2007 Dodgers Season Preview - Pitching
Here's the SparkNotes version of my Dodgers Season Preview for all of my friends who don't know much about baseball, but will be dragged to Chavez Ravine with me at least once this year.
If someone offers you a ticket to a game, check to see who the starting pitcher is. Using the guide below, you'll know whether the Blue have a good chance to keep the other teams runs down.
Starting Pitching
Derek Lowe - Throws a lot of sinking fastballs which result in groundballs when hit by the batter. Most days, Lowe will be as good as the guys fielding the groundballs behind him. Very good, reliable pitcher, in spite of the fact that he's the only guy still wearing pooka shells.
Jason Schmidt - A formerly awesome pitcher, still very good but expectations should be tempered after his elbow injury a few years ago. Could end up on the disabled list, could be the best Dodgers starter we've had in years. Poached from the rival Giants this past offseason, making any of his successful starts that much more sweet.
Brad Penny - Represented the Dodgers in the All-Star game last year, a testament to how good he was in the first 1/2 of the season. Downright awful in the second 1/2, but could have been due to injury. Don't know what to expect this year. Power pitcher who can get lots of strikeouts when his fastball is working, but can struggle to get guys out since he doesn't have a consistent #2 pitch. Second fattest guy on the team, and that's saying something. This guy looks like a lardo.
Randy Wolf - Went from very good in 2003 to average since his elbow surgery in 2005. They say it takes 2 full years to recover from that kind of elbow ligament replacement surgery, so he could be due for a bounce-back year. Or he might just be average, I guess. Bonus points for being left-handed an alum of El Camino Real in Woodland Hills. Demerits for going to Pepperdine.
Brett Tomko - AKA Bombko. Average to below average as a starter. Did OK as a reliever last year when we was demoted to the bullpen, but he's really just not very good. If he's on the mound, just hope the Dodgers are scoring lots of runs. They're going to need them.
Bullpen/Relief Pitchers
Takashi Saito - Far and away our best pitcher last year, even though he only pitched in very specific situations (ninth inning, when the team had the lead). It's hard to take the torch from this city's formerly most beloved closer, Eric Gagne, but Saito pulled it off. Even though he's 36, last year was his first year out of Japanese baseball. He was so good last year, can't help but feel that there's going to be some let-down, especially once batters start to see his repertoire a second time around. If he falters, we may already have another closer in waiting.
Jonathon Broxton - This kid (still just 22) is going to be the next Gagne. Fans already love his enthusiasm on the mound, he's got a great nickname (the Ox), and he strikes out a lot of batters with his wicked slider. When Saito is no longer effective or retires, this is the guy who's going to be protecting our leads in the ninth inning. Team award-winner for fattest guy on the team. Listed at 6'4'' TWO-HUNDRED-NINETY POUNDS, but when see him out there, you'll agree that's probably a conservative estimate.
Mark Hendrickson - He's really tall and he had a pretty cool beard last year. That's about all there is to say about him. This guy would be out of a job if he wasn't left-handed. He's just not very good. When they call him in from the bullpen, get up and go to the bathroom or get a second helping of Dodger Dogs.
Concluding Thoughts
The Dodger pitching staff could be the best in the National Leage West, if not all the National League. There's veteran experience, youthful energy, and depth in the minor leagues if guys start to get hurt. The classic Dodger teams always had great pitching to make up for anemic offenses, and this seems like a page out of that book. Injuries are a question mark for this team between Schmidt, Penny, and Wolf, but there are young studs waiting for a chance should they need time off to heal, such as Kuo or Billingsley.
There are other pitchers that I didn't list here, but I'll have them in the minor league/miscellaneous players preview section coming soon. Check back in a few days for the Position Players preview.
If someone offers you a ticket to a game, check to see who the starting pitcher is. Using the guide below, you'll know whether the Blue have a good chance to keep the other teams runs down.
Starting Pitching
Derek Lowe - Throws a lot of sinking fastballs which result in groundballs when hit by the batter. Most days, Lowe will be as good as the guys fielding the groundballs behind him. Very good, reliable pitcher, in spite of the fact that he's the only guy still wearing pooka shells.
Jason Schmidt - A formerly awesome pitcher, still very good but expectations should be tempered after his elbow injury a few years ago. Could end up on the disabled list, could be the best Dodgers starter we've had in years. Poached from the rival Giants this past offseason, making any of his successful starts that much more sweet.
Brad Penny - Represented the Dodgers in the All-Star game last year, a testament to how good he was in the first 1/2 of the season. Downright awful in the second 1/2, but could have been due to injury. Don't know what to expect this year. Power pitcher who can get lots of strikeouts when his fastball is working, but can struggle to get guys out since he doesn't have a consistent #2 pitch. Second fattest guy on the team, and that's saying something. This guy looks like a lardo.
Randy Wolf - Went from very good in 2003 to average since his elbow surgery in 2005. They say it takes 2 full years to recover from that kind of elbow ligament replacement surgery, so he could be due for a bounce-back year. Or he might just be average, I guess. Bonus points for being left-handed an alum of El Camino Real in Woodland Hills. Demerits for going to Pepperdine.
Brett Tomko - AKA Bombko. Average to below average as a starter. Did OK as a reliever last year when we was demoted to the bullpen, but he's really just not very good. If he's on the mound, just hope the Dodgers are scoring lots of runs. They're going to need them.
Bullpen/Relief Pitchers
Takashi Saito - Far and away our best pitcher last year, even though he only pitched in very specific situations (ninth inning, when the team had the lead). It's hard to take the torch from this city's formerly most beloved closer, Eric Gagne, but Saito pulled it off. Even though he's 36, last year was his first year out of Japanese baseball. He was so good last year, can't help but feel that there's going to be some let-down, especially once batters start to see his repertoire a second time around. If he falters, we may already have another closer in waiting.
Jonathon Broxton - This kid (still just 22) is going to be the next Gagne. Fans already love his enthusiasm on the mound, he's got a great nickname (the Ox), and he strikes out a lot of batters with his wicked slider. When Saito is no longer effective or retires, this is the guy who's going to be protecting our leads in the ninth inning. Team award-winner for fattest guy on the team. Listed at 6'4'' TWO-HUNDRED-NINETY POUNDS, but when see him out there, you'll agree that's probably a conservative estimate.
Mark Hendrickson - He's really tall and he had a pretty cool beard last year. That's about all there is to say about him. This guy would be out of a job if he wasn't left-handed. He's just not very good. When they call him in from the bullpen, get up and go to the bathroom or get a second helping of Dodger Dogs.
Concluding Thoughts
The Dodger pitching staff could be the best in the National Leage West, if not all the National League. There's veteran experience, youthful energy, and depth in the minor leagues if guys start to get hurt. The classic Dodger teams always had great pitching to make up for anemic offenses, and this seems like a page out of that book. Injuries are a question mark for this team between Schmidt, Penny, and Wolf, but there are young studs waiting for a chance should they need time off to heal, such as Kuo or Billingsley.
There are other pitchers that I didn't list here, but I'll have them in the minor league/miscellaneous players preview section coming soon. Check back in a few days for the Position Players preview.
Labels: dodgers, season preview
This entry was posted by VJ, on
Saturday, March 31, 2007.
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