R. Hill Turning the Corner ?

[CubColtPacer]

So, let me see if I have my math right. Daytona has rained out 3 times out of 99 total games.

 

Mesa has only rained out once right? So 1 out of 25.

 

So that's 4 times out of 124 games. And Rich Hill has been the scheduled starting pitcher for 3 of those 4 games.

 

MILB.com only has Hill listed for 3 official appearances with Mesa. For some reason, I thought it was 4, but I'll run with the 3 number for now.

 

So Hill has been rained out in 3 of his 4 starts that he has tried to take the mound for his 2 teams (I'm counting each game for one-if they have to reschedule it, the 2nd time doesn't count), while the other pitchers have been rained out 1 out of 120 times.

 

So Rich Hill is 9000 percent more likely to get rained out than any other pitcher on those two squads. It's purely a random luck driven stat with a tiny sample size, but it's still pretty improbable.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The only logical explanation is that Hill is the spawn of Storm from X-Men.

[NCCubFan]

Steve Trachsel was the human rain delay. Hill is the human rainout.

[VanceJergins]

The only logical explanation is that Hill is the spawn of Storm from X-Men.

 

=D>

[Jon]

5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 7 K. Not exactly a step forward. Maybe he can avoid a rainout next time.

 

Vero Beach Bottom 1st

 

* Garrett Groce pops out to first baseman Russ Canzler in foul territory.

* John Matulia walks.

* Cesar Suarez strikes out swinging.

* With Hector Gimenez batting, John Matulia steals (9) 2nd base.

* Hector Gimenez grounds out, second baseman Tony Thomas to first baseman Russ Canzler.

 

Vero Beach Bottom 2nd

 

* Ryan Royster walks.

* Matthew Fields walks. Ryan Royster to 2nd.

* With Christian Lopez batting, wild pitch by Rich Hill, Ryan Royster to 3rd. Matthew Fields to 2nd.

* Christian Lopez flies into sacrifice double play, left fielder Ty Wright to third baseman Robinson Chirinos to second baseman Tony Thomas to third baseman Robinson Chirinos. Ryan Royster scores. Matthew Fields out at 3rd on the throw.

* Joey Callender grounds out, second baseman Tony Thomas to first baseman Russ Canzler.

 

Vero Beach Bottom 3rd

 

* Matthew Hall walks.

* Garrett Groce strikes out swinging. Matthew Hall steals (1) 2nd base.

* John Matulia strikes out swinging.

* Cesar Suarez walks.

* Hector Gimenez grounds out, shortstop Jonathan Mota to first baseman Russ Canzler.

 

Vero Beach Bottom 4th

 

* Ryan Royster doubles (6) on a line drive to right fielder Ryan Harvey.

* Matthew Fields strikes out swinging, catcher Steve Clevenger to first baseman Russ Canzler.

* Christian Lopez lines out to third baseman Robinson Chirinos.

* Joey Callender grounds out, third baseman Robinson Chirinos to first baseman Russ Canzler.

 

Vero Beach Bottom 5th

 

* Matthew Hall called out on strikes.

* Garrett Groce strikes out swinging.

* John Matulia strikes out swinging.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 7 K. Not exactly a step forward. Maybe he can avoid a rainout next time.

 

 

A walk per inning isn't going to cut it.

[Tracer Bullet]

Can you trust balls and strikes at this level? I was at a low-A game tonight and the ump was fricking horrible. I'm sure the Cubs have their own guys sitting behind home plate evaluating balls and strikes as well though.

[Guest]

Can you trust balls and strikes at this level? I was at a low-A game tonight and the ump was fricking horrible. I'm sure the Cubs have their own guys sitting behind home plate evaluating balls and strikes as well though.

 

It was the same ump as last game. Last time, he was missing very close pitches and getting screwed. This time, while I was listening - esp. the 2nd inning - he was missing rather wildly. I stopped listening after 2 and it looked like he cleaned up. During the first two, he'd go on spurts of 5-10 pitches with 1 strike and then seemingly get it fixed.

 

He's still a work in progress, the final two innings were a good stepping stone but the start of this game was worse than his last outing.

[NCCubFan]

5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 7 K. Not exactly a step forward.

Not a step forward, not a disaster either. I think his general recent trend is still positive and tonight was just hopefully a blip.

[Laura]

Did I miss any mention of the Sun-Times recycled Globe report about Hill talking about his back injury?

 

I was hopeful, but I've come to believe raw's view that Hill won't be a factor for the Cubs this year.

[Jehrico]

He didn't walk anyone the last two innings, even though you'd think the other team's coaches would be onto his wildness and would be telling their guys to be taking anything questionable. I wonder if he just wasn't warmed up sufficiently? Or if being warm and ready to go yesterday messed him up, and took him longer than normal to get back in gear? Given his history and tendencies, it's surprising he struggled the first three then pretty much shut them down the 4th and 5th. He historically never has been the pitcher who gets significantly stronger as the game goes on, IIRC.

