Thread: Nick Blackburn and Sunk Costs

When do they stop throwing good innings after bad money?

If the Twins didn't have a long-term contract with Blackburn, he would have been done long ago, right? As I watched him get the snot kicked out of him yet again yesterday, I couldn't help but wonder: how much longer until he is recognized as a sunk cost? Why are they still investing innings in this guy? When do they stop throwing good innings after bad money?

And I'll admit - I've been a supporter of Blackburn's in the past. Even within the last couple of weeks, I thought he was pitching better than his numbers. But this is getting silly.

Right now there isn't really another option, but when Pavano or Walter gets healthy, doesn't this have to be over? Even if Hendriks is struggling, I'd still rather see him getting innings than Blackburn now. Or Duensing. Or Swarzak. There just isn't any "there" there.

Am I overreacting?

I don't think you are overreacting at all. The money they tied up in him seems to be blinding the FO/Gardy. Which brings up another issues, the deal they made to lock him up in the first place!

Hopefully we have seen the last of Blackburn in a Twins uniform after his last start. I hope they dont stick him in the bullpen like Liriano, just DFA him and eat the rest of his contract.

He is a useless piece of ****, who at best is only a innings eater. What does that say?

Yeah, this is getting out of hand. I too have been pretty bullish on Blackburn, but my patience is running out. It's always something; either his command is shaky or he's getting the ball in the zone and getting hammered (like yesterday). In his post-game quotes yesterday he sounded helpless, and not like a guy who's confident he's going to be able to get things figured out.

Well, I think you guys are overreacting a touch.
He is what he is. A perfectly capable 5th starter on a good baseball team. A Team like Texas , on an ave. year, would love to slot him in their 5th spot in that tiny Ballpark at Arlington. Or White Sox @ U.S. Cellular similar thing. A team like The Padres could use Blackburn because he won't give up the long ball there as much.

Its not Blackburns fault the Twins, saw more in him, Thought more of him than what he actually is, The Twins Mistake #1 pay him like he's a #3 starter for the next few years

Mistake #2 Lock him up as long as they did.

Mistake #3 Expecting him to keep up the awesome #'s he did possess when he first broke in, despite having those Tiny K Rates, and Massively high Oppotents Batting Average. - HE did have excessively Low BB% rates.

The Twins saw more in him than he really is, and I think the pressure has gotten to Blacky as he probably goes out there expecting to shut the other team down in some starts, which simply put ..... He cannot do time and time again. I think its clear Blackburns once mighty sinker or "moving" Fastball does not sink like it once did.

He's a 5th starter now, (at one time maybe a #4 guy) and For some reason the Twins saw much more in him than a back end guy/ long reliever.

Other than wanting to see Duensing get starts, I'm with you. Duensing is not a starter. He is a reliever with value though, not sure why they are ruining that value by starting him. They are going to lose if Duensing starts or Blackburn starts, don't lose value on one of them in the process.

Me too. I thought the decision to offer him the contract ~2 years ago was a good one. At the time he was an innings eater and I thought the big ballpark would be great for his career. I think the bullpen would be worth a shot before putting him on waivers though.

Why would TX be happy to have him as a 5th starter? His ERA is so high, no one should want him to start any game, #1 starter or #5 starter. If he was really "as good as" a number 5 starter, the Twins should also be happy to have him start. OTOH, they have no real options.....that's the quandry they are in. The majors and minors are devoid of starters, and yet in the paper Ryan says he doesn't want to make trades and send up the white flag, while also stating he will do what's best for the team ..... so I have no idea what he was trying to say.

As craptastic as Blackburn has been and will continue to be, what are the other options?

The Twins dug there own grave with the lack of depth in the starting rotation and now they're at the point where they have no other options but to throw Blackburn out there and cross your fingers.

Dfa him, nobody will pick up his contract (except maybe the Rangers) then send him to Roch. Let him finish the year down there, maybe he builds some value or next spring he makes the team with a big come back year (being funny). At this time he doesn't belong on a major league field! If they are just pitching him because of his contract our future is lost anyway.

Originally Posted by shs_59

Well, I think you guys are overreacting a touch.
He is what he is. A perfectly capable 5th starter on a good baseball team. A Team like Texas , on an ave. year, would love to slot him in their 5th spot in that tiny Ballpark at Arlington. Or White Sox @ U.S. Cellular similar thing. A team like The Padres could use Blackburn because he won't give up the long ball there as much.

Its not Blackburns fault the Twins, saw more in him, Thought more of him than what he actually is, The Twins Mistake #1 pay him like he's a #3 starter for the next few years

Mistake #2 Lock him up as long as they did.

