OK....I gotta vent right now. I am sitting in my condo, waiting for time to go to the game and I am reading the Contra Costa Times. So I get to the article on the Giants' bullpen. In it, Andrew Baggarly asks Righetti about Brian Wilson. Here is the quote:
"Others thought to be locks, such as right-hander Brian Wilson, haven't done enough to assure a job.
Asked if Wilson was guaranteed a spot, Righetti said, "No. He's been erratic. He had a real good (winter ball in) Puerto Rico, and with his abilities, he should be (a lock). I know there's a lot of talk about him being a closer here, but that's not just a word in the big leagues." "
Wilson has been "erratic"? He has given up 2 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks in 7 innings with 5 K's. And the 2 runs, 3 of the 4 walks and 2 of the hits (1 an infield hit) came in one single inning against the Brewers when he got 2 quick outs then suddenly lost the strike zone. 1 bad outing in 7 (still only 2 runs) is "erratic"? I wish to god the rest of the Giants bullpen was that "erratic".
I hope Wilson doesn't read the papers. He is pitching his heart out......and is performing better than any Giants' reliever except Benitez......and his pitching coach is publicly calling him "erratic". Maybe Righetti knows his pitching staff so well that he forgot who Brian Wilson is and mixed him up with someone else. Because I have seen every one of his outings and one thing he has not been is "erratic".
Even if it WAS true (which it isn't), you shouldn't fire on a young pitcher like that. Considering that Wilson has performed better than any roster pitcher except Benitez makes it an unforgivable sin as far as I am concerned. I know Alou and Baker got heat for they way they managed the bullpen. My gut tells me Rags had his fingers in the mismanagement. I was not in favor of re-signing him. Hopefully, Bochy doesn't listen to too much of his advice.
Get a clue Rags.
End of rant.
"Others thought to be locks, such as right-hander Brian Wilson, haven't done enough to assure a job.
Asked if Wilson was guaranteed a spot, Righetti said, "No. He's been erratic. He had a real good (winter ball in) Puerto Rico, and with his abilities, he should be (a lock). I know there's a lot of talk about him being a closer here, but that's not just a word in the big leagues." "
Wilson has been "erratic"? He has given up 2 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks in 7 innings with 5 K's. And the 2 runs, 3 of the 4 walks and 2 of the hits (1 an infield hit) came in one single inning against the Brewers when he got 2 quick outs then suddenly lost the strike zone. 1 bad outing in 7 (still only 2 runs) is "erratic"? I wish to god the rest of the Giants bullpen was that "erratic".
I hope Wilson doesn't read the papers. He is pitching his heart out......and is performing better than any Giants' reliever except Benitez......and his pitching coach is publicly calling him "erratic". Maybe Righetti knows his pitching staff so well that he forgot who Brian Wilson is and mixed him up with someone else. Because I have seen every one of his outings and one thing he has not been is "erratic".
Even if it WAS true (which it isn't), you shouldn't fire on a young pitcher like that. Considering that Wilson has performed better than any roster pitcher except Benitez makes it an unforgivable sin as far as I am concerned. I know Alou and Baker got heat for they way they managed the bullpen. My gut tells me Rags had his fingers in the mismanagement. I was not in favor of re-signing him. Hopefully, Bochy doesn't listen to too much of his advice.
Get a clue Rags.
End of rant.
9 comments:
Your headline should be
"Ragging on Rags"
you raise some very good questions.
right on.
I think you're overreacting. Maybe Righetti is just trying to light a fire under his butt. I would think Righetti knows Wilson and his psychological makeup alot better than we do.
Yeah, but Rags isn't talking about his 'make up'. He's talking about Wilson's performance. And outside of that one game, he's been stellar, at least as far as spring goes. I'm also not a big fan of Righetti, for the record.
DrB.....it isn't even that Rags is saying he shouldn't be the closer......I have no problem with the opinion that Wilson isn't ready for that quite yet. It's that the quote seems to be saying that with Wilson's talent.....he is under-performing and in danger of not making the team. Just a couple of days ago...Bochy said Wilson followed by Benitez may be the way it goes during the regular season.
Like I said.....Just a shocking quote. And for the person who said maybe he is trying to light a fire under his butt......why would you want to light a fire under the butt of a young pitcher who has been performing so well? It just makes no sense. I think Rags mixed Wilson up with Sadler....it's the only logical conclusion. Otherwise, the quote makes it look like Rags only saw the 1 inning in Maryvale.
Maybe, it was the reporter who confused Sadler with Wilson. Not saying I know, but Maybe the reporter asked Rags about Sadler and then wrote about Wilson.
Possible, except it was Rags that mentioned the Puerto Rican League, where Wilson did throw. Sadler was in the Arizona Fall League. They both went to LSU though. Like I said.....I have been down on Rags for a couple of years now. When I read this quote this morning....it just set me off. It's my blog......I can rant if I want ;-)
Rags has been a double-edge sword. Give him credit where due, such as development of a few arms during his tenure. This spring's public remarks regarding Zito and now Wilson should have been tempered. Bochy, on the other hand, does not embarrass players in public or amongst team mates. Rags has a lot of work left, just wish he can show more progress with struggling pitchers. I wouldn't be disappointed if he's replaced.
Righetti has always been a Bay Area favorite, but his work as a pitching coach has been OK at best.
Suprised me when Bochy kept him on the staff.
The manager takes most of the responsibility, but I hold Righetti partially responsible for thinking that Herges was a closer or wrecking Browers' arm through over-use.
Moreover, the Giants have dumped a TON of high draft choices into pitching the past 10 years, and even following the pitchers Sabean dealt, their development has been disappointing. (Again, not the domain of a pitching coach, but the meltdown of talented arms like Jerome Williams happened at the big league level)
Even knowing that good pitching coaches are hard to come by, it's way past the time for a change.
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