Jurrjens to the minors: How does a good pitcher go so bad?
Jair Jurrjens on a dark Monday in L.A. (AP photo)
I wonder if this would have happened in the days before pitch speed became a measurement available on ballpark scoreboards and TV broadcasts. I wonder if Jair Jurrjens would be headed for the minor leagues if those on the periphery didn’t keep harping about his velocity, or lack of same.
By any measure, Jurrjens has been awful over his four starts. He has lasted five innings in only one of them, and the reason he’s 0-2 and not 0-4 is that his team scored 10 runs for him in Start No. 2 and 14 in No. 3. His ERA is 9.37. Opponents are hitting .411 against him. On Monday in Los Angeles he faced 17 batters; 10 reached, five scored.
Jurrjens is pitching so badly that it can’t be called pitching at all. At issue is why he’s not pitching. Speculation continues to swirl that he’s hurt, although he and the Braves deny it. By sending him to Class AAA Gwinnett, as opposed to parking him on the disabled list, the Braves have sent a powerful indication that they don’t think there’s anything physically amiss.
Emotionally? Well, that’s another story. Speaking after Start No. 3 last week, Jurrjens sounded as confused as any demonstrably good pitcher I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard a few. He sounded concerned about appearances, as opposed to results, and then he sounded concerned about being concerned.
What Jurrjens said then: “A lot of people get on me about how fast I’m throwing. I need to go back to pitching. But [velocity] is a hot topic every time I pitch. Everyone wants to see how fast I’m throwing, and that gets in your mind.”
Let the record show that Greg Maddux, who broke 90 mph on the radar gun only with a gale at his back, never gave a toss what anyone else thought. Back in 1994, Maddux handed me the absolute best description as to the folly of velocity:
You stand in the middle of the road and a car’s coming at you. Can you tell how fast it’s going? Can you tell if it’s going 55 or 60? You can’t. It’s the same standing in the middle of the diamond trying to hit a baseball. As a pitcher, you’re better off making 75 [mph] look like 85 instead of making 87 look like 90.
Even before I was given the privilege of watching Maddux and Tom Glavine work, I was of the opinion that velocity was wildly overrated. Who was the better closer: Kyle Farnsworth, bringer of the big heat but not much else, or Trevor Hoffman, whose best pitch was his change-up? If you can pitch, as opposed simply to throw, you can win big for a long time.
Some figure filberts, however, insisted all along that Jurrjens’ success wasn’t (stat-geek word here) sustainable. He didn’t strike out enough people, they said, didn’t miss enough bats. He “pitched to contact” — for the record, I hate that phrase — and sooner or later the contact would catch up to him.
Not sustainable? Jair Jurrjens had already won for five seasons. Go look it up: Even with his injuries, he’d never had a losing year in the majors. He was 50-33 on his 26th birthday. By way of comparison, the great Glavine was 53-52 the day he turned 26. (Glavine was another who “pitched to contact” — and he’ll wind up in Cooperstown having done so.)
With his smarts and his command, you could envision — well, I could — Jurrjens tracking a similarly artful career path. But now he has been demoted, and not just to the bullpen. From the All-Star game in Phoenix to Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, in 8 1/2 months: How stunning is that?
For the Braves, demotion surely was the right move. From his comments after Start No. 3, it was clear Jurrjens had lost focus, and losing focus is far more distressing that losing velocity. A good pitcher can fight through six innings on guts and guile, but Jurrjens was so confused — “I have it one inning; then I don’t have it” — he couldn’t even get through two clean ones. Nothing good was apt to happen by keeping him in the rotation, or in the big-league club’s bullpen.
I’m sure there are issues with his mechanics, as the argot has it. When a good pitcher goes bad, there invariably are. But I can’t help but believe the greater problem is that Jurrjens has stopped trusting himself and his stuff. He’s too worried about throwing hard, and he of all people should know that throwing hard doesn’t necessarily equate to getting people out. The hope here is that he remembers who he is. The hope here is this once-splendid pitcher remembers what it means to pitch.
By Mark Bradley
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150 comments Add your comment
Whiskey Breath
April 24th, 2012
7:57 am
Probably taking advise from newspapers instead of his coaches.
Taxi Smith
April 24th, 2012
8:03 am
Like any athlete in a skill position will tell you, it’s all between his ears. You don’t just suddenly lose physical talent or ability. He needs a good coach to sit him down and then a few wins in AAA. Good luck Jair!
Home of the Braves
April 24th, 2012
8:06 am
Third
chuckw/deadjournalist
April 24th, 2012
8:09 am
First, good for the Braves for making this move. Jurrjens was the worst member of this rotation so far in 2012, and optioning the pitcher who was in the discussion for starting the All-Star game last year isn’t something all organizations would do.
One thing not mentioned in the piece, that could be adding pressure for Jurrjens, is that he’s only a year away from free agency. In his last two seasons, he missed about 15 starts each, and he was carrying the “injury risk” stigma. I wonder if his concern around his loss of velocity, etc., was/is more about that than anything.
Because as you note, if there’s an organization that understand location and pitching acumen trumps velocity, it is the Braves.
Loki
April 24th, 2012
8:09 am
The Bravos need him if they want to compete in the East. I hope he figures it out; he is a beast when he’s on.
