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Bullpen arms need relief
By Scott Bordow, Tribune
The quality of work by Diamondbacks relievers this year has been cause for alarm.
So, too, should be the amount of work they’re getting.
There’s concern within the organization that manager Bob Brenly’s frequent and sometimes illogical use of his bullpen could result in long-term injury problems for some of Arizona’s most prized arms.
To wit:
• The slight 5-foot-10, 178-pound Mike Koplove was used in 28 of the Diamondbacks’ first 48 games, the 28 appearances tying him for second among major league pitchers. This, after spending two stints on the disabled list last year and undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder last September.
Koplove’s agent, Don Mitchell, recently phoned Arizona general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. to express his concerns.
• Oscar Villarreal broke the National League rookie record for appearances in 2003, pitching in 86 games.
He’s now on the disabled list with elbow problems, although the Diamondbacks believe his injury was caused by throwing too hard while playing a game of catch with Matt Mantei this spring.
• Rookie Brian Bruney threw 138 pitches in five games over an eight-day span before he was placed on the disabled list with inflammation in his right elbow.
The tough question: Is Brenly risking tomorrow to win today?
"I think this is something you always want to monitor," Garagiola said. "Certainly with a young pitcher, you always try to balance when he’s having success, wanting to run him out there, against overusing them."
To be fair, Brenly has been forced to use his relievers more than he’d like because Arizona’s starters aren’t working deep into games.
Ageless Randy Johnson is the exception, averaging seven innings per outing. But the five other Diamondbacks who’ve made starts — Brandon Webb, Steve Sparks, Casey Daigle, Casey Fossum and Elmer Dessens — have lasted an average of 5 1/3 innings, through Friday.
"I wish we could send our starter out there every night, he’d go seven or eight innings, and we’d bring our bullpen in for situations where they can do their best," Brenly said. "But with the exception of the 2001 season, when we had a bunch of starters get us deep into games, we’ve had to patch three, four or five innings a night out of the bullpen. I’m not going to lie to you. It’s a struggle."
That said, the frequency with which Brenly calls for his relievers is troubling.
Five relievers — Koplove, Villarreal, Bruney, Mantei and Randy Choate — have been used three consecutive days this season.
The Diamondbacks purchased Jose Parra’s contract on April 30, 2002. Brenly asked him to pitch five straight days and six of seven. After that, said one team official, Parra was "done."
Last year, Koplove pitched four of five days (May 23, 25, 26, 27), went on the disabled list and, upon his return, was called on again four out of five days (June 14, 15, 17, 18). He then headed back to the disabled list for the rest of the season.
If the Diamondbacks’ pitchers are being overworked, pointing a finger at Brenly alone is unfair, Garagiola said.
"What aggravates me from time to time is what I would almost describe as the passivity of the player," the Diamondbacks’ GM said. "We tell them in spring training, we tell them constantly during the season, it is not a badge of shame to let the pitching coach know you need a day off.
"But if the pitching coach checks with them daily, and their answer is, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine,’ when their arm is hurt, then it’s shame on everybody."
The problem, of course, is that young pitchers are reluctant to tell the manager or pitching coach they’re tired for fear of being labeled, Mitchell said, "as a guy who doesn’t want to take the ball."
Tied into the concern of how often Brenly uses his relievers is when he uses them.
In the final six weeks of the 2003 season, Villarreal, despite his heavy workload, was brought into games when Arizona was ahead 11-4, and trailing 7-3, 5-1, 5-2, 4-0, and 6-3.
Koplove has been the Diamondbacks’ most effective set-up man this season, yet last Tuesday Brenly used him in the eighth inning when Arizona trailed Florida, 8-3.
"I would think you’d want the guys throwing the best to be available in tight situations," Mitchell said.
Brenly’s reasoning: "It was one of the best days offensively we had swinging the bats all season. I still felt we had a chance to win the ballgame."
Five runs down in the eighth inning? That’s seeing the bright side on the dark side of the moon.
Koplove’s appearance in what essentially was a mop-up role prompted Mitchell to phone Garagiola.
"I was trying to get some feedback on whether or not a player I represent will continue to be used in certain situations, so I can give him advice to help him understand a little better why he’s being used in those situations," Mitchell said.
Brenly bristled at Mitchell’s interference.
"I understand their concern for their client’s health and welfare, but make no mistake about it, if there was an incentive clause for games pitched or innings pitched, they’d be standing there with a bottle of aspirin, Ben Gay and a bullwhip to get their guy out there," Brenly said.
At his current pace, Koplove would pitch in 94 games, 39 more than his previous season high. The major league record is 106, set by Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Mike Marshall in 1974. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Paul Quantrill led the National League in appearances last year with 89.
Koplove’s workload is particularly curious considering Diamondbacks’ management told Brenly in the offseason to be careful how often he used the right-handed reliever.
In fact, one of the reasons Arizona went to a 12-man bullpen was to lay off some of the work Koplove and Villarreal had been getting.
"We’ve only had to pitch him back-to-back-to-back once," Brenly said of Koplove. "Even though he’s appeared in a lot of games, he’s had a day in-between or two days inbetween. I’d like to use him less, but sometimes it’s unavoidable."
"I have no problem with the way things are going," Koplove said. "I’ll take the ball from them as long as I’m healthy."
Brenly knows his pitchers best. And his charge is to win games, not play doctor. But he has raised eyebrows in the front office and inside the clubhouse.
Perhaps this is a false alarm.
But that it’s ringing is instructive.
