.................................
Most pitchers need 300 innings in the minors. Taijuan Walker is a pitcher. Ergo, Taijuan Walker needs 300 innings in the minors. QED.
.
You know the drill. Jemanji sponges shamelessly off baseball's Aristotle, hoping that his own sycophantic voluntary service as a 3K/day Googlead for BJOL will atone for a some considerable portion of his netiquette transgressions.
.........
Have you, personally, settled on any basic principles as to the innings loads for a young star pitcher, say, a Clayton Kershaw type?
Are there circumstances under which you would call up a 20- or 21-year old and let him make 30 starts, and if so, do you feel like outlining a few of those circumstances?
... am not sure I've seen anything more reliable than the simple idea that Earl Weaver seemed to use: if he's laboring, get him out of there, for that game ... of course Earl had a fine feel for that ..
Asked by: jemanji
Answered: 5/18/2012
I wouldn't make a general rule because pitchers are just so different.
You see occasional 21-year-old pitchers who are ready to pitch in the majors, and I don't know what you can do except let them pitch. It seems foolish to fight it. It's foolish to use a 27-year-old when you have a 21-year-old is better, because you're giving away ballgames by doing that.
It's foolish to protect a 21-year-old by not pitching him in the majors, because there is no guarantee that he'll still be good when he's 25, no matter WHAT you do with him when he's 21.
When you have one of those very young pitchers who is ready to go, there's really nothing to do with it except get on the horse and ride. - Bill
...............
I don't have any idea what this would have to do with the Mariners, but thought you might find some interest in it merely on a metaphysical level.
Last week, by the way, a radio DJ asked Zduriencik how long on Taijuan Walker will it be, pretty long, right? Zduriencik got emphatic. There is no rule for young pitchers because Every. Pitcher. Is. An. Individual.
Told you the man was great.
.
Add comment