Ian Snell
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It was a heartening opening month for the Pirates. The team that had been 42 games under .500 in April since 1995, finished with as many wins as losses. In most places 12-12 isn't reason for excitement. In Pittsburgh with the Pirates it is.
There were highs and lows as the Pirates opened well, staggered and then righted themselves. There were plenty of explanations.
The five biggest reasons the Pirates won 12 games in April:
Ian Snell: Manager Jim Tracy gets so carried away with his ultra-optimism he sometimes leaves his listeners quietly chuckling. No one cracked a smile yesterday when Tracy compared Snell to the great Pedro Martinez -- because of their comparatively small size and the sensational stuff. Snell has been that good. He only has two wins but should have a couple of more. The league is batting .197 against him. His earned run average is 1.59. Left-handed batters roughed him up for a .305 average in 2005. That number is down to .254 this season. He keeps getting better.
Chris Duffy: He has been all that anyone could ask for in center field, playing the position like it hasn't been played for the Pirates since Andy Van Slyke was annually winning Gold Gloves. That was pretty much expected. What was less expected, but hoped for, was the offense Duffy is providing. He went into last night's game batting a middling .264, but that wasn't the number that counted. His on-base percentage was .352. He drew 10 walks in April in 91 at-bats. Last season he drew 19 in 314 at-bats.
Jack Wilson
Jack Wilson: He declined appreciably in the field last season, a dangerous trend for an average offensive player. But he worked hard in the offseason, took off some weight -- which he incorrectly thought would help him last year -- and is back as one of the top National League shortstops. Offensively, he's also picked it up a notch or two. His career on-base percentage was a lowly .305. It is up to .330 this season. Not great, but a definite improvement. His batting average, .290 going into last night's game, has not dipped below .273 all season.
Matt Capps: He has been as dependable a reliever as there is in the league. His ERA is a microscopic 0.63. Opponents are hitting .184 against him. He has allowed two walks in 14 innings and been scored on only once in 15 games. As good as Capps has been, Tracy should resist the temptation to move him into the closer's role. Capps needs more success and closer Salomon Torres deserves a longer rope.
Tom Gorzelanny: After a horrendous spring training, he has bordered on the exceptional and has built on the moderately successful final three months of last season when he was 2-5 but with a team-best (by far) ERA for a starter of 3.79. He's not as far along in his development as Snell, or even Zach Duke, but he has shown he knows how to pitch and might have the stuff to be a successful starter for a long time.
Tom Gorzelanny
The five biggest reasons the Pirates lost 12 games in April:
Adam LaRoche: Yes, he has always been a slow starter, but not this slow and never this unproductive. He was expected to upgrade the offense. Instead, he has downgraded it. His batting average was .133, his slugging percentage .265. He has five extra-base hits in 83 at-bats. The few times it looked like he might be breaking out of his slump, he fell right back into it. Tracy has him batting where he belongs: seventh.
Salomon Torres: He has lived up to his reputation of being a slow starter in his first season as a full-time closer. His numbers are plug ugly. Opponents are batting .306 against him. He has allowed three home runs in 12 innings and has blown three of 11 save opportunities. Tracy is staunchly sticking with him, as he should, but if the Pirates have serious thought of being a winning team Torres has to get better quickly or be replaced.
Ronny Paulino. After a .310 rookie season and a sensational spring training, much was expected. Little has been forthcoming, although he did hit his second home run last night. He continues to do a good job handling the pitching staff and throwing out runners. But, at times, he is clueless defensively, as was the case Saturday when he had a runner hung up between third and home but threw to second base as the run scored.
Freddy Sanchez
Freddy Sanchez: The National League batting champ was hitting .224, although showing signs of snapping his season-long slump. What is particularly alarming is his .067 average with runners in scoring position. That number was .386 last season. He has been a bit of a disappointment at second base, although he is having to relearn the position after playing third most of last season.
Paul Maholm: He took his lumps last season -- 8-10 with a 4.76 ERA and it was hoped he would profit from that experience. It hasn't shown. He has had one brilliant start in five, but also three awful ones. His ERA is 5.28, which says it all.
No comments:
Post a Comment