The kid's just pacing himself
So sayeth the Dodger faithful of young Chad Billingsley, the Dodger's best starter down the 2007 stretch with the big expectations coming into 2008. Thus far, however, the returns have been more along the lines of yesterday's 8-2 loss against the Rockies. Billz spent four innings on the mound and got tagged for eight hits and three walks, bad goings that combined to create five earned runs for the hard tosser. Joe Torre felt his starter was lacking in the ways of command-heavy pitches, and probably uttered descriptions along those lines about the relief work of Esteban Loaiza (3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER). Both will eventually grace another box score, so for time being, there's the drawing board and some markers. Get cracking, fellas.
For those fans who spent their entire offseason creating "I love Delwyn Young and Hong-Chi Kuo specifically because they're Dodgers" websites, your efforts were not in vain, as both are considered givens at the moment to make the opening day roster. Young's spring training hasn't been all that and Kuo's career has mostly been an injury waiting to happen, but the potential for both is evident. That and the whole "out of options" thing.
Dinner is on Miggy Cabera. For like, the rest of his life.
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hey forget about billingsly ... who's this YU DARVISH fella? an article online said he's only 22yo and is already being considered the greatest pitcher in japanese HISTORY?! i want him in dodger blue!
Posted by: 88 | March 24, 2008 at 10:10 PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Miggy is getting about $600k for each home run he hits over the duration of this contract... nutty.
Posted by: benzojones | March 25, 2008 at 03:25 AM
darvish is sick! i watched him pitch out here in japan last year. great stuff for such a young guy. throws heat and has some solid breaking pitches. i watched him pitch the opening game of the japan series. he made the chunichi dragons hitters look like t ballers. i think he tossed a 1 hitter, but that was last fall. a little too much sapporo and sake since then. the kid has got it and i would expect to see him in the bigs before he becomes a free agent here in japan (9 years of service). dice-k commanded 50 mil for a posting fee, that article mentioned a 50% mark up. if he keeps putting up outings like his opening day start here in japan this year, 75 mil will be the starting price.
Posted by: j_dub | March 25, 2008 at 03:47 AM
Young's versatility make him valuable. Unfortuately, it may be at the expense of Jason Repko. Package up Kuo, Pierre and a resin bag for a 10th round pick.
Posted by: dalegribel | March 25, 2008 at 08:20 AM
88,
Whoever he is, he probably won't be eligible for free agency for quite a while, given his age. And if he's ever posted, the price would probably be off the charts if what you say about him is true.
Could you post a link to the article?
Posted by: Brooklyn Dodger | March 25, 2008 at 08:34 AM
Off the subject of this thread, but on the subject of Andre Ethier, I offer the following:
It's only spring training, and stats this time of year can be deceiving. But Ethier has nearly two solid regular seasons behind him, so the following combined with a solid track record is a stong argument for him to be the starting leftfielder to open the season.
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080324&content_id=2456152&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=la
I have suspected for a while that Ethier had serious power potential, and so far I like what I see. Last year he spent the winter rehabbing his shoulder, and probably never had an opportunity to focus on simply getting stronger. That wasn't the case this past winter. Combine that with another year of maturity, and Ethier is probably a lot stronger than he' been.
In previous years, when Andre hit balls to the opposite field they often died on the warning track. That doesn't appear to be the case this year, as demonstrated by last nights homer, which flew out in leftfield. Yes, the game was played in Arizona where the air is light, but I'm impressed nevertheless. He clearly appears to be a stronger hitter than he's been in the past.
Posted by: Brooklyn Dodger | March 25, 2008 at 08:43 AM
I saw both Friday and Sunday's games in Tucson and based on what I've seen, I'm concerned about Billz. He couldn't find the strike zone in the first two innings (I am struggling to think of one first pitch strike he threw in those two innings). Then in the third he got out without a run, but two of those outs were near the warning track. And in the 4th, Quintanilla, Holliday and Hawpe crushed his pitches. He wasn't fooling anybody.
Posted by: Neoncactus | March 25, 2008 at 08:48 AM
As Kevin Baxter at the Times puts it:
"But Ethier, 25, has more power, a better arm and will drive in more runs, tools that would make him more valuable off the bench. And that fact, ironically, could wind up costing him the starting job."
If that's the case, why don't we sit any of the 3 of Eithier, Jones, or Kemp so Pierre can play everyday?? Obviously, with Kevin's thinking, Juan Pierre deserves to start b/c he DOESN'T have power, DOESN'T have an arm, & WON'T drive in runs.
WHAT A JOKE...
Posted by: Brian | March 25, 2008 at 10:46 AM
Brian-You just don't get it.
Baxter has come up with a unique plan. the idea is to start all the poor performing players and let your best players sit. This way they will be ready to insert late in the game.
David
Posted by: David | March 25, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Torre's tough decision.!!!
Perhaps if Eithier's BA would be doulble that of Pierre it might make his choice easier. So far .188-.359-- a few more hits would do it.
David
Posted by: David | March 25, 2008 at 12:22 PM
brooklyn dodger,
i think darvish might be availble for the MLB after next year ... at age 22/23yo.6'5", 97mph, fastball 91mph slider, 1.85 ERA 15-5 last year as a 20yo!!!! anyway, here's the article i read ...
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-japandarvish032308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Posted by: 88 | March 25, 2008 at 01:51 PM
88, I was in Sapporo and saw Darvish pitch in the JWS for the Sapporo Nippon Ham Fighters (maybe the greatest team name in history), and he was spectacular. He's huge for a Japanese guy, throws hard, and seemed pretty darn dominating; for that day at least. I was inspired enough that I went out and bought a Darvish Jersey on the way out of town. So I'm definitely with you pulling for the Dodgers to land him, cause I think he's the real deal...and I've already got a shirt to wear to the games.
Posted by: Raoul | March 25, 2008 at 04:51 PM