How would Weaver do in the pen?

[stormngt]

I am just curious what you guys think. If his velocity doesn't improve could he be effective put of then pen? Considering opposing batters would have faced 90+ all day long it would be difficult to adjust to Weavers fastball and Weavers off speed pitches still look good.

[bloodbrother]

Anybody got numbers on Weav the first time through the order? It seemed like to me that he would start out the game doing well the first time through the order....perhaps because the incredible lack of velocity sort of threw hitters off at the start of the game. I could be wrong on this though, but I seem to recall him starting out games the first 2 innings well, and then by the 4th or 5th inning he'd get tattooed the 2nd/3rd time he started facing guys

[Tyler]

Should retire. Dude was a beast though. respect#

[Guest]

Not well

[meat]

I just don't see soft toss translating to late inning success.  Batters tend to lock in better and umpires generally shrink the strike zone in the later innings.

[bloodbrother]

Just checked

 

Weav ERA by inning

 

1st inning - 4.85

2nd inning - 2.42

3rd inning - 5.54

4th inning - 4.85

5th inning - 4.32

6th inning - 7.32

 

 

So the solution would be to have Weav pitch only the 2nd inning of home games

[Homebrewer]

People have joked around about it, but I think he really does need to develop a knuckler. In some form, anyhow.

A knuckle curve or something with screwy movement.

That said, he might be able to gut through this season with smarts and heart alone, he has earned the right to try. 

[bloodbrother]

Weav is a fan favorite for obvious reasons. He's "one of our own" as they drafted and developed him and he's been here his entire career....and he's been excellent for many years. He's been one of the main vocal leaders of the team. Sucks to see his body/arm continues to wear down this rapidly. He's earned the right to start the season but my worry is that if/when he is ineffective, Sosh will continue to roll him out there and won't replace him with somebody like Tropeano/Skaggs/Shoemaker

 

You hope for the best but common sense says that he's in for another pretty bad year. He had a 4.64 ERA last season and had a K/9 of just 5. He simply wasn't missing any bats anymore with the huge decline in velocity....and this was with his fastball averaging 83 MPH. So far today, his average FB was 81. The continued drop won't equate to better results from last year

Edited March 4, 2016 by bloodbrother

[laagamer]

People have joked around about it, but I think he really does need to develop a knuckler. In some form, anyhow.

A knuckle curve or something with screwy movement.

That said, he might be able to gut through this season with smarts and heart alone, he has earned the right to try. 

 

You don't just "develop" a knuckleball out of thin air.

 

That shit takes years to master. 

Edited March 4, 2016 by laagamer

[Troll Daddy]

Mike said not to worry ... all is well.

[Angel Oracle]

Baghdad Bob said the same thing.

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

Weaver needs to go spend a few weeks with Bartolo Colon in the Dominican Republic.......For training purposes....... 

[NrM]

The solution is to have him only pitch at home. It annoys me that I seem to be the only one with this opinion.

[ABC]

I just don't see soft toss translating to late inning success.  Batters tend to lock in better and umpires generally shrink the strike zone in the later innings.

 

Pitch Weav in reverse relief. Start the game with him for two inning then bring in Santiago to get another five innings.

[Stradling]

The solution is to have him only pitch at home. It annoys me that I seem to be the only one with this opinion.

You aren't.

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

Pitch Weav in reverse relief. Start the game with him for two inning then bring in Santiago to get another five innings.

 

Yeah, if he can do it 3x a week........Guess what?    He wouldn't be able to do that......

 

 

You see how he does. If horrid put him on the 60Day DL in May have him come back for 2-3 starts in September if he doesn't do well then on Fan Appreciation day you have it "Weaver Retirement Day"...... Put his jersey on the Wall next to Autry and do a Monument in the Rock Pile.

Edited March 5, 2016 by SlappyUtilityGuy

[Docwaukee]

the last two seasons, jered has posted an 81 and 87 sOPS+ first time through the order.  

 

2nd time through he's been at 103 and 130.  

 

The numbers show that he'd probably do  pretty decently.  

 

It might not matter is Skaggs and Wilson take some time to get going.  

[tomsred]

The solution is to have him only pitch at home. It annoys me that I seem to be the only one with this opinion.

 

I can't ever recall a team doing this with any starter.  It kind of reeks havoc with the pitching order, and that throws off the routine habits starters have of getting a repetitive routine in place between starts.  Baseball players are generally creatures that like a repetitive routine - wash rinse, dry, repeat; wash, rinse, dry repeat, etc..  I'm not saying it's not a good idea, I just can't see a team in this sport stepping that far out of the box.  If he's that bad on the road, then it's probably not a good idea to continue to throw him out there in any situation.

[NrM]

I can't ever recall a team doing this with any starter.  It kind of reeks havoc with the pitching order, and that throws off the routine habits starters have of getting a repetitive routine in place between starts.  Baseball players are generally creatures that like a repetitive routine - wash rinse, dry, repeat; wash, rinse, dry repeat, etc..  I'm not saying it's not a good idea, I just can't see a team in this sport stepping that far out of the box.  If he's that bad on the road, then it's probably not a good idea to continue to throw him out there in any situation.

 

I don't know of a pitcher ever having the extreme splits that Weaver has had throughout his career...He's a rare exception... that's why its never happened.

 

2015

Home: 2.79 ERA 

Away: 6.01 ERA

 

2014

Home: 2.68 ERA

Away: 4.70 ERA

 

2013

Home: 2.59 ERA

Away: 4.00 ERA

Edited March 5, 2016 by Mr. Meeseeks