Ode to Percy

by raysfaninminnesota on May 23, 2009 12:25 AM EDT

For the first time in 14 months, I feel lost. I feel like Batman has lost Robin. Sonny losing Cher. Jock without itch. When in doubt, you were always there. I could count on you waddling your fat ass up to the mound, looking like a slightly taller Danny Devito as the Penguin. No matter what was going on, I could always count on you to fuck something up and give me a place to direct my frustration. But now what do I do? Sure, there have been others who have tried to live up to your shoes. Navarro tried matching your girth, but he doesn't have your waddle. Wheeler has tried to imitate you, and dammit he has sure tried hard, but it's just not the same.
Who can truly color my vocabulary like you? Who's going to make me refill my high blood pressure medicine? No one will ever be able to replace that rumble in my stomach. No one can ever match that pain in my ass. No one could make me induce vomit like you. No one can ever make me think so fondly of Roberto Hernandez. Alas, the next time I yell at my tv and say "thanks for fucking this one up", it just won't have quite the same ring to it as it used to. But whenever I glance down at a breakfast menu and see grits, I'll always think of you. But every time I hear "closer-by-committee", I'll shed a tear for you. Look out, Isringhausen. You have some mighty big shoes and waistline to fill.

This post was written by a member of the DRaysBay community and does not necessarily express the views or opinions of DRaysBay staff.

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Yes, but how did you really feel about Troy?

by Lurch's Lobbyists on May 23, 2009 12:51 AM EDT reply actions

Percy

Pretty strong words from someone who has most likely has never set foot on a mound. Troy admittedly may have tried to preform one of the most difficult jobs in all of pro sports a year or two longer than his skills allowed. He was asked to come back by Joe Maddon not only for his pitching skills, but to help the young pitchers in the bullpen, if you look at some of their remarks you will see that he was a great asset to this team.
He just didn’t know as many players don’t when to hangup the spikes. Percy THANKS FOR THE EFFORT if not the results. Would we have made the playoffs without Percy?, remember he did very well the first half of last year.
This being said; Can’t say that I will miss him struting out there in the ninth.

Now why is BJ still batting first?

by geotom on May 23, 2009 3:46 AM EDT reply actions

BJ is batting .241/.333/.483 over the last 7 days, not great but improving.

Why move him now?

by twenty5psi on May 23, 2009 4:13 AM EDT up reply actions

Would we have made the playoffs without Percy?

wow, that’s funny. Considering how well the bullpen did afterwards and considering how many blown saves he had, I think we have our answer. If he was so damn important, our team would’ve just sunk and never made the playoffs. Did he make a big difference when we lost both Longoria and Crawford to injuries? Oh wait, they only joined him on the DL. Did he make a big difference when Boston tied us late in the year? Yeah, he was still on the DL. How bout the playoffs? ALCS? Yeah, he wasn’t there either.

“great asset to this team”, “Not only for his pitching skills” – if that was the case, hire him as a COACH, not as a pitcher, let alone a closer. Look, I’m not mad at the guy, just the results. “a year or two longer tha his skills allowed.” Um…that’s the entire contract he signed with us—we took a gamble after he threw a good half season with the Cardinals and it didn’t work out. But we didn’t treat it as a based on results approach. We took it as this guy’s past peformance will also be weighed with his current performance. Maddon’s relationship with him got in the way. I understand he did well for you in the past, but will Nelson be treated the same way? Shouse? They surely won’t keep their same role, maybe not even their job…but Percy? He stays the closer, and even now, he’s the one who might decide to hang it up, not us.

If he would have been healthy, most of the first half of last year reminded of how good he can be. But ask the Tigers if they made a good deal when they signed him to big money and only got a couple of innings to show for it. He hasn’t been healthy for a long time now. Last year showed the Rays that he can be a good pitcher when healthy… but they can never count on him to be healthy. That’s what you get for a 39 year old pitcher.

by raysfaninminnesota on May 23, 2009 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions

"Would we have made the playoffs without Percy?"

Yes. What makes you think otherwise?

by R.J. Anderson on May 23, 2009 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Results-wise

The team didn’t lose any games where he blew a save, and theoretically a better pitcher could have blown a few games early in the year when he pitched well. It’s VERY unlikely the team could have lost 8 more games because of it, but it’s reasonable to believe we might not have won the division. It’s a lot harder to make the argument that we would have won more games without him.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on May 23, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions