It's 6:18 a.m., and I need to get ready for work, so I'll make this quick.I don't miss Matt Capps. I considered him to be overrated even when his stats were exemplary. Plus, he's fat. (not that there's anything wrong with that)
But holy freaking crap...Octavio Dotel has been awful. I can see having an ERA around 4.00 because of a bad outing or two.
Dude's ERA is 10.61. For those of you who don't understand ERA, that means he allows 10.61 runs per 9 innings of pitching. Allow me to translate: he sucks. Bad.
It should be noted, too, that last night it was Evan Meek who saved the game for the Bucs vs. the Dodgers. Pirates led 2-0 in the 9th, and Meek got the nod. (Evan Meek has been a monster this season so far. His ERA is .060)
That's not exactly a glowing endorsement of Dotel by his manager, regardless of what excuses they'll probably use in today's newspapers. I guess he can't blow the game for you if you don't ask him to pitch. Believe it or not, John Russell made the right call last night.
Buccos are now 10-12.
When I read this, I thought I was at Bob Smizik's blog or reading a comment on the PBC blog. You need to do better..
ReplyDeleteI have to side with Bird on this one. All three of us probably want Meek to be the closer. But there's two reasons he isn't.
ReplyDelete1) Dotel is probably the same pitcher he's always been. He strikes out 10 guys per 9 innings. He'll probably end the year with a 3.50-4.00 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. He's OK as a closer but not great.
2) Meek has only 15 innings as proof that he's better while Dotel and his 779 career innings are pretty much a known commodity. Meek was almost as good last year (3.45 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) as Dotel has been for his career. He doesn't strike out as many hitters, which always brings more luck into play. That's not what you want when the game is on the line, so he's not a prototypical closer. If he continues to be "lights out," striking out a guy per inning and allowing less than one baserunner per inning, you give him the job. But 15 innings does not a monster make.
Dotel has given up 11 runs in 9 innings. That's bad. But he'll be a mediocre barn door the rest of the way for the dilapidated stable of horses Russel trots out there before him. Why shove Meek into the role at first glimpse of dominating stuff? Let him grow into a monster you can count on, and then give him the job.
The sky is not falling because of Octavio Dotel, Anthony. You're complaining about a rain cloud after the hurricane of last year's trades wiped out the trailer park.
Great, now I'm depressed.
I live in a "what have you done for me lately" world. Just ask my wife.
ReplyDeleteBut since you two don't, I am personally ordering you both Trevor Hoffman jerseys. He's had a better career as a closer than Dotel has (by far), and he was pretty dominant last year, too.
It must follow that he'll be great this year. He just needs to weather the current storm.