Turned it off after the 7th:
1. Didn't get to see Gamel's blast (except on-line this morning)
2. Didn't get to see Vogelbach's first MLB AB
Drats to missing both
Did get to see Miranda:
1. If he gets a slider that eats dirt he's going to be tough. He seems to have so much movement up...the ball seems to want to sail. That isn't terrible with the fastball, if you can match it with a complementary "dirty" pitch. But then you've already pointed this out. Doc, Miranda's 141 innings this year (AAA/MLB) are the most he's ever thrown. He topped out at 127 in Cuba. His next start will be his 20th and that will tie his previous high.
Oh...he didn't pitch at all in '14 and he threw just 70 innings in '15. I think we've got a guy whose body is 27 but his arm is just 21....and his head (being a funky lefty Cuban) is just 18. He's thrown 598 inning of organized ball....in his lifetime. Taijuan Walker is just 24 and has thrown 809 NOT counting HS. Make it an even 1000 then.
Miranda is really just learning to pitch. And 27 is really just 22 for Cuban dudes. Cuellar didn't get his MLB shot until he was 27, then threw well for another 114 years. Almost. Tiant's best year was at 27 but he remained a crafty dude until he was 63 years old. Almost. LIvan Hernandez got to the bigs at age 22 (being more contemporary) but struggled until he was 28, then ran off a streak of three really good seasons. Camilio Pascual was really good from 25-30. He threw 65 complete games from seasons 27-30.
Cuban pitchers are weird. BTW, we have three Cubans in the clubhouse: We must have the best cigars in the league.
Anyway, bet'cha Miranda just keeps getting better for the next 2-3 years...it is the Cuban way. I think it is less that we "coach him up" and more that we let him find what works. Innings will help that. He's in the right clubhouse for support, too.
I like funky lefties. Give him the ball!
Senor Moe
Wasn't Chico Escuela late to the bigs, too? "Baseball been berry berry good to me," he said.