Dude, where's our pitching staff?

by RoyalsRetro on Jul 10, 2008 12:52 PM EDT

So what happened to our pitching staff that looked so good early on? Our team ERA and runs allowed per game has sunk to 13th in the league (nearly a run better than those Texas Rangers though!). The last two weeks we have posted an ugly 5.67 ERA, we’ve posted a 6.22 ERA in the month of July. Our starters in July have an ERA of 7.77.

And this has occurred despite very good outings by Greinke and Meche. The main culprits have been the other three starters:

Last 28 days:

Brian Bannister 6 games 5.79 ERA

Luke Hochvear 5 games 6.03 ERA

Kyle Davies 5 games 7.03 ERA

We're still getting good bullpen work (balks notwithstanding) from RamRam, the Mexicutioner, Mahay (where's his nickname?) and we've even managed to use smoke and mirrors to get good performances from HoRam and Robinson Tejeda. So it seems like these three starters are bearing the bulk of our suckitude.

With a team that will struggle to score runs as much as we do, we absolutely need at least a middle of the pack pitching staff. So what happened? Is this what Bannister is or is he just going through a streak of bad luck? Is Hochevar really ready for the big leagues or is he not turning the corner as we'd like? How long do we stick with Davies? Do we even have any other options right now?

0 recs | Comment 36 comments

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personally,

i thought banny had a very good outing yesterday. Just two mistakes to Quentin.. but for being so smart, you’d think he wouldn’t make the mistake twice!

by cfizzle on Jul 10, 2008 1:08 PM EDT 0 recs

oh and the walks come back and bite ya big time.

by cfizzle on Jul 10, 2008 1:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

Off the top of my head

Hochevar is still young (inconsistent!!!111)

Davies sucks

Bannister who knows. I’m a cheeseball just like everyone else, so I like him. That said, I guess I’ve never had the “faith” that he can be a #4 starter. Looks like “good guy at the back of the rotation” or “bad team’s #3) is more like it, but I’m sure people have more reasoned arguments to keep the faith.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Jul 10, 2008 1:28 PM EDT 0 recs

I hear ya

but even Jeff Suppan had a pretty good career on a good Cardinals team, I see Bannister as that type of pitcher.

by I need more Esteban on Jul 10, 2008 1:29 PM EDT up 0 recs

Davies

was due for a correction. The correction is happening.

A mind without purpose will walk in dark places.

by NHZ on Jul 10, 2008 1:49 PM EDT up 0 recs

The correction is The Happening

by Gopherballs on Jul 10, 2008 1:53 PM EDT up 0 recs

So for Davies

We should wait for a really weird plot twist that makes no sense?

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jul 10, 2008 1:57 PM EDT up 0 recs

Or wait for the grass to start making throws to first base.

Who cares about RBI's, how many HDB's you got?

by kcscoliny on Jul 10, 2008 2:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

Yeah Banny would

have been fine if it weren’t for walks. Lead-off walks at that, very frustrating.

by I need more Esteban on Jul 10, 2008 1:28 PM EDT 0 recs

Probably the effect of the AL.

Pitching staff carried a 3.68 ERA in Interleague play. 0-5 against the ChiSox. Greinke with a Shutout tonite.

Who cares about RBI's, how many HDB's you got?

by kcscoliny on Jul 10, 2008 2:05 PM EDT 0 recs

Yeah, but they were good before interleague, weren't they?

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Jul 10, 2008 2:17 PM EDT up 0 recs

Splits

3.68 ERA in 18 games against NL

4.85 ERA in 74 games against AL

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jul 10, 2008 2:21 PM EDT up 0 recs

I know they've sucked since interleague

And I’m sure they were better against AAAA, that’s not it. I mean that it seems (again, without looking) that the Royals pitched better against the AL before interleague than they have against the AL since interleague.

Of course, the first month or so they might have been pitching over their heads, too. so who knows.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Jul 10, 2008 2:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

you ask where's our pitching staff?

Well, the guy who could be our 2nd ace is wallowing in the closer role, pitching about 3 innings per week.

