Seattle Sports Insider

Rotation Problems

And some good ones, too

Posted by

10/9/17

GRATUITOUS NFL REPORTING

I thought yesterday's game was one of the most exciting I've seen. The Rams looked Super Bowl-worthy, got the 'Hawks way back onto their heels. But the Seahawks pulled 10 different highlight film plays, fought with the hearts of champions, and perhaps fired up a rivalry to replace the 49'ers. I saw the game as a spirited battle of titans.

GRATUITOUS M'S SHTICK

Here's an article on Felix' strategy for becoming more durable as an old, and big, man. It's going to be away from weights; it says that much. Also there's an idea that Felix can cut his pitch counts (seems dubious to me).

But there is a thought floated in the piece "you can't do anything about ligaments;" that could be right but I doubt it. James Paxton took up a power yoga routine, correct? So the org is obviously hip on that strategy.

Older I get, the more I believe that the value of power yoga, for old people, is OBVIOUS. Felix is 32, going on what? But if the M's grabbed Ohtani or any of the DATA pitchers, have literally two rotations full of five and dive starters:

Zeus
DATA/Ohtani
Felix
Leake
Erasmo

As well as

Miranda
Andrew Moore (very close to a Best Bet)
Marc-O
Andrew Albers will definiely have to pitch worse to avoid a quality MLB career. He probably will, but
The entire winter's crab pot, starting with Max Povse who is pretty cook, on to Gaviglio (who isn't nothing), Overton, etc

Now that passions have died down, it DOES occur that we are over-applying 2017's bad injury luck to the 2018 Mariners. It's a funny thing that we know intellectually that ERA has problems, but then our mood is "set" by ERA anyway. That's operant conditioning for you.

It subjects a manager and GM to second-guessing, to deliberately install this Modified LaRussa thing with a bridge man planned for the late-middle innings. If you're going to get any thoughtful commentary on the Modified LaRussa you'll find it at SSI's think tank:

My own way of organizing my thinking is "Very obvious Strat-O-Matic advantages, but writer upheaval creates a lot of friction." Think Dipoto and Servais have it in them to push through it?

....

Here's a dumb question for you. Why is Iwakuma not discussed for 2018? He's had a year of rest.

He's not going to get big offers. The M's seemed nice to him. It's more logical than "grooming" Smyly; it's a year forward in Smyly's process. Iwakuma hits spots in the 1st inning (and so could take an Andrew Albers role of throwing innings 5-7 sometimes). Not sure why we haven't read a thing on Iwakuma for 2018.

Cheers,

Dr D

Blog:

Dr's R/X

Tags:

Hisashi Iwakuma

Comments

Kuma's Instagram post

Following his surgery pretty much forecasts his options going forward:

"I underwent shoulder cleaning surgery. The surgery was operated successfully so I’m relieved! I’ll do my best to rehabilitate for the return of new season. The surgery was done in one day so my family came to support me and my wife became a private nurse! (^_^) At the time of surgery, I’m truly thankful to the Seattle Mariners, its team of trainers, Tony of the Mariners’ interpreter, and my agents for the great support. I would like to give back to everyone by pitching on the mound next season. Thank you very much for your continuous support to all the fans! I’ll do my best to come back!"

He's essentially locked-in to prove his health following surgery by agreeing to someone's minor league deal and earning an MLB contract. The most likely suspects include our Seattle Mariners offering said deal and hoping for minor miracles, no pun intended. Kuma sounds resigned to "hoping" it happens for him in Seattle. I'm open, somewhat indifferent, with low expectations we ever see 2014-16 Kuma again. His recovery and return to form would be most welcome, however unlikely. Kuma's 2018 projection is currently wait-and-see, don't call us, we'll call you.

Kyle Lewis ready to roll in the Desert

https://twitter.com/wboor/status/917794245922000897

Why is Kuma Not?

The phrase of failure from the article to the left seems to be "they grew old together". Dipoto does continue to use the word younger. My concern with Cruz in that regard is mitigated in what he's been in this town vs. elsewhere up through a. 291/.392/.553/.945 September including 8 HR.

Kuma is half a year younger but hasn't been a stud for at least 2 years and his lone All Star appearance is now 4 years old. Comparing to Felix who isn't going anywhere but is in a similar decline 5 years younger with farther to fall, even still, and not so much injury history. With Paxtons health question marks as well I don't want to see Kuma, Leake, Overton at the end. If it's a pair of 3-5 inning guys going often where he is one of 7 or 8 such he does seem more of a fit though.

