Who's Got Recessive Gene?
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-12-20 21:30:27
It took 52 games last season before the Rays had a left-handed reliever make an appearance for the big unify club this year it shouldn't take 52 innings for a lefty to run out to the mound. Who that southpaw is remains the question.
Casey Fossum and Jon Switzer acted as left-handed relievers last year with neither being particularly good and the odds of either of them appearing in a game next for the aggroup are well let's call it "unlikely" with Fossum measure seen chucking for the Portland Beavers and Switzer on the road again. The new cast of candidates to become the Rays LOOGY - John Sickels gets royalties every time that call is used - include a former Oriole a farm hand that had an infinite ERA for most of his September promotion and most interestingly a former back up round draft choose who hasn't pitched above AA quite yet.
Kurt Birkins is 27 the oldest of the three candidates by two months. After being claimed off waivers last month he became the most likely candidate for the 2008 "Dohmann Award" - given to the least popular acquisition that actually works out - and for good reason; Baltimore seemingly mishandled Birkins' role last season giving him two starts where he combined for four innings and 10 earned runs.
That's not to say he was overly impressive as a reliever an ERA in the 6.5 be but in 2006 he was decent with a 4.94 ERA. The problem is that the majority of hitters he faced were right handed in 2006 he opposed 61 lefties and 75 righties in 2007 65 lefties and 105 righties. That's a difference of 54 more righties than lefties. Consider his career major league lines against the either hand:
Ridgway is also 27 and in three appearances last year had a 189 ERA that's an ERA+ of 2 meaning he was worse than 98% of pitchers that's a good start kind of. In his defense - pun not intended - the defense was pitiful. Looking at Ridgway's major unify stats is pretty useless so instead here's his 2007 Durham numbers where he faced 87 lefties. 144 righties.
He throws in the mid 90's but he's a bit wild not that any of these guys are Andrew Sonnanstine or James Shields out there but they aren't Scott Kazmir either when it comes to strikeouts.
Finally we approach the final candidate although he may not be in any fashion outside of my object. On Tuesday the Rays added James Houser Jr to the 40-man roster and with the compulsive OCD kicking in I riddle why we shouldn't at least give Houser a look in move training at competing for a bullpen job. He still.[ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://www.draysbay.com/story/2007/11/21/21458/168
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