Comments on: Clayton Kershaw Doesn’t Know How to Win http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2008/07/02/clayton-kershaw-is-the-worst-pitcher-in-baseball/621/ Los Angeles Dodgers baseball blog Thu, 24 May 2012 15:37:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: MSTI.com’s 2008 in Review: Secondary Relievers « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2008/07/02/clayton-kershaw-is-the-worst-pitcher-in-baseball/621/#comment-3899 MSTI.com’s 2008 in Review: Secondary Relievers « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:38:07 +0000 http://msti.wordpress.com/?p=621#comment-3899 [...] day one, I didn’t see why he was here, and according to the second post he shows up in (”But thanks to the bullpen blowing his lead tonight - and yes, Brian Falkenborg, even though [...] [...] day one, I didn’t see why he was here, and according to the second post he shows up in (”But thanks to the bullpen blowing his lead tonight – and yes, Brian Falkenborg, even though [...]

]]> By: Harold http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2008/07/02/clayton-kershaw-is-the-worst-pitcher-in-baseball/621/#comment-3898 Harold Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:52:40 +0000 http://msti.wordpress.com/?p=621#comment-3898 I thought he looked like someone who can flat out pitch. I saw him pitch 3 times at the Stadium and he didn't quite look MLB-ready, but it's clear he'll be a Dodger star next year and hopefully for years to come. He and Billingsly are two of the main reasons to be hopeful in coming years. I thought he looked like someone who can flat out pitch. I saw him pitch 3 times at the Stadium and he didn’t quite look MLB-ready, but it’s clear he’ll be a Dodger star next year and hopefully for years to come. He and Billingsly are two of the main reasons to be hopeful in coming years.

]]> By: Kershaw Sent Back To AA « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2008/07/02/clayton-kershaw-is-the-worst-pitcher-in-baseball/621/#comment-3897 Kershaw Sent Back To AA « Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:16:25 +0000 http://msti.wordpress.com/?p=621#comment-3897 [...] an assessment of his time in L.A., but my partner in crime, MSTI, did a very good job of that on the post below and Jon from Dodger Thoughts also has a good read on it.  In short, Kershaw has a lot to be proud [...] [...] an assessment of his time in L.A., but my partner in crime, MSTI, did a very good job of that on the post below and Jon from Dodger Thoughts also has a good read on it.  In short, Kershaw has a lot to be proud [...]

]]> By: kensai http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2008/07/02/clayton-kershaw-is-the-worst-pitcher-in-baseball/621/#comment-3896 kensai Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:57:29 +0000 http://msti.wordpress.com/?p=621#comment-3896 Westsidedodger-With certain players, I just don't see what more they have to prove at AAA, or how they would benefit from another year there. Kershaw is a guy who probably could have used a full season at AA, but guys like Martin/LaRoche/Loney/Kemp/D. Young/Ethier/Etc have nothing left to prove hitting .350 in Las Vegas. The hope is that Kemp eventually learns to control the zone better, and regardless of when he got called up, he would still have to make the adjustment to MLB pitching anyway. He either makes them or not, but I remain hopeful. Westsidedodger-With certain players, I just don’t see what more they have to prove at AAA, or how they would benefit from another year there. Kershaw is a guy who probably could have used a full season at AA, but guys like Martin/LaRoche/Loney/Kemp/D. Young/Ethier/Etc have nothing left to prove hitting .350 in Las Vegas. The hope is that Kemp eventually learns to control the zone better, and regardless of when he got called up, he would still have to make the adjustment to MLB pitching anyway. He either makes them or not, but I remain hopeful.

]]> By: Harold http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2008/07/02/clayton-kershaw-is-the-worst-pitcher-in-baseball/621/#comment-3895 Harold Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:55:16 +0000 http://msti.wordpress.com/?p=621#comment-3895 This team has so much wrong with it, a new SS isn't going to help, given what's out there. Although, I will note that the team is now .500 in the post-Pierre era. This team has so much wrong with it, a new SS isn’t going to help, given what’s out there. Although, I will note that the team is now .500 in the post-Pierre era.

]]> By: Westsidedodger http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2008/07/02/clayton-kershaw-is-the-worst-pitcher-in-baseball/621/#comment-3894 Westsidedodger Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:47:09 +0000 http://msti.wordpress.com/?p=621#comment-3894 Kensai, you make a good point about Jackson still struggling in Tampa even after being sent down by them for more seasoning. As for Billingsley, in '06 he was in the rotation for much of the year and, at times, pitched brilliantly. It was in '07 that they started him out of the pen rather than give him a rotation slot. Having brought him up, they should have just let him pitch every fifth day and learn his trade. I don't argue that Matt Kemp is a great athelete and has produced at the ML level. It's just having watched him struggle at the plate, on the basepaths and take some strange routes to balls in the outfield, I can't but wish he was given another year down on the farm to polish his game more. You may be right, though, in that Kemp is going to being one of those hitters with poor plate discipline his whole career. MSTI, good point. Certainly Loney deserved the starting job at 1st last season and was blocked by Nomar. LaRoche is a slightly different issue since he's been injured so much the last 2 seasons and hasn't been able to push his way into a starting job. I guess my main beef is that the Dodgers have been so inconsistent in developing their youth of late that I long for the days when we produced 5 consecutive ROYs in one stretch. Kensai, you make a good point about Jackson still struggling in Tampa even after being sent down by them for more seasoning.

