Jason Marquis: Game Changer

[DPMOmaha]

If he gave up a two run double, then got the side out with no further scoring, it would have been 6 runs.

I edited my post...

[HalfSmokes]

Three inherited runs and three of his own. In one inning.  SHAMEFUL. If you feel compelled to assign FULL blame, it's him. If you want to allocate blame FAIRLY I'd assign it about equally to both.

a starter's job is to get the ball to the bullpen with the team in a position to win, Marquis not only couldn't get an out, he could have ripped through our entire pen if Batista couldn't go 5

[CJames0569]

a starter's job is to get the ball to the bullpen with the team in a position to win, Marquis not only couldn't get an out, he could have ripped through our entire pen if Batista couldn't go 5

Agreed, no way does Batista share equally in the blame. All the blame rests solely on Marquis shoulders. We win this game if Batista throws the first pitch through the 5th inning, and we skip Marquis all together. I like Marquis and I think he will get it together, but if you can't see the point they're making than I'm not sure what to tell you.

[Ray D]

a starter's job is to get the ball to the bullpen with the team in a position to win,

yes, get the ball to the bullpen, with the team in position to win, AND eat up five to seven innings.  He didn't do his job, didn't come close.

But a reliever's job is to put out the fire with minimal further damage. A very different role. I'd say he screwed up his job as badly. When Marquis left to game it was 4-0. When the inning was over it was 10-0.

[PANatsFan]

Does anything think Batista was ready to come on in the first inning? Come one. He pitched 4 good innings. And I'm his biggest critic. His quote after the game was all about Marquis and he hopes he can get better for the team's sake.

[Ray D]

Does anything think Batista was ready to come on in the first inning?

I  hope that wasn't the issue but if it was then Riggleman's got to take some of the blame. Some relievers take longer than others  to get ready and this certainly was a case where one was needed who could get ready fairly quickly, and the manager needs to know which pitchers get ready quick and which don't.

[blue911]

I  hope that wasn't the issue but if it was then Riggleman's got to take some of the blame. Some relievers take longer than others  to get ready and this certainly was a case where one was needed who could get ready fairly quickly, and the manager needs to know which pitchers get ready quick and which don't.

Batista knew after Saturday's game that he was going to be the first guy up on Sunday. Walker knew he was more than likely the second guy.

[PANatsFan]

Batista knew after Saturday's game that he was going to be the first guy up on Sunday. Walker knew he was more than likely the second guy.

First guy up in the 4th inning at worst.

[blue911]

First guy up in the 4th inning at worst.

First guy up implies that he should take pre game stretching seriously. That if he's called on to pitch, all he needs to do is get his arm ready and not need to go through the entire warm routine.

[houston-nat]

By Mark Zuckerman
CSNwashington.com
 
Jason Marquis knows what everyone’s saying about him right now. Since departing the mound Sunday afternoon after an abysmal performance against the Milwaukee Brewers, one in which he allowed seven runs without recording an out, he’s been the butt of jokes, and the recipient of ridicule from every media outlet in town.

Marquis readily admits he deserves the abuse. For what it’s worth, the Washington Nationals right-hander has been beating himself up more than anyone over the last 24 hours.
 
“It’s definitely eating me up inside,” he said Monday evening. “It hurts. It’s embarrassing. I’m not going to sit here and make excuses. I’m not good right now.”

The stats confirm that. In three starts as a member of the Nationals’ rotation, Marquis is 0-3 with a ghastly 20.52 ERA. Known as a workhorse who typically can be counted upon to churn out 180 to 200 innings per season, the veteran pitcher has yet to make it out of the fifth inning this month.

Which leaves both Marquis and the Nationals wondering: What exactly is going wrong?

Marquis insists he’s not hurt; he says his arm feels “great,” and the club has no reason to doubt him. So the problem, everyone agrees, must be mechanical.

Armed with hours of DVD footage of various outings over the last year, Marquis hunkered down Sunday night and Monday morning and watched it all, hoping to find some flaws. What he discovered surprised even himself: There was a major difference in his mechanics from early 2009 versus early 2010.

