=== Josh Lueke ===
Was on TV the other night.
Here are some of the things about him that were different from what I was expecting:
1. Didn't care for his delivery, at all. He doesn't bend over on the followthrough, among other things, and decels badly. His tempo is rough. He's a little max-effort. Not saying it's a fatal flaw. Tons of relievers are in the 'pen because their mechanics won't hold up to scrutiny.
2. His command, and just in general ... he's less of a finished product than we were hoping.
3. His game is based on his fastball. Or at least looked like it that night. (He's 93-95 with excellent life and can definitely pitch off the heater.)
4. He radiates MLB(TM) attitude already. The mound is his, and he's attacking. Love the presence. ... This goes along with the fact that he has never had problems landing with a splash in a new league.
5. His "slider" (again) turns out to be a power 12-6 curve. He's got essentially a K-Rod arsenal: both the FB and the yakker visually look like Rodriguez'. (There are a certain number of relievers who can say that; most don't put it all together.)
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The eyes confirm the reports that this kid is going to be good.
Overall, he's got the attitude to jump right into ML fires and try to put them out, but he's hardly the kind of finished product that projects to give the M's a top short man in 2011.
Some white-knuckle time for Dr. D early as the M's try to hammer the square Josh Lueke peg into the round "7th, 8th inning" hole in 2011.
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=== Dr's Diagnosis Dept. ===
My own bullpen has been:
- CL David Pauley, phased in for League over the next three-four weeks
- SU League
- SU Lueke
- LHP French (I guess this will actually be Laffey)
- MR Ray (as a rather shrill gamble towards a 2nd David Aarsdma in Safeco)
- SW Wilhelmsen
- MR Wright, for stoploss, lack of nerves and good lefty splits
The M's are contradicting us only on Laffey, it would appear. We hope that works out a little better than the Ian Snell debate last year ... ;- )
On Snell, we chipped our teeth about every IP lost, because it might have been one that could have been spent on possibility. Our feeling is the same on Laffey.
We'll see.
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=== Dr's Prognosis Dept. ===
The 8-to-make-4 principle has held up, and SSI likes the look of the M's arms better than it did a month ago. As well, we're cheered that the M's are zero'ing in the same guys we did.
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So the arms look rosier than we feared, and could surprise... provided. Provided what? ... that they can get some acute on-the-fly decisions from Eric Wedge. :- 0
The first two weeks, some guys will fire some killer games, some guys will self-immolate on the mound, and the season (yep) could depend on predicting which setup guys will hold their own.
Let's hope that Capt Jack directs a fair sector of his attention to finding the best roles, as early as possible. Roles management could make or break this crew.
...........
If League has to close, then if it's me, I start the year with Wright and Lueke in the 8th, I guess. And am in tennis-serve-return position.
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Cheerio,
Dr D