How about Daniel Bard so far?

[Station 13]

His slider has been non existent his last two but he pitch off his sinker and changeup. He got 15 groundball outs in KC.

[Spitball]

His slider has been non existent his last two but he pitch off his sinker and changeup. He got 15 groundball outs in KC.

 

Bard's slider had made him dominant. He needs to rediscover it no matter what role he pitches.

[RedSoxFan84]

From what I can tell so far this year, Bard is the least of our problems. This pitching staff has bigger fish to fry.

 

First of all, what the hell is wrong with Beckett? It honestly seems like he just doesn't give a f*** about the team, his responsibilities, or the fans. It would be different if he was pitching at an elite level, but for me, a 5.97 ERA isn't worth putting up with his ********. I honestly think he would have been traded by now if we weren't so short of options to replace him in the rotation.

 

Also, what's up with Buchholz? I know he has struggled with injury, so is it just a matter of him working his way back into good form and good health? I hope so, because I've always been a big fan of Buchholz and I think that he can be one of the best #3 pitchers in baseball if he can get things working properly for him again.

 

So yeah, I see those as being the two biggest issues facing the rotation at the moment. In contrast, Bard's development as a starter looks pretty bloody peachy. As Dojji said, we need to start planning for the long-term future, and I think that Bard and Doubront are looking like they will be pretty solid starters. I know that both will have their bumps in the road as they learn, but with the long-term in mind, we really need to perservere with them in the rotation. I get that with Bailey out, the temptation is to throw Bard back into the closer role, but Bailey wont be out forever (at least not that I've heard), so what do we do when he comes back? Throw Bard back into the rotation again? Management obviously see him as a long-term starter, so the sooner he can get into that role and stick there, the better it will be for his development. I understand that some people here are saying "he did this wrong" or "he did that wrong", but if he is going to start long-term for us, which all indications seem to suggest, then he is better off getting through the learning curves now. Juggling him back and forth between the rotation and the pen will only delay his development.

 

 

Speaking of the pen though, I don't know a huge amount at the moment about what's up with Bailey and Melancon. I know that Bailey is injured, but how severe is it? When will he be back? How has he looked when healthy? Also, what the hell happened with Melancon? When we picked him up, he was a young kid with a lot of potential, and he and Bailey seemed to have the setup and closer roles locked up for the forseeable future. What went wrong with Melancon? Is it something that can/will be fixed with time in AAA? Or is he a bust? My personal thoughts are that, as well as sorting out the Beckett/Buchholz situations, the main focus of the coaching staff and the entire organization should be on "fixing" Melancon and Bailey, because if you throw them back into the setup and closer roles and they can be successful, along with Miller, Aceves, Padilla, etc in the pen, then all of a sudden our relievers don't look so bad.

[Spitball]

I'm not saying Bard is a problem, just the way he is being used. It is a huge warning sign when a pitcher stops striking out batters, especially one who had averaged more than a K per inning for his career.

 

As I type, Bard is on a stretch of 18.1 innings with 4 strikeouts and 10 walks. Something is not looking good to me about that line. And 12.1 of those innings were against weak line ups in KC and Oakland.

[Dojji]

I'm not saying Bard is a problem, just the way he is being used. It is a huge warning sign when a pitcher stops striking out batters, especially one who had averaged more than a K per inning for his career.

 

As I type, Bard is on a stretch of 18.1 innings with 4 strikeouts and 10 walks. Something is not looking good to me about that line. And 12.1 of those innings were against weak line ups in KC and Oakland.

 

I'm not as worried about this as you are. That's not a lot of innings for one, and for two, the biggest challenge he had facing hitters as a starter was getting hitters out by contact -- and as evidenced by the fact that those starts were by and large effective for him even without the K ball, he's getting there. Especially because those 18.1 innings represent 3 starts (seriously, do the math).

 

Bard's line so far averages about a quality start (30 innings over 5 start, ERA just came down below 4.5). He's basically a #3 starter pitching out of our 5 spot. For a guy who has never started successfully professionally before, that's not too freaking bad..

[Rdsxmbnt]

I think the important thing to remember about Bard is that before this season he hadn't started a game in 5 years and that was back in A-ball. Peripherals aren't great right now but he's keeping the ball in the ballpark (1 HR allowed) and more importantly keeping the team in games. I think the K's will start to go up in time and I think the Sox are committed to taking their time with him as a SP.

