Richards is as good as he'll get IMO

[ghoetke]

LIve arm, he competes, and he's still young. Stamina and mental letdowns are all that is keeping him from approaching greatness., IMO.

[laagamer]

Richards is just fine. 

[Ohtaniland]

I think he will get the start on Sunday if the game means anything.

[tomsred]

I think he's a damn good pitcher.  I'm not worried about him at all, we have plenty of other decisions to make.

[ScottT]

I think he'll have a better year in 2016. 

[bloodbrother]

He's good but he's not a rotation anchor. Team needs a legit ace and then Richards/Heaney fill out the 2/3 spots. Would form a very strong trio

[70runner]

Richards pitched well enough to win today, but too many balls.  So at 108 pitches after 6, Scioscia auto-removal procedure is implemented.  Then the fun started and ended with bases loaded, Voyt down 2 strikes because he couldn't catch up to Gott's fastball.  So what does Scioscia do?...calls for an offspeed pitch which Gott floats in.  Flucking brilliant.

 

Only exceeded by Pujols flailing in the 9th, determined not to walk and move Trout to scoring position.

[ScottT]

I don't think Garrett Richards will ever work for his father.  Even if he turns into Jason Dickson.  

[tomsred]

Richards pitched well enough to win today, but too many balls.  So at 108 pitches after 6, Scioscia auto-removal procedure is implemented.  Then the fun started and ended with bases loaded, Voyt down 2 strikes because he couldn't catch up to Gott's fastball.  So what does Scioscia do?...calls for an offspeed pitch which Gott floats in.  Flucking brilliant.

 

Only exceeded by Pujols flailing in the 9th, determined not to walk and move Trout to scoring position.

 

Hate to burst your bubble, but Scioscia doesn't call pitches, but he does send signals to the catcher on whether to pitch out, throw over, or otherwise handle the base runners.  We've been through this about a hundred times.

[Hollyw00d]

Richards seems like the type of pitcher that will be ok in the regular season, but completely fall apart in the playoffs when the pressure is higher

[Oz27]

2014 Richards was awesome. 2015 Richards is frustrating as hell and really not that good. We really need him to lift his game next year

[AngelsFanSince86]

This is ridiculous, but kind of what I expect from these boards after a loss.  Richards has some of the best stuff in baseball.  He has command issues, but thats what happens when you throw high 90's with more movement and spin than any other pitcher in the game (even statcast has confirmed this).  Richards took years to find his control and before he could even get a year under his belt he got injured.  You thought he was just going to bounce back and be just as good as the year before?  How often does that happen?  He has still been solid and has posted a 73% quality start rate (exactly what he posted last year).  He's still young and has only 600 IP in the majors.  Chill out.

[Docwaukee]

Richards is the Howie Kendrick of pitchers.  

 

That's a good thing for us btw.  

[Angels Lifer]

Richards will grow into a top 10 pitcher very soon. People forget about his season ending injury and the fact he was out for the first month of the season getting healthy enough to pitch in games. SP's who throw 95 with the movement he has are rare. I expect him to be the Angels #1 starter unless they go sign a Price level pitcher. People need to stop being prisoner of the moment and start thinking long term.

[Guest]

You have no clue what you're saying. He's still young, he'll be fine.

[Blarg]

LIve arm, he competes, and he's still young. Stamina and mental letdowns are all that is keeping him from approaching greatness., IMO.

 

[UndertheHalo]

Its nice to see that at least half the people responding here understand that Richards is among the handful of truly bright spots the Angels have going forward.  I think he's done just fine this year considering the serious injury he came off.

[Angelsjunky]

 

Really, mr notti? The OP was hardly all that dramatic.

[19HALO71]

Richards is fine. If your defense gives any major league team 4 extra outs, you're asking for trouble.

 

Go Halos!!!

[Homebrewer]

Seems like some people need a few baseball history lessons.

 

Pitchers are made, not born.

 

Sandy Koufax

 

1955-60

5 years..

 

36-40

 

Sandy Koufax

1961-1966

5 years

 

129-47

 

seasons of 25 (63) 26 (65) and 27 (66) wins in his 7th 9th and 10th seasons.

4 no hitters and a perfect game.

Multiple Cy Youngs..3 in the era when there was 1 Cy Young winner for both leagues.

137 complete games..

On and On And On..

 

Not saying Richards should be compared to the "Left Arm Of God"...but geez, to say any pitcher of Richards caliber is "as good as he will get" at this point in his pitching career is not only comical, it's just plain ignoring baseball history. 

Edited October 1, 2015 by Homebrewer

[laagamer]

You have no clue what you're saying. He's still young, he'll be fine.

 

Nice post high five

 

http://i.imgur.com/XyVbUc2.gifv

[beatlesrule]

Richards pitched good enough to win. The errors and Scioscia lost the game. Richards is fine and he will get even better.

[tomsred]

Richards pitched good enough to win. The errors and Scioscia lost the game. Richards is fine and he will get even better.

 

You forgot a young, inexperienced and depleted bullpen.  I concur with Richards being fine.

[beatlesrule]

True,the bullpen didn't get it done but that error started a chain reaction.

[70runner]

Hate to burst your bubble, but Scioscia doesn't call pitches, but he does send signals to the catcher on whether to pitch out, throw over, or otherwise handle the base runners.  We've been through this about a hundred times.

 

Link?  I believe the jury is out on whether Scioscia calls all/none of the pitches, but most opinion I've read indicates he does call pitches on occasion, more often in crucial situations (like bases loaded in a tie game, fighting for a WC spot perhaps).  Anyway, to state Scioscia doesn't call pitches (implied ever) is just as unlikely as stating he does all the time (which I didn't).