Should Hill be sent down or sent to the 'pen

[nuttycubfan]

Lou definately had a short fuse when it came to Hill tonight. On his pregame with Ronnie, you could tell he was still p.o.'d about Thursday's game. Then he really emphasized about Hill just needs to pitch and he's going to him the chance. After 4 walks in the first, Lou had seen enough. I thought 4 walks is normally a quick hook, but I think Lou really has had it with some of the pitchers. So.....do you think Hill gets sent down, or do you think he goes to the pen. I think he's going down to get himself straight, Leiber goes into the rotation, and someone like Ascanio or Gallagher gets the callup.

[CubColtPacer]

The bullpen will do very little for Hill or the Cubs. He would just be a wasted spot at the back of the pen, because the Cubs couldn't afford to bring him into any close game never knowing how his control will be. For Hill, he needs innings in order to find the mechanics he had last year and get practice at repeating them so that he can quickly return to form. If Hill is not going to get that in the Chicago rotation, he needs to be in the Iowa rotation.

[17 Seconds]

This is from Lou after the game:

 

"Hill can't start like this in the big leagues -- c'mon," Piniella said. "Every time he pitches, it's an adventure. He's doing his best, but we have no bullpen. I don't know what the solution is, but I can't start him any more until this thing gets taken care of."

 

 

That being said, putting him in the pen would be stupid. We need him as a starter this season. If he has to be removed, then let him start in Iowa until he finds his control.

[RedFlash]

This is from Lou after the game:

 

"Hill can't start like this in the big leagues -- c'mon," Piniella said. "Every time he pitches, it's an adventure. He's doing his best, but we have no bullpen. I don't know what the solution is, but I can't start him any more until this thing gets taken care of."

 

 

That being said, putting him in the pen would be stupid. We need him as a starter this season. If he has to be removed, then let him start in Iowa until he finds his control.

 

Agreed. Move Hill back to AAA, call up either Cotts or Gallagher, and put Lieber or Marshall in the rotation.

[javy knows my name]

This is from Lou after the game:

 

"Hill can't start like this in the big leagues -- c'mon," Piniella said. "Every time he pitches, it's an adventure. He's doing his best, but we have no bullpen. I don't know what the solution is, but I can't start him any more until this thing gets taken care of."

 

 

That being said, putting him in the pen would be stupid. We need him as a starter this season. If he has to be removed, then let him start in Iowa until he finds his control.

 

Agreed. Move Hill back to AAA, call up either Cotts or Gallagher, and put Lieber or Marshall in the rotation.

[-X No Cotts

[Clem Fandango]

I think Lou might be a little steamed and will cool down tomorrow. Yeah, Rich was awful out of the gate tonight, but he only gave up one run. To pull your starter after 2/3 of an inning because he walked 4 guys is a little preemptive. At least see if he can get out of it and then get it together the next few innings. Taking him out was stupid because it burned up the bullpen pretty hard. He gave up 4 walks, not 4 runs.

 

So now Rich Hill has officially given up ER's of 2, 3, 1, 2, and 1 in his 5 starts. Perhaps he would've given up more tonight, maybe not, either way..............

 

WHY ARE THEY SO F-BOMBING CONCERNED ABOUT RICH HILL?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

WHY ARE THEY SO F-BOMBING CONCERNED ABOUT RICH HILL?

 

Because he's walked 18 guys in 19 innings.

[Clem Fandango]

WHY ARE THEY SO F-BOMBING CONCERNED ABOUT RICH HILL?

 

Because he's walked 18 guys in 19 innings.

 

Carlos Zambrano walked 19 guys in 5 starts to begin the year last year and gave up 21 earned runs in the process, but they never talked about skipping his rotation spot or putting him in the pen.

 

Maybe I'm just baffled that they can sit there and think Rich Hill is truly the biggest question mark on the pitching staff when Ted Lilly was busy giving up 5 runs a game and not taking any heat for it

[Butterscup1679666578]

Honestly, I love Lou, but I'm really starting to turn sour on him. Hill is the ONLY guy who has such a short hook, yet we see Lilly constantly pitching awfully this year and Marquis has sucked completely for two years. I'm not a huge Hill lover like some people on this board, but I see what he did last year and I know he can be a solid pitcher, and I think it's ridiculous that he gets no slack on this team. I don't get taking him out after 2/3 IP tonight (I didn't see most of the game, but still, I feel that you need to try and let him work through it), and it's going to suck tomorrow when I'll be at Busch when Lilly gives up at least 5 in 4 IP with an exhausted pen. Should be fun.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

WHY ARE THEY SO F-BOMBING CONCERNED ABOUT RICH HILL?

 

Because he's walked 18 guys in 19 innings.

 

Carlos Zambrano walked 19 guys in 5 starts to begin the year last year and gave up 21 earned runs in the process, but they never talked about skipping his rotation spot or putting him in the pen.