[Station 13]

Bard should be 7-0 if they played well behind him in his starts. Kept his team in all the games he pitch.

 

by start:

vs Jays. first 5 inning 3ER, defense of Youk and Punto totally f***ed him. Again when he begin the 6th inning. Pull him for Thomas to allow two runners in and 1 of his own.

 

vs Rays pitch to the 7th inning, 1ER, team loss 1-0

 

Vs Chicago 7IP 2ER ball

 

vs Oakland 1ER through 5 IP, Ross misplayed a ball in the 6th inning. We could've look at 6IP 1-2ER if they didn't s*** the beds.

 

vs Royals, through 7IP 3ER and V let him start the 8th, Albers f*** it up.

 

vs Guardians, 6IP ER

 

He's done the best for this team.

[Dojji]

Station 13 definitely has a point. WHether it's wise to cherry-pick the stats the way he does is a question, but his argument still has some merit.

[a700hitter]

Bard should be 7-0 if they played well behind him in his starts. Kept his team in all the games he pitch.

 

by start:

vs Jays. first 5 inning 3ER, defense of Youk and Punto totally f***ed him. Again when he begin the 6th inning. Pull him for Thomas to allow two runners in and 1 of his own.

 

vs Rays pitch to the 7th inning, 1ER, team loss 1-0

 

Vs Chicago 7IP 2ER ball

 

vs Oakland 1ER through 5 IP, Ross misplayed a ball in the 6th inning. We could've look at 6IP 1-2ER if they didn't s*** the beds.

 

vs Royals, through 7IP 3ER and V let him start the 8th, Albers f*** it up.

 

vs Guardians, 6IP ER

 

He's done the best for this team.

^ And that makes more of a statement about the rest of the rotation than it does about Bard.

[Elktonnick]

Bard has proven that he is mediocre starter at best. The question is has he so screwed up his head and lost his velocity that he would no longer be an effective setup man or closer.

[jacksonianmarch]

Bard- 42.2IP 41H 23ER 26K 25BB

 

That line sucks. Fangraphs has him at a xFIP of over 5. His K:BB ratio is close to 1 and he is allowing more hits than I thought he would. The "project" was to see if he could be an ace in the making. Well, if he came out firing 98mph bee bees and a knockout slider, but lacked stamina or location, then I could agree. But what he has turned into is puzzling. He has turned into a low 90s straight fastball pitcher with almost no slider to speak of and a continued reliance on a changeup that he throws almost identically in velocity to his fastball. He isnt striking people out, and with his lack of punch he has seen a massive spike in his walk rate. If you had seen a K/9 of 8 but 5IP/start and who cares about the amount of walks, I would say it is worth investigating further. But he has turned into a groundball, contact pitcher with no control or power. He's got the worst combination for success. Contact pitchers usually give up a fair amount of hits since more balls are put in play, so to this point he has been somewhat lucky (BABIP of .289). Also, since most of his contact appears to keep the ball on the ground (GB's have the highest percentage chance of a hit after line drive) he should, in essence, give up more hits than IP in this new hybrid form. Factor in the walk rate of 5.3 and you have a modern day, less effective version of Shawn Chacon out there. This is a failed project. Even if he limits hit walks, he isnt an ace out here, far from it. He is a groundball, back of the rotation pitcher with limited strikeout ability who cannot give you innings due to high pitch count. Whereas in the pen, he was a rubber armed relief ace who gave you 70 appearances of dominance over the last 2 seasons, when you needed it the most. You saw what he has now, and it is time to move on.

 

I'd start him one more time since you really have no other option, then move him back to the pen after Cook comes back. Then, when DiceK is finally somewhat ready, you see if he can supplant Cook until either Oswalt or a similarly acquired starter can take his place

[jacksonianmarch]

Bard has proven that he is mediocre starter at best. The question is has he so screwed up his head and lost his velocity that he would no longer be an effective setup man or closer.

 

What you need to do is get him out of there before he gets hurt. We saw what happened with Joba and he was never the same.