“Night and day,” he said. “Just the life on the ball, the location of the ball, the action on the ball, is night and day.”

The key to rediscovering his old form, Marquis said, is eliminating some of the “robotic” elements of his throwing motion -- making sure his knee, his elbow, his shoulder and his leg are all in precise positions at different stages of the motion -- and letting it come more naturally from one starting point.

Marquis wasted no time trying to work out those kinks. He was back throwing off a bullpen mound Monday afternoon in a rare day-after-start side session and was pleased with the results.

“I threw a good bullpen today, real nice and easy,” he said. “I know it’s not my normal day, but I wanted to get on the mound as quick as possible and get that feeling back.”

Washington manager Jim Riggleman said Marquis will make his next regularly scheduled start, Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and that there was no consideration giving to skipping the 31-year-old’s turn or removing him from the rotation altogether. The fact Marquis is less than a month into a two-year, $15 million contract certainly is a factor, but his track record over 10 big-league seasons as a consistent starting pitcher also leads the club to believe this is an aberration.
 
“He hasn’t performed well,” general manager Mike Rizzo said. “But I go back to, like I often do, track record and career and that type of thing. I still believe that Marquis is going to be Marquis at the end of the day.”

http://www.csnwashington.com/04/19/10/Zuckerman-Embarrassed-Marquis-tries-to-r/landing_nationals.html?blockID=219298&feedID=280

[Evolution33]

I like the entire no excuses part, but let's see some results.

[cmdterps44]

He watched game film. Nice. Hopefully he pulled an all nighter to study that crap down pact and master it.

[Lintyfresh85]

You would have thought he'd have watched some tape after being left off the post season roster for the Rockies after being an all-star!

Ugh.

Lets hope the guy gets it together for his next start. The team really needs him.

[DPMOmaha]

He wasn't left off last  year's post-season roster, he was left out of the rotation and came out of the bullpen.

[blue911]

You would have thought he'd have watched some tape after being left off the post season roster for the Rockies after being an all-star!

Ugh.

Lets hope the guy gets it together for his next start. The team really needs him.

Check your sources.

[PANatsFan]

Leave the roboticness to Clippard.

[Lintyfresh85]

Check your sources.

Great. He was left off the rotation.

Either way, he sucked.

[Ray D]

I would like to hear that someone other than him, someone the coaching staff, is also looking at film.

[DPMOmaha]

I would like to hear that someone other than him, someone the coaching staff, is also looking at film.

I'm sure McCatty's part of the process.

[blue911]

I would like to hear that someone other than him, someone the coaching staff, is also looking at film.

What does the bullpen coach do exactly? I'm serious,  the pitching coach has 12 guys he has to shepherd as well as scouting the opposition to develop a workable game plan. But you have a Bullpen Coach and Bullpen catcher, what do these guys do before the game?

[HalfSmokes]

What does the bullpen coach do exactly? I'm serious,  the pitching coach has 12 guys he has to shepherd as well as scouting the opposition to develop a workable game plan. But you have a Bullpen Coach and Bullpen catcher, what do these guys do before the game?

steroids and McDonald's runs?

[Ray D]

What does the bullpen coach do exactly? I'm serious,  the pitching coach has 12 guys he has to shepherd as well as scouting the opposition to develop a workable game plan. But you have a Bullpen Coach and Bullpen catcher, what do these guys do before the game?

The bullpen catcher does exactly that. Someone needs to catch the relievers warming up. The bullpen coach answers the phone. I have no idea what they do before or between games, but I don't think these are the guys looking at film. There are guys on the payroll, scouts probably, who are trained to do that, and I hope one or two of them are doing it, including McCatty.

[PANatsFan]

Remember when Frank fired the bullpen coach, Wettleland I think, because the guys were farting around and smashing bobbleheads? They should just be called "babysitter."

[Ray D]

The bullpen coach answers the phone.

.... And sometimes provides the entertainment for the bullpen staff, by playing the guitar.

[JMUalumni]

The bullpen coach is supposed to go over the various hitters each reliever is possibly going to face and to ensure that they are prepared to go in to a live game.  Other than that, I don't know if they do much else.