Slap me silly, it's like a week until pitchers and catcher can report? When do they give us the pitchers for the first intrasquad?
Okay, a quick roundup on how SSI seeds the Rotation Madness Tournament. This isn't the Mariners' seeding, necessarily, it's mine. Which, as you know, is for choice over theirs. ::billmurraysmile::
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1 Felix quick link: "Improvement from 2009 seems impossible. He improved." - Shandler.
Comes to camp as the best starting pitcher in baseball, simple as that, and maybe the healthiest. This generation's Seaver, er, Clemens to youse guys.
Felix used to clip -40 runs per year from the Mariners' runs-allowed totals. The last two years, he jelled, and now his normal total is -65 runs per year. Six-seven wins in the bank.
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PREDICTION: 15-11, 2.99 is Shandler's. Considering Safeco, Felix is about the best 2+ ERA bet since Pedro, except for...
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2 Bedard quick link: "Let others chase the dream." - Shandler. If I go crazy will you still call me Superman. If I'm alive and well will you be there, holding my hand -
Comforting idea of the night: Jack Zduriencik's intensity has been palpable on Mr. 10K. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to scoff, but Zduriencik ain't one of the scoffers. He's invested two most careful years in his expectations for 2011.
Erik has now had the better part of two years to rest & rehab. He's got close to a year past his original timetable. For SSI, this March is it. The next 60-day setback is the last for me, but that one has not arrived. I'm psyched.
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SSI continues to remind that, as with AA, half-measures avail nothing on Bedard. If he's able to take his windup, he's one of the ten best starters in the majors.
Chris Carpenter or Butch Henry? ... if it's Henry, we hope the M's will consider the 13-K version of Bedard, the 9th-inning version, that is. Wouldn't that hook be a hoot during the Yankees' last ups.
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PREDICTION IF HEALTHY: 14-6, 3.50 is his usual if he starts 25-30 games. Thirty starts would erase about 90% of the pain inflicted by the Mariners' declaring themselves too bargain-basement to even talk to Cliff Lee.
Being as Erik Bedard's ERA was 2.82 here, with a torn shoulder ... we'd predict twin 2+ ERA miniguns spitting fire in Safeco. If you don't mind, Erik.
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For about 20 years, Dr. D has been noticing that, each year --- > there is a surprise contender that emerges on the strength of two-three starting pitchers who surprise for them.
If the Mariners were to get Felix, Bedard, and Pineda rolling together, that would mean a lot more than a certain number of WAR. B'lee DAT.
I have a very, VERY hard time envisioning Bedard going out for 25 to 30 starts in 2011. I think that it is more reasonable to expect 15 to 20 out of him. There's a lot of rust on that guy.
Also, until we hear about things like velocity I don't think that it is healthy to tag him with any sort of expectations.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong...
Lonnie
Agreed. BUT I have to say nobody has any expectations of Bedard at this point, so he's a great sleeper to impress. Even when he was pitching through shoulder issues he was dominant, and I loved watching him pitch. I'm not counting on him past 15-20, but "if" he can pull 25-30 starts in 2011...and Felix/Pineda...it's going to be really fun to watch all 3 out of 5 games every week!
... is the stress on his shoulder to go out in his first season back and make those 25 to 30 starts. I would love to have him just put in 15 to 20 to re-establish himself, and then go gunning for 2012 along with Paxton and Cole.
Felix, Bedard, Pineda, Paxton, and Cole... now THAT is a rotation to drool over!
Lonnie
...before hitting the wall with Seattle.
Either the R&R will have brought his soft tissues back to 100% or he's done / a closer.
Getting a little older will help, as it did Carpenter and as it does most pitchers.
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That amigos have a rough time visualizing Bedard is no surprise :- )
WHOA --- Drooool !!