The 2015 Bullpen Discussion

[Slateman]

It's not that bad.  There's no indication that it's that bad.

He's getting a cortisone shot. It's that bad.

[Matugi]

He's getting a cortisone shot. It's that bad.

I feel bad for the guy.  Had a rough year in New York.  Given a second chance and started to turn it around.  Immediately gets injured.  At least he has a new child in his life.

EDIT: on second thought man his life sucks right now

[Slateman]

I feel bad for the guy.  Had a rough year in New York.  Given a second chance and started to turn it around.  Immediately gets injured.  At least he has a new child in his life.

EDIT: on second thought man his life sucks right now

Gotta wonder if his struggles were because of that injury

[Matugi]

Gotta wonder if his struggles were because of that injury

For the most part he looked fine here, but then again before his DL stint Stras looked fine in spurts too, so it wouldn't shock me if Carpenter were injured the entire time.  Pretty crappy if A)the Yanks were hiding it or B)the Nats medical staff ran a really crappy physical. I would bet on the latter.

[Truconfidence]

For the most part he looked fine here, but then again before his DL stint Stras looked fine in spurts too, so it wouldn't shock me if Carpenter were injured the entire time.  Pretty crappy if A)the Yanks were hiding it or B)the Nats medical staff ran a really crappy physical. I would bet on the latter.

It seemed like the last 2 appearances were the problem. The Velo  was way down he was throwing 91 instead of 97.

[vernon337]

Treinen is partially-HRod. Both talented, meaning hard throwers with movement on their pitches. "He stretches and throws / and where it goes / nobody knows". Treinen might be slightly more reliable, but "slightly reliable" is a bug -- not a feature -- in relief pitches.

Hey, Welch, your post made me think of this guy.  Turns out that he not only was half-blind, he was drunk much of the time.

[Natsinpwc]

Hey, Welch, your post made me think of this guy.  Turns out that he not only was half-blind, he was drunk much of the time.

(Image removed from quote.)

Ryne Duren?

[mmzznnxx]

Ryne Duren?

Nah, that's clearly young Jayson Werth.



Don't know why it's in greyscale though.

[vernon337]

Ryne Duren?

Yep. 

With his poor eyesight, and notoriously poor control, flame-throwing pitcher Ryne Duren’s fastball put the fear of God into opposing hitters in the late 1950s and early 1960s. “Duren was the standard by how we ranked hard throwers,” All-Star pitcher and pitching coach Jim Kaat said. “We'd say [so-and-so] can throw almost as hard as Duren.”1

Duren labored as a starting pitcher in the minor leagues for the first eight years of his career but it was not until he was converted to a relief pitcher, and was brought up to the Major Leagues by the New York Yankees that his career really took off. He drew national attention by throwing 100-miles-per-hour while wearing tinted sunglasses with lenses as thick as the bottoms of Coca-Cola bottles.

Duren mastered his control problems enough to be selected to the AL All-Star team in 1958, 1959, and 1961. His speed and his control issues were perhaps only exceeded by his fondness for drink, and his career was likely shortened by the effects of alcoholism. “I never really knew what it was like to pitch a sober inning,” Duren admitted years later. After his playing days, he became a nationally respected addiction counselor and with Tom Sabellico authored a book about his battles with alcoholism entitled, “I Can See Clearly Now.”

This what I remember about him:

Duren was a showman. In those days the Yankee bullpen was a part of the short-porch right field and only a low chain link fence served as the boundary. When called upon by Casey Stengel to relieve, he wouldn't use the gate, but preferred to hop the fence with one hand and begin a slow walk to the mound with his blue Yankee warm-up jacket covering his pitching arm; he followed this routine even on the hottest days. When he finally took the ball and began his warmups, the first pitch was sometimes a hard fastball 20 feet over the catcher's head. The succeeding warmup pitches would be thrown lower and lower (but not slower) until Duren would finally "find" the plate.

[whytev]

The good news is Barrett and Roark got the job done today. Well done.

Rivero continues to be great, and the four guys who didn't pitch are the ones we all seem to trust most.

[Truconfidence]

The good news is Barrett and Roark got the job done today. Well done.

Rivero continues to be great, and the four guys who didn't pitch are the ones we all seem to trust most.

yup. Rivero pitched great not even mad at him.

[PC]

Chelsea Janes ‏@chelsea_janes  23m23 minutes ago

Lucas Duda drove in all three runs for the Mets. Thornton had three lefties to face. Two reached.

[Slateman]

Not even mad at the pen

[Matugi]

Chelsea Janes ‏@chelsea_janes  23m23 minutes ago

Lucas Duda drove in all three runs for the Mets. Thornton had three lefties to face. Two reached.

He had an off night but I'd be far less mad if he had allowed them to reach while facing them in the seventh like he should have.

[whytev]

Ross is on an innings limit, and he's continuing to prove unflappable at the major league level.

Strasburg is almost back.

Roark and Barrett are awful and have options.

I'm going to make the case for Ross to 'pen while one of them gets straightened out.  If he only has 40 innings left, I want them on the big club, not wasted with more 5 inning starts in AAA.

[whytev]

Also: Barrett and Roark are making me pine for the return of Treinen.

[mmzznnxx]

Discussion over.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

right move is to option Roark out and let him start in AAA.  ross to the bullpen after one more start, then strasburg to the rotation.  Barrett sent donw for the next best reliever in AAA.  don't know who that is at this point. 

By the way, having Gio hit then start the 6th was inexcusable.  Barrett had to pitch better, but I prefer starting him with clean bases.

[PC]

He had an off night but I'd be far less mad if he had allowed them to reach while facing them in the seventh like he should have.

So, it was just an off night?

[Five Banners]

Let's switch Moore to the pen

[Slateman]

Thornton has stunk his last two times out. Injured?

[Expos]

Does anyone really think we can win a playoff series with this pen? No chance.

Barrett
Roark
Thornton
Rivero

All can GTFO.

3 capable arms in the pen (Papelbon, Storen and Janssen) won't cut it.

[Baseball is Life]

Thornton has stunk his last two times out. Injured?

He hasn't looked right all season. Lost velocity.

[pazzo83]

Andrew Simon ‏@AndrewSimonMLB  2m2 minutes ago
Tonight was the 1st game in #Nats history that 3 different relievers all gave up 3+ runs. Only 1 other team has done that the last 4 years.

Is that good?  I can't really tell, can somebody help me?  Thanks.
- Matt Williams

[MorseTheHorse]

I don't understand why Barrett is pitching in a 2-1 game...