Pedro Martinez to start Game 3

I think we all expected this after Blanton and Happ appeared in Game 2. The adult in me says that sending a 37-year old with chronic injury issues out to the mound in freezing temperatures may not be the best idea in the world. The kid in me says... well, it's Pedro Martinez, and we've seen him come back from the dead before, so maybe there's a bit of magic left in that arm.

about 1 month ago PhillyFriar 23 comments 0 recs |

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With Pedro’s star power, might MLB move the game up to a more decent start time?

by David S. Cohen on Oct 9, 2009 3:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Maybe we can get Brett Favre onto the Rockies post-season roster. That would do it.

by Steve J on Oct 9, 2009 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let’s get Favre and Vick to throw out the first pitches.

by doubleh on Oct 9, 2009 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The omen clearly is B-Dawk. If he goes out with an injury on Sunday, watch out.

by Wet Luzinski on Oct 9, 2009 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It takes him an inning just to warm up so as it is and the Rockies are a lineup that can actually hit. I’m not a big fan of this move, when both Blanton and Happ have been better starters this year. I guess we’re going to have to live and die with Cholly’s gut.

by doubleh on Oct 9, 2009 3:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don’t know what I think about this phenomenon… I know the anecdotal evidence supports the ‘Pedro is fairly likely to get into trouble in the first’ position, but what with the small sample size, we really can’t say that it’s actually a problem for him.

I also find it hard to believe that a pitcher of his credentials would need an inning of game play to warm up. Most people figure that sort of thing out in low A ball, not, you know, after a HOF career.

There are other reasons I’d think Blanton or Happ might be better choices, but I can’t think of any way to come up with data to support my ‘pitchers who rely overmuch on offspeed and deception in their pitches fair worse in bitingly cold weather due to an inability to grip the ball well’ hypothesis. And purporting such a thing would have certain folks on my back in an instant to come up with data. So I’ll settle for the fact that Dominicans think 75 degrees with 85% humidity is cold. His entire country will be baffled that he isn’t indoors in the kind of weather Denver will have tomorrow night. And the fact that anyone we parade out there SHOULD be significantly better than Jason Hammel.

by Steve J on Oct 9, 2009 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pedro did pitch in Boston for a while. Must have been cold in at least some of those games. It’s been a long road from Manoguayabo.

Hammel’s not that bad. I’d say it’s an even matchup.

by taco pal on Oct 9, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I suppose we can’t forget Montreal either. Still, wouldn’t we rather the boy from Spring Valley, IL?

And I’ll grant Hammel has had a pretty good season. I have his performance for the Deviled Eggs stuck in my head. My optimistic homerism rearing its ugly head.

by Steve J on Oct 9, 2009 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

hammel is not bad

In fact, I believe he is too 12 in the nl in WAR. Not bad for a fifth starter

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Poseidon's Fist on Oct 9, 2009 6:44 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Dominicans

I lived in Santo Domingo for one year. I love your description. A little exaggerated but not much – I remember natives complaining it was “muy frio” if it got below 70. And that was rare, even in winter.

by phillyinportland on Oct 10, 2009 3:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I went to a town 45 minutes east of Santo Domingo (Consuelo) for a medical relief trip in June. Our Dominican colleagues described their “cold winter” to us – to our disbelief.

What did you do when you lived there?

I suppose the most relevant thing to this forum: did you get to watch any baseball when you were down there? Wisely, the more competitive leagues take June off to limit deaths from heat stroke, but we watched some incredible games of little league and beer league softball. One of the many things that amazed me about their culture – the community baseball fields, the quality of which would be seen only in the poorest places here, were almost constantly in use.

by Steve J on Oct 10, 2009 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was working with the American Embassy – you know, the place where protesters would gather every few months to demonstrate against American activities. I think I only went to one game – with my family and work it was hard to get much time in for baseball that year, but I took the whole family to a Sunday game once, just to get the flavor. I would read the stories about the teams in the newspaper, and at the time (1981-82) I could tell you the names of most of the stars. During the US baseball season there was constant coverage of the Dominicans in the big leagues. I think the Cardinals and the Dodgers were the big favorites at that time because of Joaquin Andujar and Pedro Guerrero. And young Tony Pena, the Pirates catcher, was a bright prospect who some of my friends in the Consulate got to know when he came in to get his visa. They all really liked him.

by phillyinportland on Oct 10, 2009 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yup – charlies just trying to get fired during the NLDS – that’s my theory

Don't frack with me or you'll get a punch in the kidneys...you've been warned

by jemagee on Oct 9, 2009 4:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think Charlie’s plan is Martinez for the big game pressure, get as far as he can, but if he gets in trouble use Happ. I expect Pedro would be on a short short leash.

If the plan goes well—say we get 5-6 IP from Pedro, 3 or even 4 from Happ, and win the game, you’d be looking at games 4 and 5 with a relatively unexposed pen and three of your big starters available.

Another aspect is the admittedly slight chance of a postponement.

The key in bad weather games is to put the ball in play, as we saw in game 1. If Pedro’s on he’s a strikeout pitcher, so it kind of works. That might be the best we can do folks.

by Wet Luzinski on Oct 9, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs