azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Mantei loses closer role
The Arizona Republic
May. 3, 2004 06:29 PM
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]CHICAGO — If the Diamondbacks are presented with a save opportunity on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs, manager Bob Brenly will signal to the bullpen and call on a hard throwing right-hander.
It won't be Matt Mantei.
As sure as the wind at Wrigley Field, it will be Jose Valverde.
It could stay that way for a while, at least until Mantei clears his head and the Diamondbacks are able to notch a few victories. Who knows? The change, which Brenly could make official today, may last indefinitely.
Brenly wasn't available for comment on Monday, but during the team's charter flight to Chicago following Sunday's defeat, he huddled with pitching coach Chuck Kniffin and apparently told Mantei the bad news.
It had to happen. Mantei couldn't keep trudging to the mound with the game on the line and continue to serve home run balls over the middle of the plate like a daily lunch special. Hitters have been feasting off him to the tune of five home runs and 11 earned runs in just 861/37 innings.
In his last outing, Sunday at Philadelphia, Mantei did it again, allowing a two-run, pinch-hit homer to Pat Burrell, whose blast forced extra innings before the Phillies finally won in the 14th.
Mantei, who also couldn't be reached for comment, had to know this was coming.
"I just need to keep pitching" he said Sunday, when asked if time away from the closer's role could settle him down and provide the best service for himself and the team. "I need to pitch and get back out there and try to give myself an advantage."
Mantei's role in the bullpen will be explained in the coming days, but the team's best option right now is Valverde, who filled in solidly last season when Mantei was on the disabled list with a sore shoulder. Valverde converted nine consecutive save opportunities during a 12-game winning streak by the club, and he's been mowing down the opposition with regularity as Mantei's set-up man this year.
In his last past 12 appearances, Valverde has limited opposing teams to a .130 batting average and has allowed just three earned runs during that span.
"I made some adjustments in my mechanics and ever since then, things have been going pretty good for me,” Valverde said. "I'm throwing a lot more strikes, that's the biggest thing."
Strikes haven't been the problem so much with Mantei. He just hasn't been able to spot his fastball when and where he wants it. He said he's been trying to locate his pitches to certain areas against certain hitters, but they all seem to keep going in the same place: over the middle and out of the park.
None of Mantei's problems can be contributed to blamed on injury-related trouble. He's been bothered by shoulder and elbow pain in the past, and during spring training, was baffled by continuing cracked and splitting fingernails on his pitching hand. Those problems are long gone, but now his confidence is shot.
As for his pitches, his slider has been effective, but when he challenges batters with his fastball, they're eating him alive.
"Obviously, I'm trying to challenge them," Mantei said after Sunday's loss, "but I'm not going to challenge them middle-up. I'm going to try and go away with the pitch, but it stays middle again."
Mantei secured the first two outs in the ninth on Sunday and appeared headed on his way to his fifth save.
"He was throwing the ball," Brenly said. "But then he had a five-pitch walk to the No. 7 hitter and we all know Pat Burrell is a first-pitch, cheat-for-the-fastball hitter and he got it right down Main Street and didn't miss it.
"Location is everything. If he puts it in a better spot, we might hit a ground ball at somebody or pop it up. But when you throw it right down the middle of the plate, big-league hitters have a tendency to whack that ball."
They probably won't get that chance in Wrigley. If Mantei gets anywhere near the mound, it may only be to congratulate Valverde for earning a save in his place. Notes
Utility man Donnie Sadler will be re-evaluated today to determine if his sore right hamstring will require a trip to the 15-day disabled list. Salder Sadler injured himself while trying to run out an infield hit Sunday against Philadelphia. The Diamondbacks don't want to play short-handed, especially after Sunday's 14-inning loss to the Phillies, but they could wait a couple days before deciding on making a roster move.
Left-hander Casey Fossum, who started the season on the disabled list with a sore shoulder, is scheduled to make his next start for Triple-A Tucson Friday. Once his velocity increases slightly and he feels comfortable being stretched out to seven and eight innings, the Diamondbacks might consider inserting him into their starting rotation for any one of their Nos. 3 through 5 starters: Elmer Dessens, Casey Daigle or Steve Sparks. [/font]
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Bob McManamanThe Arizona Republic
May. 3, 2004 06:29 PM
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]CHICAGO — If the Diamondbacks are presented with a save opportunity on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs, manager Bob Brenly will signal to the bullpen and call on a hard throwing right-hander.
