h2oface

"And Alex Meyer, a 25-year-old, 6’8”, hard-throwing pitching prospect who was traded straight-up for Span, has been moved to the bullpen in order to try to straighten him out. Promise resides in youth, and yet most of the team’s best young talent can’t crack the major league roster." Is Meyer shrinking under all this stress? He seems to have lost an inch.

I knew that, too. That jet that flew over my head just missed me..... good one. Thanks for the insight on the pitch count for Berrios.

It is nice to have depth. The Dodgers thought they had too many outfielders, and traded Kemp and tried to trade Eithier. Now, Crawford and Puig are out and Ethier and Van Slyke are needed desperately, and both are doing great. No need to trade Milone if he can be ready when....... and I mean when and not if....... when the injury happens and he is needed. They are paying him 2.8 million no matter where he pitches.

Meyer's day to start was yesterday, and Fien got the relief inning, and Meyer was not used today in favor of Achter. I hope Meyer gets in some games if he is going to be developed. Maybe the games were too close and they want to win the minor league game more than be developing? There should be a rule against blowing someone's save, tacking on runs to their ERA, and then stealing the win. It just doesn't and has never seemed fair. That pitcher shouldn't get the win. Maybe there already is, but it is never used by the official scorer. Official Rules: 10.00 The Official Scorer 10.17 Winning And Losing Pitcher (a) The official scorer shall credit as the winning pitcher that pitcher whose team assumes a lead while such pitcher is in the game, or during the inning on offense in which such pitcher is removed from the game, and does not relinquish such lead, unless (1) such pitcher is a starting pitcher and Rule 10.17(b.) applies; or (2) Rule 10.17(c.) applies. Rule 10.17(a) Comment: Whenever the score is tied, the game becomes a new contest insofar as the winning pitcher is concerned. Once the opposing team assumes the lead, all pitchers who have pitched up to that point and have been replaced are excluded from being credited with the victory. If the pitcher against whose pitching the opposing team gained the lead continues to pitch until his team regains the lead, which it holds to the finish of the game, that pitcher shall be the winning pitcher. (b.) If the pitcher whose team assumes a lead while such pitcher is in the game, or during the inning on offense in which such pitcher is removed from the game, and does not relinquish such lead, is a starting pitcher who has not completed (1) five innings of a game that lasts six or more innings on defense, or (2) four innings of a game that lasts five innings on defense, then the official scorer shall credit as the winning pitcher the relief pitcher, if there is only one relief pitcher, or the relief pitcher who, in the official scorers judgment was the most effective, if there is more than one relief pitcher. Rule 10.17(b.) Comment: It is the intent of Rule 10.17(b.) that a relief pitcher pitch at least one complete inning or pitch when a crucial out is made, within the context of the game (including the score), in order to be credited as the winning pitcher. If the first relief pitcher pitches effectively, the official scorer should not presumptively credit that pitcher with the win, because the rule requires that the win be credited to the pitcher who was the most effective, and a subsequent relief pitcher may have been most effective. The official scorer, in determining which relief pitcher was the most effective, should consider the number of runs, earned runs and base runners given up by each relief pitcher and the context of the game at the time of each relief pitchers appearance. If two or more relief pitchers were similarly effective, the official scorer should give the presumption to the earlier pitcher as the winning pitcher. (c.) The official scorer shall not credit as the winning pitcher a relief pitcher who is ineffective in a brief appearance, when at least one succeeding relief pitcher pitches effectively in helping his team maintain its lead. In such a case, the official scorer shall credit as the winning pitcher the succeeding relief pitcher who was most effective, in the judgment of the official scorer. Rule 10.17(c.) Comment: The official scorer generally should, but is not required to, consider the appearance of a relief pitcher to be ineffective and brief if such relief pitcher pitches less than one inning and allows two or more earned runs to score (even if such runs are charged to a previous pitcher). Rule 10.17(b.) Comment provides guidance on choosing the winning pitcher from among several succeeding relief pitchers. (d) A losing pitcher is a pitcher who is responsible for the run that gives the winning team a lead that the winning team does not relinquish. Rule 10.17(d.) Comment: Whenever the score is tied, the game becomes a new contest insofar as the losing pitcher is concerned. (e) A league may designate a non-championship game (for example, the Major League All-Star Game) for which Rules 10.17(a.)(1.) and 10.17(b.) do not apply. In such games, the official scorer shall credit as the winning pitcher that pitcher whose team assumes a lead while such pitcher is in the game, or during the inning on offense in which such pitcher is removed from the game, and does not relinquish such lead, unless such pitcher is knocked out after the winning team has attained a commanding lead and the official scorer concludes that a subsequent pitcher is entitled to credit as the winning pitcher.

Thanks. The original question was ...... is he on a pitch count? That would be for Jeremy, the author of the article, or someone who knows and is not guessing. I don't think that has been answered. It doesn't have to be 100 pitches - I agree that is totally arbitrary...... and I believe they should go more, even. Gibson was at 93 after the 7th today, and ahead 8-1, and he came out in the 8th for another 13 and finished with 106. Why have Gibson pitch the needless 8th, ahead 8-1? Arm strength, perhaps? I replied to your post because I could think of a reason. I am not trying to second guess Doug Mientkiewicz, and I am not arguing with you, just asking questions and hoping that someone that might know will answer. Sometimes, having a pitcher pitch when he is not at his best, can help him become his best. Sometimes, pulling him so he still has confidence after an outing can help more.

