Comments on: Let Us Not Speak Of a Sweep http://www.thelosscolumn.com/2008/let-us-not-speak-of-a-sweep/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:01:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: neal s http://www.thelosscolumn.com/2008/let-us-not-speak-of-a-sweep/comment-page-1/#comment-23905 neal s Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:45:47 +0000 http://www.thelosscolumn.com/?p=1421#comment-23905 @ Andrew: fair enough, but what about the fact that we still need one more starter after Penn comes up? It's either find someone for the job or stick with Sarfate. Or go back to Burres. Or go to, I don't know, Cormier? Dipping down into AA may not be the ideal situation but it's not exactly crazy. It's easy enough, if whoever comes up is just way overmatched, to say "Thanks, kid, we appreciate it. You need to work on X/Y/Z -- head back down to Bowie and we'll see you in spring training." @ Andrew: fair enough, but what about the fact that we still need one more starter after Penn comes up? It’s either find someone for the job or stick with Sarfate. Or go back to Burres. Or go to, I don’t know, Cormier?

Dipping down into AA may not be the ideal situation but it’s not exactly crazy. It’s easy enough, if whoever comes up is just way overmatched, to say “Thanks, kid, we appreciate it. You need to work on X/Y/Z — head back down to Bowie and we’ll see you in spring training.”

]]> By: Ryan http://www.thelosscolumn.com/2008/let-us-not-speak-of-a-sweep/comment-page-1/#comment-23902 Ryan Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:07:20 +0000 http://www.thelosscolumn.com/?p=1421#comment-23902 Griffey to Chisox pending his approval. Griffey to Chisox pending his approval.

]]> By: Andrew out of Rochester http://www.thelosscolumn.com/2008/let-us-not-speak-of-a-sweep/comment-page-1/#comment-23901 Andrew out of Rochester Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:00:27 +0000 http://www.thelosscolumn.com/?p=1421#comment-23901 Lost Season. Time for Penn. It makes sense. No sense in rushing - and it would definitely be rushing - Bergensen and Hernandez and letting them know they are an awfully long way away yet. We did the exact same thing to Hayden Penn, and he's taken years to recover. So, it's rushing in the sense that at the start of the year, you say to yourself "I don't want these guys to see Baltimore", and if they do, then you're rushing them up for whatever reason. You can call it "necessary" or "doing what needs to be done", but you're still bring up young arms before you intended to, to help a situation that is, by definition LOST. It's the same reason Wieters isn't up here yesterday. What do we gain, really, and is that worth the high risk associated therein? I don't think so. Hayden Penn, one-time savior of Baltimore, needs to be the next guy. He's on a roll, finally pitching to his potential in Norfolk, he's been to the show already, and we need to know (in my humble opinion) if he's part of The Plan before the end of this year. He could be very valuable, either as a trade chip, a bullpen ace (ala Jimmy the Boat), or a fifth starter or better (uh, well, you never know). One thing is for sure, and I'll debate it since there's little else to talk about today: Sarfate isn't a starter. It was silly to put him in there against the Yankees of all teams, and the results weren't surprising. The guy has good stuff, and it isn't just that he misses his spots, it's that he's horribly wild and can't control his stuff. Lost Season. Time for Penn. It makes sense. No sense in rushing – and it would definitely be rushing – Bergensen and Hernandez and letting them know they are an awfully long way away yet. We did the exact same thing to Hayden Penn, and he’s taken years to recover. So, it’s rushing in the sense that at the start of the year, you say to yourself “I don’t want these guys to see Baltimore”, and if they do, then you’re rushing them up for whatever reason. You can call it “necessary” or “doing what needs to be done”, but you’re still bring up young arms before you intended to, to help a situation that is, by definition LOST. It’s the same reason Wieters isn’t up here yesterday. What do we gain, really, and is that worth the high risk associated therein? I don’t think so.

Hayden Penn, one-time savior of Baltimore, needs to be the next guy. He’s on a roll, finally pitching to his potential in Norfolk, he’s been to the show already, and we need to know (in my humble opinion) if he’s part of The Plan before the end of this year. He could be very valuable, either as a trade chip, a bullpen ace (ala Jimmy the Boat), or a fifth starter or better (uh, well, you never know).

One thing is for sure, and I’ll debate it since there’s little else to talk about today: Sarfate isn’t a starter. It was silly to put him in there against the Yankees of all teams, and the results weren’t surprising. The guy has good stuff, and it isn’t just that he misses his spots, it’s that he’s horribly wild and can’t control his stuff.

]]> By: neal s http://www.thelosscolumn.com/2008/let-us-not-speak-of-a-sweep/comment-page-1/#comment-23885 neal s Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:25:34 +0000 http://www.thelosscolumn.com/?p=1421#comment-23885 Someone has to replace Liz, and I figure that will be Penn. After that I'm much more comfortable with either Hernandez or Bergesen than I am with S'Forty. He looks to me like a textbook mid-late reliever, and while he's got the arm to start I see nothing in his track record to suggest that he'd have sustained success there. Today went pretty much exactly as we all thought it would, no? If there's ever a time to give a AA kid a chance, now is it. If it's Bergesen and he struggles, bring up Hernandez. If it's Hernandez and he struggles, bring up Bergesen. It's not "rushing," it's simply doing what has to be done. Given that there are two guys who have earned a shot we could conceivably ride out the season between them and rethink things come October. Lost Season and all... Someone has to replace Liz, and I figure that will be Penn. After that I’m much more comfortable with either Hernandez or Bergesen than I am with S’Forty. He looks to me like a textbook mid-late reliever, and while he’s got the arm to start I see nothing in his track record to suggest that he’d have sustained success there. Today went pretty much exactly as we all thought it would, no? If there’s ever a time to give a AA kid a chance, now is it.

If it’s Bergesen and he struggles, bring up Hernandez. If it’s Hernandez and he struggles, bring up Bergesen. It’s not “rushing,” it’s simply doing what has to be done. Given that there are two guys who have earned a shot we could conceivably ride out the season between them and rethink things come October.

Lost Season and all…

]]> By: Greg http://www.thelosscolumn.com/2008/let-us-not-speak-of-a-sweep/comment-page-1/#comment-23883 Greg Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:08:51 +0000 http://www.thelosscolumn.com/?p=1421#comment-23883 "He’s got all the physical tools to be an effective starter; like many other young pitchers, he must develop the confidence, the almost arrogance necessary to succeed at this level." Sarfate used to be a starter but has failed at every level to harness that power due to his control-- one of the reasons that he was 1) traded to baltimore 2) and without options. The Astros basically gave up on him and threw him in as a discount. Probably at the urging of Flanagan, who likes shiny things and 97MPH fastballs. Sarfate is Daniel Cabrera 2.0-- I wouldn't catch myself falling into that trap again. If this team is ever a playoff contender, I can guarantee you that Dennis won't be on it. “He’s got all the physical tools to be an effective starter; like many other young pitchers, he must develop the confidence, the almost arrogance necessary to succeed at this level.”

Sarfate used to be a starter but has failed at every level to harness that power due to his control– one of the reasons that he was 1) traded to baltimore 2) and without options. The Astros basically gave up on him and threw him in as a discount. Probably at the urging of Flanagan, who likes shiny things and 97MPH fastballs.

Sarfate is Daniel Cabrera 2.0– I wouldn’t catch myself falling into that trap again. If this team is ever a playoff contender, I can guarantee you that Dennis won’t be on it.

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