Anyone else baffled by the Hill struggling meme?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I keep hearing it repeated on message boards and in the media. Hill's start yesterday was supposedly a step in getting "back on track?"

 

He had one bad start, and really only one bad inning in that start. His ERA is better than it was last year when he was a legit No. 2 starter.

 

Why do people keep insisting that he was struggling?

[Clem Fandango]

Because the media is dumb. Hill has given up 6 ER in 14IP good for a 3.86 ERA.

 

He is the least of our worries, but the media seems to think he's doomed for some unknown reason.

 

Meanwhile Ted Lilly has given up 19ER in 18.7IP (.7?) good for a 9.16ERA, but there's nothing wrong withhim, just some bad outings, he'll get back on track no problem. But Hill, yeah, his arm's gonna explode into a million pieces if he doesn't get better.

[inari]

I loved how Comcast Sports Net had a poll asking fans who they wanted pulled from the rotation in favor of Jon Leiber between Jason Marquis, Ted Lilly, and Rich Hill (Dempster wasn't on the poll). Hill won by a landslide.

[WilcoFan]

I think the source of the concern goes back to Spring Training, where he had trouble with walks. Additionally, in the month of September last year, he had a 5.06 ERA and had more than a couple bad outings.

 

I think the love of Rich Hill by some on this board (which, to a certain extent, is justified) makes those people gravitate to the articles and even individual sentences in articles that they think somehow demonstrate a dislike of their favorite player. This is perfectly natural, but I think there have been plenty of articles, etc., slamming Ted Lilly just as much (if not more-see the number of points made throughout the media over the last few days that bring up his glove-throwing incident in the playoffs last year).

 

I think anyone who has watched Rich Hill, from September of last year to right now, will recognize that he's struggling with his command and the manner in which he approaches hitters. To suggest he be demoted because of this is stupid, and the people who argue for that are dumb. However, to suggest that all is well and he'll be fine without any assistance from the coaches and/or a rededication to the pitching strategies he used when he was successful last year is equally myopic.

 

Yesterday was a solid start in the right direction for Hill, but it has a lot more to do with the manner in which he attacked the hitters (I don't think anyone who was watching the game wasn't deeply concerned after the leadoff walk to McLouth) and a lot less to do with the raw statistical numbers that came of it.

[CyHawk_Cub]

Because the media is dumb. Hill has given up 6 ER in 14IP good for a 3.86 ERA.

 

He is the least of our worries, but the media seems to think he's doomed for some unknown reason.

 

Meanwhile Ted Lilly has given up 19ER in 18.7IP (.7?) good for a 9.16ERA, but there's nothing wrong withhim, just some bad outings, he'll get back on track no problem. But Hill, yeah, his arm's gonna explode into a million pieces if he doesn't get better.

 

Can't speak for anyone else, but the reason I'm worried about Hill is because I thought he'd be better this year--maybe I expected too much. Lilly, I expected him to regress this year; I didn't think/expect he'd be nearly this bad, however.