Wheeler, Percival Succeed Again In Boosting Zobrist's MVP Candidacy
by Erik Hahmann on May 21, 2009 9:30 PM EDT
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PrintMaybe Dan and Troy just really like Ben Zobrist? Maybe they knew something we didn't and blew the game on purpose so Benzo could hit yet another huge home run in the late innings? Maybe? Ok, maybe not.
This nonsense has to stop. The walkoff victory was nice, but it never should have come down to that.
On some nights they're good, but on most nights they're bad. Tonight was one of the bad nights. Dan Wheeler and Troy Percival combined to pitch one inning, throwing 33 pitches(14 strikes), giving up three hits, two walks and the go ahead run while striking out no one.
Wheeler entered the game in the 8th inning after an infield single from Ryan Sweeney knocked out Brian Shouse. Wheeler got the first batter he faced to ground into a fielder's choice. It would be the only out he recorded. Jack Hannahan singled to right and moving the tying run to second base. Orlando Cabrera took the second pitch from Wheeler up the middle for a single, but was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double to end the inning. Still, the tying run had scored. Now it was Troy Percival's turn.
Percy was making his first appearance since closing out Sunday's emotional win over the Indians in grand fashion. Instead of pitching well as he had last time out, Percival resorted to his normal form. He got the first batter to pop out to second base. He would then walk Jack Cust, who would be pinch ran for by Rajai Davis. Davis would then easily steal second base to put the go ahead run in scoring position. A walk to the dangerous Matt Holliday brought Jason Giambi to the plate. Giambi had been 0-6 with 6K's against Percival in his career, so naturally he singled to deep center with an assist to the lights at the Trop that cause B.J. Upton to lose the ball. The runners would not score, but Maddon would walk to the mound and Percival would walk toward the dugout to a chorus of boo's. Percival threw 23 pitches in his 0.1 innings of work, and only 9 were strikes. Yes, he may have gotten squeezed on a couple of pitches, but even if given those it would only bump him up to 11, maybe 12 strikes.
I don't question the effort of these two. The effort and competitive fire are there. However, the results are not.
Percival's Strikezone Plot:
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You know when its bad...
When the wins feel like losses, and the losses like yesterday feel like a win. I swear, I feel like a killjoy, but I like seeing the team scrap like how they did yesterday than do what the did today. I feel like it demeans Zobrist what I am saying, but I feel like the problems with Wheeler/Percival and Kazmir feel worse than what Zobrist does. If Zobrist could be a half-decent defender and have a glove, I would have nothing bad to say about him. Its quite a quandary he puts the Rays in, because he basically almost has to play because of Kapler. Do two wrongs make a right?
Put Tampa Bay back on our road uniforms!!
Zobrist sporting the 1.036 OPS.
Seriously, give this man some more playing time.
His walk rates are now looking like his minor league BB-rates and with every passing day the power is looking more and more legitimate.
At this point they at least need to ride him out.
He has been good in RF, and he’s been great at the plate. He needs to be playing everyday in RF unless they want him in the superutility role for when Joyce comes up. If nothing else they can try to drive his value up. The guy is killing the ball right now.
I don't mind Benzo in the superutility role
He can spell a couple guys a week for rest and start the rest in RF.
Sometimes I dream that he is me
You’ve got to see that’s how I dream to be
Like Zo, if i could be like zo
UNTIL NEXT HURF
THE SPORTS DURF
From the Times
Despite another shaky outing by closer Troy Percival — two runs and two walks while getting just one out in the ninth — Maddon said the Rays will stick with him. When asked about some fans booing Percival, Maddon pointed to perspective. “I understand not being pleased,” he said. “But (Percival) last year had 26 saves for us, and we went to the World Series, and a lot of it was on his back.”
Percival = 2009 YTD (Sorry for the ugliness of the data)
WPA -WPA +WPA RE24 REW
0.09 -1.53 1.63 -0.42 0.00
pLI inLI gmLI exLI Pulls
1.80 1.44 1.25 2.62 4
Games WPA/LI Clutch
14 -0.03 0.08
Being new to all this, not sure I’m reading this right, but in terms of WPA, WPA/LI and Clutch he seems pretty damn average, he puts us further behind in games we are losing (-WPA) and is better than average in games we are winning (+WPA).
Again, I may not be reading those right, just thought I’d post them. (For the Record, not a Percy fan)
Wrong
I’ve been told I’m looking at the above data wrong, so kindly disregard until I figure out what the hell I’m looking at.
+ is all the positive contributions, - is all the negative, WPA is the sum
Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it's business or baseball, or the theater, or any field. If you don't love what you're doing and you can't give it your best, get out of it. Life is too short. You'll be an old man before you know it.
-Al Lopez
by Sandy Kazmir on May 22, 2009 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions
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