Jim French Stepstool
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Everything posted by Jim French Stepstool
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That's a great comp. Not that they're similar pitchers, but Burnes was lights-out in '18 as a 2-3 inning guy & then struggled big time in '19 when starting. The problem with Miz is I don't see much good in using him out of the pen because you just can't risk him coming in & walking people. He's had bad stretches in the minor leagues, then suddenly throws 5 or 6 innings with a walk or two. I think he needs to be given a chance to work through this for at least one or two more starts. Good news is you're a little less than a week away from having an extra arm that you can maybe hold back for his starts in case there's trouble. Which leads me to my annual rant about how much I hate the 9-1 expansion of the active roster to only 28. Yes, 40 was ridiculous. But 30 or 31 would be much better.
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Ok that's cool. But I'm sure you know, no reliever is going to be used the day after throwing 34 pitches.
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But his max velo Sunday was 101. And he walked one, and IMO it wasn't from being wild but rather trying to get Lee to chase out of the zone & if not, than face the RHH. The strategy didn't work. Closers sometimes don't close out games. If anything I'd pan him for the WP Friday, and not going higher with the FB to Chapman leading off the 9th on Sunday. I just don't think the recent blown saves have anything to do with being overworked.
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Yes. In conversations like this Wood needs to be mentioned ahead of Miller IMO.
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It's been mentioned a few times that he'd like to go back to starting. He certainly has the pitch assortment to do it. If he can comfortably maintain everything through a minimum of 80-85 throws it'll probably happen. Personally I like him in the once-through the order role, kinda like what Hader did when he first came up.
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The chances of Yoho getting important innings (say 6th or 7th), in 2025, is next to zero. It would take multiples of IL stints and/or meltdowns. But the chances of that happening with McGee are even less. So you leave Yoho where he is & give him regular work., in the role he's succeeded in throughout most of his pro career. You don't want him coming up here & sitting. McGee you don't mind doing that to.
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Did anyone else notice in some of Ashbys' recent outings the problem he had throwing to bases on batted balls or pickoffs? I wondered if opponents would be on top of that & sure enough, the first three hitters he faced at least had the thought of laying one down. In the future it might be an issue when you combine it with Durbin at 3B having to rely much more on the quick release than arm strength. As for Durbin, yeah, it's time. Give him a day every six games or so if he needs it but other than that the job needs to be his. I think the Brewers gave up the 5-run inning on purpose, so the tack-on run in the 8th inning wouldn't be deemed meaningless.
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Yeah, whatever the reason I'd like to know what it is. Frelick on top & Turang lower seemed to be something they've settled into. Now----??
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I don't think he's been overused. He certainly was stressed yesterday due to a lot of pitches fouled off in addition to the baserunners. But in August he had five days off in a row, then back-to-back appearances, then four days off before working 3 out of the last 4. Before yesterday, he's had only one inning over 20 pitches (22) since just after July 4th.
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Agree re Friday. Lockridge certainly didn't help him with a poor decision on what should've been a single and if you look at the INF hit it was a grounder to 2B if not touched. The WP of course is on him. Sunday, I don't know if it was not throwing breaking balls for strikes, or simply staying mostly with the FB on purpose. There were a LOT of balls fouled off, and watching Chapmans' first handful of ABs since a long layoff, there's no way I'd expect him to hit the hard FB but unfortunately it needed to be at the top of the zone & wasn't. To answer the question at the top, no I don't think at this time it's cause for concern. He'll certainly have some time off after throwing 30 pitches yesterday, or whatever it was.
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Yes, and there was a circus catch in CF by Lee, plus a nice grab by Lee of a sinking liner besides the balls hit by Vaughn. I really don't see a whole lot of difference in the quality of the ABs in the last week compared to earlier; just some of the results. Plate discipline more often than not is still there too. Short starts recently is a bigger concern of mine, along with the position player group getting healthy & closer to full strength. Unfortunately they're a little behind the 8-ball for a day or two with Uribe & Megill having to extend the pitch counts on Sunday.
