.

One of the most tense games Dr. Detecto has sat downto  in a year or eight.  We thoroughly enjoyed the (illusory) feeling of "promoting" a secret weapon and then having half the game stare down onto your kid, and you, on every pitch.  I can't imagine how the real shot-callers deal with these postgames every night.  Whew.

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Dr. D's Postgame Offer Changes!

Before the game Thursday Night, GM Detecto would have offered Jack Zduriencik a #100 overall prospect for (view), let us say Jameson Tallion, and would have groomed TW for his rotation.

After the Twinkie ballgame, Dr. D's confidence took a moderate little rock-chip off the windsheld.  Tomorrow, Dr. D would offer (say) a #125 overall player, say Edwin Diaz.  If Zduriencik accepts his own player as payment for the Bartender, so much the better.

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The Case Against TW as Starter

If Dr. D were going to argue against converting Wilhelsmen, it would be based on --- > command in the strike zone.

True, if we are talking 96 MPH fastballs in IP7, then you're got "arm strength" as a major project ahead of you.  But!  In terms of IP2 Thurdsay, it is not clear to me why Tom Wilhelhmsen should not be commanding his fastball better; he has appeared 32 times in triple-deck stadia in 30 days, and his command ought to be as sharp as it ever will be.

By the second inning, Wilhelmsen "should" have been able to throw a gorgeous changeup that had LH hitters way out in front for garbage swings.  His slider should have been there, and of course the big 12-6 overhand curve ball should have been the from the very start.  Like it used to be when he was a closer.

.......

In reality, Wilhelmsen stood way tall out there, reached up to the moon, "pulled down the windowshade" as the scouts put it, and blazed fastball after fastball in there.  (38 fastballs among 51 pitches, if you're counting, and the offspeed pitches were not midseason form.

.........

The Twins were therefore seldom victims of pitch sequencing, you know, where a pitch throws a fadeway changeup for strike 2 and then easily blows the hitter away with a 97 fastball next pitch.  That kind of thing.  We didn't get a sniff of the Real Tom Wilhelmsen on Tuesday night.

I could argue that this is because there is no such thing as "The Real Tom Wilhelmsen", or could argue that it was nerves (4 days' worth of hot box), or argue that Wilhelmsen's "trial" wouldn't be close to over until he'd pitched 12 times and been stretched out to 97 MPH in the 7th inning.

:: shrug ::

.........

It is an open question whether Wilhelmsen's sustainable velocity -- AFTER proper arm strengthing -- would leave him at 95 in the sixth inning, or put him down to 92-3.  I know what Dr. D predicts.  :- )   But it's yet to be seen

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The Case For TW As a Starter 

1) Same as stated earlier.  TW never got to the real pitch sequencing that we have in mind for him and his glorious yakker.  If and when TW is given a fair chance to get his own game into rhythm, that's when we'll judge.

...

2) Armed with fastball alone on the 11th, Wilhemsen was overpowering.  Five (5) seperate times the Twins --- > looked fastball, guessed fastball, got fastball  .... swung! ... and missed the ball.   That's weird.

...

I mean it even happened on 3-1 counts.  Here comes the fastball.  94 MPH.  Whooooooops!   Swing way past it.  Taijuan Walker his ownself couldn't do that.  Either could Felix.

So apparently Tom Wilhelmsen has a real long stride to home, or deception, or something, because he used guessble 94-96 fastballs to humiliate the Twins.  That is one whale of a firm basis on which to establish a pitching career.

He averaged 95.9 MPH, which would be #1 in baseball.  The top next couple guys, Strasbug, Samardzija, Jose Fernandez etc.  True, he did it for only 50 pitches.  But!  also true it was a "first game of spring training" context."

....

3) Wilhelmsen's motion?  I could work with that.  He's the anti-Maurer.  Get Wihelmsen actually into the 4th, 5th inning and we might find out whether that gorgeous delivery would produce its logical effect:  hair-fine command.

....

(4) Wilhelmsen releases the ball from from real high, and perhaps he releases it from close to the hitter.  Seems like one time we read about this being good.

....

(5)  He likes, likes, likes starting.  This factor is important.  If Dr. D trades for an RP-SP conversion, that's one of the boxes on the checklist: "Is he currently spitting, chipping and moaning about getting a chance to start?"  Forget enthusiasm.  This is about a bicyclist believing in his heart that he can bicycle.

....

6)  The fact remains that Tom Wilhelmsen has these pitches:

Hot fastball, RP or SP

Yakker -- one of the best in baseball, as iu

Change.  Out of the bullpen it is "average solid."  This is a compliment for a #3 pitch.  (Tuesday it was poor.)

His 4th pitch is a slider/cutter, or he may even have both.

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Dr's R/X

Wihelmsen came of the game looking disappointed that he didn't throw a perfecto, but he did give up 1 hit vs 3 strikeouts in an off-game.

Did 5 years out of the game === > forever rob Tom Wilhsemsen of the ability to locate the ball in the strike zone?  That would be a shame. But it if did, SSI is betting (based on the July 11 returns, and previous bullpen outings) that he is a latent Top of the Rotation starter.

My $0.03,

Jeff