What a waste. Sure hope they reexamine this next season.

by loyal2sdad on Jul 10, 2008 2:22 PM EDT 2 recs

+ 1

"We should've gotten a live chicken"
- Willie Mays Hays

by royaldaddy on Jul 10, 2008 2:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

sure hope they reexamine in about two weeks greinke 2007 style

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Jul 10, 2008 2:44 PM EDT up 0 recs

-1

We still need a great bullpen. Who will replace Soria? Every team needs a great bullpen because of the new 7-inning start trend. – TL

by timlacy on Jul 10, 2008 3:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

RamRam

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jul 10, 2008 3:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

Last nights balk shows he cant be trusted!!!!111

Borowski NOW

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Jul 10, 2008 3:33 PM EDT up 0 recs

RamRam

or Nunez.

A mind without purpose will walk in dark places.

by NHZ on Jul 10, 2008 8:29 PM EDT up 0 recs

Fun little note....

our improved pitching staff ranks 13th in the AL…our dreadful ‘we suck b/c we cant hit’ offense is ranked 12th.

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Jul 10, 2008 2:56 PM EDT 0 recs

No, Royals Pitching ranks 10th in the AL

and only 0.12 runs below average:

Royals Team FIP 4.22
AL Average Team FIP 4.10

by Gopherballs on Jul 10, 2008 3:16 PM EDT up 0 recs

ehh...thats fine...i was just going with ERA and Runs scored...simpler...

but even with you refuting me…our pitching staff still sucks

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Jul 10, 2008 3:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

if by "our pitching staff still sucks" you mean "our pitching staff has performed slightly below average," yes

by Gopherballs on Jul 10, 2008 3:30 PM EDT up 0 recs

below average=shitty....

maybe its just how i was raised…i dunno

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Jul 10, 2008 3:40 PM EDT up 0 recs

They are below average by ~1/10th of a run

Relativity matters. If Joel Peralta had pitched Hideo Nomo’s 4.1 innings, they would be average.

by Gopherballs on Jul 10, 2008 3:54 PM EDT up 0 recs

1/10th of a run *90 games=9 runs...nomo wasnt THAT bad...and peralta hasnt been good either

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Jul 10, 2008 4:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

I am guessing you did not bother to look up Nomo's stat before posting

Go do that now (hint, look at the number of runs allowed). We will wait.

And if the Royals are “shitty” for being 0.12 runs below average, how do you explain “nomo wasnt THAT bad” [sic]?

by Gopherballs on Jul 10, 2008 5:18 PM EDT up 0 recs

9 runs worse than peralta?

you’re assuming peralta gives up 0 runs?...unlikely…

whatever…im thoroughly unimpressed with our pitching staff….so we’re ‘barely’ below average…when the past two years have been spent ‘upgrading’ the pitching staff…not good

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Jul 10, 2008 6:08 PM EDT up 0 recs

You have to remember how bad those pitching staffs were before GMDM showed up

Mark Redman, and his 5.00 ERA, was the staff ace just a few short years ago, and Ambiorix Burgos was the closer of the future. So Dayton had a lot of work to do to get it back to respectibilty. And with the additions that he has made in both the major and minor league rosters, you would have to say that the talent and performance has improved dramatically.

What doesn't kill us only brings us closer to death

by ksuroyals on Jul 10, 2008 9:53 PM EDT up 0 recs

dude

we aren’t the Red Sox. We are a DEVELOPING team. Yes, the numbers don’t look as good as we would hope…but this is a fairly young staff that has a lot of room to improve. Echoing ksuroyals thoughts…..Have you watched this team for the last 6 years?? Redman, Elarton, Runelvys, Mac Suzuki, Jose Lima, Kyle Snyder, Chris George, Darrell (fucking!) May, these are the scrubs that we have thrown out as starters for years, and now when our 4th starter is better than any of them, you are going to say that our pitching staff is shitty? Look at things in perspective sometimes, things are improving, we aren’t there yet but these things don’t happen overnight.

by I need more Esteban on Jul 12, 2008 5:51 PM EDT up 0 recs