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Boy, that looks like a young Bill Schroeder next to him but then it couldn't be '79. After cheating, I see it's Buck Martinez.
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Yep. This is a gray-area decision, and I already said I'd have let Durbin hit. Both have a propensity to reach w/o the aid of a hit, maybe Durbin a little less so recently. Seigler took a couple very close ones on the final two pitches. Could've gotten both calls but often umpires seem to split the difference on back-to-back pitches like that. Obviously would've liked to see Contreras come to the plate.
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I dunno. From what I see Jansen makes more than IKF this year & they acquired him. And you would think Pittsburgh would eat some of the salary already factored into their books in exchange for a prospect or two, esp since he's going to be a FA. It's just very strange to me.
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I've watched him since he's been here, and IMO they are. That doesn't mean he's been successful (he mostly hasn't) or that they couldn't have done better than him at the deadline (we suspect so but unless we're sitting in the war room on 8/1 we don't know enough to be certain).
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😫 STOP BEING REASONABLE!!!!!😫
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When, exactly, were we eliminated in the playoffs?
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On the surface Megill threw too many FBs. But Chapman showed absolutely no proclivity to get on top of anything hard yesterday or today, and hits a FB for a double. And with Ramos on deck (0-4) I could see Lee being---not pitched around, but certainly stay away from anything he can barrel. Then with the bases loaded, of course Ramos hits one hard in a R vs R matchup. Don't even get me started on Matos. Two HRs & almost a 3rd this weekend. Got him to hit one on the ground? No worries, son, that'll find a hole too. It was his world all weekend.
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IF Frelick was trying to pick up a SB there, you get a little bit of an edge w/a LHH at the plate. But I don't think he was ever going.
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Yes, but two hits today. It's not the slam dunk call many probably think, but I'd have stayed with Durbin.
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Mona is fine when you look around at utility guys on other rosters. But I'd really love to have a serious sit down with someone in the FO about Kiner-Falefa & if they inquired about him. He's in his last year, Pittsburgh is going nowhere, and it isn't like we were outbid for him because he's still with the Pirates. And it makes little sense to think they'd want to keep him for the last two months. Plus he can play 3B & SS. Unless he's some kind of clubhouse pariah I don't get it. At this point in his career he isn't a world-beater but was the closest thing to a Hairston JR or Ray Durham-type pickup. These FO guys don't miss a trick; they do this for a living. Had to be a reason. I'd just like to know what it was.
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I can just imagine what some of the posts look like on here. I'll just bring up something from my college hoops fandom. There have been times when my team is playing a tough game on the road, has a lead, and the home team is making a run. Honestly, my reaction is often along the lines of 'good, it's a character builder. Let's see how they respond.' Different age group, different sport, but there are similarities. The worst thing about today is you used your 8th & ninth inning guys, they were both extended--largely through no fault of their own AFA command is concerned--and lost the game. Outside of the way he worked Adames, who suddenly seems to have some plate discipline, Patrick was pretty good. I didn't like Jansens' AB with the runner on 2nd & no one out, and while Lockridge is very capable in CF Perkins is elite. You could ask why he wasn't out there late. May or may not have made a difference.
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Yeah, in the world of sports fandom there are some real case studies, that's for sure. But it takes all kinds.
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That's up to each individual. I mean, I read an earlier post that claims we need this & that team to beat Chicago to 'save our season'. And that's with a six (or seven, whatever) game lead. Save. Our. Season. Isn't that something you hear from a fan base whose team is DOWN X number of games? I'm concerned about the teams' health, like we all should be. And they need more length from their starters. Beyond that, the team has gone 3-5 after a hot streak unlike any this franchise has ever seen. Predicting a cooling off period after the way they've played would rank right up there with predicting the sun to rise in the east; it was going to happen. If the lead were to shrink to a few games, the only thing that matters is how they respond to it. That, and health, is much more important than scoreboard watching.
