Thread: Article: Cole in the Stocking

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Is it possible that Diamond, Walters and DeVries might all make it as MLB starters?

Maybe. I'd say Diamond and Walters both have track records that are much more suggestive of big-league success. As an extreme fly ball pitcher with an underwhelming arsenal and high contact rate, DeVries has a steep hill to climb.

Let's hope the fan in you is right instead of the analyst.

WHIP down to 1.157 this year and a 7.1/1.4 K/BB ratio. He was terrible in 2010. Without those numbers that year, he is not as bad as it sounds.

The best is yet to come.

While the sentamentalist in me also hopes he does well, the practicalist agrees he's probably going to get lit up. There's a reason he was undrafted - he doesn't have big-league stuff. You can get away with mistakes in the minors what you can't get away with in the bigs. He looks like a journeyman AAA roster filler. No shame in that, but that's just being realistic. In a season where there was any hope, this move isn't made.

I hope Cole does well on Thursday, I am def rooting for him. If the Twins win today, I hope it isn't another rally killer Jason Marquis type of performance, I was hoping Duensing would have been the guy, he probably deserves it the most at this point. I would really like to see another good performance by a callup. Go Twins!

DeVries looks like a AAAA type. Sure, he doesn't have the dominating stuff which is why he's debuting in 2012 as a 27 year old. Of course, the same can be said of PJ Walters. Take out 2010 and DeVries has had good success at every level. I agree, expectations should certainly be tempered, but it is ok to be optimistic too... Frankly, I at least have some hope with Cole DeVries. He's replacing Jason Marquis, a guy who provided little hope to Twins fans. It's a rebuilding year. Why not give DeVries 5-6 starts and just see. I think his big league role would be more as a back of the bullpen type, but I know I'm excited for a good guy, a local guy, and a guy who has certainly put in his time in the organization!!

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

DeVries looks like a AAAA type. Sure, he doesn't have the dominating stuff which is why he's debuting in 2012 as a 27 year old. Of course, the same can be said of PJ Walters. Take out 2010 and DeVries has had good success at every level. I agree, expectations should certainly be tempered, but it is ok to be optimistic too... Frankly, I at least have some hope with Cole DeVries. He's replacing Jason Marquis, a guy who provided little hope to Twins fans. It's a rebuilding year. Why not give DeVries 5-6 starts and just see. I think his big league role would be more as a back of the bullpen type, but I know I'm excited for a good guy, a local guy, and a guy who has certainly put in his time in the organization!!

I compare him, at least statistically to Matt Guerrier. I don't know how their "stuff" compares, but their career minor league stats aren't all that different. I think he is best suited as a 7th or 8th inning guy. But correct me if I'm wrong, Guerrier did some starting at the beginning of his career....

Originally Posted by SirLoin

I compare him, at least statistically to Matt Guerrier. I don't know how their "stuff" compares, but their career minor league stats aren't all that different. I think he is best suited as a 7th or 8th inning guy. But correct me if I'm wrong, Guerrier did some starting at the beginning of his career....

DeVries' fastball (like PJ Walters' btw) tops at 89 and usually sits at mid 80s. His curveball (like PJ Walters' btw) is pretty wicked. Nothing like Guerrier who was sitting in low 90s and dialing mid-90s occasionally. Lots like Walters with a bit more of a deceptive delivery. Let's see how he will do.

Good luck to DeVries. Hoping he succeeds, thinking it is unlikely (it is unlikely any AAA pitcher actually succeeds....) given his stuff, but we can always hope. How exciting for him to make the Twins. Even if he doesn't do well, I hope he and his family always remember this as a great time. Really, how many players are regarded so highly that they even get a shot.

The key to success as a pitcher is NOT velocity. The key is keeping the hitter off balance. If you have movement on your pitches and can hit your spots and have the hitter guessing wrong as to what pitch is coming then you can have success.

One of Swarzak's starts earlier this year, he breezed through the batting order the 1st time through. Then the batter's discovered that he was throwing a 1st pitch fastball every time and they started swing at the 1st pitch and got several hits and runs before Swarzak adjusted. Very few pitchers can survive when the batter knows what pitch is coming.

This is probably the only chance he'll ever get, so it would be a shame if he did screw up.

This is what it's all about, thanks to KSTP-Channel 5 last night: http://kstp.com/article/stories/S2629690.shtml?cat=1

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

This is what it's all about, thanks to KSTP-Channel 5 last night: http://kstp.com/article/stories/S2629690.shtml?cat=1

Nice. Adding his AFL numbers from last year (I forgot about that), and DeVries had a very nice year last year.

Good article, bad pun.

Originally Posted by SweetOne69

The key to success as a pitcher is NOT velocity. The key is keeping the hitter off balance. If you have movement on your pitches and can hit your spots and have the hitter guessing wrong as to what pitch is coming then you can have success.

One of Swarzak's starts earlier this year, he breezed through the batting order the 1st time through. Then the batter's discovered that he was throwing a 1st pitch fastball every time and they started swing at the 1st pitch and got several hits and runs before Swarzak adjusted. Very few pitchers can survive when the batter knows what pitch is coming.

Isn't that Chapter One of "Anthony Slama's Field Guide to Effective Pitching"?

Originally Posted by SirLoin

Isn't that Chapter One of "Anthony Slama's Field Guide to Effective Pitching"?

I am looking forward to his Preface to the Second Edition in two or three years, after he gets some more experience at the major league level. Maybe he'll say it was exactly as he expressed it in the First Edition; or he might say "wow, that ball sure travels farther in a major league park for some reason".

Go carbon compadres! Diamond and Cole. Get it?