[Palodios]

Bard- 42.2IP 41H 23ER 26K 25BB

 

That line sucks. Fangraphs has him at a xFIP of over 5. His K:BB ratio is close to 1 and he is allowing more hits than I thought he would. The "project" was to see if he could be an ace in the making. Well, if he came out firing 98mph bee bees and a knockout slider, but lacked stamina or location, then I could agree. But what he has turned into is puzzling. He has turned into a low 90s straight fastball pitcher with almost no slider to speak of and a continued reliance on a changeup that he throws almost identically in velocity to his fastball. He isnt striking people out, and with his lack of punch he has seen a massive spike in his walk rate. If you had seen a K/9 of 8 but 5IP/start and who cares about the amount of walks, I would say it is worth investigating further. But he has turned into a groundball, contact pitcher with no control or power. He's got the worst combination for success. Contact pitchers usually give up a fair amount of hits since more balls are put in play, so to this point he has been somewhat lucky (BABIP of .289). Also, since most of his contact appears to keep the ball on the ground (GB's have the highest percentage chance of a hit after line drive) he should, in essence, give up more hits than IP in this new hybrid form. Factor in the walk rate of 5.3 and you have a modern day, less effective version of Shawn Chacon out there. This is a failed project. Even if he limits hit walks, he isnt an ace out here, far from it. He is a groundball, back of the rotation pitcher with limited strikeout ability who cannot give you innings due to high pitch count. Whereas in the pen, he was a rubber armed relief ace who gave you 70 appearances of dominance over the last 2 seasons, when you needed it the most. You saw what he has now, and it is time to move on.

 

I'd start him one more time since you really have no other option, then move him back to the pen after Cook comes back. Then, when DiceK is finally somewhat ready, you see if he can supplant Cook until either Oswalt or a similarly acquired starter can take his place

 

Excellent post.

[Elktonnick]

What you need to do is get him out of there before he gets hurt. We saw what happened with Joba and he was never the same.

 

It isn't only the physical issues but the mental ones as well. Bard is over thinking evrything. He has become a Clay Buchholtz clone. You are right get him out of there sooner rather than later.

[Station 13]

I give him a couple more starts. If he doesn't work off his fastball, then he isn't going to be anything better than a backend starter. It's shocking he doesn't use his rising fastball to challenge hitters. I didn't see a single fastball that say "I dare you to hit" last night.

 

Back in college he was a power pitcher that throws 94-98 into the 7th inning. It is still there in him.

[example1]

Bard- 42.2IP 41H 23ER 26K 25BB

 

That line sucks. Fangraphs has him at a xFIP of over 5. His K:BB ratio is close to 1 and he is allowing more hits than I thought he would. The "project" was to see if he could be an ace in the making. Well, if he came out firing 98mph bee bees and a knockout slider, but lacked stamina or location, then I could agree. But what he has turned into is puzzling. He has turned into a low 90s straight fastball pitcher with almost no slider to speak of and a continued reliance on a changeup that he throws almost identically in velocity to his fastball. He isnt striking people out, and with his lack of punch he has seen a massive spike in his walk rate. If you had seen a K/9 of 8 but 5IP/start and who cares about the amount of walks, I would say it is worth investigating further. But he has turned into a groundball, contact pitcher with no control or power. He's got the worst combination for success. Contact pitchers usually give up a fair amount of hits since more balls are put in play, so to this point he has been somewhat lucky (BABIP of .289). Also, since most of his contact appears to keep the ball on the ground (GB's have the highest percentage chance of a hit after line drive) he should, in essence, give up more hits than IP in this new hybrid form. Factor in the walk rate of 5.3 and you have a modern day, less effective version of Shawn Chacon out there. This is a failed project. Even if he limits hit walks, he isnt an ace out here, far from it. He is a groundball, back of the rotation pitcher with limited strikeout ability who cannot give you innings due to high pitch count. Whereas in the pen, he was a rubber armed relief ace who gave you 70 appearances of dominance over the last 2 seasons, when you needed it the most. You saw what he has now, and it is time to move on.

 

I'd start him one more time since you really have no other option, then move him back to the pen after Cook comes back. Then, when DiceK is finally somewhat ready, you see if he can supplant Cook until either Oswalt or a similarly acquired starter can take his place

 

It is hard to argue with the above logic. I have been shocked by Bard's complete lack of velocity. I figured he could sit consistently around 95, but as you noted he's throwing considerably less than that. It's disappointing.

 

He has flashes of effectiveness, so I'm not entirely ready to give up on the project--particularly since I don't think DiceK or Cook are better options. Oswalt could be though.

 

Also, Bard seems to have particularly bad innings with walks, which tells me that the command issue is intermittent rather than constant. Lester had similar problems earlier in his career, though they weren't as bad.

 

All in all, if his velocity doesn't pick up he doesn't have the ace potential I thought he might. If his velocity exists only when he's in the pen, and the velocity is his standout attribute as a pitcher, then he should be in the pen.

