3/22/04 game

[southsider2k5]

Why is that rich?  As long as he can pitch like he has in ST, why can't he be the closer?

So you want to give the guy the closers role becuase he has given up a run in 6 IP against mostly B rate competition? You're kidding right? He was horrible when he was up here last year, and that was mostly in easy mop up work, as they avoided pitching him in any pressure situations. In AAA he has a career era of almost 5 in about 300 innings of work. There are probably at least 5 guys who should close ahead of Jon Adkins.

[Steff]

I dunno about that Steff...before yesterday, like i said earlier, Koch has actually presented pretty good control. Actually, he has been spotting his off-speed stuff quite well. I have confidence that he can control his stuff if he is throwing 93-95. If Billy knows he can get it back to 97+, I fear that he will start the "I'll throw it by you" mentality, and we'll see some screaming lasers going out the other way.

OK.

[Al Lopez Ghost (old)]

Can I just reitterate that Closer is the most overrated position in all of sport.

Until you don't have one.

[elrockinMT]

QUOTE (rafacosta @ Mar 22 2004, 07:17 PM)

He was pitching well with a 92-94 fastball and was locating the pitches, when he tries to to pitch 97-100, he loses his control and struggles. I think his 3 runs in one inning today was mainly because of this.

 

QUOTE (The Critic:)

 

I agree.

I think today was probably a test of the heater, just to see where the MPH are at.

Koch needs to throw that gas for effect now, not as an out pitch. Whip one out of the zone, better off throwing it too high, just to give the hitter something to think about and "change the eye level". Then throw something offspeed low and get them to chase. Nothing earth-shattering, but it can be effective.

 

I listened to the game on MLB radioand granted the announcers were pretty bad, but what you both mention is exactly what they said about Koch. The liked the velocity, but said he left the fastball up and one hitter got around on it and other pitches he couldn't locate. He did K the last hitter on 3 pitches and they commented on his "wicked slider." Brian McRae said Koch didn't look bad to him and might have been trying to work on some area or particular pitch. I am not to worried at this point about Billy. Now Shingo is a different story. He did get one right handed batter, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights with Shingo's pitches wand took a called third strike. Announcers said the pitch was "wicked." They like that word.

[KipWellsFan]

Until you don't have one.

By the end of the 2001 and 2003 World Series' Arizona and Florida really didn't even use their closers. So in playoffs I don't think the closer role is that important.

 

Although, I do think your point has relevance when it comes to the regular season. I think you have to have one guy in the closer role, but that one guy definitely doesn't have to be the second coming.

[YASNY]

Why is that rich?  As long as he can pitch like he has in ST, why can't he be the closer?

Sure. Give the closer's role to a freakin' rookie based on a grand total of 6 spring training innings pitched. Sounds like a plan to me.

[Rex Hudler]

Allow me to split the difference on this one. No I don't think Adkins is our closer, nor should he be the closer this year (unless the bottom completely falls out of our bullpen).

 

However, I do think short relief is a better suited role for Adkins based on what I have been told about him. His future, if he can put it all together, is likely as a setup man or potentially a closer.