Avoiding all debates on contract years - MY personal feeling in regards to Wash's 2009 performance compared to his previous 3 seasons with the Ms comes down to two factors that changed DRASTICALLY in 2009.
1) No longer pitching to Johjima. It was no secret that these two had friction. This didn't mean EVERY outing with Joh was a disaster -- just that the sum of the outings were slightly below Washburn's previous results.
2) The entire defense made a quantum leap forward. The TEAM DER, (which includes everyone pitching other than Wash), was poor, bad, and garbage in the previous three seasons. In 2009, it's #1 in the AL.
Doc notes Wash was miserable after '08. How does ANYBODY do their job when they are miserable? Unless your job is to be the snooty maitre'd at a French Restaurant, whose job description is to maintain the stereotype of the French as stuck up, arrogant snobs -- then being miserable likely makes you worse at your job -- whatever it is. (This is especially important to understand considering the Ian Snell acquisition).
But, as Doc notes -- there can be outliers in any circumstance.
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