Comments on: Blame Game

By: kb

kb — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:40:24 +0000

You have to think they will trade Callapso or Maier for some relief help.

By: chris

chris — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:10:39 +0000

I tell ya…I went to lunch and we were up 5-0, and watched it slowly just disappear sitting at my desk. I blame the bullpen….well, and Hillman. SO WHAT if Parrish pitched the day before…let him at least throw to one batter and see what happens. Until the rest of the bullpen can show some moxy, bring them in for mop up duty when we’re LOSING…not when we’re ahead. We already see where that gets us. As an avid Royals fan since 1975….this just gives me heartburn.

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:53:59 +0000

I’m going to have to say it is not Hillman’s fault at all, and DM gets some blame, but when you have a five run lead, and one out and no one on base, you have to be able to get two outs. Major League pitchers have to able to come through and get outs. If they can’t, they shouldn’t be in the majors. That’s where DM comes through. He brought the guys in and they aren’t performing.

That being said, I think DM has done an excellent job of filling up the minors with pitching prospects and we should see the benefit of that in the next few years. And, I like the approach the team is taking at the plate this year. It’s just hard to root for the players that are new and haven’t come up in the system…
(Guillen just hit another homer, 5-3 Royals, another lead to blow)

This isn’t the forum for this, but DID JOHN BUCK EVER START NINE GAMES IN A ROW? Did he ever start 3, or 4 in a row? He was supposed to be the future at catcher, yet he’d always play two or three games then be benched in favor of guys like Paul Bako or Jason Larue.

By: Doug

Doug — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:22:06 +0000

Long, long, long, long summer!! When do they say goodbye to the entire bullpen and bring up some of the AAA or AA guys? But you don’t want to throw them into this crap either. You want them to gain confidence and knowledge in the minors before coming to the majors plus I don’t know if they could help enough. I say be patient even though it is going to be really hard to take and then make a concerted effort in 2011 or 2012??? Just terrible that a major league pitcher can’t throw a strike and when he does it is a puff ball. You would think we could catch a few breaks but as they say…you make your breaks!!

By: fb0252

fb0252 — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:37:07 +0000

Nice Post!

in general blame GMDM for employing/continuing to employ the most questionable manager in baseball history.

a five minute interview with this dude would indicate to anyone who has any feel for the game and athletics in general that Hillman is totally over his head in MLB.

Is it one of the manager’s hats to understand who in his bull pen has it on the day in question? Total fail. “Managers don’t matter, of course. It’s all on the players”.

By: Ted

Ted — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:22:50 +0000

But at least the Royals are not 0-7. Sucks to be an Astros fan.

Mets fans are probably not too happy either.

By: Ted

Ted — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:21:08 +0000

I blame the entire Royals organization. Something is rotten at the core of this franchise, and losing has somehow become an inevitability. It is sad, and as a long-time Royals fan, I find myself frustrated and untethered.

By: Greg

Greg — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:23:47 +0000

I see what you’re saying Wayland, but I would counter that it is better to bring in Soria to put out that fire because there IS a fire. There may not be one in the 9th.

You need to pitch your best reliever in the toughest spots of the game and while it’s hard to predict when that is, and it USUALLY is in the 9th of a close game, I think it was pretty clear to most observers that once the tying run was at the plate in the 7th there wouldn’t be any more important situation in yesterday’s game.

I believe this ‘fireman’ approach will gain steam when we start seeing Soria come into to ‘get work’ in blowouts because he hasn’t pitched in a week. Would you rather have him get his innings in a high leverage situation in the 7th or a few days later in the 9th when the game is in hand (or, more likely out of hand).

We saw Hillman use Soria in this manner last year and I fully expect him to do it again this year. That’s when there will be no legitimate argument against the ‘fireman’ role supporters. I would be more hesitant to advocate this strategy if our bullpen looked like ’08 bullpen, but it is terrible.

By: Wayland

Wayland — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:57:58 +0000

I don’t think that the Fireman approach would work either. Ya, Soria would most likely be able to get out of the jams that we get in in the 7th and 8th, but then what? As his pitch count rises, who do you bring in during the 8th or 9th inning? We go right back to the rest of the pen that sucks, only now, there may be more pressure on them to close the game.

I don’t think the problem is that Soria is brought in at the wrong time or not brought in. I think that the problem is the supporting cast around Soria.

All off season, I was saying that I didn’t know how our bullpen could end up being any worse than last year. I am seeing just how that is possible this year. I like what someone said about the 16 game mark. If things don’t start clicking by that time, I think we need to move some new arms in and see what they can do.

By: kcghost

kcghost — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:36:22 +0000

The Ramirez and Nunez trades just keep giving and giving. The next dummy at Baseball Prospectus who tells me relievers are “fungible” I am going to tell to kiss my shiny metal tea kettle.

Oh, BTW, there is no relief help available down on the farm.