So here's some news I'm surprised hasn't been posted yet. According to MLBTradeRumors, the Nat's *FINALLY* released Villone's horribleness earlier today per the Syracuse broadcaster's Twitter.
He finished a truly godawful 2010, and likely his career, in AAA all season with the following eye-popping stats: 6.59 ERA. 42.1 Innings. 8, Eight, Ocho HBP!!! In 42.1 IP. Wowser. WHIP of 1.89. 7HRs. BB/9? 6.4 BB/9!
So now I'll do a total 180. Why on earth did we release him? What was the point in this entire season? Everyone assumed that this was a way to let a delusional man who thought he could still pitch one last season. And that the Nat's wanted him to turn to coaching, for us, and that allowing him to embarass himself was a way we were assured of that happening. So why do you bother releasing him three weeks before the seasons over? I haven't kept close track, but is it because they called up too many from AA before the deadline and had no other choice? That said, if you've kept this bum all season long despite these truly godawful numbers, obviously for said transition to coaching, why bother risk pissing him off after you've kept him on board so long when he was as bad as those stats imply from day one of 2010? I never understood why they signed him to begin with, and then kept him with an ERA that moved between 6-9 all season long. He should have been dropped in May. No, he should have never been signed in the first place. Does Villone really offer that much as a coach to allow such awful pitching to go on all season, let alone signing him in the first place? Some of this franchise's moves are truly head scratching, and I'd say Villone is one of Rizzo's most baffling.
None of that matters now though. Ron Villone is once and for all, finally, GONE!
