Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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Eric Gagne, ninth inning vs. Detroit, Dodgers leading 5-3
(June 4)
(June 2)
vs. Ivan Rodriguez
0-0 81 change, called strike
0-1 83 comebacker, 1-3 putout
vs. Craig Monroe
0-0 82 outside
1-0 82 change, called strike
1-1 84 change, swung on and missed
1-2 83 change, short fly out to center field
vs. Omar Infante
0-0 81 low
1-0 83 change, called strike
1-1 84 pulled on the ground foul
1-2 92 fastball outside
2-2 93 fastball, fouled back
2-2 68 balloon curve, swung on and missed
12 pitches, 3 balls, 9 strikes
Halfway into Infante's at-bat, was wondering if Gagne would throw any fastballs at all. The two he did throw had life, though fractionally less than he had Saturday. But once more, the lollipop curve does its job.
Game over at 9:21 p.m., thanks to Derek Lowe and Jeff Kent - early bedtimes for all ...
Update: Except for me - I just keep finding new things. Ken Gurnick of MLB.com notes that with the callup of Franquelis Osoria (great 2.52 ERA as a reliever in AAA Las Vegas) to replace the disabled Wilson Alvarez, nearly a third of the current Dodger roster is made up of rookies: Osoria, Yhency Brazoban, D.J. Houlton, Derek Thompson, Mike Rose, Mike Edwards, Oscar Robles and Jason Repko. Thompson makes his third start Tuesday.
Milton Bradley, Elmer Dessens and Odalis Perez are making progress toward their returns, Gurnick notes.
Meanwhile, Bill Shaikin reports in the Times that Brad Penny is close to signing a rather massive contract extension, pending a new physical - potentially $32 million over four years, including an option year. As much as general manager Paul DePodesta gambled with similar dollars that the durable Derek Lowe would be an able pitcher, DePodesta will be gambling that the able Penny will be durable.
Update 2: "Meanwhile," writes Bill Plunkett of the Register, "neither side has initiated any discussions of a contract extension for (Jeff) Weaver, who is represented by Scott Boras. Weaver (5-5 with a 5.65 ERA this season) is making $9.35 million in the final year of a four-year contract signed with the Detroit Tigers."
so those curves you have listed, are change ups.
LA Times reports that Penny and the Dodgers have a 'working agreement' for a 3-year extension with a 4th-year option that could total $32M.
So, it looks like Penny's extension might be 4-$32M.
Now, lock up Milton Bradley.
i dont think he is scared at all. I mean, his 3 big free agent signings, lowe, kent and drew have all worked out wonderfully so far.
i just think he knew that his best chance in keeping penny was a extension now, instead of bidding for his services against teams that are nonchalant in free agent contracts.
I think Penny is worth it though I don't understand why he or anybody else is struggling so much.
Which isn't a bad thing.
While I obviously want the Dodgers to lock up Bradley as well, I would argue that because of the market for pitchers, Penny was more important. Plus, Bradley still has another year of arbitration left.
I think Gagne is showing just how good a "pitcher" he is as opposed to being a great "fireballer". My guess is that he has a strategy for the entire series. I wouldn't be surprised to see him throw a predominance of heat next time through the Tigers lineup (or, at least mix it up a bit more). He'll have them looking change and will make them look silly on his fastball even if it is only 92 - 93.
I swear it appeared to me as if was toying with the Tigers; let's see what happens when I throw my change 90% of the time... you know they were looking for the heat. I thought it was just an outstanding piece of pitching.
However, of the three of them, Penny is the best to give a long-term deal to. This rumored deal is a risk, but a pretty good one to take, especially considering the dearth of free agent pitchers this coming offseason.
More accurately: I hope Gagne is showing just how good a "pitcher" he is...
What's interesting about both this extension and DePo's swift avoidance of arbitration hearings with Izzy and Gagne for me is that DePo isn't what some of his critics say he is--a Fantasy Baseball GM who makes way too many deals and is too clever by half. It looks like the radical roster turnover we've seen so far was really just a one-time shot by DePo to fix a team he obviously did not like.
I'm certain we'll get an extension done with Milton--perhaps not this season, but soon. Perhaps the coming winter. I think he's really turned a corner in mastering his anger, and unlike most players, I think he will be willing to give the Dodgers a home-town discount. For obvious reasons, he seems to have a real sense of loyalty for DePo, Tracy, and the McCourts.
Milton and Kent are for me two of the more interesting ballplayers in the game. They actually say interesting things that aren't just cliches, and unlike someone like Jeter, their deviations from the ESPN standard of the perfectly behaved ballplayer, makes them all the more interesting.
WWSH
I like the Penny deal. Reflecting on what most others have said, the free agent market for pitching next year will be thin.
Penny is young and I think his best years are ahead of him.
I still can't hit the broad side of the barn from second, but I'm working on it.
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