Derek Lowe goes from trade bait to opening day starter?
The first surprise of 2010: Derek Lowe will get the ball opening day April 5 against Chicago.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Derek Lowe is perceived by most as the fourth-best pitcher in the Braves’ starting rotation. He also is the only starter the team tried to trade this winter.
And what does he get for these two distinctions? A start on opening day. If Bobby Cox wanted to go out with a bang, this is a good way to start.
“He was our winningest pitcher [last year],” Cox explained. But if that told the whole story than the Braves’ never would have tried to trade Lowe and the remaining three years and $45 million on his contract. They couldn’t. So instead they were forced to deal their best pitcher a year ago, Javier Vazquez, for Melky Cabrera and a prospect. But you probably heard about that.)
Here’s David O’Brien’s recap of Cox’s surprising announcement Sunday. The decision had some reason to it. But it’s also typical Cox: Show loyalty to the veteran and try to give him an early confidence boost. Fact is, if Lowe — who had a 6.65 ERA in his final six starts and allowed the second-highest opponents’ batting average in the majors – bounces back this season, it’s a significant boost to the rotation and the team.
Here are the tangible factors: 1) Jair Jurrjens, probably the most deserving opening day starter, has been slowed by a shoulder injury; 2) The team is being cautious with Tim Hudson, even though he came back late last season from Tommy John surgery; 3) Tommy Hanson, another deserving pitcher, is young and Cox probably doesn’t want to put him in that situation.
The rotation the first six games and seven days of the season will go like this: 1-Lowe; 2-off day; 3-Jurrjens; 4-Hanson; 5-Hudson; 6-Lowe; 7-Kenshin Kawakami.
Of pitching opening day, Cox said, “There’s an honor to it. There’s a lot of first-game jitters and excitement. You have to have the makeup to handle it. He can pitch in big games.”
It’s only one of 162 games. But give the backdrop, this was a surprising decision. How do you feel about it?
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70 comments Add your comment
willieg hates bill shanks
March 1st, 2010
1:57 am
how about bobby cox the season hasnt started and he already made a bone head mistake.one of 162 he will make and come october we will be saying WHO IS NEXT !
IPayForAOL
March 1st, 2010
3:46 am
Reality Check,
Wins tell you nothing useful about how well a pitcher performed.
RUtheCoach
March 1st, 2010
6:47 am
For all of you complainers, have you ever coached a major league team? Right, I didn’t think so. So go back to your lonely lives and keep complaining, because that’s all all you know how to do. I’ll let Bobby make the calls and support the Braves. Go get em Derek!!!
Tech Man in Dawg Country
March 1st, 2010
7:46 am
Bobby Cox is the master. He should work as a sports psychiatrist when he quits coaching. He certainly knows what he is doing. He knows it is his last year. Do you think he would really do something that could hamper his chances to win? If you think his loyalty is greater than his will to win, especially this year, then that might even be a compliment. But in this case, I think Bobby knows that he needs Lowe in order for the Braves to win, and this could perhaps help. Also, Lowe pitched well at the beginning of the season last year didn’t he? It was late in the year that he had problems. Don’t question Bobby, he is the ultimate Brave!
Rod
March 1st, 2010
8:23 am
Edit please.
1) “…told the whole story than the” — should be then, not than.
2) “…about that.)” — end parenthesis, but no beginning one?
3) “But give the backdrop,…” — should be given, not give.
C’mon – you’re a professional writer. Write properly!
Richard Dawson
March 1st, 2010
8:39 am
How I feel about it is: dull, boring, irrelevant. Find something useful or interesting to write about.
Also, Bobby Cox’s old-school comment on ‘wins’ by a pitcher reminds me of what’s wrong with this organization. While other franchises are using sabermetrics and looking for undervalued opportunities in the market, we are talking about a pitcher’s ‘wins’, possibly the least meaningful of all the major stats that can be attributed to an individual player in a team sport. We really need some fresh Epstein/Beane type blood in this organization.