[FredLynn]

I give him a couple more starts. If he doesn't work off his fastball, then he isn't going to be anything better than a backend starter. It's shocking he doesn't use his rising fastball to challenge hitters. I didn't see a single fastball that say "I dare you to hit" last night.

 

Back in college he was a power pitcher that throws 94-98 into the 7th inning. It is still there in him.

 

Apparently it isn't in there or you would have seen it by now. Jacko has shown the stats that support what I have been writing here for weeks: Bard is no SP. He must return to the bullpen. The experiment was a good idea but a failure. His persistence in the rotation now only speaks for the dogged stubborness of our incompetent FO. Lets just hope they see the light before Daniel Bard is so screwed up he becomes another Craig Hanson.

[example1]

Lets just hope they see the light before Daniel Bard is so screwed up he becomes another Craig Hanson.

 

Another Craig Hanson? Craig Hanson never sniffed the success that Bard has had. Not even close. If Bard were to never throw another pitch he would still be categorically never discussed in the same breath as Hanson, ever. Except by you, perhaps.

[jacksonianmarch]

It is hard to argue with the above logic. I have been shocked by Bard's complete lack of velocity. I figured he could sit consistently around 95, but as you noted he's throwing considerably less than that. It's disappointing.

 

He has flashes of effectiveness, so I'm not entirely ready to give up on the project--particularly since I don't think DiceK or Cook are better options. Oswalt could be though.

 

Also, Bard seems to have particularly bad innings with walks, which tells me that the command issue is intermittent rather than constant. Lester had similar problems earlier in his career, though they weren't as bad.

 

All in all, if his velocity doesn't pick up he doesn't have the ace potential I thought he might. If his velocity exists only when he's in the pen, and the velocity is his standout attribute as a pitcher, then he should be in the pen.

 

Equally as puzzling has been his apparent lack of confidence in his slider. When he was in the pen, the hitter had to sit either dead red high 90s or high 80s frisbee slidepiece. Now, he doesnt seem to have confidence in it, and they either have to sit fastball or change, which are close to the same speed. Nothing to change the eye level consistent enough to have it be a threat. He has been lucky thus far to avoid facing the better offenses in the league. He is one 8ER 3IP outing away from public outcry for him to move back to the pen. The masses are grumbling, but he hasnt had a game killing performance just yet. He's had a bunch of crappy performances, but he is one Beckett vs Cleveland outing away from being booed off the mound.

 

Also, for those who think he might be rounding a corner, his walk rate has jumped from 4.6 to 5.8 per 9IP from April to May and you have seen the K rate drop off a cliff. Through April, he had a 9k/9IP rate. In May, he is striking out an eye-poppingly bad 2.7 per 9IP.

[Bellhorn04]

3 good starts, 4 bad starts. In total, mediocre. Numbers consistent with back of the rotation starters across the league. He hasn't benefitted that much from avoiding the better offenses. Texas is arguably the only strong offense in the AL right now. The Rangers and Red Sox are the only 2 teams averaging more than 5 runs per game.

[Station 13]

3 good starts' date=' 4 bad starts. In total, mediocre. Numbers consistent with back of the rotation starters across the league. He hasn't benefitted that much from avoiding the better offenses. Texas is arguably the only strong offense in the AL right now. The Rangers and Red Sox are the only 2 teams averaging more than 5 runs per game.[/quote']

 

He benefited from avoiding the long ball. But he is pitching like a 35 year old pitcher that relies the corners and fooling them, which he isn't doing well on both count.

[Bellhorn04]

He benefited from avoiding the long ball. But he is pitching like a 35 year old pitcher that relies the corners and fooling them' date=' which he isn't doing well on both count.[/quote']

 

I agree, he needs to change his approach starting now.

[a700hitter]

It is hard to argue with the above logic. I have been shocked by Bard's complete lack of velocity. I figured he could sit consistently around 95, but as you noted he's throwing considerably less than that. It's disappointing.

 

He has flashes of effectiveness, so I'm not entirely ready to give up on the project--particularly since I don't think DiceK or Cook are better options. Oswalt could be though.

 

Also, Bard seems to have particularly bad innings with walks, which tells me that the command issue is intermittent rather than constant. Lester had similar problems earlier in his career, though they weren't as bad.