As for Billingsley, in ’06 he was in the rotation for much of the year and, at times, pitched brilliantly. It was in ’07 that they started him out of the pen rather than give him a rotation slot. Having brought him up, they should have just let him pitch every fifth day and learn his trade.

I don’t argue that Matt Kemp is a great athelete and has produced at the ML level. It’s just having watched him struggle at the plate, on the basepaths and take some strange routes to balls in the outfield, I can’t but wish he was given another year down on the farm to polish his game more. You may be right, though, in that Kemp is going to being one of those hitters with poor plate discipline his whole career.

MSTI, good point. Certainly Loney deserved the starting job at 1st last season and was blocked by Nomar. LaRoche is a slightly different issue since he’s been injured so much the last 2 seasons and hasn’t been able to push his way into a starting job. I guess my main beef is that the Dodgers have been so inconsistent in developing their youth of late that I long for the days when we produced 5 consecutive ROYs in one stretch.

]]> By: Mike Scioscia's tragic illness http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2008/07/02/clayton-kershaw-is-the-worst-pitcher-in-baseball/621/#comment-3893 Mike Scioscia's tragic illness Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:54:31 +0000 http://msti.wordpress.com/?p=621#comment-3893 Thanks Westside, but I thought the complaint among Dodger fans in recent years is that thte young players had to wait too long to get a chance. James Loney is exhibit #1 there, but how long have we been waiting on Andy LaRoche, too? Thanks Westside, but I thought the complaint among Dodger fans in recent years is that thte young players had to wait too long to get a chance. James Loney is exhibit #1 there, but how long have we been waiting on Andy LaRoche, too?

]]> By: kensai http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2008/07/02/clayton-kershaw-is-the-worst-pitcher-in-baseball/621/#comment-3892 kensai Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:47:39 +0000 http://msti.wordpress.com/?p=621#comment-3892 A lot gets made of Edwin Jackson, but his control issues weren't because the Dodgers rushed him, he was just unable to harness it. Heck, he's better now but his problems in Tampa Bay are still due to erratic control. - Billingsley would have struggled with his command until he got a full-time slot in the rotation anyway. The Dodgers put him in the bullpen for 2 years, and when he first got a full-time job in the rotation, he still had iffy command (surprise, surprise). The Dodgers hindered his progression by babying him until "he was ready", IMO. - As far as Kemp goes, again, I don't think a year would have made a difference. The guy hit .342 last year, and now has to adjust to a full-time role. His strikeouts will always exist, it's just a matter if he can limit them or not. And if you look at his minor league track record: 1) he had little left to prove there and 2) he never had plate discipline. He could have spent 3 more years down there and he would still strikeout 100+ times and walk less than 40 times. I'm personally more worried about his inability to lift the ball. A lot gets made of Edwin Jackson, but his control issues weren’t because the Dodgers rushed him, he was just unable to harness it. Heck, he’s better now but his problems in Tampa Bay are still due to erratic control.
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Billingsley would have struggled with his command until he got a full-time slot in the rotation anyway. The Dodgers put him in the bullpen for 2 years, and when he first got a full-time job in the rotation, he still had iffy command (surprise, surprise). The Dodgers hindered his progression by babying him until “he was ready”, IMO.
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As far as Kemp goes, again, I don’t think a year would have made a difference. The guy hit .342 last year, and now has to adjust to a full-time role. His strikeouts will always exist, it’s just a matter if he can limit them or not. And if you look at his minor league track record: 1) he had little left to prove there and 2) he never had plate discipline. He could have spent 3 more years down there and he would still strikeout 100+ times and walk less than 40 times. I’m personally more worried about his inability to lift the ball.

]]> By: Westsidedodger http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2008/07/02/clayton-kershaw-is-the-worst-pitcher-in-baseball/621/#comment-3891 Westsidedodger Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:00:33 +0000 http://msti.wordpress.com/?p=621#comment-3891 Nice post, MSTI. You've put your finger on something that's been a sore point for me over the last few years. Ever since Fox took over, there's been this bad habit of accelerating the development of certain prized prospects by bringing them to the Show a year or two before they were ready. Under Fox, it was Edwin Jackson. But under the McCourts, you could argue that Billingsley was brought up a year before he should have been. And now, Kershaw. Perhaps the player most hurt by this accelerated development was Matt Kemp, who even now has trouble identifying off-speed and breaking pitches, and hits far too many weak grounders instead of waiting for a pitch to drive. Don't get me wrong, I think Kemp's a great player and will work through all this, but I honestly wish they'd let him develop on the farm last season rather than force him to learn how to hit a curve ball at the ML level. I know I grow nostalgic, but I seem to remember a time when the Dodger farm system developed young talent and delivered it to the ML a fairly finished product. Nice post, MSTI. You’ve put your finger on something that’s been a sore point for me over the last few years. Ever since Fox took over, there’s been this bad habit of accelerating the development of certain prized prospects by bringing them to the Show a year or two before they were ready. Under Fox, it was Edwin Jackson. But under the McCourts, you could argue that Billingsley was brought up a year before he should have been. And now, Kershaw. Perhaps the player most hurt by this accelerated development was Matt Kemp, who even now has trouble identifying off-speed and breaking pitches, and hits far too many weak grounders instead of waiting for a pitch to drive. Don’t get me wrong, I think Kemp’s a great player and will work through all this, but I honestly wish they’d let him develop on the farm last season rather than force him to learn how to hit a curve ball at the ML level. I know I grow nostalgic, but I seem to remember a time when the Dodger farm system developed young talent and delivered it to the ML a fairly finished product.

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