Update (5/5/09): Yep. I have no attention span. Had to drop Porcello so that I could take another go around with Zito, who is the equivalent of the crazy ex-girlfriend that I should know better than to hang out with.
It's interesting in the previous discussion w/ Rup and Co., how different my evaluations are when I have to evaluate trades (which is based on a combination of past performance and age-adjustments) and when I actually choose players for my team (and in particular, pitchers). When I've got my Commish Hat on, I try to be as objective as possible so that we're fair to everyone else in the league. When I'm picking players for my roster, that's an entirely different story.
I've always been infatuated with pitchers with great stuff. And I'd take a lot of fliers on guys with great stuff in the late rounds, particularly guys who came up with the Marlins, Expos, or A's during the early part of the decade. Anyone who's been around knows that for a number of years Tony Armas, Jr. was a regular on the O.N. Thugs. I was a fan of Brett Myers early on, as well. Javy Vasquez was another guy that I always tried to draft late. Kris Benson, Brad Penny, A.J. Burnett, Ryan Dempster, Joe Blanton, Scott Olsen, and Annibal Sanchez are on the list of former players on the O.N. Thugs. Naturally, some have panned out, and others have flamed out.
So how do I decide on these guys? Some of the time, it's just checking box scores. When a guy has a couple good outings in a row, I'll start looking at him for down the road. But sometimes, just rely on the eyeball test.
Rick Porcello (whoever the hell that is) is on ESPN right now. 2-seam fastball with movement at 96. Sinker with a lot of movement at 95. Nasty changeup at 78. My first thought is, "Wait - did C-Lauff drop him?" My second thought is, "Good god - if he ever figures out how to pitch with any efficiency, he's Roy Halladay with better stuff."
So, I just had to go pick him up.
The fun part? I actually dug up some scouting reports on him, and sure enough, Roy Halladay was the comparison. Of course, the odds that he ends up being as good as Roy Halladay are slim. But, it'll be fun to see how it works out.
-Chairman (aka O.N. Thugs)
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4 comments:
Heh. I was just on the UPL League page and was wondering why you picked him up. I guess there was a reason... a method to your madness but it still seems like madness. ;-)
I'm not going to lie. I picked him up like 5 pitches into the 1st inning. He didn't do quite so well in the 4th inning and lost command. But he's got a live arm for sure.
I'm probably not going to start him unless I see him string together 2 solid outings. Given the expanded UPL rosters, we have more room to hang on to prospects. The more interesting question comes at the start of next season, when we do the whole keeper thing.
The education of rookie right-hander Rick Porcello continues.
Porcello got through the Yankees' lineup once without damage Wednesday night, but the second time the veteran- and left-handed-laden lineup used its experience on the 20-year-old prospect.
"He didn't throw enough strikes, basically," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.
The Yankees laid off Porcello's sinkers, forcing him to bring the ball up to where they could beat on it.
New York scored seven times in the fourth, six of the runs charged to Porcello.
Catcher Gerald Laird remarked that Porcello is going to have to rely on his curve more, something that he's had on-and-off success doing.
Major league pitchers need to mix it up more. And if one pitch isn't working, they need to adjust quickly instead of stubbornly trying to fix it.
His teammates, and opponents, have been impressed with Porcello's uncommonly placid demeanor. His ability also draws praise.
But the fact he had only 125 innings of pro pitching experience beyond high school definitely shows. He'll be getting his experience at the major league level.
Thanks for dropping him Roland. He's been a nice addition to my fantasy team :)
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