The bullpen- or lack threof

[Todd4State]

In the immortal words of Gordon Ramsey- they're ****ing us over right now. We have to do something different.

Fitts is not a relief pitcher. It worked for a little while- but he just doesn't have the balls to do it. Some guys like Lindgren are relief guys- even though you would normally want a guy like that to start in the SEC, he just couldn't do it as well as he could coming out of the pen. Some guys it's the opposite- you put them in a jam and they look like Fitts- throws a breaking ball in the dirt for a wild pitch, walks a guy and then gives up a sac fly and multiple hits- just a train wreck. I know Fitts wants to be a relief pitcher- this is all his idea to start with and the coaches are letting him do it because we have better starters and a need.

That's why there are roles in a bullpen- because some guys do better in certain situations than others. And them knowing what kind of situation to expect to be in helps them to prepare.

Anyway, what I would do is this:

Move Fitts to midweek. He can give us three innings, and then we can use Ross and Laster and we'll be fine.

Fri- Preston and then follow up with Laster. I would prefer Preston not go more than 6 because I worry about his body taking a toll over the season and breaking down- like last year.

Sat.- Sexton. He's starting to show me that he can go 7. Ross is going shorter than ever. But he can still go 2.

Sun.- Tatum. We'll see what he does tomorrow, but I think he can consistently give us 7. We can go back with Laster for 2 or split it up between Ross and Laster.

Paul Young is still the wild card in all of this. IF he can come back and IF he is effective, he can maybe give us an inning or so on the weekend. I'm not sure why we haven't seen him yet.

Now if Ross gets into a jam, if we take him out, we should use Gentry if it's a RH hitter and if it's a LH hitter then go to Daniel Brown for one hitter.

[Intramural All-American]

Serious question, have we had a starter take a loss yet this year?

[RAYn_Man]

Serious question, have we had a starter take a loss yet this year?

Brown got a loss last week but it was on two passed balls.

[Homedawg]

You can give all the solutions you want, either way this is a 35 win team. We don't have holder, lindgren.....it is what it is.

[Todd4State]

You can give all the solutions you want, either way this is a 35 win team. We don't have holder, lindgren.....it is what it is.

I would rather try to find a solution than continue to do the same thing with the same results. We also have some young guys that we are going to need next year- worst case scenario Houston and Hudson get valuable experience- best case someone steps up. Worst case scenario is we keep getting the same results that we are now.

We don't need a Holder or Lindgren to hold a four run lead for us.

[Homedawg]

I would rather try to find a solution than continue to do the same thing with the same results. We also have some young guys that we are going to need next year- worst case scenario Houston and Hudson get valuable experience- best case someone steps up. Worst case scenario is we keep getting the same results that we are now.

We don't need a Holder or Lindgren to hold a four run lead for us.

What???? Houston was the one who gave up the 3 run bomb today?!?!? And in not anti Houston. Chances are being given....Hudson is clearly below EVERY guy who took the mound today. Quite frankly I would be shocked if he was on the 27 man roster and I haven't asked who was on it.

[Todd4State]

What???? Houston was the one who gave up the 3 run bomb today?!?!? And in not anti Houston. Chances are being given....Hudson is clearly below EVERY guy who took the mound today. Quite frankly I would be shocked if he was on the 27 man roster and I haven't asked who was on it.

He also came back out and pitched a clean 9th inning. Just because someone gives up a home run, it doesn't mean that they get shut down for the year. You can't convince me that Hudson would be any worse than anyone else who has pitched.

[Homedawg]

He also came back out and pitched a clean 9th inning. Just because someone gives up a home run, it doesn't mean that they get shut down for the year. You can't convince me that Hudson would be any worse than anyone else who has pitched.

I agree one pitch doesn't make a weekend or a week or a year. However, it's crystal clear, Hudson is right now miles behind the guys that pitched in the eyes of butch. Which is all I care about. Hudson has a great arm. Think we don't want to put a guy on the mound w a great arm???? Hell he throws harder than anybody we have! There is a reason he doesn't pitch. He hasn't beaten the guys out that are pitching. ...

[engie]

You are right on this. But you largely addressed starting pitching, and it's been mostly borderline elite for us lately. It's the relief pitchers that are killing us. One or several of them absolutely have to step up for us. Just pound the damn zone and quit aiming pitches. It's not rocket science. And I believe we'll have at least a couple of them figure it out. We have to...

This team with Holder and Lindgren has at worst 2 losses IMO...

[JohnnyQuid]

Im too tired to read all this, ill just say. I never appreciated Holder so much until we dont have him. DAMN

[State82]

This team with Holder and Lindgren has at worst 2 losses IMO...