Made me chuckle. Hey, as Steve Martin says "Comedy is not pretty."

............ status interruptus?

Only 88 pitches......... how about to increase arm strength to be able to go deep into games? That seems like a pretty good reason to me. They were always pulling Meyer last year in the 80s, but he was on a pitch count for his arm........... Berrios threw 55 strikes in 88 pitches - still 62.5% strikes. Ahead 8-2, it would make sense to have him go to around 100 pitches. It seemed the only thing that prevented him from going deeper into the game was they didn't let him pitch the 7th. Reading his line and looking at the box, I guess you had to be there to see how he managed to just survive six innings. I can't see it in the line. It makes sense to be stretched out if nothing is hurting one's body. "Jose Berrios wasn’t great tonight, but he managed to survive six innings. He allowed two runs on a walk and six hits. He struck out five. Berrios was not his normal self, throwing only 55 strikes in 88 pitches. And while his inefficiency didn’t cost him runs, it did keep him from going deeper into the game." It looks like Casey Fien got the relief inning Meyer could have gotten on his former day to start.

88 pitches, ahead 7-2 after 6 innings, and Berrios is yanked. Is he on a pitch count or something? Is there a reason for not letting him pitch the 7th?

No mention of inherited runners and inherited runners scored, which is, to me, the ultimate stat for a reliever. It shows if they really relieved or just did well for themselves, and not necessarily the team. Trouble is, I can't seem to find stats for inherited runners scored anywhere except in the daily boxes. Can anyone help me with a source?

Growing up in baseball. I love it.

Absolutely, and for me, no buts about it. What now for Buxton? He shook the rust off, and went on a that tear and it was declared by all that the rust was no more. The rust was gone. He was player of the week somewhere..... now into May and a horrible slump. You can't call it the ol' convenient rust now, can you? 132 at bats and 34 games in, things are starting to look kind of ugly. It is still early, though, right? Just forget about it, eh? Hey Hey, My My. Rust Never Sleeps.

The AAA roster is looking bleak right now. I mean, other than some pitchers and Pinto, who in yesterday's box is excepted or hoped to ever be a part of the major league lineup? Not as perhaps emergency replacement players, but in the lineup? Meyer is down to 2 walks and only 4 Ks in 6.1 innings. So great. Maybe by the time they promote him they can get his Ks down even further.

The second ten (11-20) are having much better years, so far, than the top 10. Thanks for the great update.

Buxton sure has cooled off, dropping .35 ponits in 11 games. . BA from .287 to .252. (and more today now). Pinto now slumping, too. Bummer. Nice to have the Kepler news.

You called it, Nick Nelson!

It does if you are 25. If you are 25, it is really old.

Kind of like Perkins' outings now that Guardado is back and exerting his influence on the bullpen, eh? ;-) Only Perkins is doing it in only one inning lately.

The arm and accuracy that Robinson has shown is nowhere close to Ben Revere lite. One doesn't have to be a Robinson lover to have noticed that and give him his dues. Robinson has great routes to the ball, which Schafer does not, and neither did Ben. Ben consistently hits for a much higher average, and his arm is a noodle. What examples to you have that Robinson is anything like Ben Revere? I am not advocating for Robinson to be kept longer than needed, but I say Schafer is the first to be replaced, then Robinson. Both should be gone as Hicks, Buxton, and Rosario are brought up to stay.

The sooner we get Hicks up here for Hunter to mentor him now, the better. A month of mentorship has already been wasted. Hopefully, Buxton by July. Time waits for no one.

Any particular reason that Hicks was not in the lineup today? Great to see Burdi having a good outing for a change.

Absolutely. Get Hicks up here. The past is the past and now is now. For now, keep Robinson and designate Schafer. He has been hot the last seven before today though..... hitting over .400. After today, .313 in only 16 ABs, but that still counts. And to be fair, only one Twin didn't look over matched today at the plate. But I like Robinson's routes and arm and accuracy more than Schafer until his time is up. And with all that speed, Schafer can't even seem to buy a stolen base this year. Here's to an outfield with Buxton and Hicks and ?/?/? sooner than never.

Rochester link is the May 6 game with Indianapolis.

Great article on the Plouffe progression. Pretty amazing what he has done on particularly the low and away corner and the middle away sector, too. Now if he can just learn to hit those middle of the plate meatballs again............ lookout! Why are some of the squares 1-4 or 0-2 or 0-1, etc., and not .250, .000, and .000? Is there a minimum at bats to use an average? Is .000 0-at least the minumum?

"On the flip side, Schafer has been anything but. Looking overmatched in the outfield, his .189/.218/.226 line does Minnesota no favors at the plate either. While his speed is valuable, he has been unable to use it struggling to get on base. With just two steals through the first month, it's time Minnesota moves on from Schafer and puts Hicks back in his role. This time however, the big league club should expect it to be different." Schafer has zero steals this year so far, and was caught stealing yet again on Monday night, for 0/3 now for the year. In spring training, he was only succesful in 3 of 6 attempts as well. All that speed and he can't buy a steal so far. He is getting worse at stealing. He did, however have a good night at the plate for a change and made a great diving catch to save a run in the eighth, but he usually looks lost in the outfield with terrible routes to the ball. That inside the park homer the other night was because he just can't seem to gauge where the ball is going.