Monday, April 14, 2008
The Bridge To Nowhere
Yeah, who needs a bridge like Joba when Ian Kennedy can pitch into the 7th with a 7-2 lead...and then watch it disappear into the black hole of a bullpen we've been struggling to overcome for the last five or so years. Yes! Let's make Joba a starter so he can pitch 7 innings, leave with a five run lead...and then watch it disappear into the black hole of a bullpen that would be left. Yes!
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5 comments:
Once again, no one on here is proposing that Joba become the starter tomorrow. In fact, I think most of us are very happy having him as the bridge this year. I would hope that before next season the Yankees would address the bullpen by either settling on promising kids who have worked out the kinks during the 2008 season or selectively acquiring a few solid relievers through trade or free agency.
Joba will be extremely valuable this year out of the pen and hopefully he will be even more valuable next year as a dominant starter.
Michael, every inning counts. A starter gives you 200. A reliever gives you 70.
While the later innings may be more pressure packed, any runs scored still count the same as those in the first inning.
So yes, if Joba leaves with a 5 run lead and the bullpen blows it I am ok with that, because its not going to happen more than once or twice a season.
I'm with Pete on this. I'd rather find someone to fill Joba's role...because you CAN'T find anyone to fill that role in the rotation if he's as good as they think he will be.
Oh I'm repeating myself. A great bridge can impact three or four games a week. A starter can only win one. Great relievers do not necessarly equal great starters and if someone is THE BEST IN BASEBALL at their position and you've been unable to find anyone even decent for the last eight years and now you have someone, why would you risk damaging their mental toughness and throw away a year of huge ego-building and perfect training for the closer role by throwing them into the starter rotation? Mo will be done in two or three seasons and we'll need a closer. Does it really seem smart to push Joba from bridge to starter (in spring training) to bridge (where he's the best in baseball) back to starter next season and then bridge two years later? The guy is clearly born for that adrenaline rush of coming in and challenging. Not broke. Don't fix. If we couldn't find a solid bridge for eight years, why do you imagine we'll suddenly discover one next year to replace Joba?
Generally, I have hardly ever agreed with Michael as he is the dumb child in our family but in this case, I have to go with him. In the innings that Joba pitched this year in spring ball (granted it is spring), he did not show me much as far as having the makeup (mental and array of pitches) that would warrant moving him to a starter. I would rather have him affect 40+ games as a bridge than possibly 20 as a starter.
Actually, every inning doesn't count. Personal stats and ERAs and a pitcher's individual win-loss record bore me and are meaningless. The only stat that matters is GAMES WON. Period. A shut-em-down bridge can bring the hammer down on three games a week. A top starter can only win one game a week. And without a strong bridge and closer, even a top starter can't guarantee a win except for the 10-15 games a yar they pitch a complete game. Even going seven full innings and leaving with a lead is meaningless without the bridge. Who cares about how many innings we squeeze out of a pitcher? A starter can throw six innings every five days and contribute to one win. A bridge can throw six innings every five days and lock in two or three wins. Which stat matters? The number of games the team wins. Nothing else.
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