The Ginger Kid Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 SURPRISE, Ariz. – With the Rangers' 13-7 rout of the defending AL West champs Sunday, notice has officially been served: If the Angels keep throwing Sean O'Sullivan out there, Josh Hamilton may decapitate him. Unfortunately, if the Rangers want to continue to take advantage of Mr. O'Sullivan, it'll have to happen in Little Rock, if not Rancho Cucamonga. Still, Sunday's developments were good for Rangers fans. Not only is the Angels' pitching staff in disarray, but Brandon McCarthy didn't end up in traction, either. McCarthy went four innings as scheduled, three more than he went all last spring. He was effective, giving up six hits but only two runs and no walks before retreating to the back lot, where he threw 70 more pitches to the Rangers' minor leaguers. "He used all his pitches," Ron Washington said, "and he hung in there." On a day when Hamilton mashed two home runs and Elvis Andrus showed everyone why Michael Young now plays third, it might be easy to overlook McCarthy's effort. But get this straight: If McCarthy remains healthy and pitches to his potential, it'd rank as the most important development of his career and maybe the Rangers' season. He's certainly doing his part so far. He put on nearly 30 pounds this winter, and the steroids police need not be alerted. He did it on a 7,000-calorie-a-day diet. Eat a meal, drink a shake. Drink a shake, eat a meal. Pour syrup liberally. The John Daly diet inflated him to 225 pounds, which sounds like a lot until you realize he's 6-7. They say giraffes weigh up to 3,000 pounds, too. More to the point, Brandon, is the extra weight helping any? "The wind was blowing pretty good out on the back field," he deadpanned, "and I didn't rock as much." The quick wit is only one of the reasons you might pull for McCarthy this season. For all still offended that Jon Daniels got him for John Danks – and I never liked trading a promising lefty – it wasn't his idea. But it was his burden. And it continues to be as Danks developed into Chicago's most consistent pitcher last year, to the point that he recently turned down a four-year, $15.5 million deal. Meanwhile, McCarthy's progress has been buffeted by all manner of injuries as well as overanalysis. He's a smart kid. Smart enough to finally realize he couldn't keep throwing his big overhand curve to major leaguers. Given the chance to blame umpires for refusing to call it a strike, he passed. At his altitude, the curve started out so high, hitters saw it coming a block away. He fished around for another breaking ball and came up with a slider, which he used to some benefit Sunday. McCarthy also benefits from the counsel of his new pitching coach, Mike Maddux, who keeps things simple and repeats himself. Brandon McCarthy was able to start just five games last season for the Texas Rangers. Case in point: After the third inning – in which McCarthy gave up two runs on a double, a pair of one-out singles and a sacrifice fly, then gave up a 900-foot tall foul ball to Vlad Guerrero before striking him out with that new slider – Maddux gave his starter a goal for the fourth. How few pitches can you get away with? McCarthy wanted to make it under 20. The goal in any start is 15 an inning. He did it in 12. "His point was made," McCarthy said. "It's not so much the number of pitches, but let's attack guys. "You don't have to be perfect." No, not perfect. If McCarthy throws 200 innings and wins 12 or 13 games, it'll be the Rangers' most significant development in years. Derek Holland and Neftali Feliz must pitch for the big club this season if the Rangers want to be serious contenders next year. But first the Rangers must identify a solid young starter from the group already on hand. Someone who's maybe looking like a pitcher, not the "before" photo in an old Charles Atlas ad. "If you can't see my collarbone anymore," McCarthy says, "that's success." Dallas Morning News Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBAHO Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 7000 calories a day!? Wow that's a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Hopefully the kid can make it. He'll always have fans here on Soxtalk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxFan562004 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 my fantasy league has a ridiculously deep bench and I picked him up as a flyer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitetrain8601 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Wow, so no more curve ball for BMac? I remember when everyone on here was slurping him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 02:55 PM) Wow, so no more curve ball for BMac? I remember when everyone on here was slurping him. With good reason, he had excellent stuff. I wonder if he'd have been able to stay healthier with a different training/coaching staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goober Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I wonder if he ate a bunch of Big Macs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwerty Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 QUOTE (Tmar @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 06:17 PM) I wonder if he ate a bunch of Big Macs I would like to know how you have been robbed five years straight of the poster of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 QUOTE (DBAHO @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 12:11 PM) 7000 calories a day!? Wow that's a lot. I despise all naturally skinny f***ers that have to eat that much to put on minimal weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostfan Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 07:32 PM) I despise all naturally skinny f***ers that have to eat that much to put on minimal weight. lol. I'm one of them. My metabolism is slowing down as I approach 30 though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny Hates Prospects Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Man that trade was such a steal, and lol on the Rangers thinking he's going to be better by taking away his curveball. Check out his delivery. It doesn't matter what they do, he's going to have a hard time staying healthy. Wish Brandon the best though. He was huge for us down the stretch in 2005. Rarely do you see rookies come in and absolutely dominate the way he did against Boston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I would like to know how you have been robbed five years straight of the poster of the year. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Tim is the f***ing man. And I've always liked B-Mac. Still think he has a chance, and I've already been on record as saying I would LOVE to have him back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitetrain8601 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 05:57 PM) With good reason, he had excellent stuff. I wonder if he'd have been able to stay healthier with a different training/coaching staff. He had one excellent pitch. He had an average fastball and a terrible changeup that they were trying to develop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 11:34 AM) He had one excellent pitch. He had an average fastball and a terrible changeup that they were trying to develop. A terrible changeup? That thing was unhittable when he had it working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitetrain8601 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 02:22 PM) A terrible changeup? That thing was unhittable when he had it working. Nope, all he had was that curve. They were trying to develop a change and add movement to his fastball and I believe even add a cut fastball. The changeup rarely worked and it really wasn't that effective for the most part. As far as learning the other stuff, the Sox just got sick of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caulfield12 Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 McCarthy was cursed with a very flat fastball, which is suicide at 89-93 MPH. When he got his offspeed stuff over and could get ahead in the counts, like Contreras when he's using the FA/Fork combination, he can be absolutely devastating in stretches with just two pitches, but that didn't happen enough. Then there's the health and mechanical concerns with that delivery of his, a little less violent and herky jerky but still reminiscent of MacDougal in slow motion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschmaranz Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 He's just glad to be playing in a place with colder weather... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 Actually he had a lot of trouble throwing his plus curve in the majors and it was his changeup that he was using so well in 2005. It was a fairly new pitch but I had talked to scouts and others very familiar with the situation and they would always rave about how quick McCarthy's change turned into a plus pitch. His fastball was always mediocre but the combo with the change and curve along with very good command was what made him a potential front of the rotation guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodAsGould Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 02:30 PM) Nope, all he had was that curve. They were trying to develop a change and add movement to his fastball and I believe even add a cut fastball. The changeup rarely worked and it really wasn't that effective for the most part. As far as learning the other stuff, the Sox just got sick of him. I remember it quite differently, his changeup was his most raw pitch of the 3 but it seemed pretty devastating when he had it working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goober Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 (edited) QUOTE (qwerty @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 06:21 PM) I would like to know how you have been robbed five years straight of the poster of the year. Amen to that. Probably just because people hate the favorite(me) and love the underdog(all them others). ... Edited April 3, 2009 by Tmar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 QUOTE (Tmar @ Apr 3, 2009 -> 12:22 PM) Amen to that. Probably just because people hate the favorite(me) and love the underdog(all them others). ... don't hate the player, hate the game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goober Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 3, 2009 -> 03:41 PM) don't hate the player, hate the game I actually was going to post that originally but I decided against it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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