It won't be Matt Mantei.
As sure as the wind at Wrigley Field, it will be Jose Valverde.
It could stay that way for a while, at least until Mantei clears his head and the Diamondbacks are able to notch a few victories. Who knows? The change, which Brenly could make official today, may last indefinitely.
Brenly wasn't available for comment on Monday, but during the team's charter flight to Chicago following Sunday's defeat, he huddled with pitching coach Chuck Kniffin and apparently told Mantei the bad news.
It had to happen. Mantei couldn't keep trudging to the mound with the game on the line and continue to serve home run balls over the middle of the plate like a daily lunch special. Hitters have been feasting off him to the tune of five home runs and 11 earned runs in just 861/37 innings.
In his last outing, Sunday at Philadelphia, Mantei did it again, allowing a two-run, pinch-hit homer to Pat Burrell, whose blast forced extra innings before the Phillies finally won in the 14th.
Mantei, who also couldn't be reached for comment, had to know this was coming.
"I just need to keep pitching" he said Sunday, when asked if time away from the closer's role could settle him down and provide the best service for himself and the team. "I need to pitch and get back out there and try to give myself an advantage."
Mantei's role in the bullpen will be explained in the coming days, but the team's best option right now is Valverde, who filled in solidly last season when Mantei was on the disabled list with a sore shoulder. Valverde converted nine consecutive save opportunities during a 12-game winning streak by the club, and he's been mowing down the opposition with regularity as Mantei's set-up man this year.
In his last past 12 appearances, Valverde has limited opposing teams to a .130 batting average and has allowed just three earned runs during that span.
"I made some adjustments in my mechanics and ever since then, things have been going pretty good for me,” Valverde said. "I'm throwing a lot more strikes, that's the biggest thing."
Strikes haven't been the problem so much with Mantei. He just hasn't been able to spot his fastball when and where he wants it. He said he's been trying to locate his pitches to certain areas against certain hitters, but they all seem to keep going in the same place: over the middle and out of the park.
None of Mantei's problems can be contributed to blamed on injury-related trouble. He's been bothered by shoulder and elbow pain in the past, and during spring training, was baffled by continuing cracked and splitting fingernails on his pitching hand. Those problems are long gone, but now his confidence is shot.
As for his pitches, his slider has been effective, but when he challenges batters with his fastball, they're eating him alive.
"Obviously, I'm trying to challenge them," Mantei said after Sunday's loss, "but I'm not going to challenge them middle-up. I'm going to try and go away with the pitch, but it stays middle again."
Mantei secured the first two outs in the ninth on Sunday and appeared headed on his way to his fifth save.
"He was throwing the ball," Brenly said. "But then he had a five-pitch walk to the No. 7 hitter and we all know Pat Burrell is a first-pitch, cheat-for-the-fastball hitter and he got it right down Main Street and didn't miss it.
"Location is everything. If he puts it in a better spot, we might hit a ground ball at somebody or pop it up. But when you throw it right down the middle of the plate, big-league hitters have a tendency to whack that ball."
They probably won't get that chance in Wrigley. If Mantei gets anywhere near the mound, it may only be to congratulate Valverde for earning a save in his place. Notes
Utility man Donnie Sadler will be re-evaluated today to determine if his sore right hamstring will require a trip to the 15-day disabled list. Salder Sadler injured himself while trying to run out an infield hit Sunday against Philadelphia. The Diamondbacks don't want to play short-handed, especially after Sunday's 14-inning loss to the Phillies, but they could wait a couple days before deciding on making a roster move.
Left-hander Casey Fossum, who started the season on the disabled list with a sore shoulder, is scheduled to make his next start for Triple-A Tucson Friday. Once his velocity increases slightly and he feels comfortable being stretched out to seven and eight innings, the Diamondbacks might consider inserting him into their starting rotation for any one of their Nos. 3 through 5 starters: Elmer Dessens, Casey Daigle or Steve Sparks. [/font]