 

It was 6 starts and 36 innings. To compare, Hill 2008: 8.24 BB/9; Zambrano April 2007: 4.66 BB/9.

[Bote McBoteface]

Half of Hill's problem is probably that Lou is always telling him he sucks.

[Schwarber Fan]

Lieber to the rotation is the answer

[17 Seconds]

Lieber to the rotation is the answer

 

For like a week.

[C.C.]

Send the kid down to AAA. Let him find his control.

[Schwarber Fan]

Lieber to the rotation is the answer

 

For like a week.

 

Why? He's been lights out for the majority of his appearances, which have almost all come in long relief. The guy needs to get into the rotation.

[TruffleShuffle]

i have the answer: don't monkey with the mechanics of a guy who has had control problems in the past. oops, too late.

[C.C.]

i have the answer: don't monkey with the mechanics of a guy who has had control problems in the past. oops, too late.

 

This to.

[17 Seconds]

Lieber to the rotation is the answer

 

For like a week.

 

Why? He's been lights out for the majority of his appearances, which have almost all come in long relief. The guy needs to get into the rotation.

 

Well what do you mean by "he is the answer"? He's not the answer for us winning the division and certainly not for us winning the World Series. I like Lieber and I like what he's done so far, but let's be realistic. He's a mid to high 4's ERA pitcher at best at this point of his career and probably wouldn't stay healthy the whole season. He's good to have in sitations like this, but he's a band-aid, a back end of the rotation starter maybe. Going into the season we needed Hill to perform like last season. Replacing him with a number 5 starter is not "the answer" unless it's only for a couple weeks until Hill finds his command in Iowa.

 

If we don't have the good Rich Hill, then this rotation is going to be in serious serious trouble when Ryan Dempster remembers he's Ryan Dempster (and it's only a matter of time before it all catches up to Ryan so let's not kid ourselves).

[C.C.]

With the problems the Brewers have, and the Cards will come back down to earth, it looks like it'll take 80ish wins to take the central again. Edited May 3, 2008 by C.C.

[Bruno7481]

Rich Hill has to figure this out. It isn't Lou's fault that Hill can't find the plate. Hill really struggles when he doesn't have command. His fastball isn't good enough to blow people away. When his curveball isn't working all he has is his fastball, which teams can wait for and sit on. Not having a reliable third pitch also hinders him.

 

Hill is very good when he has control of both his FB and CB. So far this year that hasn''t happened a whole lot.

 

At some point it is up to Hill to figure this out. Many are very quick to point the finger at Hendry, Rothschild, and Lou, but they can't pitch for him. Hopefully he can get this turned around, but it was obvious to anyone that last night was not his night. He needed to come out. The Cardinals had one run in and the bases loaded without even putting the ball in play offensively.

[Magnetic Curses]

hill should be allowed to pitch through his control problems. any other pitcher on staff would be. this is ridiculous.

[Mizzou]

I don't see any benefit of putting him in the pen. If he can't throw strikes, he can't throw strikes. Send him down to Iowa and hope that he remembers how to pitch.

[17 Seconds]

It isn't Lou's fault that Hill can't find the plate.

 

It kind of is.

[Bruno7481]

It isn't Lou's fault that Hill can't find the plate.

 

It kind of is.

 

How?

 

It is the #1 essential thing required to be a pitcher. You have to throw strikes. Hill has been pitching his whole life. He knows what he needs to do, and it isn't Lou's fault that he can't do it right now.

 

It is possible, maybe in the slightest, that it just might be Rich Hill's fault. I know that is hard to take for the many Hill apologists who never think he is responsible for his own ineffectiveness, but it just might be possible.

 

You have to throw strikes, he's not doing it. A move to the pen would be a disaster. Send him down for a couple starts and get him back up.

[Electron Blue]

I think Lou might be a little steamed and will cool down tomorrow. Yeah, Rich was awful out of the gate tonight, but he only gave up one run. To pull your starter after 2/3 of an inning because he walked 4 guys is a little preemptive. At least see if he can get out of it and then get it together the next few innings. Taking him out was stupid because it burned up the bullpen pretty hard. He gave up 4 walks, not 4 runs.

 

So now Rich Hill has officially given up ER's of 2, 3, 1, 2, and 1 in his 5 starts. Perhaps he would've given up more tonight, maybe not, either way..............

 

WHY ARE THEY SO F-BOMBING CONCERNED ABOUT RICH HILL?

 

you're really gonna throw that "1" out there? Like they say, you can find numbers that'll prove anything you want.

 

We can argue all day whether or not he should have stayed in or not, but to try and make the case that Hill isn't having that bad of a year . . . and use last night's lone ER as proof, is not remotely productive. We might as well compliment him on his spectacular 1.5 K/IP from last night