 

All in all, if his velocity doesn't pick up he doesn't have the ace potential I thought he might. If his velocity exists only when he's in the pen, and the velocity is his standout attribute as a pitcher, then he should be in the pen.

I agree with this^. Here is what I posted in the game thread, but it is more appropriate here.

 

Bard's first inning was like amateur hour. It was an embarrassment. He knocked his team right out of the game. As a starter, he has not been impressive at all. He has had way too many walks and base runners. He balks like he has had no instruction in how to pitch with runners on base. The biggest thing of all is that as a starter he has had no put away pitch and his blazing fastball is no longer in his arsenal as a major weapon. Frankly, he is just no where near seasoned enough as a starting pitcher to get by without his 97-98 mph heater. He is dog meat throwing 92-93. Time to get him back to the pen where he can be dominating. This is not a reaction to one bad inning tonight. It's my observation after almost one-quarter of the season. He has not been impressive in any of his starts. Even in his starts that he won, he wasn't impressive. He was just okay.

[a700hitter]

It is hard to argue with the above logic. I have been shocked by Bard's complete lack of velocity. I figured he could sit consistently around 95, but as you noted he's throwing considerably less than that. It's disappointing.

 

He has flashes of effectiveness, so I'm not entirely ready to give up on the project--particularly since I don't think DiceK or Cook are better options. Oswalt could be though.

 

Also, Bard seems to have particularly bad innings with walks, which tells me that the command issue is intermittent rather than constant. Lester had similar problems earlier in his career, though they weren't as bad.

 

All in all, if his velocity doesn't pick up he doesn't have the ace potential I thought he might. If his velocity exists only when he's in the pen, and the velocity is his standout attribute as a pitcher, then he should be in the pen.

How much longer do you stick with him? I'd sign Oswalt, and while he is getting ready to pitch, I'd let Bard continue to start. Maybe in that time he gets his s*** together and Buchholz doesn't, or maybe someone gets injured.

[a700hitter]

Peter A's article about this today. I agree with him that if Bard is going to be a fringe type starter, Dice K can do that and Bard can go back to being a good bullpen guy. The problem is that Dice K may not be close to returning, so we don't know how long we'll have to endure this amateur show by Bard.

 

The Bard experiment isn't working out

May 19, 2012 11:23 AM

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

 

PHILADELPHIA — It was a noble idea the Red Sox had, taking Daniel Bard out of the bullpen and making him one of their starters. Given the lack of starter talent on the free agent market last winter, it made sense.

 

But that transition has left a pitcher with one of the best arms in baseball either unable or unwilling to throw his fastball for strikes. And when he does throw his fastball, it's not the same pitch it once was.

 

Bard continued down a path that could lead him back to the bullpen on Friday night, giving up four runs in the first inning as the Phillies beat the Red Sox, 6-4.

 

“This loss is definitely on me,” Bard said.

 

The Red Sox are 2-5 in the games Bard has started and he has a 4.85 earned run average. Worse, he has changed as a pitcher and lost the fastball that once defined him.

 

Bard, who averaged a tick over 97 mph with his fastball last season, threw only four pitches better than 93 mph on Friday, none after the first inning. He walked five and struck out only three in five innings. According to the Pitch f/x charts at Fangraphs, Bard is averaging 93.5 mph on his fastball. It was at 97.2 in 2011.

 

Bard expected some drop-off with his fastball once he became a starter. But he’s surprised at the marked loss of velocity.

 

“I didn’t think it would be quite this big," he said. “I thought when I needed it I could reach back for 96, 97, and that hasn’t been the case obviously. It hasn’t been there.”

 

Bard is 26. When Alexi Ogando went from the bullpen to the Texas rotation in last season, he was 27. Ogando experienced some loss of velocity, too. But it was from 96.2 to 95.

 

Ogando went back to the bullpen this season when Texas added starter depth and has been devastating, allowing two earned runs in 22 innings and striking out 23 with three walks.

 

Bard feels he can pitch effectively at 93 or 94 if he pitches ahead in the count. But that has proven troublesome. He has 26 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings while walking 25. That percentage was certainly unexpected given that Bard had a 2.77 strikeout to walk ratio as a reliever.

 

His last four starts are particularly troubling. Over 23.1 innings, Bard has walked 12 and struck out only seven.

 

The first inning on Friday was painful to watch. Bard threw a slider to leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins on a 3-and-2 count instead of a fastball. The pitch missed inside and started what turned into a big inning for the Phillies as they scored four runs.