Richard Dawson
March 1st, 2010
8:43 am
Reality Check – think about how dumb it is to have to analyze a pitcher’s “run support” (a meaningless stat that has NOTHING to do with the pitcher’s performance) so you can understand his “wins”, another meaningless individual stat which is largely outside the pitcher’s control.
It’s like looking at defensive points allowed to evaluate a quarterback. Ridiculous.
Wins is the only team stat that matters, but it’s fairly useless in evaluating an individual player.
Ralph
March 1st, 2010
9:41 am
Lowe should be the 5th starter but get use to it folks, just the 1st of a full season of Bobby Cox blunders.
Mitchell
March 1st, 2010
9:53 am
Well said Ralph.
shane
March 1st, 2010
9:59 am
Lowe should be the 5th starter but get use to it folks, just the 1st of a full season of Bobby Cox blunders.
Wow. Soo many Braves fans have such a low Baseball IQ.Its really sad because we have had a HOF manager and a great team that does the little things for years. And so few to appreciate it.
Ron Burgandy
March 1st, 2010
10:08 am
This must mean Hudson is not ready and that Jiar is a little more hurt than they are telling us. I hate to be negative, but this is not good.
We will need some bats!
dadgumitpaw
March 1st, 2010
10:39 am
Handling pitchers has always been the chink in Bobby’s armor. The worst was repeatedly going to 3 man rotations in the postseason. You can get away with that with young bucks but Bobby kept doing it with older pitchers who always seemed to falter in their second start of a series. In this case, however, I like the move with Lowe for all the stated reasons.
McCann Fan
March 1st, 2010
10:42 am
Here we go. Wouldn’t have been my choice but I’m not the manager. Here’s to hoping D Lowe keeps the ball down and J-Hey is on the field April 5th.
Ryan
March 1st, 2010
11:53 am
Maybe they can add this to Lowe’s resume and increase the ability to trade him. “Hey this was our opening day starter two straight years, he’s obviously our number 1 pitcher.”
DawgDad
March 1st, 2010
12:57 pm
I don’t think the opening day thing is anywhere near as important as it’s being made out to be. Aside from being a normal start, and maximizing your opportunity to make starts throughout the year by being first, it’s just a ceremonial honor. So, give the ball to the Vet. Ultimately the issue of who’s the “fifth” starter will be defined by the schedule, injuries, and who’s best suited or best served by missing a start.
LivinInAl
March 1st, 2010
1:24 pm
I think it a the correct move, and expected. Lowe mentioned last year that JJ was their best pitcher, he is not an ego guy. I like his make up, work ethic, and attitude. He is a winner.
Ramblin Wrecker
March 1st, 2010
1:36 pm
It makes sense if you put it that way. You don’t want to push JJ with his shoulder thing. And if they want to be cautious with Hudson, then I agree with that too. I don’t necessarily think it too much for Hanson to handle with his mental makeup, but there’s no need to push him either. Lowe pitched great in the opener last year (on the road in Philly), 8 IP, 0 R and only 2 hits. If he has his mechanics corrected, then he will be fine.
Tony31005
March 1st, 2010
7:29 pm
Perfect decision from Cox. You need someone that can handle the openning day jitters and Lowe can. You’ll have him going against their best pitcher while our best pitchers are in the 2 3 and 4 slots. So what if we lose the first game. We should win the next 4 hands down.
HAROLD
March 1st, 2010
8:42 pm
Cox bashers are a dime a dozen . He’ll out coach any of you . Where’s the respect that’s due the sure hall of famer.
MitchC
March 1st, 2010
10:33 pm
I didn’t post on this blog yesterday because I didn’t see it. On one hand, I understand Bobby’s decision. He;s always been one to show confidence in guys after a bad game, or bad season. That having been said, a guy with nearly a 4.7 ERA on this staff last year, isn’t my idea of an opening day starter. If Hudson wasn’t coming off surgery, or JJ would be healthy, I would have started one of them. That having been said, maybe D Lowe can go out there, and put last year behind him, and show the Braves and their fans why they really paid him 60 mil to start for us from 2009 to 2012.