"He's feeling healthy right now. We've got a very good report from two different doctors and Erik says he feels very good. .... He says he feels great right now,'' Zduriencik said. "He's looking forward to being right on time with his starts.''
Zduriencik earlier acknowledged the injury history.
But it's interesting too that the timetable is now --- > with money associated to "now." Love the fact that Erik is willing to show his stuff, in March, in order to lock in his deal.
And it would make no sense to speak in terms of June: it's June already, plus 8 months, when we get to Arizona.
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=== Margin for Error Dept. ===
Ben Sheets relies on pinpoint command, and sharp movement, to run those 5:1 control ratios.
Erik Bedard, on the other hand, is one of those guys who is always great, provided only that he can take the mound.
Can't tell you why I have this recollection, but of that type of pitcher (often injured, returns at 100% for 50 innings, then shuts down again) it seems like almost all of them have been lefties. We remember Don Gullett being like that for the Big Red Machine. John Tudor, it seems like. :shrug: whoever.
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=== Big Unit II ===
We'll remind, once more, that a healthy Erik Bedard is just about the closest thing you'll find to Randy Johnson:
And that Bedard, if he could get on the mound, would be a lefty K artist throwing in a park with a death valley in LF.
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=== Kerry Wood Dept. ===
Would like to hear the org's answer to this question. Suppose that after five starts, Bedard is getting a dull ache in his shoulder? Would you consider giving him 15 days off ... and then letting him close?
It worked for Kerry Wood. ... Imagine Erik Bedard as a 1-inning relief pitcher. Slap me silly, he could make Rivera money.
Not sure I ever remember a LH closer with exactly Bedard's repertoire. He'd fan 12 men per nine as a reliever, like Billy Wagner. Any slider-first LH'ers in that category the last thirty years?
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=== It's Worth a Simoleon ===
On paper, it seems like Bedard ought to be a pretty good bet (50%)? to come through, and the beauty of it is that if he comes through at all, he's a second Felix Hernandez to this ballclub.
Bedard's ERA, with the shoulder ripped up, was 2.82 at the time he was shut down in 2009. Would be nice to see him when he was feeling good.
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Not givin' up,
Dr D
I've always liked Bedard and his irascible personality on the mound. To me he cares a good deal more than the average pitcher when he is out there. People get offended by him because he's not smiley and sweet off the mound.
Jesse Orosco had a pretty mean sweeping slider with a good fastball to boot. Never got to the 12 strikes out per but he did alright in that department.
Orosco is almost the definition of a lefty short man with knockout stuff.
Wasn't a great pitcher but definitely a go-to lefty reliever.
John Hiller and Al Hraboski mid-70's? Sliders first? I seem to remember....
Hiller went 17-14 with 13 saves in '74......150 bullpen innings.
the Mad Hungarian was fun, wasn't he?
Willie Hernandez...mid-80's...but he was a FB guy, wasn't he?
moe
I remember the Mad Hungarian as a max-effort type, though could be wrong...
Watched one time on Monday Night Baseball (?) as the Hungarian did his psych-up thing against my Big Red Machine, pound the ball into the mitt, and then fan Bench, Perez, and Driessen in order :- )
Hiller I remember as an offspeed guy. Ya.
Way to make me feel old but he was great. Kind of a crazier version of Mark the Bird Fidrych.
pitcher with little else. The whole psych up thing behind the mound was fun, especially for a little kid.
If Carlton was ever a reliever then you'd have a good comp for Bedard out of the pen. Nasty slider and great fastball that he was able to maintain the whole game.
Orosoco is like 17th on the all time strikeouts per nine innings. He was very good for a period of time against both lefthanders and righthanders alike.
...primarily because I believe that this time, if he starts to feel tired/achy again when he heats up his shoulder, I'd like to see him as the club's LOOGY. Let one of our generic hard throwing righties be the closer...I want Bedard in there glowing away David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez in the 8th against Boston.
Out of the pen, I gotta believe he can stay fresh and last an entire season un-injured.
But sure...I can see giving him a shot to start one more time since he's been so loyal to this organization and enjoys starting so much. Just try one more time...if it hurts after a month...maybe Wedge and Z can convince him that he'd make millions more as this club's lefty set-up man. Either way, both sides can walk away happy.
...primarily because I believe that this time, if he starts to feel tired/achy again when he heats up his shoulder, I'd like to see him as the club's LOOGY. Let one of our generic hard throwing righties be the closer...I want Bedard in there glowing away David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez in the 8th against Boston.
Out of the pen, I gotta believe he can stay fresh and last an entire season un-injured.
But sure...I can see giving him a shot to start one more time since he's been so loyal to this organization and enjoys starting so much. Just try one more time...if it hurts after a month...maybe Wedge and Z can convince him that he'd make millions more as this club's lefty set-up man. Either way, both sides can walk away happy.