This is verbatim what I told my buddies at the game tonight. The loss of Holder/Lindgren has been devastating for our current squad. With those two guys on the roster, we have 1 loss on the record, 2 at the very worst.

[Todd4State]

I agree one pitch doesn't make a weekend or a week or a year. However, it's crystal clear, Hudson is right now miles behind the guys that pitched in the eyes of butch. Which is all I care about. Hudson has a great arm. Think we don't want to put a guy on the mound w a great arm???? Hell he throws harder than anybody we have! There is a reason he doesn't pitch. He hasn't beaten the guys out that are pitching. ...

It's crystal clear that Butch trusts guys with experience more than younger guys- which is the only logical reason for trotting Fitts out there to fail over and over and over again. When Holder was a freshman, he didn't start closing exclusively until the SEC season started after Caleb Reed started to struggle somewhat. Laster didn't start pitching until the Governor's Cup when he broke out and then remained a regular part of the staff the rest of the season.

It is what it is- you think that Hudson sucks right now. Which is fine. I think he deserves at least a chance at this point- especially in light of the fact that everyone else has failed to the point where it's not going to be any worse. And you're not going to be able to not convince me that he at least shouldn't get a look.

[Todd4State]

This is verbatim what I told my buddies at the game tonight. The loss of Holder/Lindgren has been devastating for our current squad. With those two guys on the roster, we have 1 loss on the record, 2 at the very worst.

You don't replace guys like that. However, you also shouldn't give up 8 runs in an inning with a three run lead. You don't have to be lights out dominant to get six outs to finish off a game.

[WeWonItAll(Most)]

I agree one pitch doesn't make a weekend or a week or a year. However, it's crystal clear, Hudson is right now miles behind the guys that pitched in the eyes of butch. Which is all I care about. Hudson has a great arm. Think we don't want to put a guy on the mound w a great arm???? Hell he throws harder than anybody we have! There is a reason he doesn't pitch. He hasn't beaten the guys out that are pitching. ...

People that have faced Hudson say his fastball has no downward angle at all and no run. Yea it's 94+ but it's coming in straight and very flat. That's the reason he doesn't pitch.

[Todd4State]

People that have faced Hudson say his fastball has no downward angle at all and no run. Yea it's 94+ but it's coming in straight and very flat. That's the reason he doesn't pitch.

That's also why they changed his arm slot.

[basedog]

Someone from the pen will step up before to long, pretty inexperience guys going through the learning mode right now.
Sexton was lights out and I think he gave this team a lift last night. Also I like Laster, he just seems to have that "it" factor and looks calm on the mound. By no means is he flashy but he knows how to pitch. No doubt Fitts isn't a closer, Ross will be ok in the middle relieve department, It's gotten be one of the young guys to step up and close, maybe a couple.

[confucius say]

In the immortal words of Gordon Ramsey- they're ****ing us over right now. We have to do something different.

Fitts is not a relief pitcher. It worked for a little while- but he just doesn't have the balls to do it. Some guys like Lindgren are relief guys- even though you would normally want a guy like that to start in the SEC, he just couldn't do it as well as he could coming out of the pen. Some guys it's the opposite- you put them in a jam and they look like Fitts- throws a breaking ball in the dirt for a wild pitch, walks a guy and then gives up a sac fly and multiple hits- just a train wreck. I know Fitts wants to be a relief pitcher- this is all his idea to start with and the coaches are letting him do it because we have better starters and a need.

That's why there are roles in a bullpen- because some guys do better in certain situations than others. And them knowing what kind of situation to expect to be in helps them to prepare.

Anyway, what I would do is this:

Move Fitts to midweek. He can give us three innings, and then we can use Ross and Laster and we'll be fine.

Fri- Preston and then follow up with Laster. I would prefer Preston not go more than 6 because I worry about his body taking a toll over the season and breaking down- like last year.

Sat.- Sexton. He's starting to show me that he can go 7. Ross is going shorter than ever. But he can still go 2.

Sun.- Tatum. We'll see what he does tomorrow, but I think he can consistently give us 7. We can go back with Laster for 2 or split it up between Ross and Laster.

Paul Young is still the wild card in all of this. IF he can come back and IF he is effective, he can maybe give us an inning or so on the weekend. I'm not sure why we haven't seen him yet.

Now if Ross gets into a jam, if we take him out, we should use Gentry if it's a RH hitter and if it's a LH hitter then go to Daniel Brown for one hitter.

Agree. Laster needs to go to pen for weekend use.