.h.

After a disillusioning spell a few weeks ago, Zumaya fanned four consecutive hitters in his most recent appearance. After that game, he said he felt like himself. Then, as he warmed up Saturday night in Kansas City, he sustained the injury.

Manager Jim Leyland said Sunday he won't appoint a full-time replacement for Zumaya, 22, as a set-up man who holds leads in the seventh and eighth innings. The candidates to take some of Zumaya's work include right-handers Jason Grilli and Jose Mesa, and left-hander Bobby Seay.

Right-handed reliever Aquilino Lopez has taken Zumaya's roster spot for now. On Sunday, Leyland had said that if Zumaya was going to be out awhile, the club might replace him with a starter instead of Lopez. Such a starter presumably could become a long reliever if he didn't replace someone in the current rotation.

President and general manager Dave Dombrowski had no comment Monday on Zumaya.

[Guynemer]

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