Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Rock Solid Recrap: Too Much Stink, Not Enough Sink

And so it should end Aaron Cook's near eight year run in the Rockies rotation.

Say what you will about the Cook we're seeing implode before our very eyes in 2010, an eight year stay in any big league rotation is really damn impressive. Probably even more impressive in the Rockies rotation. It's just time to move on.

Actually, it was time to move on when Jorge De La Rosa was activated from the DL... but now it's REALLY time.

I don't buy that Cook is/was a luck pitcher. Sure he gets the ball put in play on him more than most, but his path to success is no different than any other starting pitcher. If he makes his pitches, he'll succeed. If he doesn't make his pitches, he'll fail. Sinker below the knees, he'll be fine. Sinkers and flat curveballs in the hitting zone, he'll get tattooed.

You don't sink (pun intended) to the level he's at now just because years of good luck are catching to you. You get to this point because you're not making pitches. Simple at that.

Cook In The Bullpen

Not sure this goes well assuming it happens. I guess we shouldn't assume anything with how this season is playing out.

To me it seems like Cook comes out that first inning struggling to find himself, his grip, his location. Sometimes he's too amped up and overthrowing. That doesn't translate to successful reliever -- long or short relief.


Taylor Buchholz

Speaking of long relief. Not an awful job by Taylor Buchholz. Not a great job by any means, but I think Taylor's role needs to be that of a short reliever. One inning at a time. His starting and long relief days are long behind him -- and probably days he'd like to forget.

Manny Corpas

Bad Manny. He's starting to slip up again. Hard to blame overuse as an excuse now since his innings have been cut down recently, but that's still a TON of innings for a guy not used to the workload.

Offense

All this pitching talk kind of overshadows maybe the biggest problem.

No offense.

Three hits (tied for season low). Twelve strikesouts (par for the course).

Fattening up on the dumpster fire known as the Chicago Cubs bullpen may work for a weekend. It doesn't solve the problem though. At some point (like tomorrow) this team has to consistently hit MAJOR LEAGUE pitching.

Tomorrow

Ubaldo Jimenez. Madison Bumgarner. Seems winnable to me.

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