Hershiser was the pitching coach for Texas. He said the heat can be managed, but that the stadium configuration creates a wind tunnel that carries routine fly balls out (300' flies become 340' he said) and also creates more base hits because the wind carries balls through the infield that otherwise would be ground-ball outs. He said Texas will always have trouble signing free agent pitchers because they know they won't get another big-money deal because they know they'll come out of Texas with ugly stats.
It looks to me like Lee's having trouble on the road as well, but his struggles started with a home game in which he had 11 K, 0 BB but still lost after giving up 8 H and 4 ER. Since then: 10 K, 1 BB but 6 ER (@TB); 4 K, 1 BB and 8 ER (@BAL); and 5 K, 1 BB and 5 ER (home vs. MIN). Could just be a string of bad luck, or he could be spooked from pitching in Arlington. Don't know.
Q. Which leaves Cliff Lee's prognosis, where?
A. On the one hand, a pitcher with his stuff shouldn't be as great as he is. To me, he's defying gravity.
But on the other hand, Cliff Lee and Greg Maddux have taken "pitchability" to 90 on the 20-80 scale. Lee's got his third pitch locked and loaded while the first pitch is in the air. It's become a big joke to him, whipsawing the hitters across four pitches none of which they can get a good swing at.
Seems to me that every pitcher like Lee that I ever saw, came back to earth relatively soon. The guys who won 300 games, had easily-repeatable games based on overwhelming weapons.
But "back to earth" might only mean back to 2009, and it might be several years before even that happens.
Lee's video controller isn't going to frazz out soon. He's overachieving a bit, but he's got this game figured out.
.
Q. Which means WHAT to me, following the Mariners?
A. The Mariners have fed us a verrrrrrry long list of payroll-related disappointments. Starting with 1998, when they wouldn't give Randy Blinkin' Johnson three years, and thereby deprived us of our birthright to watch that man pitch for 15 years.
But going back beyond that, of course. Don't even get me started on the George Agyros Mariners, right Moe?
..............
The Mariners could have gone to ownership about this one. Lincoln went to ownership for the right to offer huge dough to Junior and ARod at the same time, "a special hit in a special case" and got it approved, easily.
Jack Zduriencik knew very well how good Cliff Lee is, and Cliff Lee stated that he wanted very much to stay here. The Mariners just said no. We're used to it.
Been seeing it for 30 years. The idea of pure baseball joy, for the serious fans in town, just didn't seem to mean much. No more than it did when Randy Johnson was powerflushed.
...............
And Lee is a super likeable guy.
He's intelligent, hence the repeated plateau leaps. Intelligent and humble and rich, and gracious about it.
He's a man's man, a Civil War soldier good-naturedly accepting his fate. It's such a crying shame he's not going to be here, ain't it?
.
Q. They got Smoak, though. Does that make it okay?
A. Yes, it does. Siggghhhhh.
As SSI also, ahem, predicted, the utter glory of Cliff Lee was bound to produce a stunning return. Nobody other than Cliff Lee could have produced Montero / Smoak plus a side cargo box of extremely valuable sweeteners.
Let's don't be hosers, eh, about the fact that Smoak isn't ready yet. The Mariners have never traded for a young stud of his caliber. Smoak and Ackley are super-special college hitters, lefty in Safeco, infielders, and they're going to be the basis of the next Mariner team.
Zduriencik didn't get approval for a Lee deal, so he E=MC^2'ed it into the finest* young ML-ready hitter in the game. Plus a lot. If Lee were a Entertainment Coupon for an automatic win, it's still 12 starts of him for our franchise hitter.
..................
Lee's relevance to the M's was that the sheer brilliance of his dazzle brought us the foundation of the next* team that will win a pennant here.
Love ya, Cliff. A comet across the sky, man.
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Cheers,
Dr D
Comments
And thanks for all the prospects...that was very generous of you. Lee will be a Yankee next spring.
Not obsessing, just interesting:
Last 5 Lee starts have all be Ranger losses -- 4 ER, 6 ER, 8 ER, 5 ER, 4 ER
He's still not walking anybody, but he's giving up more than a hit an inning (10 H in 4.2 last night), which was not the case before. The "Arlington ruins pitchers" theory is still in play, although 3 of the above 5 were on the road (TB, Balt., KC).
Lee is now 10-8 and ERA has gone from 2.44 to 3.37, so 10-10 Felix has probably moved past him on the Cy rankings.
Isn't it obvious? Texas just needs to trade for Johnson, and Lee will once again be allowing only 8 hits a game, instead of 9.5. :-)
.... btw, we looked at Jason's chat, and he suggests that the M's could go after Lee in the offseason, though of course posits that they'll fall short.
That would probably be the greatest Rickey-style trade-and-re-sign in major league history :- )
...I would carve an idol out of marble in the likeness of Jack Zduriencik and pray to it each and every night (only kidding, God...I promise...LOL)
A "we're not worthy" wave ought to be kosher...
If he pulled Smoak away from the STRangers for an INEFFECTIVE half-season of Lee and then signs him up long term anyway...all by trading three mediocre prospects to the Phillies (while also getting three OTHER mediocre prospects...all of whom have higher upside than the guys they replaced...LOL...from the Rangers) for Lee...I will seriously be beside myself with giggles.