How to handle the Marmol situation?

[Little Slide Rooter]

If a hitter can go on a horrible slump and get out of it, I'd assume a pitcher can as well. The problem is, when a hitter slumps, the worse he can do is ground into a double play and kill a rally. A pitcher can implode and cost you multiple runs and games. It becomes worse when it's a pitcher who we've relied on so heavily.

 

Also, when a hitter slumps, maybe you move him down in the order, let him get a few hits and work his way out of it. With a pitcher, you have to be more careful. Hes just as likely to give up runs in the 5th as he is the 8th.

 

So what to do? You can't sit him, or he gets rusty, and doesnt get the chance to work himself out of it. You can't keep putting him in key situations, or you lose ballgames. Do we use him as a mop up man for a little while while he gets his act together? Then who do we use for the 7th or the 8th? Wuertz, Cotts, and Ascanio havnt proven they can do any better. Howrys been doing better, but we don't want Lou doing to him what he may have already done to Marmol. I'm all for giving Hectro Carasco a go of it. Kick someone off the 40 man. If it doesnt work out, DFA him, and go to plan B.

[soapy]

i wouldn't do anything drastically different at this point. he hasn't been used nearly as much lately, which is probably good for the long term. i can see using him in some lower-leverage situations, maybe, for a while but i wouldn't panic with him yet.

[abuck1220]

send him to mesa to room with hill.

[jersey cubs fan]

use him everyday until he learns his lesson.

[Banedon]

use him everyday until he learns his lesson.

 

So don't change anything from when he was going good then?

[EhDubya]

Ride it out until after the all-star break. Marmol started slumping once all the talk about Hurdle naming him to the team popped up. Maybe he's feeling too much pressure. Once the weekend is over, and he can clear his head, he can get back on track to the larger goals set for this season, i.e. division, pennant, ws.

[satxcubfan]

I'd quit sending him out to the mound when we have a significant lead.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

he obviously needs psychological evaluations

[E.J.]

he obviously needs psychological evaluations

 

the voices tell him to throw meat pitches.

[MustangMike]

Ride it out until after the all-star break. Marmol started slumping once all the talk about Hurdle naming him to the team popped up. Maybe he's feeling too much pressure. Once the weekend is over, and he can clear his head, he can get back on track to the larger goals set for this season, i.e. division, pennant, ws.

 

If that's the case then he can't handle the pressure...the playoffs will not be a good place for him. I'm hoping he's just in a dead arm phase or missing his spots or something simple. How do you go from dominating everyone to getting shalacked like your latroy hawkins.

[swordsman]

Ride it out until after the all-star break. Marmol started slumping once all the talk about Hurdle naming him to the team popped up. Maybe he's feeling too much pressure. Once the weekend is over, and he can clear his head, he can get back on track to the larger goals set for this season, i.e. division, pennant, ws.

 

If that's the case then he can't handle the pressure...the playoffs will not be a good place for him. I'm hoping he's just in a dead arm phase or missing his spots or something simple. How do you go from dominating everyone to getting shalacked like your latroy hawkins.

 

My Latroy Hawkins never got shalacked. The Cubs one did, but not mine.

[Sammy Sofa]

He struck the first two guys out. Given his recent struggles, that's probably got him pumped up, so when he walks the next guy, he just wants to finish the next batter off and starts overthrowing and serves up some tasty meatballs.