OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - Yet Another OOTP6 Dynasty, Year 2: One Flew Over the Pale Hose

cknox0723 · 06-26-2005, 03:12 AM

A year ago, Joe Roa would come into these situations and pitch lights-out almost every single time. He had his ups and downs -- a 5.68 ERA in April, for example -- but the man pitched almost 100 innings and gave up just 30 runs. He did not give away at-bats as he walked just sixteen, and he did not make big mistakes, as he allowed just 6 home runs. Hell, he only allowed 14 extra base hits. One could input those numbers into Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, and it would spit out an entry for relief ace, I am sure.

It is disheartening to me to see him struggle now, to see the latter-day Armando Benitez in Fernando Rodney outperform him. Sure, it is just a few games, but this seems like a completely different pitcher. He's still just 35 years old -- reasonably young. Does he see that he's going to earn one and a half million over the next two years, regardless of how he pitches, and not have that "middle-class enthusiasm" anymore? Or is he not physically capable of spotting that 91 mile an hour sinker like he could a few months ago? If last season never ended, would Joe Roa still be more like "The Pied Piper" and less like some guy with a six-letter name?

But we will probably never know. So I suppose it is simply time to adapt and figure out how we are going to get outs in the ninth inning, because the guy who could do that last year hasn't been able to do it two days in a row.

DET 6 CHW 4

WP: T. Tucker (1-0)
LP: J. Roa (0-1) his ninth inning itinerary - comebacker, single, walk of A. Beltre, two-run double into the right field corner by Junior Spivey, ground out, strikeout
S: F. Rodney (4)

Major Props to... Shea Hillenbrand, who may not be someone I'd want to spend more than five minutes with, but the ****** can hit. His tale is another cautionary one against looking at the previous year and immediately writing a man off just because his on-base percentage in 350 AAA at-bats was .296. Hillenbrand may swing at everything, but his career batting average in the bigs is .280 and he has extra-base power. He is seven for seventeen so far this season and though he could go oh-for his next forty-seven, I see no reason to think he will. On this team, that's plenty good for me.

06-26-2005, 03:12 AM	#476
cknox0723 All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 1,957	it's a reliever, flying away A year ago, Joe Roa would come into these situations and pitch lights-out almost every single time. He had his ups and downs -- a 5.68 ERA in April, for example -- but the man pitched almost 100 innings and gave up just 30 runs. He did not give away at-bats as he walked just sixteen, and he did not make big mistakes, as he allowed just 6 home runs. Hell, he only allowed 14 extra base hits. One could input those numbers into Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, and it would spit out an entry for relief ace, I am sure. It is disheartening to me to see him struggle now, to see the latter-day Armando Benitez in Fernando Rodney outperform him. Sure, it is just a few games, but this seems like a completely different pitcher. He's still just 35 years old -- reasonably young. Does he see that he's going to earn one and a half million over the next two years, regardless of how he pitches, and not have that "middle-class enthusiasm" anymore? Or is he not physically capable of spotting that 91 mile an hour sinker like he could a few months ago? If last season never ended, would Joe Roa still be more like "The Pied Piper" and less like some guy with a six-letter name? But we will probably never know. So I suppose it is simply time to adapt and figure out how we are going to get outs in the ninth inning, because the guy who could do that last year hasn't been able to do it two days in a row. DET 6 CHW 4 WP: T. Tucker (1-0) LP: J. Roa (0-1) his ninth inning itinerary - comebacker, single, walk of A. Beltre, two-run double into the right field corner by Junior Spivey, ground out, strikeout S: F. Rodney (4) Major Props to... Shea Hillenbrand, who may not be someone I'd want to spend more than five minutes with, but the ****** can hit. His tale is another cautionary one against looking at the previous year and immediately writing a man off just because his on-base percentage in 350 AAA at-bats was .296. Hillenbrand may swing at everything, but his career batting average in the bigs is .280 and he has extra-base power. He is seven for seventeen so far this season and though he could go oh-for his next forty-seven, I see no reason to think he will. On this team, that's plenty good for me. Last edited by cknox0723; 06-27-2005 at 02:08 PM.