Off Topic
You Get a Start! You Get a Start! You Get a Start!
May 27, 2058: Forever Land: By the raw numbers it may not sound like a lot, but Bikini Krill pitching staff has, as a whole, thrown a 4.40 ERA (11th best in the Frick) and allowed 230 runs (tenth best). Their stuff has not been particularly overwhelming (302 strikeouts sit at next to bottom), but they lead the league in HR stinginess (38 is the least of any team in the Frick league) and do a solid job of keeping guys off the basepaths via the free pass (143 walks is #4 in the Frick).
So it’s a mixed back that looks good mostly by comparing the team to where they were last year, which was … well … you can take our word for it … bad.
Of interest, though, is that rotation members have tossed a 3.82 ERA, good for sixth in the Frick League. And of even more interest is to note that the team has been fielding what is essentially an 8-man rotation, with only “ace” Samuel Nebraska taking normal turns in cycle. Here’s the numbers: In 51 games, the Krill have had ten pitchers take starts.
Samuel Nebraska has been the obvious workhorse, and Free Agent signee Francisco Ortiz and late-2057 addition Jayden Nicholls have been goo in the side car. Enrique Aguilar and Lúcio Juárez have been hot and cold as they’ve transitioned to more swingman-like roles, starting more than they relieve, but serving in both situations as needed.
García Stands Out, But Several Are Contributing
Two-Pitch García
Making His Case
For Rotation SpotOf more interest is the list that follows, which shows that classic bullpen guys have made nine starts for the team and performed quite well, the standout being lefty Norberto García, who has made four starts, going 2-2 while posting a 2.73 ERA, and including a 96-pitch complete game thrown against Chicago last week. Pundits seem a bit shocked by this, since García throws only two pitches.
Same for lefty Theo Muscouri, who also made a five-inning start against Chicago, and a give up two runs in five innings to score a victory.
Lefty John Hurry has made a couple starts and managed a 4.00 ERA, which is not Earth-shattering, but is still better than the 4.05 league average in the pitching-laden Frick.
Low stamina lefty, Carlos Silva had made a solid 5-inning start against Valencia before getting injured. He threw five shutout innings to gain a 3-0 victory for himself. He had been slated to start another game, but suffered bone chips instead.
And, finally, lefty Stephen Grant (a Rule 5 acquisition last year) was called up to make a spot-start, also against Valencia. The popular pitcher lasted only 3.1 innings and 65 pitches, but he held the Stars scoreless on two hits and a pair of walks and the Krill went home victorious.
How Long Will the Effort Last?
This approach has come with certain downsides, not the least of which is that the rest of the bullpen gets a bit more stretched than maybe you’d like to see. With 51 games under their belt, the team seems to be on a path to have four other relievers see 100+ innings (Shea Valance is at 29.1, Cliff Crudge has thrown 35 innings, Hurry (when adding in his starts) stands at 34.2, and Adrian Fox 33.1.
“I understand that,” said GM Ron Collins. “Sometimes we look a little gassed. But I’ve got to say that everyone seems pretty happy with it. The guys want to pitch, and we’re finding ways to get them onto the hill. Beyond that, and I mean this with due respect to every arm on our roster, it’s not like Dave Corfield is coming through that Door anytime soon. Sure, I’m always going to try to get more resources down to the field, but I’m really happy with how Richard and Fernando (manager Richard Lawson and pitching coach Fernando Alaniz) are mixing it up. Those guys are doing a lot with what we’ve got.”
Sounds like fans can look forward to even more “Rotation by Committee” in the future.
May 27, 2058: Forever Land: By the raw numbers it may not sound like a lot, but Bikini Krill pitching staff has, as a whole, thrown a 4.40 ERA (11th best in the Frick) and allowed 230 runs (tenth best). Their stuff has not been particularly overwhelming (302 strikeouts sit at next to bottom), but they lead the league in HR stinginess (38 is the least of any team in the Frick league) and do a solid job of keeping guys off the basepaths via the free pass (143 walks is #4 in the Frick).
So it’s a mixed back that looks good mostly by comparing the team to where they were last year, which was … well … you can take our word for it … bad.
Of interest, though, is that rotation members have tossed a 3.82 ERA, good for sixth in the Frick League. And of even more interest is to note that the team has been fielding what is essentially an 8-man rotation, with only “ace” Samuel Nebraska taking normal turns in cycle. Here’s the numbers: In 51 games, the Krill have had ten pitchers take starts.
| Name | GS | IP | ER | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Nebraska SP | 10 | 56.1 | 26 | 4.15 |
| Francisco Ortíz SP | 9 | 42.1 | 15 | 3.19 |
| Jayden Nicholls SP | 8 | 38.2 | 15 | 3.43 |
| Enrique Aguilar SP | 8 | 38.2 | 20 | 4.66 |
| Lúcio Juárez SP | 7 | 34 | 20 | 5.29 |
| Norberto García RP | 4 | 26.1 | 8 | 2.73 |
| John Hurry RP | 2 | 9 | 4 | 4.00 |
| Stephen Grant SP | 1 | 3.1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Carlos Silva RP | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Theron Muscouri RP | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3.60 |
Samuel Nebraska has been the obvious workhorse, and Free Agent signee Francisco Ortiz and late-2057 addition Jayden Nicholls have been goo in the side car. Enrique Aguilar and Lúcio Juárez have been hot and cold as they’ve transitioned to more swingman-like roles, starting more than they relieve, but serving in both situations as needed.
García Stands Out, But Several Are Contributing
Two-Pitch García
Making His Case
For Rotation Spot
Same for lefty Theo Muscouri, who also made a five-inning start against Chicago, and a give up two runs in five innings to score a victory.
Lefty John Hurry has made a couple starts and managed a 4.00 ERA, which is not Earth-shattering, but is still better than the 4.05 league average in the pitching-laden Frick.
Low stamina lefty, Carlos Silva had made a solid 5-inning start against Valencia before getting injured. He threw five shutout innings to gain a 3-0 victory for himself. He had been slated to start another game, but suffered bone chips instead.
And, finally, lefty Stephen Grant (a Rule 5 acquisition last year) was called up to make a spot-start, also against Valencia. The popular pitcher lasted only 3.1 innings and 65 pitches, but he held the Stars scoreless on two hits and a pair of walks and the Krill went home victorious.
How Long Will the Effort Last?
This approach has come with certain downsides, not the least of which is that the rest of the bullpen gets a bit more stretched than maybe you’d like to see. With 51 games under their belt, the team seems to be on a path to have four other relievers see 100+ innings (Shea Valance is at 29.1, Cliff Crudge has thrown 35 innings, Hurry (when adding in his starts) stands at 34.2, and Adrian Fox 33.1.
“I understand that,” said GM Ron Collins. “Sometimes we look a little gassed. But I’ve got to say that everyone seems pretty happy with it. The guys want to pitch, and we’re finding ways to get them onto the hill. Beyond that, and I mean this with due respect to every arm on our roster, it’s not like Dave Corfield is coming through that Door anytime soon. Sure, I’m always going to try to get more resources down to the field, but I’m really happy with how Richard and Fernando (manager Richard Lawson and pitching coach Fernando Alaniz) are mixing it up. Those guys are doing a lot with what we’ve got.”
Sounds like fans can look forward to even more “Rotation by Committee” in the future.
