1984Echoes

PS: And the Cutter and the CU are the more devastating pitches (or the FB much less bad than in 2023): Pitch RV/100 Usage wOBA Whif % K % PutAway% Hard hit % FB-24 1.4 38.2 % .427 13.7 % 16.7% 14.3 % 33.3% FB-23 (-2.9) 41.6 % .479 19.0 % 17.6% 15.7 % 57.3% cutt-24 1.5 28.7 % .114 37.8 % 35.7% 22.7 % 25.0% cutt-23 (-0.3) 25.1 % .378 29.1 % 17.9% 20.3 % 41.1% CU-24 4.5 24.3 % .075 56.0 % 58.3% 33.3 % 20.0% CU-23 0.1 17.5 % .296 31.8 % 16.5% 11.7 % 21.3% CB-24 (-0.9) 8.8 % .000 16.7 % 50.0% 6.3 % 0.0% CB-23 (-0.9) 15.8 % .285 28.5 % 33.3% 18.9 % 20.8%

It's a deceptive one. I'm not saying it doesn't exist... it does... but you're not reading the context correctly. Look at G2'sa post right after yours... Also, look at the change in RV (Run Value) per 100: FB change from 2023 to 2024 (-2.9 to +1.4 = ) 4.3 change in value. CU change from 2023 to 2024 (0 to 4.5 = ) 4.5 change in value. The difference in speed between the two pitches is improving BOTH pitches...

Can we get some of that on the Detroit Tigers please...?

I think that's all he needs on this team to "break out". I can overlook a lack of power in one guy if he's a high-OBP guy and does other things... If he can prove a high-OBP in MLB that might be just enough. And yes, the flexibility and a need to be better than adequate in the field with that flexibility is also needed as a part of that package... So... we'll see. Maybe he'll have a lot of "grit" and be a "glue guy"?

His changeup is doing it though... Or... to restate that in G2's terms: If he put a couple MPH difference between his FB and CU... then the change in speeds is making his FB that much more effective. If you look at wOBA, not a huge FB difference. But a huge difference in CU and cutter wOBA. I think it's the variance in speeds between the pitches that is improving him across the board (manifested in different ways...).

I don't know if his off speed was at > 90 in prior years... But I'm going to guess that that's his "secret to success". Changeup? Curveball? Both? He's an effective pitcher by changing speeds though... that's what it looks like to me anyways...

I am perfectly on board with giving him a chance to prove he's more than just a 4A player... Let's see what he's got...

I think the key is something that's been mentioned in here a few times... I think with today's pitching... That the mantra should be: "Go with the pitch". I would enforce this throughout the Org. Take outside pitches to the opposite field. Pull middle pitches. Fight off inside pitches. Control the strike zone. I think that all adds up. And it includes their favorite "control the zone" mantra. But if they are locked into "look for pitches only in 1 zone...", or anything like that... I think they're messing up. It has to be "go with the pitch". IMO. And "go with the pitch" means you don't swing for the fences as a sell-out with outside pitches... you simply try to "barrel" and that's it. No need to do a Ty Cobb "choke" on the bat, just don't sell out on outside pitches and go for contact instead... IMO.

PS: If anyone is on notice with this BTW... I think it's the first two guys I mentioned: Tork and Keith.

I don't think this is about Baddoo... I think it's a 100% need for maximum position flexability. IMO.

I don't think this is a "I'm so smart" move at all. It has nothing to do with that. And everything to do with this (plus he has a "hot bat" as well, BABIP-be-damned...): I don't think this is a McKinstry issue either. IMO, it's simply a matter of wanting to play a guy ANY where that they think they "need a guy". If Tork continues his struggles, he'll get some time at 1B. If they wanna give Keith a few days, he'll get some 2B time. If Canha should be DH, he'll be in the OF... I think it is purely an issue of "hot bat" + "flexibility". And with so many guys struggling... IMO, we should be on board with that flexibility... Just sayin'.

But 40 more RBI's... 😉

Beat me to it... But I'm just now catching up...

40 solo HR's.

