We probably don't need to say this game in and game out, and since we'd like to preserve precious resources (of time, energy, and psychological fortitude), we're offering you a reusable blog item that you can refer to after most games. Feel free to clip the following out and put it in your wallet for future reference:(Clip along the dotted line)
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"The Jays' bullpen really looked bad out there last night."
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(Clip along the dotted line)
Excuses, apologia, and the GoBau! movement
Because our mancrush on Brett Cecil and his Thrilling Thunderous Thighs remains strong, and because we fear that we may have jinxed him with our ruminations on his ace-dom, we won't discuss the six runs that he gave up, nor will we give much of an airing to the fact that this was his second cruddy start in a row and his ERA has just popped up over 4.00.
Instead, we'll focus on José Bautista and his two mammoth home runs. GoBau! Ballots for Bautista, yo! Get your vote in now!
It's becoming completely pointless to even discuss Cito's bullpen management, but why would you use Shawn Camp for one inning, and immediately follow that by using Jason Frason for two innings? Unless it was an honest mistake: "Hey Bruce, let's use one kid, the short one with the funny ears, for one inning. Then we'll use that other kid for the next two, you know, the short one with the funny ears."
ReplyDeleteAlso, crazy coincidence time: you used the words "Clip and Save" in a post about the bullpen the night after the Nationals had a promotion called "Clipp and Save Night" in celebration of the surprisingly solid 8th and 9th inning guys in their own bullpen. That's pretty neato, unless you were aware of said promotion, in which case I guess it's not such a crazy coincidence after all.
ReplyDeleteTy, I have no problem with Camp coming in for one inning, the 6th, of a 6-2 ball game. I don't. And take this for what it's worth, about Camp:
ReplyDeletePitch 1-15: 27.1 IP, 0.33 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, .176 BAA
Pitch 16-30: 9.0 IP, 9.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, .286 BAA
Camp is, this season, clearly superior when he's not given the opportunity to throw more than 15 pitches. He threw 10 last night, 7 for strikes, and got out of the inning 1-2-3.
I'm as frustrated as you by Jason Frasor; he's nothing like what he was last year. But that game was lost by Cecil, not Cito.
It's a crazy coincidence. And therefore, it is Neat-O Mosquito.
ReplyDeleteeyebleaf, it's not that I don't trust Camp -- he's actually my favourite member of the Jays bullpen -- but I've been operating under the impression that one of his biggest strengths is his ability to pitch multiple innings, and my gripe was that Cito should have stuck with him for more than just 10 pitches. Looking at those stats, though, I guess my eyes have been deceiving me.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, bullpen management notwithstanding, the game was already lost before either of those guys came in to pitch. I was just mostly baffled by the idea of using your two-inning guy for one inning, and your one-inning guy for two innings all of a sudden.
Ty: Camp's been NAILS. After your comment I was interested to see how many times he's gone two innings; he's done it 5 times, by my count. But as his pitch breakdown shows, he's much better in short spurts. As for Frasor, you're right: it was a wacky move to leave him in. That was his first two innings appearance all season.
ReplyDeleteFrasor's splits are strange.
April: 9.2 IP, 8.38 ERA, 2.59 WHIP, .370 BAA.
May: 11 IP, 0.82 ERA (only 1 earned run!!1), 0.73 WHIP, .167 BAA
June: 7.2 IP, 8.22 ERA, 2.22 WHIP, .324 BAA
Perhaps Cito was giving him a chance to work out some kinks last night. Trying to get him back to the GLORY days of May. Damn Sausage King.
@ Tao: You order your Camp jersey yet, or what?
I had a moment this weekend where I heard someone mention Camp as a potential closer, and I thought "That's not the craziest thing I ever heard."
ReplyDeleteSo I guess that means I'm coming around.
I liked the idea of Camp as closer until somebody else pointed out that he's a ground ball machine and he's most useful coming on with runners on base to induce double plays like nobody's business - if he was closing games, he wouldn't have the chance to do that anymore, I'm not sure I trust anybody else in the bullpen in those types of situations anymore.
ReplyDeleteAlright. It's settled. Camp is the designated ground ball machine.
ReplyDeleteI MISS ROY
ReplyDeleteFrom the Bleacher Report:
ReplyDeleteRed Sox.
Needs: Backup Short Stop (defensive specialist), Bullpen, and a veteran fourth Outfielder.
...
Targets: Toronto's John McDonald could be the perfect defensive specialist for Boston but good luck getting the Jays to trade him.
What? A team would need luck to get us to trade Johnny Mac?
The Blue Jays love Johnny Mac with such an irrational passion that I doubt they'd deal him for Pujols, Hanley or Strasburg.
ReplyDeleteOh, and sorry for referring to the team as "us." I realize that offends certain quarters of Jays followers -- both professional and amateur.
ReplyDelete