Say What?

by InToddwetrust on Oct 6, 2006 10:55 AM MDT

So I was over at mlbtraderumors.com looking at potential FAs for the rotation when I was taken back at what I saw:

Want someone who's plain tough to hit? Good luck with that. With BABIPs adjusted to the league average, here are the best free agent pitchers in hits per nine innings. The following group allowed fewer than a hit per inning.

Jason Schmidt
Ted Lilly
Barry Zito
Mike Mussina
Roger Clemens
BYUNG HYUN KIM
Andy Pettitte

These are your best bets to miss bats. Strikeout rate leaders:

Roger Clemens
Ted Lilly
Mike Mussina
Jason Schmidt
Gil Meche
BYUNG-HYUN KIM
Andy Pettitte
Vicente Padilla
Randy Wolf

Is this the same guy that tried his hardest to lose the series for the D-backs but atleast managed to tie the all-star game? This guy consistently forgot to record the third out and pitched down the stretch as if his name were bung hole kim or Sunny Kim.

Kim COL 5.57 155.0 innings pitched 179 hits 103 runs 96 Earned runs 18 Dingers 8 HB 61 BB 129 Ks.

Stop celebtating mediocrity.

Eat. Drink. Be Merry. But the above FanPost does not necessarily reflect the attitudes, opinions, or views of Purple Row's staff (unless, of course, it's written by the staff [and even then, it still might not]).

Tweet Comment 4 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Isn't that funny?

Remember that game against the Dodgers when he had to have thrown something like five pitches to the backstop in the first inning but still came back to win? And then all those awful games down the stretch where he'd only allow a few hits, but they were all bases clearing doubles or homeruns just after he walked a couple. Yeah, Kim's season is one of those cases where your eyes tell you a much different story than the stats do, and another lesson to not to get too wrapped up in them when choosing who to keep or go after.

Alright, having said that, Kim's ability to K the opposition is unique among our starters, and he still has a lot of talent. He seems to give up on innings when he gets in trouble though, and collapses under pressure still. Is he worth keeping at the bottom of the rotation? Early in the season I would have said yes, definitely, but with his late season collapse I don't know if the risk is worth it.

by Rox Girl on Oct 6, 2006 2:03 PM MDT reply actions

I'm not sure

I think part of Kim's struggles might have been fatigue related. Consider that this was the most innings he had pitched in his career, and it seems as the season went on he got worse. I wonder if his arm just isn't up to par as the season wears on, and if its something offseason workouts can help correct.

Still the numbers don't lie, when Kim is "on" he's nasty, and I think its worth the 2.5 million to pick him up this season, and then we can phase him out when guys such as Morrilo, Jiminez and Batista appear to be ready.

by wolf213 on Oct 10, 2006 11:27 AM MDT reply actions

Looking at the FA market

I'm coming over to your side on this, Kim's option is a no-brainer.

by Rox Girl on Oct 10, 2006 11:43 AM MDT up reply actions

Arm fatigue

Kim is famous for an insane throwing schedule, one which the Rockies made him alter to some degree this year.

Atleast according to Frazier and Goodman's commentary that is what explained his velocity increase this season back towards what was seen from him earlier in his MLB career (rather than the low 80s stuff of the first year we got him from Boston).

For a back of the rotation starter I think that he is a good option. The Rockies seem to have had more success in forcing the stubborn dummy to implement required or suggested changes than any of his previous franchises did.

by MADness on Oct 10, 2006 4:15 PM MDT up reply actions