Bullpen arms need relief
By Scott Bordow, Tribune
The quality of work by Diamondbacks relievers this year has been cause for alarm.
So, too, should be the amount of work they’re getting.
There’s concern within the organization that manager Bob Brenly’s frequent and sometimes illogical use of his bullpen could result in long-term injury problems for some of Arizona’s most prized arms.
To wit:
• The slight 5-foot-10, 178-pound Mike Koplove was used in 28 of the Diamondbacks’ first 48 games, the 28 appearances tying him for second among major league pitchers. This, after spending two stints on the disabled list last year and undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder last September.
Koplove’s agent, Don Mitchell, recently phoned Arizona general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. to express his concerns.
• Oscar Villarreal broke the National League rookie record for appearances in 2003, pitching in 86 games.
He’s now on the disabled list with elbow problems, although the Diamondbacks believe his injury was caused by throwing too hard while playing a game of catch with Matt Mantei this spring.
• Rookie Brian Bruney threw 138 pitches in five games over an eight-day span before he was placed on the disabled list with inflammation in his right elbow.
The tough question: Is Brenly risking tomorrow to win today?
"I think this is something you always want to monitor," Garagiola said. "Certainly with a young pitcher, you always try to balance when he’s having success, wanting to run him out there, against overusing them."
To be fair, Brenly has been forced to use his relievers more than he’d like because Arizona’s starters aren’t working deep into games.
Ageless Randy Johnson is the exception, averaging seven innings per outing. But the five other Diamondbacks who’ve made starts — Brandon Webb, Steve Sparks, Casey Daigle, Casey Fossum and Elmer Dessens — have lasted an average of 5 1/3 innings, through Friday.
"I wish we could send our starter out there every night, he’d go seven or eight innings, and we’d bring our bullpen in for situations where they can do their best," Brenly said. "But with the exception of the 2001 season, when we had a bunch of starters get us deep into games, we’ve had to patch three, four or five innings a night out of the bullpen. I’m not going to lie to you. It’s a struggle."
That said, the frequency with which Brenly calls for his relievers is troubling.
Five relievers — Koplove, Villarreal, Bruney, Mantei and Randy Choate — have been used three consecutive days this season.
The Diamondbacks purchased Jose Parra’s contract on April 30, 2002. Brenly asked him to pitch five straight days and six of seven. After that, said one team official, Parra was "done."
Last year, Koplove pitched four of five days (May 23, 25, 26, 27), went on the disabled list and, upon his return, was called on again four out of five days (June 14, 15, 17, 18). He then headed back to the disabled list for the rest of the season.
If the Diamondbacks’ pitchers are being overworked, pointing a finger at Brenly alone is unfair, Garagiola said.
"What aggravates me from time to time is what I would almost describe as the passivity of the player," the Diamondbacks’ GM said. "We tell them in spring training, we tell them constantly during the season, it is not a badge of shame to let the pitching coach know you need a day off.
"But if the pitching coach checks with them daily, and their answer is, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine,’ when their arm is hurt, then it’s shame on everybody."
The problem, of course, is that young pitchers are reluctant to tell the manager or pitching coach they’re tired for fear of being labeled, Mitchell said, "as a guy who doesn’t want to take the ball."
Tied into the concern of how often Brenly uses his relievers is when he uses them.
In the final six weeks of the 2003 season, Villarreal, despite his heavy workload, was brought into games when Arizona was ahead 11-4, and trailing 7-3, 5-1, 5-2, 4-0, and 6-3.
Koplove has been the Diamondbacks’ most effective set-up man this season, yet last Tuesday Brenly used him in the eighth inning when Arizona trailed Florida, 8-3.
"I would think you’d want the guys throwing the best to be available in tight situations," Mitchell said.
Brenly’s reasoning: "It was one of the best days offensively we had swinging the bats all season. I still felt we had a chance to win the ballgame."
Five runs down in the eighth inning? That’s seeing the bright side on the dark side of the moon.
Koplove’s appearance in what essentially was a mop-up role prompted Mitchell to phone Garagiola.
"I was trying to get some feedback on whether or not a player I represent will continue to be used in certain situations, so I can give him advice to help him understand a little better why he’s being used in those situations," Mitchell said.
Brenly bristled at Mitchell’s interference.
"I understand their concern for their client’s health and welfare, but make no mistake about it, if there was an incentive clause for games pitched or innings pitched, they’d be standing there with a bottle of aspirin, Ben Gay and a bullwhip to get their guy out there," Brenly said.
At his current pace, Koplove would pitch in 94 games, 39 more than his previous season high. The major league record is 106, set by Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Mike Marshall in 1974. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Paul Quantrill led the National League in appearances last year with 89.
Koplove’s workload is particularly curious considering Diamondbacks’ management told Brenly in the offseason to be careful how often he used the right-handed reliever.
In fact, one of the reasons Arizona went to a 12-man bullpen was to lay off some of the work Koplove and Villarreal had been getting.
"We’ve only had to pitch him back-to-back-to-back once," Brenly said of Koplove. "Even though he’s appeared in a lot of games, he’s had a day in-between or two days inbetween. I’d like to use him less, but sometimes it’s unavoidable."
"I have no problem with the way things are going," Koplove said. "I’ll take the ball from them as long as I’m healthy."
Brenly knows his pitchers best. And his charge is to win games, not play doctor. But he has raised eyebrows in the front office and inside the clubhouse.
Perhaps this is a false alarm.
But that it’s ringing is instructive.
