02-13-2024, 02:39 PM
(02-12-2024, 01:56 AM)The D.O.Z. Wrote: It's rare for any SP to go 6-7 these days though. Baseball has gone the way of "twice through the batting order, then it's bullpen time". And that's fine I guess. What I'D like to see out of our SP is *minimal damage* and staying healthy. Our BP is deeper than last year, and last year it was a strength, so I have no problem if our SP only go 5-6 provided they aren't getting shellacked.
I agree on 5 or 6 innings. 5 qualifies as a Win for the pitcher, if the bullpen does it's job. By the 5th or 6th, most pitchers are up to Pitch 100 and it's time to pull them. Maybe not in Little League, but this is a 162 game season. They play almost every day from start of April to end of September, and as one Reds called his book, The Long Season. I'm also against trying to get 2 innings out of a Closer such as Diaz, again it's a Long Season. Let the Set Up Man and the Middle Relievers earn their paychecks as well. Of course you can use the sane relievers 162 games, so you need Depth. Also, on Defense, when you can get an out, get an out. When the Defense forces Pitchers to get more than 3 outs in innings, Bad Defense is to blame, not the Pitchers.
If Reds starters can give 5 good innings for a Quality Start and have Reds in the ball game, you take that and run with it all season if possible. The 100 Pitch Count seems to be The Standard in MLB. Those 30 pitch innings kill you. However when Reds are at bat, I'm keeping an eye on how fast Reds can get other teams starter near Pitch 100. If Reds are making 1st Pitch Outs and going down on 3 pitch innings, The Reds are sure to lose. If a Red batter makes the pitcher throw 10 pitches in one at bat, that is hard on the other teams pitcher. That stat means more than exit velocity or ball angle off the bat stuff. Really, a home run is a home run, be it just over the fence or hit in the upper deck, it still counts the same on the old scoreboard. Tony Perez would hit them in the upper deck, Johnny Bench were line shots over the fence, but regardless of launch angle, a home run is a home run. Often a Gapper for a double wins a game as much as a homer. Working that Pitch Count up on a Pitcher is Key, and get that other teams Starter out of the game, wear out their bullpen over the 3 or 4 game series. Some teams are not deep in their bullpen. Hopefully Reds will have a Deep and Solid Bullpen. They went out and got Bullpen Help this off season, plus good young pitchers moving on up from the Minors. Diaz is the Anchor. He is pretty good.
1968 Bengal Fan