Ohtani thoughts with 2way and DH rules: If you wanted him to hit during his starts, your pitchers would have to hit the rest of the game. If he was DH and you put him in the field your pitchers would have to hit the rest of the game. Also if he's used to pinch hit then goes in to pitch. If he was done pitching and you wanted him to take the field your pitchers would have to hit the rest of the game. What I can't find a ruling on is him going from pitcher to DH. This almost sounds like it covers it unintentionally, speaking of pinch hitting for a DH:

"Any substitute hitter for a Designated Hitter himself becomes a Designated Hitter."

My understanding on the DH

is that it's essentially an option, or a token, that can be played once at the beginning of the game if the manager so chooses. That token enables him to replace the pitcher's AB's with a 'designated hitter' but there's nothing compelling the manager to do so. If you want to pinch hit a pitcher for the designated hitter, or if you want to move the designated hitter off to a fielding position, the DH token is lost for that game and the pitcher now has to take his own AB's. So if the pitcher pinch hits for the DH, the DH slot transforms irreversibly into the pitcher slot. But you could have a pitcher come out of the bullpen, or off the bench, so long as it's his first action in the game and pinch hit for the DH (swapping him in for the current DH) and, so long as that 'pitcher' doesn't actually pitch, he's just a plain old DH.

I covered pitcher PH

It's moving him from P to DH and switching a pitcher in to the pitchers spot that seems like a loophole. Unless DH is considered a "position on the field", the rules don't seem to cover that particular switch. Or is that considered pinch hitting of it's done when they're not up to bat?...

Nevermind... the phrase "who has not previously appeared in the game" was omitted from the version I was reading for some reason. I rechecked and found what you're meaning. Essentially when it comes to the DH the spot is lost for the game in any change other than a PH or PR replacing the DH. You could move a SP there and immediately eliminate DH for the rest of the game though.

Gotta say this bit on Heredia upsets me a bit

http://m.mariners.mlb.com/news/article/258064652/mariners-guillermo-here...

The 26-year-old from Cuba had surgery to repair a Bankart lesion, which is tear of the shoulder labrum that results in dislocation of the shoulder joint. The surgery was performed by Dr. John Uribe.

Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said last week Heredia dealt with the shoulder issue much of last season and had to have the dislocated shoulder put back in place on at least four occasions, which likely affected his offensive performance.

"Guillermo's an exceptional defender," Dipoto said. "It's really hard to truly assess his offensive performance this year. This guy was playing with a dislocated shoulder virtually all year long and never complained.

"He had four different instances where it had to be put back in place. He was doing it himself, which I guess when you battle as hard in life to get where Guillermo ultimately ended up, he fought long and hard to leave Cuba to come to the United States to make it as a big league player and he did it. He didn't want to give that up."

-----------

YOUR JOB AS HIS BOSS IS TO MAKE SURE HE'S NOT PUTTING HIS OWN SHOULDER BACK IN FOUR TIMES DURING THE SEASON. C'mon.

It's not "haha, how funny, just rub some dirt on it and be tough" sort of stuff. Every dislocation can do more damage, and the friction of bone-on-bone as the loose joint slides back and forth stimulates bone spur growth that he'll likely have to have another surgery to correct later. I get that he wants to play, but you protect your player.

Well, not if you're the Ms. Prayers up for Kyle Lewis and his own health. Seattle's medical department and (lack of) care of its players is the same as ever. This is the team that almost killed Carlos Guillen after all, and then blamed him for being lazy. It's not like he could hide it if a doctor actually checked him - you can TELL a Bankart lesion just by putting pressure on his arm. It's like an ACL injury. I can tell you if you blew it out by pulling forward on your lower leg with your knee bent. It's not a problem that you need $100k worth of MRIs to discover.

I'm so tired of this. Here's hoping Guillermo is fine next year (and for his improved career) and the Ms didn't sacrifice yet another player on the twin altars of immediacy and stupidity.

You've got to be kidding me.

I missed that story, G.

That, right there, and all by itself, is reason enough to fire Servais really...really hard for not being on top of his players...and his trainer as well. Not sure what Dipoto knew and when w/r/t to Heredia's shoulder, but if he knew this was going on all year, then he should be fired too.