The "I love delicious crow" thread

[Sammy Sofa]

OK, I hated Rich Hill.

 

Out and out loathed the guy as a one pitch, AAAA, loogy at best hack.

 

He was proved me wrong.

 

Oh-so wrong.

 

And I'm loving it. Hill's games are the only times I've been truly excited to watch the Cubs play this year.

 

So, yes, I was very wrong about Rich Hill, and I hope he is mighty and awesome forever. The end.

[Andy]

Seconded

[Balsa]

I used the AAAA pitcher thing. I didn't beleive.

 

I WAS WRONG. OH GOD. SO WRONG.

 

YUM-YUM

 

http://www.onlinestorage.biz/users/Members/SofaKingKool/crow.png

Edited September 17, 2006 by Balsa

[NewUserName]

I wasnt as down on him as you guys may have been. I certainly didnt understand why he was untradeabe though.

[cubfan1955]

I was pretty critical of him too. He has been very impressive of late but I'll hold off on his ticket to Cooperstown for now and just hope he keeps it up. But I fully expect his arm to fly off his shoulder and land about halfway between the mound and homeplate in his next start the way the Cubs luck has been this year.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I don't want to pile on here or anything, I'm just curious why some of you figured he was a one-pitch pitcher?

[Brian]

I don't want to pile on here or anything, I'm just curious why some of you figured he was a one-pitch pitcher?

 

I think it had to do with the questioning over the quality of his FB. I think alot of people thought it topped at 89-91 and that wouldn't cut it in the big leagues. I don't know where that came from though.

[Andy]

I don't want to pile on here or anything, I'm just curious why some of you figured he was a one-pitch pitcher?

 

I think it had to do with the questioning over the quality of his FB. I think alot of people thought it topped at 89-91 and that wouldn't cut it in the big leagues. I don't know where that came from though.

I thought it had more to do with the fact that at the time batters were crushing every fastball he threw.

[CubsWin]

I was/am a Rich Hill believer and always have been. I just wanted to stop in to say how much respect I have for those who step up and eat their fair share of crow. I try to do it when I'm wrong and it heartens me to see threads such as this one fill up with posts from people strong enough to admit when they were mistaken.

[A New Era]

You guys are forgeting the most important element in crow eating. The appologizing. .

 

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for doubting him. Plz forgive me. Go on. :D

[NorthsideAvenger]

You guys are forgeting the most important element in crow eating. The appologizing. .

 

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for doubting him. Plz forgive me. Go on. :D

 

Here, here. I'd admit, that while I am a Hill fan, I thought of him as a spot starter/long reliever, Glendon Rusch type. Looking bacK...comparing to Rusch was a HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE decision by me.

And I apologize for doubting Hill.

 

With that said...Hill still needs to developed that cut fastball that can run into a lefty, and away from a righty. And if he does that....all I can say is....Zito, Zito who?

[A New Era]

You guys are forgeting the most important element in crow eating. The appologizing. .

 

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for doubting him. Plz forgive me. Go on. :D

 

Here, here. I'd admit, that while I am a Hill fan, I thought of him as a spot starter/long reliever, Glendon Rusch type. Looking bacK...comparing to Rusch was a HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE decision by me.

And I apologize for doubting Hill.

 

With that said...Hill still needs to developed that cut fastball that can run into a lefty, and away from a righty. And if he does that....all I can say is....Zito, Zito who?

 

Ah, that's a bit better. :lol:

 

Hill's got this going for him though. He throws a 76 MPH curve, and a 92 MPH fastball. That's great. He attacks the batters and seems to always be in a stikes to balls advantage. And he changes his arm angle drastically yet still is able to hit his spots almost all the time. I find it suprising no one is talking about how he seems to have mastered throwing from any angle. Except Len noticed it.

[soccer10k]

I'm not trying to avoid eating crow, but I'm going to hold off on the all out praise of Hill for right now and am willing to say that I'm still not completely sold on him. I have watched some of his recent performances, he has pitched extremely well and has proven me very wrong. But what I want to see is him go through major league teams multiple times because that is when young pitchers tend to get hit harder. He should be guaranteed a spot in the rotation to start next year and shouldn't have to compete for a job (barring a horrible spring training of course).

 

I don't want this to seem like I am coming down on Hill because he has definitely turned a corner and, as I said before, I am more than willing to admit that as of now I am wrong. But there are always rookie pitchers that are able to get hitters out for a while until teams build up a scouting report and the pitchers have to learn to adapt. One example I remember is Francisco Rodriguez. He was lights out in the playoffs in 2002 when Anaheim won the World Series but in 2003 he had a down year (for him of course) partly because teams realized that his curveball rarely ended up in the strike zone so teams would sit on the fastball and let the curve go by. He had to adjust to this - and has done so quite well - to become an effective pitcher.

 

This is what I want to see from Hill. He is going to get hit and teams will start to figure him out. I want to see how he adjusts to this to keep the opposing hitters off balance. I certainly like the path he is currently on though. I wrongly jumped to a negative conclusion about Hill a few months ago so I'm hesitant to jump to a positive conclusion based on one good month and one stellar month.

[mg420]

hill supporter from day one here. never wanted to trade him (especially for dunn) or put him in the pen. a guy with such dominating minor leauge #'s had to come around some time sooner or later. funny how people a few days ago were arguing that it is critical for the cubs to get 2 or 3 starters better than him and that he should be a #5 starter next year. i agree it is yet to be determined how he will do when the leauge adjustes to him but he is #3 behind z & a healthy prior right now and barring a schmidt signing is very likey to stay there imo.

[C.C.]

