In spite of the golden retriever pelt on his face (and his retriever-like enthusiastically-needy personality on Twitter), his rotundness, the endless comments about his "surprising agility", the multitude of Devil Rays' bat boys stories and the notion that there are more interesting options in the mix for the rotation, there exists within us a small flickering light that keeps a little warmth in our heart for Jesse Litsch, a pitcher with a career 4.10 ERA - lower than both Cecil and Morrow's marks - who does not turn 26 until tomorrow.
Often Irreverent, Mostly Rational Blog for Fans of the Toronto Blue Jays. One Day, We'll Be Perfect.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
A One-Sentence Post on...The Inevitability of Litsch Love
In spite of the golden retriever pelt on his face (and his retriever-like enthusiastically-needy personality on Twitter), his rotundness, the endless comments about his "surprising agility", the multitude of Devil Rays' bat boys stories and the notion that there are more interesting options in the mix for the rotation, there exists within us a small flickering light that keeps a little warmth in our heart for Jesse Litsch, a pitcher with a career 4.10 ERA - lower than both Cecil and Morrow's marks - who does not turn 26 until tomorrow.
I'm on board, but I think this is where you and your "same guy" cohort will diverge....
ReplyDeleteIt has to happen eventually. He is the brain, and I'm the heart. Eventually, logic and faith will diverge.
ReplyDeletelistening to Theo Epstein on Rome (through the WGR iOS app) talking about the dangers of paying for past performance. He managed to answer the question honestly and economically. I can only imagine how many sentences it would have taken AA to answer a similar question.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard when listening to Theo not to think about what AA would be able to do with an extra 50 million in annual payroll.
It has to happen eventually. He is the brain, and I'm the heart. Eventually, logic and faith will diverge.
ReplyDeletewasn't this the premise for 4 seasons of Lost?
I have to keep hope alive for Jesse - my fiancee and I were at his first game. As I told her his back-story - young kid, jumping over AAA, father's birthday - she put down the book she'd always brought with her to the park and focused completely on the game for the first time. She's been a fan ever since (and, naturally, Jesse's her favourite player).
ReplyDelete@Mike
ReplyDeleteIn fact, Drew has brought up the Locke/SomeOtherGuy dichotomy before.
I never watched Lost, so I don't get the reference.
anyone else notice something about the Blue Jays this year in regards to guys like Litsch, Reyes, Rommie Lewis and what's being said about them? Can you say hype?
ReplyDeleteI thought ERA was a poor indicator of a pitcher's performance?
ReplyDelete"I thought ERA was a poor indicator of a pitcher's performance?"
ReplyDeleteNot when you throw that many strikes. It might go up with the craptastic corner defense, but so will everyone else's.
But "Jessa-litsch" (as my gal and I refer to him in a bad redneck accent) needs the velocity back up in the high 80s like it was before his surgery, or he's gonna get tonged.
That is an impressive one sentence.
ReplyDeleteI too was at Litsch's first game and he overrode my crushing disappointment at missing Doc. I'm rooting for the guy. I'm also still hoping for something good for Scott Richmond too.
ReplyDeleteI'm rooting for Jesse too.
ReplyDeleteBut like one of the Anonymous users pointed out, he needs to get his velocity back up to pre-surgery levels.
I saw Jesse at the ROM on a date, and I was more into him than my own date!
A baseball player at the ROM? Sounds fishy
ReplyDeleteHey at least you didn't draft Morrow right before the hometown hero who turned out to be one of the best pitchers in baseball. You just sent away League who is nothing more than a mohawk and blown save machine. Plus the nice thing about Litsch is you know what you'll get from him, supreme mediocrity...
ReplyDeleteMitchell,
ReplyDeleteYou're mistaken:
Litsch's last full season was a lot better than mediocre. He looks like a guy who wins hot-dog eating contests, I grant you. But he's a very useful starter when healthly. It's like calling Cecil's last year mediocre.
Cecil 2010:
172IP 15-7 4.22 1.326
Litsch 2008
176 IP 13-9 3.58 1.233
Marcum has a slightly lower WHIP over the same number of innings, but he's also a comparable pitcher. In fact, JL's only bad numbers have come post-surgery.
If he can return to form, he'd be close to the best number 4-5's in baseball.
He's never been bad! Even post Tommy John, he's not been bad! Everybody who hates the guy hates him because he should not be able to continue to have success at this level. I don't care! His shit works, until it stops working, I'm on board.
ReplyDeleteThe Litsch is Back!