Comments on: Hamels Ineffective In Loss To Cardinals

By: Lewisauce

Lewisauce — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:36:47 +0000

I’m on Phil’s side here. Hamels is our No. 1, and he is and will continue to be a No. 1. Phil’s analysis of his losses/no decisions is, imho, accurate (i.e. not his fault).

The problem right now with Hamels is that he is not following through on his pitches. Watch (if you have a DVR or something) Friday night’s game. His left hand at the end of his delivery is at his hip. It SHOULD be down around his knee (or even ankle). When he finishes at his hip, he’s also releasing higher in the delivery, and his pitches are coming in high. And we all know that high, hanging pitches will get salamied by good hitters.

He’s prone to this even in his good starts (that’s why Chooch adopted the Tony Pena-style squat, to get him to try to keep it down).

He’s not hurt, and he is a Hall-of-Fame-potential pitcher. I’m not a pitching coach, but if he concentrates on his follow-through in his delivery, he should be able to keep the ball down more. This will eliminate the dingers and make any slider/change-up pitches far more effective.

Just my couple of cents.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:46:03 +0000

Well Scot, Sabathia and Sheets lost to the Cubs last week in huge games. Are they awful pitchers too?

By: scot

scot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 19:12:36 +0000

Phil, it isn’t about the number of home runs you give up as much as it is when you give them up. Game tying and lead giving home runs are a whole different story than giving up a solo blast when having a 3 or 4-1 lead.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 19:07:16 +0000

Yeah, Geoff, Santana does have a nasty slider, but it can only be effective to lefties. Hamels actually struggles more against lefties than righties.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:57:02 +0000

i personally feel that hamels will be complete when he throws more curves and develops another pitch. he is a little predictable and good hitters, if theyre not behind in the counts, wont swing at the changeup. theyll force him to spot the fastball on the corners. his fastball is the pitch that gets jacked the most. i wonder what his slider looks like and if he has ever tried to throw one. santana has a really good slider and i think that hamels would benefit form learning one in the offseason just as kendrick would complete himself with an improved changeup.

i still think they need to replace rich dubee or the strength coach. i think ive found enough recent evidence that when starters come here under their guidance their velocity drops. you can tell lidge doesnt listen to dubee at all because he doesnt need to be coached. closers get annoyed when coaches try to do that anyway. you think anyone EVER talks to papelbon out there? that guy is a wild-eyes flamethrowing lunatic. his splitter is as good or better than rich hardens.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:46:32 +0000

Santana gives up a ton of homers too. Even when he won cy young awards. A lot of lefty change up pitchers do.

By: scot

scot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:43:30 +0000

You may think I wasn’t right, but I did predict the outcome and Hamels giving up the home runs. That’s just part of the expertise that I bring.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:37:53 +0000

Last night you were right, a few weeks ago when he allowed 2 earned runs in 8 innings you weren’t right.

By: scot

scot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:33:36 +0000

Well look at that, I did. My mistake. I’ll rephrase that as a collassal disappointment, as I have been saying for the past 2 weeks in games that matter. And then he just keeps going out and proving me right like he did last night.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:26:39 +0000

And when I said I’m with you I was being sarcastic.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:25:42 +0000

Scroll up. You said Hamels is awful.

By: scot

scot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:20:43 +0000

You said, “I’m with you then.”

I’ll take that as meaning, “I’m with you then.”

I still don’t see where I said overall Hamels is awful, though his past two starts have surely been. And in some big games he has not been ace quality. But I’ll take the I’m with you then as seeing the facts and sharing in my disappointment.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:16:14 +0000

No, yo uhaven’t. I don’t think Hamels is awful.

By: scot

scot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:14:40 +0000

Well, I’m glad I at least got you over to the side of truth and reality Phil. Welcome! Jump in, the waters fine.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:11:32 +0000

thats why they needed cc sabathia, rich harden, aj burnett, roy halladay, etc and when they failed to get one they assed out and went with joe. well, joe better discover a whole new level for them today and in the weeks to come, because if myers falters then you plug happ in, but what happens if hamels is injured and needs 2 weeks off? waiver-trade slop, get ready for it. jarrod washburn, bronson arroyo, ugh.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:10:53 +0000

“Hamels is awful.”

You said that. Awful and sucks are pretty synonymous.

By: scot

scot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:08:50 +0000

Man, there is no middle ground for you is there Phil. You live in an all or nothing world. Never said anything about him being a #5 either.

Being as though I never said Hamels sucks, I wouldn’t say that Santana sucks either. Like the case with Hamels, if I were a Met fan I’d say he’s been a bit of a dissappointment, and I know several Mets fans up here who agree with me. Bunch of homers, those guys!!!!!

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:59:48 +0000

Okay, well I’m with you then. Hamels sucks. Bring me in a guy that will post a 0.00 ERA and pitch 9 innings. I want a guy that can throw a perfect game every time. A super perfect game. 81 pitches all them for strikes striking out 27 batters. Hamels is a #5 at best.

Quick question does Santana suck?

By: scot

scot — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:46:39 +0000

15 of Carlos Ruiz’s GIDP’s weren’t his fault, either. It’s just really good pitching. Chooch is blameless.

86 of Howard’s K’s. Spotty umpiring. The umpiring union doesn’t pay for Lasik.

The double standard here is hilarious to me.

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:35:29 +0000

The past 2 outings was his fault, but almost everyone of his losses and no decisions was not his fault.