Dissapointment of the Year: The Bullpen!

[moviebuff316]

Seriously, I think the D-Backs need to demote the whole bullpen to the minor league until they realize what they are doing. They are walking everyone and anyone. If it wasn't for the bullpen, the D-backs would be +5-8 or more games in the win column. They would be a hell lot better off. Mantei has struggled. Valverde is walking and starting to do what Mantei did. Choate is either real good or real real awful. Koplove and Villareal have been real inconsistent. Bruney looks good but he walked 2 people tonight. Randolph has looked real good but he has always been inconsistent because of walks. Whenever he pitches I see him in a 3-2 count. This is the same bullpen that did the excellent job last year. There is no excuse for them to be this awful. Any other comments?

 

[az240zz]

the excuse is that last year they pereformed well in their rookie years. Now that the league has seen them they aren't as good as last year. I think management thought that they were all going to repeat last years performance but that just wasn't going to happen.

The reduction in salary hit the pitching staff the hardest and I don't think that there is anything that van be done now. Who would you trade and for whom would you trade?

az240z

 

[schillingfan]

the excuse is that last year they pereformed well in their rookie years. Now that the league has seen them they aren't as good as last year. I think management thought that they were all going to repeat last years performance but that just wasn't going to happen.

I think this is the key point.

Last year's bunch of babybacks really outperformed based upon expectations from their minor league performances (with the key exception of Overbay, who was predicted to be good and wasn't appreciated though he had a decent OBP and Webb who was predicted to be good, but was exceptional last year).

This led the pundits to up the ratings of the D-Backs minor league system, thinking that it was better than believed - which is true as it was way underrated.

It also led people to assume that the kids would all perform to the same level this year, which was highly unlikely because they overachieved significantly last year. Normal for them to return to their truer levels. Now I'm sure they aren't as bad as they've performed this year, but it shouldn't be unexpected.

The irony is that Brenly gets blasted for the poor performance this year without getting credit for the excellent performances he got out of the team last year. That the team was able to compete for most of the year despite Johnson and Schilling being out was remarkable.

 

[moviebuff316]

I think it could be expected for a few pitchers but for the whole bullpen to struggle like it is right now is very suprising.

 

[BC867]

Individual shortcomings are the responsibility of players and their coaches.

Team trends are more the responsibility of the coaches.

When I was in Management within industry, I took that responsibility. I didn't go to the local Press, scratch my head, and blame widespread team failure on the work force.

 

[AZZenny]

I think it could be expected for a few pitchers but for the whole bullpen to struggle like it is right now is very suprising.

Yeah, and to struggle in the same way. That answer may fit for some of the babybacks, but not all. It's not like Koppy or Mantei were newbies last year. Randolph has always been this way - when on, he's great, but he walks a lot of guys. Choate was a cast-off and now we see why. Mantei always played with walks and HBP, he's had a delicate psyche -- and closers do implode.

Other possible factors: Injury-Oscar is hurt, likely from being grossly abused last year, thanks team. The more I've been reading about shoulder surgery, it takes at least a full year to be 100%, so give Koppy a partial pass - he is being overused, for being 9-10 months off surgery.
Inexperience Bruney has been a VERY top prospect, and he's almost ready to be up here, but obviously not quite. (Send him to Tucson to gain some polish. Get him away from this bullpen!) Daigle was upper-second-tier, and he's NOT ready to be up here - he belongs in Tucson. There is a Triple-AAA system for a reason- it's not only a holding pen.

Environment I don't think Webb or Valverde were exactly flukes last year, and being seen all season didn't hurt them then - they do not have control now like they did, and that has very little to do with opposing batters.

There's an axiom in my field that if something happens to one person over and over, it's in the person. If it happens to pretty much everyone, however, it's in the system/environment. GOT to look at the coaches, and the philosophy being ingrained (and maybe the guys who aren't here to influence younger pitchers and the guys who are) at some point, too.

 

[abomb]

The stat I want to see is "IP by Bullpen". My contention is that the bullpen is getting hammered because they are severely overworked.

Take Brian Bruney for example. He has pitched 5 of the last 8 DAYS and the past three in a row! Also, his pitchcounts have been 36, 36, 25, 30, and 10. That is a lot of work for a young reliever on his first call up.

I would almost prefer to see Andrew Good get a crack at the rotation again and dropping a bench player in favor of carrying yet another pitcher.

Thought?

A-Bomb

 

[az240zz]

Many of you seem to be saying that Kniffen isn't the answer. Maybe that's what need is a new pitching coach. I, for one, am sick of seeing pitchers get 0-2 or 1-2 and then not throw another pitch in the strike zone. It seems that the philosphy of throwing one or two pitches out of the zone when ahead of baterrs is what Kniffen is coaching. Well it certainly isn't working with this staff.

az240z

 

[minercon]

Besides the pitching the youngsters in the infield are not performing as well. Kata and Cintron are doing a lot of bungling out there and their hitting is subject to argument.

 

[moviegeekjn]

The stat I want to see is "IP by Bullpen". My contention is that the bullpen is getting hammered because they are severely overworked.

That's also possible since last year, Dessens was the only starter not likely to get through at least 6 innings... and now only RJ is certain and Brandon probable. If any of the other three starters gets through 6.. it's a huge bonus day. With this "rotation," the D'backs almost need a pen of 12-13 to muddle through.