Guest N4S Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 http://i36.tinypic.com/72q7u9.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 I am all for him developing a solid third pitch, but I don't think that is why he has struggled. He has always been strictly a fastball change pitcher. That got him a first round draft selection, nearly a free pass through the minor leagues, and a World Series MVP. Did he just forget how to pitch last winter, or forget what got him to where he is today? I doubt it, he has just been bad at adjusting to the league as they adjust to him, as many young pitchers are. But he is a rare guy who can do incredible things with just two pitches. I am convinced that all of his problems are between the ears, and recently, location issues with the fastball. Mechanically he has been off a bit this year, which some are blaming on his crazy innings spike last year (about 75 more innings than he had ever pitched before, including postseason) and his short winter combined with the sudden media frenzy around him and endorsement deals (in general, a lack of a good offseason conditioning program).  But apparently he is going to work on a cutter and/or a slider this offseason. I personally just want him to chill out and stay away from the media circus and just focus on baseball. Thing with being a 2 pitch guy, especially a fastball/changeup guy is that once hitters catch on to what you do it gets tough to keep pitching at a high level. That's what' happening to Hammels right now IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phightins Posted November 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 (edited) Thing with being a 2 pitch guy, especially a fastball/changeup guy is that once hitters catch on to what you do it gets tough to keep pitching at a high level. That's what' happening to Hammels right now IMO. I would agree normally, but I am still not convinced that this is the case with Cole Hamels. He has been a Major League pitcher for three and a half seasons now. He has been strictly fastball-changeup for far longer than that. The scouting report and tape has always been there. I find it hard to believe that as sudden and sharp of a drop-off as he had this year has to do with the league catching up to him. It does not take Major League hitters over two years to figure a guy out, especially when they only feature a fastball and a changeup. He just suddenly went from World Series MVP and a guy who had consistently been putting up ace-caliber numbers to a guy who was as inconsistent as any MLB starter. It just so happened to occur the season after he shattered his personal innings pitched mark, and pitched deep into October and thus lost a month of his offseason. This is a guy who is as picky as they come. If he doesn't have exactly as much rest as he feels he needs, or if he doesn't have his chiropractor, or if he is not pitching in an environment that he likes, he pouts and lets it get to his head. That's why I tend to believe his rough season was due to things changing for him and his inability to react. I am obviously hoping that as he gets older, he will realize that he needs to be able to deal with this stuff and not let it get to his head.  But as I said earlier, I am very happy that he will be working on more secondary pitches this winter, I think it makes him all the more dangerous. But I do not think that is why he struggled this season. Edited November 4, 2009 by Phightins09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdog17k Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 http://i36.tinypic.com/72q7u9.jpg Tha Phillie Phanatic!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phightins Posted November 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 My biggest concern for tonight is that Joe West is the home plate umpire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teletopez Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 My biggest concern for tonight is that Joe West is the home plate umpire.I don't make much of a connection between the names and how well the umps do, but I'd say every game has had an unusual amount of inconsistent strike-ball calls for both teams. Or maybe it just feels that way since it's the World Series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phightins Posted November 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 I don't make much of a connection between the names and how well the umps do, but I'd say every game has had an unusual amount of inconsistent strike-ball calls for both teams. Or maybe it just feels that way since it's the World Series. Joe West has been consistently bad for years. The only reason he gets to be on the World Series crew is because he has been around forever (the amount of time he has been around is just mind boggling, considering how awful he is). If you were to ask me to name the three worst umpires in baseball off the top of my head, he would without a doubt be the first to pop into my head (along with CB Bucknor and Laz Diaz). Pretty much every Major League team has at least one Joe West horror story. I am just hoping that tonight is a rare Joe West umpired game where he does not become one of the story lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramiel Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 We all should feel lucky C.B Bucknor isn't a umpire. He is so bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phightins Posted November 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 Lineups... Phillies:Rollins SSVictorino CFUtley 2BHoward 1BWerth RFIbanez DHFeliz 3BFrancisco LFRuiz C Yankees:Jeter SSDamon LFTeixeira 1BRodriguez 3BMatsui DHPosada CCano 2BSwisher RFGardner CF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly3rs18 Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 good to see victorino back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N4S Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 so pumped, heading to the bar to watch this so i wont be getting banned tonight from otr lmao Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 Hopefully Melky will be available tonight in case we need a pinch hitter at any time. Losing his bat really hurts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phightins Posted November 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 Hopefully Melky will be available tonight in case we need a pinch hitter at any time. Losing his bat really hurts. He was taken off the roster so I am pretty sure that makes him unavailable for the remainder of the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smitty Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 I'm nervous as hell for this man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren2ThaG Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 I'm nervous as hell for this man. You should be, Yankz are the better team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phightins Posted November 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 I'm nervous as hell for this man. Same. I think the matchup favors the Phillies tonight, but still, any time your team is facing elimination it is hard not to be nervous haha. I just want it to get going. Time has just dragged tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly3rs18 Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 You should be, Yankz are the better team.  if they are clearly the better team then why did it even get to game 6? they should have just swept us then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly3rs18 Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 http://www.sitv.com/files/premium-uploads/sitv_latino%20sports_pedro%20martinez727.jpg do it again pedro! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N4S Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 if they are clearly the better team then why did it even get to game 6? they should have just swept us then i know right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owner Real Deal Posted November 5, 2009 Owner Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 if they are clearly the better team then why did it even get to game 6? they should have just swept us thenThe Celtics were better than the Hawks two years ago. Why did it take seven games to beat them in the first round? It just happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YugoRocketsFan Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 The Celtics were better than the Hawks two years ago. Why did it take seven games to beat them in the first round? It just happens. Totally differen't sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N4S Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 I think the 2 most unpredictable sports are hockey and baseball. Â Anything can happen. And home field advantage usually doesnt matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smitty Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 Man what's been up with Texiera? Â Â He's prolly one of the few Yankees players I like, but it seems like he can't get anything going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastCoastNiner Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 if they are clearly the better team then why did it even get to game 6? they should have just swept us then You are just mad that the Philadelphia Phillies are currently losing the series 3-2 because you took what he said totally out of context. Just because the New York Yankees are the better team, which they are, doesn't mean that the should get a sweep.  You make no sense at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish7718 Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 Usually if I know an umps name, it's because he sucks lol, that would be the only reason I'd know the name of umps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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