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Do WORRY about our Closer


S720

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From the last several games, watching Jenks has been kind of scary. It seems like he doesn't have his high-heat velocity like last year. I've seen too many 93, 94, 95 MPH fastballs, and that is not good. Jenks' fastballs are straight with no movement. Hitters will kill him if his curveball or hook does not work.

 

Hopefully, Jenks will get back his 99, 100, 105 MPH fastballs! Only then, I will stop worry about our closer.

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QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ May 10, 2006 -> 10:34 PM)
WTF is the point of a 105 mph fastball if you have no control over it?

 

If Jenks gets his velocity back, he will be a MUCH better closer. It's his bread and butter. His fastballs are just too straight, and at 93MPH, they will be eaten alive by good hitters.

 

QUOTE(fathom @ May 10, 2006 -> 10:39 PM)
In my opinion, the cause of the problem is 18 appearances in 33 games. He shouldn't be used in non-save appearances.

 

Fathom, I understand your point. What I am trying to say is right now Jenks is NOT the Jenks we saw last year. For some reasons, his velocity is dangerously decreasing. I am not sure what causes that. Save or no-save appearances should NOT affect his velocity. If he gets his velocity back, 99 or 100MPH, save or non-save situation would not matter. He would blow his fastballs past the hitters. And he would be most dominant if his hook is working for him.

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It would be nice if it worked out like last year when Hermy did it first half then Jenks.

With pitchers more and more brittle, I entered the year thinking Jenks would not

last all the way through.

Hope I'm wrong.

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QUOTE(S720 @ May 10, 2006 -> 10:31 PM)
From the last several games, watching Jenks has been kind of scary. It seems like he doesn't have his high-heat velocity like last year. I've seen too many 93, 94, 95 MPH fastballs, and that is not good. Jenks' fastballs are straight with no movement. Hitters will kill him if his curveball or hook does not work.

 

Hopefully, Jenks will get back his 99, 100, 105 MPH fastballs! Only then, I will stop worry about our closer.

 

Jenks doesn't have to throw 100 to get guys out.

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Bobby's 2 out of his last 3 outings haven't been great, I'll give you that.

 

But have they resulted in blown saves? Only 1 has, and until he starts recording a few more of those, nothing's going to happen in terms of a move.

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QUOTE(fathom @ May 10, 2006 -> 10:39 PM)
In my opinion, the cause of the problem is 18 appearances in 33 games. He shouldn't be used in non-save appearances.

 

 

I have to agree with you. My concern is using Jenks too much. Remember when Bobby Thigpen set the save record? He wasn't the same pitcher after that, over use of his pitching arm. When it isn't a save situation don't use him. I sure wouldn't have used him tonight.

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It would appear that Jenks is having trouble recently when he comes in during an inning rather than at the beginning. Maybe he just can't get a rhythm going. Tonight his velocity was down, but the ball was probably wet. I guess I can make excuses all day, but the fact is he's only blown one save and has really looked good for the most part.

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QUOTE(fathom @ May 10, 2006 -> 08:39 PM)
In my opinion, the cause of the problem is 18 appearances in 33 games. He shouldn't be used in non-save appearances.

Ya, I've mentioned it a few times, but we have totally overused him and I fear he will be hurt come the post-season if we continue to do so. He needs a few days off so he can regain his command.

 

Late last season he wore down and started blowing some games (his velocity went south as well) and it was because he wasn't getting enough rest. At this stage he still seems to tire if used back to back to back and since thats happened on more than one ocassion this year its gotten him and he needs a few days without work to get that pop back.

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Pretty much this is my thoughts on our bullpen in general.

 

From a stuff standpoint, they all have great stuff.

 

However our bullpen members need to throw strikes. That was Bobbys problem tonight. You get behind, especially with men on, and you know he has to come over the plate. With the rain, he threw one curve to warm up and it was terrible. So at that point he became a one pitch pitcher.

 

Throw strikes, get ahead and they will be a hell of a lot better than they are. Get behind, and we will have bullpen nights like tonight.

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Jenks wasn't a reliever until last season. Its still up in the air how it will affect him. I do think they are overusing him a bit, plus it does look like he's lost a lot of weight since spring training, maybe too much too quickly. He certainly doesn't have last year's velocity, and really no track record to predict continued success. I really don't care about his lack of blown saves. Shingo was 8 for 9 last year in save opportunities, and he was horrible. The ball might have been a little wet, but it really wasn't raining very hard when he was in the game. There are no excuses, I think he would be the first to say he just sucked tonight. I'm sure if Jenks continues to perform like this, KW will do something about it.

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Jenks' main issue has been his inability to control his offspeed stuff.

 

His curve hasn't been thrown for a strike successfully since late 2005.

 

He didn't even have it in the playoffs.

 

Guys know that he can't get that curve over, so they sit on the fastball.

 

 

85, 95, 105... doesn't matter if they know it's coming.

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Jenks seems to be the kind of pithcer who gets pumped up for big situations. He usually throws his hardest and puts the most effort into his pitches when the game is on the line. Stop bringing him into non save situations. I hate it how a team tells a guy he is going to be the closer then they bring him into tie games and even games when we're losing. Keith Foulke had the same problem. He only had three blown saves but they kept bringing him into non save situations and he sucked. I still believe Bobby Jenks is a great "Closer." Just not a great reliever.

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QUOTE(Dick Allen @ May 11, 2006 -> 12:13 AM)
Jenks wasn't a reliever until last season. Its still up in the air how it will affect him. I do think they are overusing him a bit, plus it does look like he's lost a lot of weight since spring training, maybe too much too quickly. He certainly doesn't have last year's velocity, and really no track record to predict continued success. I really don't care about his lack of blown saves. Shingo was 8 for 9 last year in save opportunities, and he was horrible. The ball might have been a little wet, but it really wasn't raining very hard when he was in the game. There are no excuses, I think he would be the first to say he just sucked tonight. I'm sure if Jenks continues to perform like this, KW will do something about it.

 

I think Jenks will be fine. Once he starts faltering in optium conditions I'll worry. It was raining pretty dam good when he was pitching. I don't think he gets a good grip on the ball when it's wet. He has faltered a few times in the rain.

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QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ May 10, 2006 -> 11:23 PM)
Ya, I've mentioned it a few times, but we have totally overused him and I fear he will be hurt come the post-season if we continue to do so. He needs a few days off so he can regain his command.

 

Late last season he wore down and started blowing some games (his velocity went south as well) and it was because he wasn't getting enough rest. At this stage he still seems to tire if used back to back to back and since thats happened on more than one ocassion this year its gotten him and he needs a few days without work to get that pop back.

 

I am not sure why you guys said that Jenks has been overused! He only has 14.2 IP, Cotts 14.1, Logan 9.2, Politte 11.2, BMAC 19.

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I just think when you get into that 100 range, a lot of sins can be forgiven. Bobby never has had pinpoint control, but it didn't hurt him too much last year since hitters simply didn't have time to react to the location of the pitch. He blew guys away up and down in the zone, even when they guessed fastball (remember Bagwell?). I think there is a point where the pitch can simply be too fast to physically react to. There comes a point where there is just not enough time to identify the pitch and perform the swing.

 

SFF

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