The "I love delicious crow" thread

[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?

 

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.

 

I don't understand the FB velocity bit, since an 89-91 mph FB is good for a lefty (and he threw harder). The bit about crushing his FB comes from what cubfan1955 says below - basically poor location/control/command. Something I felt was fixable.

 

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.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

To add on, I think he's been able to be more consistent with his delivery as well. I haven't seen Hill's last couple starts, but at the beginning of this run he's gone on I speculated that he's been able to get the same arm slot on the fastball and the curve, and that's why hitters were chasing fastballs up in the zone(which due to their location help with any lack of velocity as well). Batters can't tell it's not the curve ball until they've committed to swinging. Anyone else see this?

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

While I'll admit I see him needing to make adjustments next year, I am eating crow also. I was NOT impressed with this guy, but he's always had a great arm and I saw LOOGY.

 

He's doing alot more. Hopefully he keeps it up.

[badger1679666666]

I'll readily eat some crow. Sorry Rich. :oops:

 

I called him a AAAA one pitch pitcher a few times. :oops:

 

I was wrong, oh so dead wrong.

[rynefan]

Is there a way to keep Rothschild and company away from him?

[MPrior]

I've always been a believer in Rich Hill, so I didn't think I'd speak up in this thread, but I actually side with the people who say that the jury is still out. Now, I do think that Hill has at least proven that he's more than a one-pitch AAAA LOOGY, but as far as what his actual contributions will be in the future, there's no way of knowing for sure, and expecting him to perform at this level next year is probably a mistake.

 

All that said, I am HUGELY enjoying his recent run, and it is certainly possible that he's an ace in the making. He's basically the reason I've bothered following the Cubs recently.

[third eye]

While I'm happy to be wrong about thinking he was another Micah Bowie earlier this year, I still have some reservations. I posted on another thread that he looks like he would be a good #3 next year. I only temper my enthusiasm by saying we've seen this before - Jim Bullinger, Mike Harkey, Kevin Foster, Jeremy Gonzales. That is to say they showed great signs early on, but didnt pan out as productive major leaguers. The one thing that gives me more hope about him is that over this stretch he has been so thoroughly dominating, and he did the same in AAA this year, that maybe there really is something to him. Particularly if we throw out the Coors outing (maybe the curve doesnt break at that altitude?), his numbers and consistency have been unreal. More than anything, the K/BB ratio since he came up is amazing. By the way, take a look at his line vs. Z's line since the all-star break. Interesting comparison.

 

On another note, since we've all tired of the MRI twins' saga, what do people think about his mechanics? Just because he doesn't throw as hard as Wood and Prior doesn't mean there is no injury risk. I wonder how his mechanics compare to a Zito, for example.

[fromthestretch]

While I'm happy to be wrong about thinking he was another Micah Bowie earlier this year, I still have some reservations. I posted on another thread that he looks like he would be a good #3 next year. I only temper my enthusiasm by saying we've seen this before - Jim Bullinger, Mike Harkey, Kevin Foster, Jeremy Gonzales. That is to say they showed great signs early on, but didnt pan out as productive major leaguers.

 

Over his last 10 starts, Hill has the following line:

 

6-2, 2.23 ERA, 64.2 IP, 44 H, 16 ER, 6 HR, 17 BB, 61 K

 

I can pretty much guarantee Bullinger, Foster, and Gonzalez never had a run like that. They all had their moments, but none of them really "showed great signs." Harkey was a disappointment.

[RynoRules]

While I'm happy to be wrong about thinking he was another Micah Bowie earlier this year, I still have some reservations. I posted on another thread that he looks like he would be a good #3 next year. I only temper my enthusiasm by saying we've seen this before - Jim Bullinger, Mike Harkey, Kevin Foster, Jeremy Gonzales. That is to say they showed great signs early on, but didnt pan out as productive major leaguers.

 

Over his last 10 starts, Hill has the following line:

 

6-2, 2.23 ERA, 64.2 IP, 44 H, 16 ER, 6 HR, 17 BB, 61 K

 

I can pretty much guarantee Bullinger, Foster, and Gonzalez never had a run like that. They all had their moments, but none of them really "showed great signs." Harkey was a disappointment.

 

Understatment of the year. And don't forget Lance Dickson. I was there for his only ML start.

[NCCubFan]

Understatment of the year. And don't forget Lance Dickson. I was there for his only ML start.

Which of his three "only" starts was that? :D

 

Lance Dickson

[abuck1220]

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.

 

dude, the number of times i've 'told you so' after a good hill outing (once, if that) pales in comparison to the number of told you so's from hill's doubters after a bad outing.

 

but just to get the score a little closer...told you so.

[Backtobanks]

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

 

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

 

I would love to have an "eating crow" thread for Cedeno next year, but I'm afraid that all of this talk about FA 2B and getting an impact bat that Ronny will lose out on his shot or he will be traded. I'm not sure the new manager is going to go with Cedeno and Izturis in the same lineup. I'd love for the Cubs to trade Izturis and put Cedeno back at SS, but Hendry's first reaction to getting Izturis seems like he's sold on him.

[Guest]

While I'm happy to be wrong about thinking he was another Micah Bowie earlier this year, I still have some reservations. I posted on another thread that he looks like he would be a good #3 next year. I only temper my enthusiasm by saying we've seen this before - Jim Bullinger, Mike Harkey, Kevin Foster, Jeremy Gonzales. That is to say they showed great signs early on, but didnt pan out as productive major leaguers.

 

Over his last 10 starts, Hill has the following line:

 

6-2, 2.23 ERA, 64.2 IP, 44 H, 16 ER, 6 HR, 17 BB, 61 K

 

I can pretty much guarantee Bullinger, Foster, and Gonzalez never had a run like that. They all had their moments, but none of them really "showed great signs." Harkey was a disappointment.

It's not really fair, though. Harkey got hurt and was never the same afterwards. If he hadn't been injured, I think he would have been at least a solid major league pitcher for years.

[fromthestretch]

While I'm happy to be wrong about thinking he was another Micah Bowie earlier this year, I still have some reservations. I posted on another thread that he looks like he would be a good #3 next year. I only temper my enthusiasm by saying we've seen this before - Jim Bullinger, Mike Harkey, Kevin Foster, Jeremy Gonzales. That is to say they showed great signs early on, but didnt pan out as productive major leaguers.

 

Over his last 10 starts, Hill has the following line:

 

6-2, 2.23 ERA, 64.2 IP, 44 H, 16 ER, 6 HR, 17 BB, 61 K

 

I can pretty much guarantee Bullinger, Foster, and Gonzalez never had a run like that. They all had their moments, but none of them really "showed great signs." Harkey was a disappointment.

It's not really fair, though. Harkey got hurt and was never the same afterwards. If he hadn't been injured, I think he would have been at least a solid major league pitcher for years.

 

I agree with that. That doesn't make it any less disappointing though. Didn't Harkey also injure himself goofing off in the outfield before a game?

[NCCubFan]

Didn't Harkey also injure himself goofing off in the outfield before a game?

He tore up his knee trying to impersonate Ozzie Smith and doing a cartwheel.

[fromthestretch]

Didn't Harkey also injure himself goofing off in the outfield before a game?

He tore up his knee trying to impersonate Ozzie Smith and doing a cartwheel.

 

That's right. I knew it was something like that.

 

Perhaps that wasn't the wisest decision, considering that Harkey was six inches taller and about 70 pounds heavier than Ozzie and that Ozzie did cartwheels on at least a semi-regular basis.