Scott Service

[mark1]

This is the best replacement they could find for Prinz? I don't get it. This guy stinks.

Making sure they have plenty of relievers for a series that begins today at Coors Field, the Diamondbacks on Thursday purchased the contract of right-hander Scott Service. Catcher/utilityman Robby Hammock, who was called up Tuesday after reliever Bret Prinz suffered a severe groin strain, was optioned back to Class AAA Tucson. To make room for Service on the 40-man roster, Prinz was placed on the 60-day disabled list. He can't be activated until May 31.

Service, 36, is in his 18th professional season. He has pitched in 284 big-league games for Philadelphia, Montreal, Colorado, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Kansas City and Oakland. He has a career 19-19 record, with 15 saves and a 4.90 ERA.

Service was last in the majors in 2000 with the A's.

 

[schillingfan]

You have my condolences.

However, remember that Hammond and Holmes for Atlanta last year had been horrible in the past and out of baseball. With relievers you never know.

 

[mark1]

Calling Hammock up for 1 game then purchasing the contract of Service is just plain stupid. This guy has never been any good. Why didn't they call up Webb or Jeremy Ward? Even Brian Bruney would have been better. This team has their head up their a$$ sometimes. Aside from Mantei and Koplove, this bullpen looks putrid.

On a good note....Edgar Gonzalez pitched 7 shutout innings last night for the Diablos. He only gave up two hits while fanning 9. The kid just turned 20, he might be something real special.

Hey Edgar,
You want a bullpen job?

 

[DWKB]

Originally posted by schillingfan
You have my condolences.

However, remember that Hammond and Holmes for Atlanta last year had been horrible in the past and out of baseball. With relievers you never know.

Maybe mark would be a little less concerned if we had Leo Mazzone as our pitching coach. After all, he most likely deserve the credit for turning around all of the retread bullpen pitchers.

 

[AZZenny]

We have Ron Villone in Tucson who I gather pitched well last night...why not him?

 

[mark1]

Originally posted by AZZenny
We have Ron Villone in Tucson who I gather pitched well last night...why not him?

I think it's because Villone is a lefty and they don't want 3 lefties in the bullpen. But, Service? Come on, I can pitch as good as him

 

[mark1]

I emailed Ed Price of the Tribune about the brilliant decision of bringing up Service, and this was his response.

Because of technicalities, the Diamondbacks could not call up anyone who is
on the 40-man roster. I think there's a chance that come Wednesday, when
they can call up someone from the 40-man roster, someone like Brandon Webb
or Jeremy Ward could wind up replacing Service.

Ed Price
E Valley Tribune

Technicalities? I've never heard of a team not being able to call up somebody from their 40 man roster. Oh well, live and learn

 

[Derek in Tucson]

I believe it has to do with the unique way baseball handles DL listings in the first 2 weeks of the season.

On a good note....Edgar Gonzalez pitched 7 shutout innings last night for the Diablos. He only gave up two hits while fanning 9. The kid just turned 20, he might be something real special.

Scott Hairston went 3 for 5 with an RBI batting cleanup for the Diablos.

 

[schillingfan]

Originally posted by Derek in Tucson
I believe it has to do with the unique way baseball handles DL listings in the first 2 weeks of the season.

What is that? I've not heard of something unusual about DL's in the first 2 weeks. I'd love to hear it.

We've been discussing a similar issue with the Phillies, because they have some decent bullpen arms at AAA who are non-roster guys like Villone is for you. Ed Wade says they are going a pitcher short because Brandon Duckworth is on the DL and they don't want to put a guy on the 40 man roster & a problem with putting another pitcher who should be on the 60 day DL, again something about the first 10 days which is not clear.

Any light you can shed would be greatly appreciated.

 

[schillingfan]

Derek, I think I know the answer. Isn't there a rule that when you bring somebody up you have to leave him on the roster for at least 10 days before you send him back down, unless there is an injury?

Presumably the exception is somebody who wasn't on your 40 man roster is an exception to that rule.

Sounds like Joe Jr. messed up when he brought Hammock up.

 

[Derek in Tucson]

I saw the reason in today's paper while waiting for a chair at the barbershop, but now I can't remember the exact details. Anyway, it went something like this....in the first 10 days of the regular season, a team cannot call up anybody currently on the 40 man roster. Of course anybody they do call up, has to be put on the 40 man and 25 man roster so that's why Prinz was moved to the 60 day DL(60 day DL players are allowed to be removed from the 40 man roster without going through waivers).

Or at least that's what I think I read.

 

[schillingfan]

Zenny gave me this explanation that she read and it makes absolute sense. If a player is optioned down (which would be someone on the 40 man) they cannot bring him back up in the first 10 days after optioned unless it is an injury replacement. That would explain what you read about guys on the 40 man roster as the optioned guys are on the 40 man by definition.

This sounds like the 10 day rule I was remembering, and I suspect it applies throughout the season, and not just the first 10 days of the season. Any time a player is optioned down he can't be returned until 10 days later unless it is an injury replacement.

The problem was they brought Robby Hammock up as the injury replacement, instead of a pitcher.

 

[BC867]

Originally posted by mark1
I think it's because Villone is a lefty and they don't want 3 lefties in the bullpen. But, Service? Come on, I can pitch as good as him

If Mike Myers doesn't turn his game around soon, he won't be one of two lefties in the bullpen. I wonder why he's become so ineffective!

 

[Smolder]

i say dump service, move villareal to the bullpen, where he's been dominating, and stick patterson in the 5th starter spot. for gadsakes, we've all seen what he can do! and that crap about needing a 3rd pitch is utter crap. how many (real) pitches did johnson have when he won his first few cy young's?

 

[AZZenny]

JPatt was extremely inconsistent in Tucson the other night - a decent inning, a great inning, a horrendous long inning, an OK inning - that's what the team said it wants him to work on. He apparently said himself that if an inning starts to drag on he loses some of his focus and tries to get it over with.

I am very interested to see what Villreal can do as a starter. So far he looks excellent.

 

[schillingfan]

Originally posted by Derek in Tucson
I saw the reason in today's paper while waiting for a chair at the barbershop, but now I can't remember the exact details. Anyway, it went something like this....in the first 10 days of the regular season, a team cannot call up anybody currently on the 40 man roster.

In my never ending quest to figure out the ins and outs of MLB transactions, I have discovered that this isn't true. I found out the way one usually finds out, by seeing teams actually do something.

Yesterday the Phillies sent down Chase Utley (optioned him) and brought up Eric Junge, who was on the 40 man roster and has consistently been since they acquired him in the winter of 2001 for Omar Daal. He was optioned down at the start of spring training.

So that is proof positive that a guy on the 40 man roster who has been optioned can be called up in the first 10 days.

Here is what I think the rule is:

When a person is recalled from AAA to the 25 man roster, he must stay up for 10 days (wouldn't apply to Utley because he started the season in Phillie - unlike Hammock who was called up the 2nd day of the season). If you option him back down before the 10 day period, he can't be replaced with someone on your 40 man roster.