 

“It works for me a lot, but it’s probably not the smartest thing to do to the first guy of the game,” Bard said. “That’s getting out of that reliever mode still. I need to be more aggressive there.”

 

Bard said the pitch selection put him in a funk. With his delivery awry, he walked Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence to load the bases with one out. The next hitter, Carlos Ruiz, hopped on a high slider and ripped it for a two-run single.

 

Ty Wigginton had a sacrifice fly and John Mayberry Jr. an RBI double later in the inning. Pence homered off Bard in the fifth inning. All four of those run-producing swings came off Bard’s slider as the Phillies ignored his fastball.

 

“The walks, they’re not acceptable,” manager Bobby Valentine said. “That amount of walks, you can’t leave your team out there and you can’t keep letting those guys get on base. It’s tough to hit in the strike zone, you might as well throw it there. I know he’s trying to.”

 

Bard claimed he wasn’t too concerned.

 

“When I start to establish strike one more consistently, that’ll all come back,” he said. But there was little conviction in his voice when he said it. It was more that he was hoping that would be the case.

 

When the Sox switched Bard to the rotation, the idea was to maximize the value of a special arm. Why use a guy that good for 75 innings when you can get 150 or 200?

 

But as a No. 5 starter who walks just as many as he strikes out, Bard has less value than he did as a set-up man and is nothing special.

 

With Daisuke Matsuzaka getting close to a return from the disabled list, the last-place Red Sox may not be able to wait for Bard to figure it out. If they want a fringy No. 5 starter throwing a bunch of breaking and off-speed pitches, Dice-K is the man. Get Bard back to doing what he does well.

 

The season is nearly a quarter over and experiments can last only so long. Especially ones that aren't working.

[FredLynn]

Another Craig Hanson? Craig Hanson never sniffed the success that Bard has had. Not even close. If Bard were to never throw another pitch he would still be categorically never discussed in the same breath as Hanson' date=' ever. Except by you, perhaps.[/quote']

 

Daniel Bard. Craig Hanson. What could they possibly have in common?

Both are hard throwing right handed relievers. One smelled success that the other didn't, but thats where the dissimilarities end. They are both very similar types of pitchers. One flamed out; the other is flaming out. Very similar to those who choose to look at this objectively.

[FredLynn]

Peter A's article about this today. I agree with him that if Bard is going to be a fringe type starter, Dice K can do that and Bard can go back to being a good bullpen guy. The problem is that Dice K may not be close to returning, so we don't know how long we'll have to endure this amateur show by Bard.

 

You beat me to it. I was just about to post that article. You say that Bard "can go back to being a good bullpen guy". I hope thats true. I hope he doesn't follow the same path to infamy that Craig Hanson and Joba Chamberlain went down. All those guys are hard throwing relievers who found different paths to incompetence. I hope they haven't ruined whatever value Bard had with this club.

[Bellhorn04]

Daniel Bard. Craig Hanson. What could they possibly have in common?

Both are hard throwing right handed relievers. One smelled success that the other didn't, but thats where the dissimilarities end. They are both very similar types of pitchers. One flamed out; the other is flaming out. Very similar to those who choose to look at this objectively.

 

Yes, they're virtually identical, except that Bard had 3 excellent seasons as one of the top setup men in baseball, and Hansen had none and was consistently atrocious. I think you've hit upon a new way to make direct and meaningful comparisons.

[a700hitter]

Peter A's article about this today. I agree with him that if Bard is going to be a fringe type starter' date=' Dice K can do that and Bard can go back to being a good bullpen guy. The problem is that Dice K may not be close to returning, so we don't know how long we'll have to endure this amateur show by Bard.[/i']

 

You beat me to it. I was just about to post that article. You say that Bard "can go back to being a good bullpen guy". I hope thats true. I hope he doesn't follow the same path to infamy that Craig Hanson and Joba Chamberlain went down. All those guys are hard throwing relievers who found different paths to incompetence. I hope they haven't ruined whatever value Bard had with this club.

By engaging in this experiment, they did run the risk of ruining him. Hopefully, he can find himself in the bullpen.

[ORS]

Yes' date=' they're virtually identical, except that Bard had 3 excellent seasons as one of the top setup men in baseball, and Hansen had none and was consistently atrocious. I think you've hit upon a new way to make direct and meaningful comparisons.[/quote']

And, they both have brown hair. That's it, ship Bard off to Pittsburg.