[Jon]

He didn't walk anyone the last two innings, even though you'd think the other team's coaches would be onto his wildness and would be telling their guys to be taking anything questionable. I wonder if he just wasn't warmed up sufficiently? Or if being warm and ready to go yesterday messed him up, and took him longer than normal to get back in gear? Given his history and tendencies, it's surprising he struggled the first three then pretty much shut them down the 4th and 5th. He historically never has been the pitcher who gets significantly stronger as the game goes on, IIRC.

He was the exact opposite last time out, too. He walked the last two batters that he faced in the 5th inning for his 2nd and 3rd walks of the day.

[soapy]

not sure how to take this. there looks to be some positives and negatives. hard to say how wild he really was without seeing it, but from Raisin's description (per radio PBP) it sounds like he still has some work to do.

 

i'd still like to see him moved up.

[Lefty]

Unfortunately, whatever positive change Riggans has made, this is the guy with a k/9 of 12 in AAA two years ago. So he is not the same pitcher.

[rynefan]

This has just been a huge disappointment for me. I really thought this was going to be HIS year. How does a guy go that long in a career and just lose it for no obviously apparent reason? I'd love to have him back to his old form.

[CuseCubFan69]

So, let me see if I have my math right. Daytona has rained out 3 times out of 99 total games.

 

Mesa has only rained out once right? So 1 out of 25.

 

So that's 4 times out of 124 games. And Rich Hill has been the scheduled starting pitcher for 3 of those 4 games.

 

MILB.com only has Hill listed for 3 official appearances with Mesa. For some reason, I thought it was 4, but I'll run with the 3 number for now.

 

So Hill has been rained out in 3 of his 4 starts that he has tried to take the mound for his 2 teams (I'm counting each game for one-if they have to reschedule it, the 2nd time doesn't count), while the other pitchers have been rained out 1 out of 120 times.

 

So Rich Hill is 9000 percent more likely to get rained out than any other pitcher on those two squads. It's purely a random luck driven stat with a tiny sample size, but it's still pretty improbable.

 

Maybe he has too much iron in his system or has some magnetic pull that displeases the Gods?

 

I hope his back is fine first of all because if that's bugging him I don't see him as being ready to help the Cubs. I really hope it is behind him now and he can focus on getting ready to help the Cubs in September.

[Jon]

I was looking through some old articles and came across this one on HardballTimes.com.

 

There are sample size issues and it's dependent upon the Pitchf/x system to correctly identify pitchers who threw at least 500 of the specific pitch. With that said, it shows that in 2007, Rich Hill not only had the 13th most effective curveball, but also the 17th most effective fastball. Pretty interesting.

 

Also, you'll see Chad Gaudin's name at #9 on the slider list and at #8 on the change-up list.

[bukie]

I was looking through some old articles and came across this one on HardballTimes.com.

 

There are sample size issues and it's dependent upon the Pitchf/x system to correctly identify pitchers who threw at least 500 of the specific pitch. With that said, it shows that in 2007, Rich Hill not only had the 13th most effective curveball, but also the 17th most effective fastball. Pretty interesting.

 

Also, you'll see Chad Gaudin's name at #9 on the slider list and at #8 on the change-up list.

 

Poor Bob Howry. Where did that 3rd most effective fastball go?

[VanceJergins]

I was looking through some old articles and came across this one on HardballTimes.com.

 

There are sample size issues and it's dependent upon the Pitchf/x system to correctly identify pitchers who threw at least 500 of the specific pitch. With that said, it shows that in 2007, Rich Hill not only had the 13th most effective curveball, but also the 17th most effective fastball. Pretty interesting.

 

Also, you'll see Chad Gaudin's name at #9 on the slider list and at #8 on the change-up list.

 

Poor Bob Howry. Where did that 3rd most effective fastball go?

 

over the fence.

[Guest]

Rich Hill is starting for Daytona today.

 

There's a 60% chance of storms.

 

...

[TruffleShuffle]

Rich Hill is starting for Daytona today.

 

There's a 60% chance of storms.

 

...

 

there's probably a 60% chance of storms every day on the florida peninsula this time of year.

[abuck1220]

looks like it's already postponed.

[bukie]

looks like it's already postponed.

 

At this point I think they're just postponing all of Hill's starts coming into the week.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

This is getting stupid, send him to Tennessee where there aren't hurricanes if you're paranoid about him pitching in Iowa already. Of course, the floods would probably come back to Iowa if they sent him there.

[CyHawk_Cub]

This is getting stupid, send him to Tennessee where there aren't hurricanes if you're paranoid about him pitching in Iowa already. Of course, the floods would probably come back to Iowa if they sent him there.

 

No kidding... A scheduled Rich Hill start is akin to one of the signs of the apocalypse. Send him to a drought-stricken region in Africa to provide relief..