Tidbits on the road
By Jake • Apr 29th, 2008 • Category: Jake's Take
I’m traveling so this will be short.
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Glad to see the rain out because I would have missed most of the live game anyway since half the East Coast flights are delayed. Honestly, our staff needs a day off anyway so this is a good thing. However, now we’re expecting to see a pretty brisk wind Tuesday with cooler temps at game time so it’s going to be a fun game to watch, to be sure.
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I swear I don’t know who all is buying the new Bucco Blog apparel but the new ownership says thanks! I’m not supposed to tell you this but someone might win a considerable prize this year if caught at the game by Baseball Interactive Media with one on. 
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The Pirates have indicated live game blogs are allowed as long as we aren’t doing play-by-play so we’ll try one out in May.
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I had a chance to watch Buster Posey Sunday against NC and will see him three days straight at Clemson the first week of May. I’m going to withhold my comments for now until I see the Clemson series but, man, there’s not much to like.
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Remember these interesting Jeff Andrews tidbits from last season:
– Sean Burnett- May 30th; 39 pitches, 2nd inning, 37 pitches, 3rd inning -DL two days later;– Shane Youman one 40 pitch inning;– JvB numerous 35+ pitch count innings;– Brian Bullington- May 20th; 37 pitches, 4th inning, had to pitch 5th and 6th innings -DL on June 10th;
Jake is a contributing writer at Bucco Blog. He's a bird dog (puppy) covering NC and SC (not for the Pirates), has kin on the 25-man of an AL club, and is married with a four-year-old son. His passion is the Pittsburgh Pirates - the team he tried out for. You can always find Jake hanging out at his personal site: http://pirates.mlblogs.com.
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Is there a typo on Posey or have done a complete about face (”there’s not much to like”)? He’s shot up in some of the info I’ve seen. If you’re backing off him, I’m a little more than curious as to why.
Those type of pitch counts happen every day in ML and minor league baseball. If a starter throws 39 pitches in the first, is he supposed to be pulled, then putting significantly higher workload on bullpens, causing multiple arms to blow out (given your theories). Sometimes there is more at play there than just the # of pitches in the innings.
And you keep harping about Youman, he was not a prospect, ever, he wasn’t that good, he got by on moxi and his time ran out.
Where are the stats to back up your statement that those type of pitch counts happen everyday in MLB. And if they are, my guess is that veteran pitchers are pitching those high counts and not young arms like the ones Jake listed (under the age of 30 is young for pitchers). And also, Youman was a good prospect and is one of many examples of Andrews ruining the pirates young arms.
Jake isn\’t talking about the majors. When developing young pitchers in the minors it is important to track innings. Stretching their arms out takes several years. After Tommy John it is almost like starting over. I still agree with starting out young pitchers in the bullpen at the major league level for this reason alone. Throwing a significant amount of pitches in one inning shouldn\’t do damage, but it will if they are back out the next inning or if this type of practice is continued throughout the year. Other organizations shut down their prized arms (Bucholtz and Lincecum) to protect them. The Pirates kept running Gorzo out in meaningless games. Boston could have used Clay in the postseason but chose his future over their immediate success. If one of our arms goes down, I think Andrews could be shut down too. By the way, how is Moskos doing and what are his pitch counts?
salem - no about face, the guy rocks. But I haven’t watched him but one game so far this year.
Matt - no, you are incorrect. In AAA down many teams have a hard pitch count limit of 30 or 35 pitches, and some are significantly lower in 1A and 2A. 39 and 40 for a young arm off surgery is off the wall. As far as Youman, he wasn’t a top flight prospect, no, but he wasn’t Burnett as a starter either. If Burnett could make it in the pen, they why not Youman? At least there was value until Andrews rung him out and Huntington dumped him. He’ll be back in 2009 after his arm rests - mark my word.
They don’t publish pitch counts in 1A paul. I don’t know how Moskos is doing. But so far Stark seems serious about pitch counts and seems to be limiting them to 30 in 1A and 35 in 2A and 3A.
would you really take posey over alverez or beckham?
Right now I’d take Crow if he fell.
i like beckham and alvarez…pitchers are too risky…and as you are pointing out they will ruin his arm anyways