No... But what I would say is that, even if the Org is still going 5-man rotation (which they are), that: The existing pressure on pitchers to go all out means we'll have a lot more starters going 4-5 innings and not so many going 6-7 anymore. I think that, in and of itself, stresses out a bullpen so much, even with 8 guys in there, that the only way to compensate is to have multiple guys who can pitch multiple innings... which is at least a step towards what you are asking. IE: If a team has 3 guys in a row going 4.1 innings... the stress of trying to cover the 4.2 innings per game left (more or less... depending on circumstances) is too much for even an 8-man staff to bear unless a team has multiple multi-inning relievers. Call them "Middle" or whatever... I made a request in spring training to have several multi-inning guys because I see that as how the league is currently constructed. So if we have three 90-120 innings guys, plus several other 1-inning types... I think that's what it takes to try and get through a 2024 season with the way starters are currently being used. IMO. So... we're about halfway to your position, or question...

Did Israel unconditionally surrender to Hamas yet?

Yes... Short-term due to his age... But a good guy to show the kids what Harris is asking for... A good mentor so to speak... as well as his on-field production...

That is what I am thinking... I also really think Malloy is at least worth a tryout... He may be DH only... and he may not get the walks/OBP in MLB as he has in Toledo... But I'd like to find that out.

Anyways... I think this is the hardest part right now... "Sifting" through all the kids trying to figure out who can cut it and who can't... Manning and Baddoo are right now sitting in Toledo unhappy about where they are at the moment...

I'm not worried about any kind of spending yet... There's still some more "Sifting" to do before we get to external spending decisions... IMO. And I do NOT have a timeline for that... It goes more along the lines of: If we don't have it MLB, or in the minors, or Harris can work a trade for it (it being a "black hole position... let's call it "Shortstop", which is what we have at the moment...): And we are playoff-competitive... Then go and spend the money. Whenever (whatever timeline) that may be...

I'm thinking the first game against Cleveland is going to show what kind of "fight" this team has in them and whether we should climb aboard the 3-3 Hope Train or consign ourselves to a 1-5 road trip expectations... If they wake up and take the 1st game... sure, I'll climb aboard...

I have a different recipe: Do lots more "Sifting". We need to "Sift" through a bunch of the other kids available at Toledo to see who can stick... And who can't. And if a guy can't stick... trade him for something different. (I will now reference my above post with the following trades: Jason Thompson traded for Al Cowens, Steve Kemp traded for Chet Lemon, John Wockenfuss and Glenn Wilson traded for Dave Bergman and Willie Hernandez). The Marlins just traded Luis Arraez (2B, small, high-BA, high OBP, Slash in 6 MLB years: .325, .378, .424 = .803 career OPS) for 4 prospects... If they had offered him to the Tigers for Torkelson straight-up... would anyone here have said "Yes."? Just asking... Food for thought.

Just a reminder: After we "graduated" a ****load of kids from the minors to MLB named: Jason Thompson, Mark Fidrych, Steve Kemp, Phil Mankowski, Bruce Kimm, Bruce Taylor, Lance Parrish, Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Dave Rozema, Tim Corcoran, Steve Baker, Jack Morris, Dan Petry, Mark Wagner, Kip Young, Dave Stegman, Bob Sykes, Dave Tobik, Sheldon Burnside, Lynn Jones, Tom Brookens, Al Greene, Kirk Gibson, Ricky Peters, Dan Gonzalez, Bruce Robbins, Pat Underwood and Mike Chris from 1976-79... We STILL didn't win a World Series until 1984. Sifting through a bunch of kids to see who sticks (for various reasons, Fidrych, Thompson, Kemp, Kimm, Wagner, Young, Sykes, Tobik, Baker, Corcoran, Stegman, Taylor, Jones, Peters, Gonzalez, Robbins, Underwood, Chris, Greene and Mankowski didn't make it to the Championship season)... and who doesn't stick.... is both necessary and... painful. And requires a ****load of patience. (that is a list of ALL the guys we "graduated" from the minors from 1976 to 1979. A whole **** ton of 'em... and most of 'em flopped out or were traded for something different, or disappeared within a few years... Just sayin'...).

PS: Actually... Lockhart looks like a reliever too... At least based on history...

It at least says we have current MLB'ers and some depth at AAA and AA that could fill those roles... The quality of that depth is an unknown though...