I'm not trying to avoid eating crow, but I'm going to hold off on the all out praise of Hill for right now and am willing to say that I'm still not completely sold on him. I have watched some of his recent performances, he has pitched extremely well and has proven me very wrong. But what I want to see is him go through major league teams multiple times because that is when young pitchers tend to get hit harder. He should be guaranteed a spot in the rotation to start next year and shouldn't have to compete for a job (barring a horrible spring training of course).

 

I don't want this to seem like I am coming down on Hill because he has definitely turned a corner and, as I said before, I am more than willing to admit that as of now I am wrong. But there are always rookie pitchers that are able to get hitters out for a while until teams build up a scouting report and the pitchers have to learn to adapt. One example I remember is Francisco Rodriguez. He was lights out in the playoffs in 2002 when Anaheim won the World Series but in 2003 he had a down year (for him of course) partly because teams realized that his curveball rarely ended up in the strike zone so teams would sit on the fastball and let the curve go by. He had to adjust to this - and has done so quite well - to become an effective pitcher.

 

This is what I want to see from Hill. He is going to get hit and teams will start to figure him out. I want to see how he adjusts to this to keep the opposing hitters off balance. I certainly like the path he is currently on though. I wrongly jumped to a negative conclusion about Hill a few months ago so I'm hesitant to jump to a positive conclusion based on one good month and one stellar month.

 

I agree. So far I'm wrong about Hill, but it's only been a couple of months. I'm not ready to say he's the number 2 or 3 pitcher next year just yet, and I hope neither does Hendry. He's the only positive that has come out of this year...Hopefully he keeps it up.

[JWCUB]

I must admit that I wasn't sure if Rich would ever figure it out. I think he always had the stuff to be great..I.E. his AAA numbers. It just seemed like whenever he got called up to the Majors, he would get intimidated and forget what got him there. Major props to Rich Hill. For the last 4 or 5 starts of his, I kept on telling my wife "The kid has figured it out." I am proud to say that I was at the game Hill made his ML debut. However, it was a 15-5 spanking by the Marlins. Bravo Rich Hill. 8)

[Yestheydo]

So does this mean Hendry gets credit for not trading him when everyone thought he may as well? Just wondering.

 

Also, the Reds have really been struggling offensively, so that probably magnified his effectiveness yesterday. It's nice to have more than one guy to pencil into next year's rotation, though.

[JWCUB]

So does this mean Hendry gets credit for not trading him when everyone thought he may as well? Just wondering.

 

Also, the Reds have really been struggling offensively, so that probably magnified his effectiveness yesterday. It's nice to have more than one guy to pencil into next year's rotation, though.

 

AMEN

[cubfan1955]

I don't want to pile on here or anything, I'm just curious why some of you figured he was a one-pitch pitcher?

Earlier he wasn't throwing his curve for strikes and hitters were sitting on his fastabll. Major league hitters can hit a 92 mph fastball when they are looking for it. His effectiveness lately comes from the fact that hitters have not been able to sit on his fastball because he is throwing his curve for strikes and that big slow curveball that is dropping in for strikes makes that 92 mph fastball look like it's 102 mph. As long as he can throw his curves for strikes he should be able to keep hitters off balance. So it wasn't the fact he was a one pitch pitcher it was that he was a pitcher that at the time only had one effective pitch working for him...and he was having trouble controlling that one.

[Backtobanks]

So does this mean Hendry gets credit for not trading him when everyone thought he may as well? Just wondering.

Also, the Reds have really been struggling offensively, so that probably magnified his effectiveness yesterday. It's nice to have more than one guy to pencil into next year's rotation, though.

 

I was one of those guys who wondered what Hendry saw in this guy to make him untradable. I understand how frustrated everyone has been this year, but there could be some hope for next year with 1 FA pitcher to go with Zambrano, Hill, Prior, and Miller/Mateo/Marshall/Guzman. Also, I'm hoping there will be another "eating crow" thread for Matt Murton next year for the doubters.

[C.C.]

So does this mean Hendry gets credit for not trading him when everyone thought he may as well? Just wondering.

Also, the Reds have really been struggling offensively, so that probably magnified his effectiveness yesterday. It's nice to have more than one guy to pencil into next year's rotation, though.

 

I was one of those guys who wondered what Hendry saw in this guy to make him untradable. I understand how frustrated everyone has been this year, but there could be some hope for next year with 1 FA pitcher to go with Zambrano, Hill, Prior, and Miller/Mateo/Marshall/Guzman. Also, I'm hoping there will be another "eating crow" thread for Matt Murton next year for the doubters.

 

Just to clarify, Hendy never said that Hill was untradable. That was actually brought up at the Cubs Convention last year and Hendry said show me when and where I said that.

[Yestheydo]

Also, I'm hoping there will be another "eating crow" thread for Matt Murton next year for the doubters.

 

And Cedeno. Right? ...................Right?

[RynoRules]

Those of you with the guts to eat road kill crow, I salute you.

 

In the spirit of the season, I shall eat crow re early season prediction that Neifi and Dusty's veteran fetish wouldn't play a significant role in this season. Wishful thinking I guess.

[Mizzou]

I said several times that Hill sucked and couldn't understand why people thought he'd be a successful major league pitcher. I was wrong. And I was hoping I would be. Good for Hill. I hope that Soto catches him every time he starts.

 

Abuck must have been busy since Saturday afternoon; but I'm sure he'll let us all know how right he was once he gets a chance.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Abuck must have been busy since Saturday afternoon; but I'm sure he'll let us all know how right he was once he gets a chance.

 

I'm sure he will, since he already has done it once out of all of Hill's starts.