Mistake #3 Expecting him to keep up the awesome #'s he did possess when he first broke in, despite having those Tiny K Rates, and Massively high Oppotents Batting Average. - HE did have excessively Low BB% rates.

The Twins saw more in him than he really is, and I think the pressure has gotten to Blacky as he probably goes out there expecting to shut the other team down in some starts, which simply put ..... He cannot do time and time again. I think its clear Blackburns once mighty sinker or "moving" Fastball does not sink like it once did.

He's a 5th starter now, (at one time maybe a #4 guy) and For some reason the Twins saw much more in him than a back end guy/ long reliever.

This is a joke, right?

A capable 5th starter on a good baseball team? He has an ERA over 7.50. He wouldnt even crack the top 10 best starters in the Rangers org. You realize how bad he is getting crushed right? 400ft+ home runs are still going to leave Petco.

The way Blackburn's been pitching, he's not a #5 starter on any team.

Fun with stats - for his career, opponents are hitting .300/.343/.470 off of Nick Blackburn.

Originally Posted by Boom Boom

Fun with stats - for his career, opponents are hitting .300/.343/.470 off of Nick Blackburn.

Think about that, every hitter Nick Blackburn has ever faced is pretty much Torii Hunter (sans BA)

Originally Posted by shs_59

Well, I think you guys are overreacting a touch.
He is what he is. A perfectly capable 5th starter on a good baseball team. A Team like Texas , on an ave. year, would love to slot him in their 5th spot in that tiny Ballpark at Arlington. Or White Sox @ U.S. Cellular similar thing. A team like The Padres could use Blackburn because he won't give up the long ball there as much.

Its not Blackburns fault the Twins, saw more in him, Thought more of him than what he actually is, The Twins Mistake #1 pay him like he's a #3 starter for the next few years

Mistake #2 Lock him up as long as they did.

Mistake #3 Expecting him to keep up the awesome #'s he did possess when he first broke in, despite having those Tiny K Rates, and Massively high Oppotents Batting Average. - HE did have excessively Low BB% rates.

The Twins saw more in him than he really is, and I think the pressure has gotten to Blacky as he probably goes out there expecting to shut the other team down in some starts, which simply put ..... He cannot do time and time again. I think its clear Blackburns once mighty sinker or "moving" Fastball does not sink like it once did.

He's a 5th starter now, (at one time maybe a #4 guy) and For some reason the Twins saw much more in him than a back end guy/ long reliever.

you can't be serious. blackburn is garbage and needs to go. as bad as the pitching depth is in the twins organization i'm not sure he's even the 10th best pitcher in the twins org.

Originally Posted by DPJ

Think about that, every hitter Nick Blackburn has ever faced is pretty much Torii Hunter (sans BA)

Opp OPS this year alone, .951.

Originally Posted by DPJ

Think about that, every hitter Nick Blackburn has ever faced is pretty much Torii Hunter (sans BA)

That's pretty close to the career hitting lines of HOFers Dave Winfield and Eddie Murray.

I have never been a Blackburn fan... That said, I had never been a Perkins fan either. I think that because of the contract or what, Blackburn should get a chance for the rest of the season to prove himself in the pen. Let him be as bad as Gray or Manship, if that's what it takes. But I think from what I've seen periodically from him (like a flash of a 93-94 mph FB, if he forgets and throws the four seamer) that he might actually find his niche there and be useful.

Don't be frustrated at Blackburn (he is what he is) be frustrated at Gardy and Andy who are playing him and starting him. They are the ones who are at fault here, not Blackburn.

putting him in the bullpen doesn't improve this year, getting rid of him improves the team.

Originally Posted by rnw24

putting him in the bullpen doesn't improve this year, getting rid of him improves the team.

Like they are going any place this year? Putting him in the pen is a tryout to see whether he is part of the solution for next season or not. This season is gone.

Originally Posted by thrylos98

I have never been a Blackburn fan... That said, I had never been a Perkins fan either. I think that because of the contract or what, Blackburn should get a chance for the rest of the season to prove himself in the pen. Let him be as bad as Gray or Manship, if that's what it takes. But I think from what I've seen periodically from him (like a flash of a 93-94 mph FB, if he forgets and throws the four seamer) that he might actually find his niche there and be useful.

Don't be frustrated at Blackburn (he is what he is) be frustrated at Gardy and Andy who are playing him and starting him. They are the ones who are at fault here, not Blackburn.

This is true, on most other teams Blackburn would not have gotten so many chances.

You made me think of this - http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/G..._my_guys030511