Banny Log 05.17.08
Posted: May 18th, 2008 | Filed under: Banny Log | 22 Comments »
Start No. 9: Vs. Florida Marlins
Innings: 6 1/3
Earned runs allowed: 6.
Strikeouts: 5
Walks: 2
Homers: 01
Decision: Loss (4-5)
Number of pitches: 107
Number of strikes: 68
BABIP: .288 (6 for 21)
Season BABIP: .258 (46 for 178– UPDATED!)
OK, don’t have time for a full-fledged Banny Log — I’m heading to Boston for some book research, some Royals-Red Sox action and some of this Italian food that everyone keeps recommending.
But a couple of points:
1. Holy cow is Jose Guillen hot. Hey, I know I was down on that signing, but hey, I’m happy to be wrong too. This guy is swinging about as hot a bat as I can remember. It isn’t just that he’s hitting .500 his last 10 games (19-38, 2 homers, 15 RBIs, an amazing eight doubles) it’s the outs the guy’s making. THOSE are rockets too. He’s just crushing everything right now. You just can’t throw a fastball by him.
From what I can tell about Guillen, he’s like this, he can go on some crazy streaks.
2007: June 29-July 12 — 11 games, .476 average, 20 hits in 42 at bats, 11 RBIs.
2005: June 13- July 5 — 19 games, .408 average, 6 doubles, 7 homers, 16 RBIs.
2004: April 29-May 13 — 13 games, .489 average, 7 homers, 21 RBIs.
And so on. I’ll tell you what … I am, obviously, a big believer in the lessons of history. I’m a big believer that you can use statistics both to take advantage of market inefficiencies AND as a way to give you a truer view of the player’s value. I’m a believer that 32-year-old outfielders with Jose Guillen’s skill sets tend to age rapidly and unhappily.
BUT … watching Jose Guillen crush everything these days, hey, I watch baseball emotionally too. Right now, the way he’s swinging, it seems like the only way to get him out is to hope he hits a rocket right at a fielder.
Here’s the update — Guillen making a big, big move in the Emil-Jose Race of the Ages:
Guillen: .245/.277/.440, 5 homers, 30 RBIs, 16 doubles.
Brown: .261/.284/.379, 4 homers, 33 RBIs, 2 stolen bases.
2. I don’t have a lot to say about Banny’s start on Saturday … to me, he just hit a wall. That was the whole story. For six innings, he was his usual self. The Royals led 3-2. Banny had given up only two runs on four hits and of those four hits …
– One of them was a slow roller down the third base line that Royals third baseman Alex Gordon thought was foul.
– One of them was a smash to right-center, but one that could have been caught. Instead, Joey Gathright and David DeJesus had the most spectacular wall collision I’ve seen since the great Fred Lynn-Brian Downing crash.
So, he was pitching really well. He had thrown 93 pitches going into the seventh so he seemed in pretty good shape … but this is one of the reasons I really don’t like pitch counts. It’s the other side of things …. I think it’s easy to use pitch count as the major indicator if a pitcher is tired. One thing I liked about the pre-pitch count days is that it was more of an artform trying to determine what the pitcher had left. Sparky Anderson, who really was a forefather of modern bullpens, used to get worried when he saw a pitcher throwing high. Other managers would look for little ticks and flaws in a pitchers delivery. I’m not saying these ways are sounder ways to determine how much a pitcher has left … I’m just saying managers used to pay attention to A LOT of things. I sense now that the pitch count trumps all.
Banny had not shown much sign of tiring in the sixth (though he did give up a hit), so he came out in the seventh with (I believe) no one warming up. First pitch, Luis Gonzalez rocketed a high 87 mph fastball up the middle for a base hit.
Oh oh. The next batter, Mike Rabelo, walked on four pitches. Now, it’s true that all four pitches were pretty close … Banny got squeezed a little bit. But again, bad sign. He had now thrown 98 pitches, and it was a hot day and muggy day in Florida, probably the first really hot day the Royals had faced all season. Pitching coach Bob McClure came to the mound to see how Banny was doing … I’m sure Banny said he felt strong. That’s what pitchers say.
The next batter was Wes Helms. Banny threw an 86 mph fastball up and over the heart of the plate for a called strike. It seemed to me a pretty scary pitch. His next pitch, 87 mph and on the outside half, was good, but I could not help but feel Banny was laboring. The third pitch was a hanging curve over the inner half and Helms tattooed it for a three-run homer to left field. And that, as they say, was that.
Only, it wasn’t. Banny stayed in the game for two more batters. He gave up a line drive out (on another high fastball) and a line drive single on an low changeup. That run would score after he was on the bench.
There are no excuses … Banny ran into the bad inning there. And he’s now 0-5 in night games. I don’t think the night was his problem this time. I think it was just too long a night.
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As Guillen goes, so goes the Royals offense. It does not seem to be any coincidence that their offense emerged as his bat woke up.
Joe,
KC native, but have been living in Boston (Beacon Hill neighborhood) for the past five years.
If you haven’t already, eat at Giacomo’s in the North End. Bring a twenty (or two) though–they only take cash. Best. Italian. Ever. (um, at least in Boston…)
It really just stuck in my craw that Helms’ homer was Banny’s 101st pitch. I mean… how stupid a coincidence is that, right?
You hope that Hillman and McClure have a steep learning curve with each of their pitchers. They have to know now that when Bannister gets tired he loses the fine line of edge he has with his smarts and guile. When he loses that edge it quickly can blow up in his face. On a hot and muggy night, with 93 pitches under his belt, there’s no reason not to run out your vaunted pen for the 7th, 8th, and 9th. Or at least have some guys up in the pen. It’s not like he’s Beckett out there firing 95mph and 96mph fastballs, and might be able to get away with a fastball or two over the plate.
