Where's the love for Brad Penny?

[BSN07]

I just hate him because he looks like Fat Bastard. I bet when he farts he clears the room out.

 

He reminds me more of Shrek on the mound. Huge upper body, smaller lower body, made to loo even worse with the high socks. Big gommy hands and little ears that poke out from a big head.

[BoSox21]

They might skip a start here and there' date=' I don't know if they would sit him for a month.[/quote']

 

They couldn't DL him then if they sit him out here and there. Besides putting Penny in the bullpen and sending Bard back to AAA, I really don't see what they could do

[ORS]

I didn't have time to find the link while at work. Here's a link to a blog post by a guy who reverse engineered the ranking system.

 

Link

 

The money quote....

 

That brings us to the one thing I am stuck on. Players get an adjustment in their counting stats for time missed on the disabled list. I have thus far been unable to figure out how this is accounted for. If anybody wants to take a shot at that, please let me know and I'll send you the numbers I have. As soon as the disabled list adjustment is quantified, we should be able to figure out this formula.

 

I don't know what the adjustment is either. The system is proprietary and unpublished, but this is not the only place I've seen attempt analysis of the system and come to the same conclusion.

[jacksonianmarch]

interesting. Looks like Lester has been figured out. Teams are hitting the s*** out of him on the first pitch. Either he needs to alter his approach or he needs to find the corners more on pitch #1

[TheKilo]

interesting. Looks like Lester has been figured out. Teams are hitting the s*** out of him on the first pitch. Either he needs to alter his approach or he needs to find the corners more on pitch #1

 

wat

[jacksonianmarch]

I was wondering where that went. I wanted that in the gamethread

[BOSOX11]

All I can say is that Penny looks 100 times better than he did out here in L.A.

[jacksonianmarch]

wat

 

that was prior to his last start. 2 starts ago, I was listening on the radio and they had the batting average on first pitch vs Lester. Last yr, guys hit .276 when they put the first pitch in play. This season, he was at .476. That is where that post came from

[Dipre]

that was prior to his last start. 2 starts ago' date=' I was listening on the radio and they had the batting average on first pitch vs Lester. Last yr, guys hit .276 when they put the first pitch in play. [b']This season, he was at .476[/b]. That is where that post came from

 

So this is an instance where you purposely DON'T use BABIP, huh Jacko?

 

You know that'll even out, don't you?

[Mr Crunchy]

A national league thats contending will bite on him and if moved to an nl west park he could deflate those #s...Is it me or does he look real fat?

[jacksonianmarch]

So this is an instance where you purposely DON'T use BABIP, huh Jacko?

 

You know that'll even out, don't you?

 

Like I said, I loosely use BABIP. And when you see something so off the wall, you either can try and make an inference or you can chalk it up to chance. Either way, it couldnt hurt Lester to try and locate his first pitch better, now can it? That tells me that he is trying to get ahead in the count and he's leaving a cookie. But who knows, we'll see which way it goes over the rest of the yr

[ORS]

I wouldn't say it "tells" you he's throwing cookies in an attempt to throw more strikes, that's just what you assume. A quick look at First Strike % at fangraphs makes the possibility that this is the case smaller. He threw 60% first strikes last year, this year it is 55%. If he's intentionally throwing strikes at the risk of being over the middle, more of his misses will be over the plate, and he'd have a higher FS%.

 

Orel Hershiser spoke about the effect of a longer season during one of his (Lester's) starts. He talked about not being stretched out and comfortable early in a season after playing deep into October and logging more innings than before. Then he went on to explain how command was the first thing he struggled with when he felt tight. It was like the Verducci Effect, but with credible reasoning and explanations for performance that made sense.

 

Getting hit harder, and throwing less first strikes, suggests to me that he's missing location more. If he's setting up outside and misses, then it's a clear ball or over the middle. Fewer strikes, more hits. This, and the idea of being tight and struggling with command per Hershiser, makes more sense to me.

