i think marmol is broken, you guys

[treebird]

what's the matter with him? are we still thinking this is a fluke? is he hurt? can we start calling him a headcase or something?

[Jehrico]

It's a slump. He's still hard to hit, he's just not hitting the strike zone right now. Once he starts locating again, he'll be fine. Hopefully that's sooner than later.

[mhuber92211]

2 bad outings does not make a headcase. More likely is that the league has adjusted to him and he needs to adjust back

[UK1679666180]

Hitters go thru slumps as do pitchers. Prob. something with his release point at this stage.

[FergieJ31]

It's a slump. He's still hard to hit, he's just not hitting the strike zone right now. Once he starts locating again, he'll be fine. Hopefully that's sooner than later.

 

Yeah, this. No one is immune to the occasional slump.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I think that he's just having issues with his control. Hard throwing pitchers with stuff that moves as violently as his go through these from time to time. His stuff is still moving sharply and his velocity isn't down, so I don't think he's hurt.

 

I think some of it could be mental. We just might have to use him in lower leverage situations until he gets it back.

[Joe_Cub]

he said he felt great physically after his disaster appearance in tampa bay

[CubColtPacer]

It's just a slump that is not unusual for pitchers like Marmol, or very unusual for Marmol during his career. The Cubs will just have to live without him for a week or two, use him in some easier spots, and try to slowly get that command back.

 

This might end up being a very good thing for Marmol overall though. The work will probably be lighter for him until the slump is over. Couple that with Lou's already decreased usage for him, and Marmol's innings pace will continue to drop. It already is down to a 95.04 inning pace for the season after being over 100 for a while. Hopefully this period will drive that inning pace down to 87-90.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

2 bad outings does not make a headcase. More likely is that the league has adjusted to him and he needs to adjust back

 

They adjusted to him by psyching him out into throwing really wildly?

[cubfan]

2 bad outings does not make a headcase. More likely is that the league has adjusted to him and he needs to adjust back

 

They adjusted to him by psyching him out into throwing really wildly?

 

The batters now wink and blow him a kiss before each pitch. If I was him, I might hit a few batters too

[TruffleShuffle]

he's exhausted from fending off the sexual advances of a new teammate.

[Jehrico]

Waiting for the Edmonds-gay-joke-police to show up and chastise you...

[Cubfanintheknow]

A lot of those sliders that batters were swinging and missing at earlier in the season weren't in the strike zone. Guys just couldn't lay off it. Now they are and Marmol's just trying to be a little too fine with his pitches.

 

Not worried in the least.

[Chocolate Milk]

2 bad outings does not make a headcase. More likely is that the league has adjusted to him and he needs to adjust back

 

They adjusted to him by psyching him out into throwing really wildly?

He's been adjusted to over the course of the last two games, I guess.

[Iowa Cub]

He'll be fine, he's been extraordinary this year and he'll get it back. Also, these last two outings were against AL teams.

[inari]

he's exhausted from fending off the sexual advances of a new teammate.

 

Eric Patterson?

[CubbieBum]

He'll be fine, he's been extraordinary this year and he'll get it back. Also, these last two outings were against AL teams.

 

what's your point

[Banedon]

Just playing some devil's advocate here...

 

 

Didn't we say that Rich Hill was just in a slump too?

[JimSorgi]

Just playing some devil's advocate here...

 

 

Didn't we say that Rich Hill was just in a slump too?

:banned:

[Vanilla Ice]

He'll be fine, he's been extraordinary this year and he'll get it back. Also, these last two outings were against AL teams.

 

what's your point

that teams couldn't have figured him out because they play in the AL

[Joe_Cub]

Just playing some devil's advocate here...

 

 

Didn't we say that Rich Hill was just in a slump too?

 

different situation this time around. hill had success over the last season and a half, but not this season. he was having trouble early on. marmol's trouble has cropped up over the past 2 games, he's been nails until recently. he says he feels great (hill has had physical problems - bad back - even if they aren't supposed to be the problem now), no indication yet that there's a physical issue going on. velocity is there, movement is there, says he feels fine

 

no guarantees in life. hope this is something that can be fixed.

[Brett]

I know he always threw with a low arm slot, but does it look lower than usual to anyone else? If so, that could explain his trouble locating pitches, and particularly his constant high fastball.

[Balsa]

With his delivery, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he's injured.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Link.

 

Piniella called it an ''aberration'' Friday and fully expected Marmol to turn the page.

 

Instead, he created more anxiety. Is Marmol hurting?

 

''I feel great,'' Marmol said with a smile.

 

Piniella bristled at the suggestion -- made by Sun-Times beat writer Gordon Wittenmyer -- that Marmol was hurt.

 

''Physically, everything is fine,'' Piniella said. ''Boy, when something goes wrong, the first thing you come up with is the physical, Gordon. He's throwing the ball 94 mph; he's just not getting it across the plate.''

 

Wittenmyer noted that Marmol's last three pitches were clocked at 76 mph, 79 mph and 80 mph.

 

''They were breaking balls,'' Piniella countered, though Marmol's fastball topped out at 89mph.

[Joe_Cub]

there's some differences in the pitchspeed readings. pitchfx has marmol topping out at 94 for that outing.