What is Liriano's problem?

Liriano seems to have great stuff, but goes through extended periods when he is not effective. He looked good in spring training then he fell apart.

He sorta reminds me of Kyle Lohse, who had great stuff but could not consistently perform to his potential.

Maybe Liriano has some personal issues with some of his teammates or coaches. Or maybe he is just a head case. We know from spring training that he could still be a solid starter. If only someone could identify the problem, then maybe there might be a solution.

I expect that he will be traded for low quality prospects, then like Lohse he will start playing a lot better for his new team.

If you were the GM, how would you approach this?

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Originally Posted by glunn

I expect that he will be traded for low quality prospects, then like Lohse he will start playing a lot better for his new team.

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You mean pitching much the same for over a year, then having noticeably better year for his second team after leaving, then going back to pitching just like he did for the Twins for another two years and THEN pitching a lot better for his "new" team. I think that's what you mean, anyway.

Hire the Spanish version of Crash Davis. Liriano is a left handed Nuke Laloosh without the attitude. Liriano is still trying to get by on his stuff alone and his stuff is good but not where it used to be when he could get away with stuff alone.

He either gets his mechanics down and repeats the delivery so he can locate or his career ends. Whatever team can reach him gets the prize. Whatever team doesn't reach him gets the crooked numbers.

If I was wearing the Twins GM hat, I'd throw $2-3M at Dave Duncan and hope he can rectify Frankie. Duncan would probably improve the whole staff, but getting Liriano on track would return multiples of that few million dollar investment.

When you get on a bicycle, first you place your left foot on the left pedal, hands on the handlebars, then you push off with your right foot. You glide forward as you swing your right leg over the back of the seat, and you're off.

Simple, right?

Okay, now let's have a bicycle race. This is a very short-distance race, because all you get is that first, initial kick with your right foot, and then you have to keep your right leg raised behind you as you glide forward, bent over the handlebars.

Oh, and you have to stay within a lane that is one foot wide. If you veer off that narrow lane, you're disqualified.

The race stops sixty feet from the starting line. At that point you must brake the bike to a full stop, right leg still held up behind you, and you must hold the bike still for two full seconds. If you fall over before that, you're disqualified.

This is not an easy thing to do, but any kid could learn to do it with about twenty minutes of practice.

That initial kick is how a pitcher is supposed to provide power for his pitches. The balance required to stay exactly over the balance point of a bicycle is how a pitcher is able to develop control and consistency. Shove off hard, then stay on that line. Guys like Mariano Rivera, Joe Nathan and Tim Lincecum do this consistently. It gives them great power and pinpoint control.

Francisco Liriano would be disqualified from the mini bicycle race. His whirling, pirouetting motion makes it impossible to stay balanced, and therefore he cannot develop consistent control. He finishes differently on every pitch, which frankly makes it amazing that he can ever throw a baseball where he wants to. Really, it's a tribute to Liriano's great athleticism that he is able to throw strikes at all. It's like spinning around five times fast, then sinking a free throw. Very difficult.

That's what's wrong with Francisco Liriano.

That Sir, is the greatest comment I have ever read!

Liriano will be a ace some day.

If I were the GM, I don't know that I could do anything other than what's been tried. His problems aren't mechanical; something's going on in his head that is crossing wires up. He doesn't seem to be able to pitch through adversity and shake it off when a couple of people get on base. One or two bad pitches snowball all too easily into crooked number innings.

The Twins have been very patient with him. Maybe someday his head will pop on straight and he'll fulfill his potential, but I don't know that the Twins (or any other team) has a magic potion to make that happen.

The one thing left I would try (and he would need to agree to this, both for contractual reasons and for emotional reasons) is send him to Rochester and let him get regular starts and see if he can find his confidence. He hasn't pitched in the minors since his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

I hope Liriano can read this or have someone read and explain this to him! Brilliant take!!!!

Edit: In reference to Jimbo's take.