[jacksonianmarch]

I concur, sounds good to me

[yankeessuck013]

"A baseball official told 1050 ESPN Radio in New York that the Yankees called the commissioner's office Friday to ask that Brad Penny be suspended for hitting Alex Rodriguez in the back during the first inning of Thursday night's Red Sox win."

 

Wow.

[BSN07]

"A baseball official told 1050 ESPN Radio in New York that the Yankees called the commissioner's office Friday to ask that Brad Penny be suspended for hitting Alex Rodriguez in the back during the first inning of Thursday night's Red Sox win."

 

Wow.

 

Considering who handles those situations it's surprising he's not suspended.

[MANNYHOF24]

"A baseball official told 1050 ESPN Radio in New York that the Yankees called the commissioner's office Friday to ask that Brad Penny be suspended for hitting Alex Rodriguez in the back during the first inning of Thursday night's Red Sox win."

 

Wow.

 

lolwut

[MANNYHOF24]

interesting. Looks like Lester has been figured out. Teams are hitting the s*** out of him on the first pitch. Either he needs to alter his approach or he needs to find the corners more on pitch #1

 

Chump.

[TheKilo]

No love for this guy? Still?

[Cocos Disciples]

I think I've professed sufficient love.

[msubulldogs21]

No love for this guy? Still?

 

I'm pretty sure I was 1 of about 3.2 people defending him back in like April

[yankeessuck013]

lolwut

 

Penny's Response:

 

“I don’t give two f***s what Joe Girardi says, I’m coming inside. I don’t care. Anybody can say that. We can say that about the time they hit our guys. I’m just trying to pitch inside. Maybe he should worry about managing and not trying to be the commissioner."

 

“Why wouldn’t he say that the night before? Don’t wait a day, then say it. He should worry about managing and let the umpire crew do their job.”

 

f*** Yes.

[redsoxrules]

so what should the sox do in regards to the pitching staff?

 

Beckett and Lester are for sure the number 1 and 2 starter

 

what about the rest?

 

you know that Dice K will continue to pitch , unless injured

Penny has been good of late

Wake ? smoltz?

 

6 man rotation?

[TheKilo]

I think they trade Penny but I'd rather see them DL DiceK

[Dojji]

Penny's Response:

 

“I don’t give two f***s what Joe Girardi says, I’m coming inside. I don’t care. Anybody can say that. We can say that about the time they hit our guys. I’m just trying to pitch inside. Maybe he should worry about managing and not trying to be the commissioner."

 

“Why wouldn’t he say that the night before? Don’t wait a day, then say it. He should worry about managing and let the umpire crew do their job.”

 

f*** Yes.

 

Love the attitude. Do your job and let the rest take care of itself.

[yankeessuck013]

Penny's numbers over the last 30 days

 

29.2 innings

3.64 era

1.42 whip

4 BB

24k's

3 quality starts

[TheKilo]

http://www.patriotledger.com/sports/x1415147353/Brad-Penny-continues-to-make-a-strong-pitch-for-Red-Sox

 

"The velocity is back where it was when I was 21," said Penny. "I feel really strong. I think that was one of my problems tonight with my command. I felt a little too good. The last two games back-to-back have been the best I've felt in probably five years.

 

"I just think the shoulder program they got me on when I came over (has helped). These guys work their butts off, and I just kind of watched them and followed what they're doing. It's incredible. I really believe if I hadn't signed here, I probably wouldn't be pitching."

[Dojji]

That's exciting. A good look at the radar gun bears it out, too. Penny's pounding it in there at 95 miles an hour on a very regular basis.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Damn him. I don't like being undermined.

[VA Sox Fan]

Penny's numbers over the last 30 days

 

29.2 innings

3.64 era

1.42 whip

4 BB

24k's

3 quality starts

 

Here's some love for Brad Penny :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

The extra lbs. he's carrying concerned me but he's holding his own and got a lot of run support at the beginning of the season.

[Youk Of The Nation]

lolwut

 

I know this is a really late response, but does anyone have confirmation of this?

 

If true, did the Sox approach Selig's office and ask that Joba be suspended after the fortieth time he tried to nail Youk in the brainpan?