forweb.jpg)
Jamie Moyer may not be the worst regular starting pitcher in the National League -- five other qualifiers have worse ERAs -- but he's in the running.
Plus he's 47. And now his elbow hurts.
Even if he can avoid ligament replacement surgery -- and I suspect that would be in the offing for a 27-year-old pitcher with this injury, as incomplete as the diagnosis may be -- it's bound to be difficult for him to continue pitching.
His has been an odd, even unique, career. I wrote a column earlier this year marveling at his longevity.
As he said in the piece linked to above, if this is it, he's had a great career.
---
Nice job tonight by Brian Duensing, not so nice from Anthony Slama. I know I'm more skeptical about Slama than a lot of people, but the notion espoused earlier this week by Tom Powers of the Pioneer Press that Slama will soon be closing is just silly.
Can't believe Slama was brought in to protect a lead. What ever happened to easing a rookie into the bullpen rotation? I would've thought Crain could pitch an inning or two. And why have Casilia sacrifice? Idiotic baseball. On the real-time ESPN function on which I watch the game, the Orioles chance of winning increased from 67 to 72% after the sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteChris, Slama was already warming up with the Twins trailing by a run in the sixth inning. This was the normal usage of Alex Burnett, which is basically the role being filled by Slama. Gardy does not like to sit a reliever after warming him up, especially that early in the game. If the Twins had taken the lead in the fourth or fifth innings, I would bet that it would have been Crain and not Slama in the game in the sixth. And it was still just the sixth inning. If Duensing was stretched out, he easily could have allowed another couple runs before being pulled. The problem was not the pitching tonight. Duensing and Slama "combined" for a quality start.
ReplyDelete