….. Felix 0
'tis good to be the King

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STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Everybody who had Felix on Mt. Rushmore?  Make It So.  And no further shouting until somebody has the Photoshop in hand.

.....

We've mentioned before.  Felix doesn't look as brainy as Greg Maddux, doesn't look as tough as Clemens or Unit.  So we figger he isn't.  We figger wrong.

He came in, ankle throbbing.  Walked 10 men his last 3 games (see why).  Pitching against a velociraptor.  Gave up two quick hits, both broken-bat.

He put on his snake eyes.  This is a man with the spirit of a samurai.  He is the type of man who makes pro sports worthwhile.  No, we're not kidding.  It isn't just white folks who can be noble.

.....

I would throw the curve way more than Felix does.

  • Scouting reason:  he can break it late and sharp, to hit the knees, at will.
  • Sabr reason:  he's yielding a .111 AVG on the curve this year, xtra base hits 0.  His run value on it is >2 both last year and this.

Blowers explained, correctly I believe, that when Felix found the dry spitter it supplanted the curve.  (His ratio now is 5 fastballs to 3 spitters to 2 curves, which is actually a lot of curves considering.)  But Blowers also opined that Felix is trending into more curves.

Dr. always had fascination and love for those who could truly torment hitters with overhand curves:  Mike Mussina, John Lackey, Pedro Martinez.  You. Tell. Me.  Is Felix' overhand curve worse than theirs?

It seems obvious, second principles, evident to the mind, that Felix should organize his game around his yakker.  The only thing standing in the way of this:  the fact that his change is an even better pitch.

.....

When Felix is feeling defensive, like it's 1-0 or 2-0, he uses a located fastball / called-strike change combo.  This puts him back in the count, or produces a two-hopper to Brad Miller.

(The first pitch, Felix classifies as defensive.)  

When he is feeling attack-y, he uses a curve, or a fastball that expands the zone, or a change that breaks below the knees.  (You could look all this up; hey, I did.)  (For some reason he is throwing only 5% sliders this year.  One a' you mooks explain that to me, wouldja?)

A curve ball feels sort of whimsical.  Felix, Monday, felt sort of looking-for-the-cure-to-brain-cancer.  Naturally, he upped his curve ball count and threw a Mike Mussina game.  True, Felix only got 5 K's against 2 BB's, but on the other hand the San Francisco Giants never had the slightest chance.

Curve Ball Felix is one baaaaad cartulea.  I flat enjoy watchin' im.

.

FACTOIDS, er, DR. D OPINIONS ON THE GAME if you prefer

The Pencil's move on Bloomquist paid off.  The Mariners got the winning run on when Trumbo's hot shot was misplayed by the shortstop -- and then Bloomie, with a great career record against MadBum, ripped one down into the RF corner.  True, Belt's mitt got in the way.  But you understand baseball.

....

It was interesting that we couldn't get any less than four left hand bats into a lineup when we wanted to.  "Throw Strikes, Randy Johnson's Dead."

....

Brad Miller is making killer throws from short, ain't he?  Nose way to leather?  When was the last time that guy made an E .... matter of fact what does Dewan have on 'im defensively   :: be right back ::

Dewan has Miller as +3 plays made as compared to the other 29 major league shortstops.  +3 to his right, +2 to straight ahead, -1 to his left.

When they put Miller back at shorstop, they did it real quietly.  They said like "We never said he'd never play another single game there."  Oh well whatever nevermind.  No need to point fingers cause nothing bad happened.

Fangraphs, of all people, has Brad Miller as worth +1.5 WAR to date, $12,000,000 worth of bases gained and bases lost.  At that rate he will amass 3.8 WAR ... ah, forget it, just call it FOUR WINS.  The kid is just a pup.

And Russell Wilson feels dis'ed.  Powh babie.

....

On the SF broadcast, they said it early and said it often.  "This feels like the first game of a World Series."  How do you play the 0-13 Houston game, and then play this game?

BABVA,

Dr D

Blog: 

Comments

1

Cool stat from Gary Hill on twitter, after the game:

"Felix Hernandez- 29th time going 8 or more innings not allowing a run. More than Schilling, Morris, Halladay, Smoltz, Glavine to name a few"

2

When we consider the constant pressure Felix has pitched under since the Mariners offense became abysmal starting in 2010, one wonders if any great pitcher has ever pitched for such an extended stretch with so little margin for error.

3

I think I remember seeing an article about "stress innings" or some such. Can't recall the details. If there is such a thing being counted and tracked (or even stress pitches), Felix has to be on the leader board every year I would think.

I had a beery conversation with a friend a while back and we debated which has to work harder - Felix to keep his team in a game or his offense trying to score runs. We finally decided it was a draW. 

4

The bad ankle, the jaw-dropping form of Bumgarner, the walks in the last 3 starts ... the worse Felix' circumstances, the harder that dude fights.

Would be nice to see him get some playoff starts, would it not?  :- /

6

I love Felix's curveball. When he has that sinking FB, changeup, curveball game working you can tell from the hitters reaction just how devastating it is. Three pitches that all look the same coming out off his hand, each one with pretty late downward movement but at different speeds and depth. Brutal. 

7

D:  The located FB (low, away, or both) (pitch to contact, but batters take it on 0-0 and 1-0) and the changeup for a called strike = damage control

O:  The hook, the FB drifting off the zone, and the changeup dropping out of the zone = tear your throat out

That much more reason to enjoy the hook, no?

.......

Can vary pitch to pitch.  Felix is a profound athlete.  I'm starting to enjoy watching him pitch .....

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