Tim Hudson has a tell. When he is struggling with command, tired or otherwise uncomfortable it is pretty obvious to those who watch him a lot. I hope that as Hillman spends more time with Banny he will notice what Joe notices and ready the bullpen a little earlier.
Hey Joe…
http://www.dailycatch.com
Check it out while you’re there.
Enjoy!
I gotta agree with Justyo. I lived in the North End for a year, a couple of years ago. I like the Daily Catch a lot. Check it out, especially, if you like calimari and/or pasta/seafood combinations.
I’d always walk by Giacomo’s with its line, and everyone I ever asked about it said it wasn’t worth the wait.
Also, for cannoli, Mike’s Pastry is more famous (I saw Rick Sutcliffe outside of it one time), but the locals like Modern Pastry. I’ve only had Mike’s and I nearly died from the heartburn as this link below suggests. Don’t eat four cannolis in 20 minutes, even if it’s for a bit for a live comedy show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWBV_zRF_4A
Joe,
I live in Chicago. I’m a Cubs fan. Except for the rare time or two that I’ve gone to a White Sox/Royals game with my (Sox Fan) Dad, I probably haven’t watched or listened to one inning of Royals baseball since the 1985 Series (which I only vaguely remember seeing as how I was all of 8 at the time.)
Until this season. Feeding my Cubbie fever over the winter I began reading Baseball Think Factory, which sent me over to your blog. (I’ve been lurking for a few months.) Your writing is terrific, and I find the secondary comments and debate by your other readers terrific. I temporarily adopted the Rays as my honorary sleeper last year (my penance, I think, for being a fan of a team that has the ability to buy their way out of any management mishaps- you can hate me for following a “big market bully”) but after reading up on the Royals I warned my dad about their possible prowess this season and he scoffed. He’s not scoffing anymore. I’ve started listening to Royals games over MLB.com Audio (which I purchased so I could listen to Cubbie day games at work), and I’m actually looking forward to seeing the Royals/Sox tilts this year!
RE Jose Guillen: Alfonso Soriano was going through the same thing here a couple of weeks ago. He got off to a slow start and OMCFWWIAATBA* were all over him on talk radio: “Most overrated player in baseball…selfish…not a team player…we should just release him…send ‘im to the minors!” At end of day May 7 his line was: .188/.239/.329/.568
Then he did this over the next 12 games:
.500/.511/1.021(!)/1.532(!!)
And now his line is: .296/.328/.592/.920…and yes, all you “he shouldn’t be a leadoff hitter” folks, he still doesn’t walk. Ask me if I give a damn.
*OMCFWWIAATBA = Other Moronic Cub Fans With Whom I Am Ashamed To Be Associated With. (1 post, 1 Pozterisk…I’m 1.000 for my career!)
Joe,
Its time to start a national campaign against pitch counts. You are absolutely right. There are many better ways of determining when a pitcher is done than some random number of pitches.
You have to be the chairman, as only you have the clout to pull of such a thing. But I’m behind you. Tell me where to sign up and send donations.
We must stopt this evil disease before it overwhelms mankind.
Joe -
Hopefully you’ll take our recommendation of the Chateau and head out here to Waltham for some fine Italian dining. Then I can say you’ve been in our town! It’s a four game series so there should be plenty of time for it.
Just wanted to let you know that I used a pozterisk or two in my latest blog post, but gave you full credit. If you want to check it out and critique my usage feel free at sportingnews.com/blog/bananahangover
All I ask is that you spend as little time as possible with the “sports writers” (I use that term loosely) here in Boston. They are all quite awful at their job and I don’t want them to rub off on you.
Never became familiar with the North End, wish I had, but there used to be a fantastic little place around the corner from Symphony Hall called Moby Dicks, which had outstanding kabobs, probably the best I’ve ever had. I haven’t been to Boston in years, and I’ve heard that most of the restaurants I liked have closed, but I hope that one is still there.
A pitch count is just a tool. One of many a manager and pitching coach should be using to determine if a pitcher is tiring. There is no inheirent flaw with a pitch count, only in its misuse. Honestly, I don’t see it as trumping all else, if it did, Hillman would have had someone warming up, because Banny was nearing the 100 pitch mark. The fact that someone *wasn’t* up in the ‘pen suggests to me that Hillman wasn’t relying on a pitch count to tell if Banny was tired.
start a food blog.
I’m hoping you were at that Sox game, Joe. I look forward to your take on it.
Hoo boy! I can’t wait to read Joe’s next post!
Lester is a great story. I’m happy for him.
can’t WAIT to hear your take on the Sox game!
if you’re in the north end, check Piccola Venezia!
I’m hoping you can give us a first-hand account of that game as well, Joe. You columnists are supposed to root for the story, right? Doesn’t get better than this one!
Lots of great places in the North End, but of course I don’t remember the names of any of them. I have to politely disagree with Dan V, who recommended the Chateau in Waltham. Il Capriccio (also in Waltham) is decent, but the Chateau… not so much. It’s usually full of elderly people getting the early-bird special. All you really need to know is that it’s an Italian restaurant with a French name. ‘Nough said.
Joe wrote a column about the no-hitter for the Star. Check out their website.
To Melody:
You can disagree if you like, we get it at work here all the time and it tastes great. I also eat in the bar. Perhaps the blue hairs infest the dining room.
There’s this new place by the train tracks that I have yet to go to that the Phantom Gourmet loved… starts with a B. Damned if I can remember the name but it’s also supposed to have great Italian.
Joe, welcome to Boston! Enjoyed this morning’s column.
Definitely check out the North End, and despite all the “local” knowledge to the contrary, go to Mike’s Pastry, grab a cannoli and a cappucino. A must!
(And for great NE food, especially brick oven pizza, try Antico Forno)