Mark
April 24th, 2012
8:11 am
The Braves have too many good pitchers to put up with these kinds of outings. I’m confident he will rebound but we can’t send someone down that is pitching good (Delgado) and keep someone up that is struggling. Go down there and find what you have lost and come back and help the Braves win the Division. Go Braves
Kevin
April 24th, 2012
8:12 am
Good thing we are deep with starters.
Lady Luck
April 24th, 2012
8:12 am
Demoting Jurrjens is what is needed to get him help. The kid can pitch but something is in the way. Sending him down will help figure that out. They should have done the same thing to Heyward last year but they let him destroy his confidence the entire year. What good did that do.
Hurry back Jurrjens. We need you.
Home of the Braves
April 24th, 2012
8:14 am
Does that mean that JJ’s roster spot will be filled by someone like Cory Gearrin or Buddy Carlyle until Hudson is needed in the Pirates series?
bhunt
April 24th, 2012
8:14 am
MB – Don Sutton made a good observation last night. Said he doesnt appear to be getting out in front of his left knee on his release, which casues him to be more upright, which in turn takes away movement from his fastball. if that holds true, and he is not injured, he has a huge mental block regarding the knee. he needs to get over that!
JF McNamara
April 24th, 2012
8:15 am
Keep your head up JJ. There are a lot of people in this town that believe in you. We’re cheering for you to work hard and get it straightened out.
Freddi and Wren and the other Stooge
April 24th, 2012
8:15 am
The 2nd coming of Kwakami/Kawasaki/HeriKeri. Good Luck in ur next career Jurrjens.
No Fastball
April 24th, 2012
8:16 am
The reason everyone focuses on the lack of velocity is that he uses to pitch in the low 90’s when he was effective. Now that the velocity is gone, there is not a sufficient difference between off speed pitches and a fastball. JJ must find his fastball again or else he needs to reinvent the way he pitches. He will never have Maddux’s movement or ability to hit a target. Sad but true.
bhunt
April 24th, 2012
8:17 am
Home of the Braves – huh? i hope thats not a serious question. those two are by far the worst on the staff and should go down to AAA with JJ. I may be wrong, but given the schedule i think they can work with a 4 man staff until Huddy comes back. Although, they will call someone up, not sure who that is. JT?
Old Guy
April 24th, 2012
8:18 am
I don’t know if I like this move or not. From almost an ace to AAA – come on man. He’s a 3 on most other clubs and as a five he might have been able to get his groove back.
Kawasucki Jurrjens
April 24th, 2012
8:18 am
Maybe we can trade this waste for a bag of bats and balls…..then we would come out on the good end of the trade……..
DaveinNEPA
April 24th, 2012
8:18 am
It’s been pretty obvious since the beginning of ST that Jurrjens just isn’t the same.
Last night even balls that went for outs were hit hard. Let’s hope that a trip to AAA gets JJ straightened out.
Marteen is a Ballplayer
April 24th, 2012
8:18 am
Mark:
Do you think there is any friction between Frank Wren and Fredi G? It just seems conspicously obvioius that Fredi G tends to find things out after the fact. With Parrish last year, Fredi was on the record stating that there would be no off-season moves with the coaching staff, only to have the hitting coach released 24 hours later. Now with Jurrjens, he says they haven’t considered any missed starts for the pitcher as the game just ended and 30 minutes after that statement, Wren demotes Jurrjens to the Minors. Am I being paranoid and this is just how baseball works?
I dunno, it just seems like they could have waited 24 hours, discussed it with Fredi G, and had him make the annoucement. With all the criticisms that Fredi G has had to deal with since last season and early this season, it doesn’t help the perception of the Braves’ higher-ups confidence in Fredi G.
JDHGT
April 24th, 2012
8:20 am
Good piece, Mark. I wonder if the talk from the critics hasn’t become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I was surprised when I started hearing the rumblings from scouts and national reporters/columnists about how JJ didn’t have the velocity to maintain his success. I hope he can clear that talk out of his head and get back to pitching in the mold of Maddux and Glavine. Location, location, location.
Cap Tipper
April 24th, 2012
8:20 am
You just gotta tip your cap to the Dodgers, and every other team that smokes us this season.
bruce
April 24th, 2012
8:20 am
yikes, hope he figures it out quick and this is forgotten by the allstar break
bhunt
April 24th, 2012
8:20 am
he is not getting out in front of his left knee on his release. which could contribute to a loss in velocity, but more importantly is contributes to a loss in movement on his fastball. thats tailing action is completely gone. you can see it in his picture on the front page, he is way behind his knee. he is scared to put the pressure on it. all mental.
Marteen is a Ballplayer
April 24th, 2012
8:21 am
I’m glad most early responses are that Jurrjens will come back and be his old self…just needs to work some things out…ala John Smoltz when he had his psychologist (Llewellen (sp)?) sit behind home plate…that seemed to work.
coach13
April 24th, 2012
8:22 am
They want to know your velocity as a measuring stick.You can’t coach 94. It’s baseball’s equivalent to the 40 yd dash. JJ was never a flame thrower so it’s not as if he’s dropped 10 mph. He could have an injury that we don’t know about. Last night was the first time he hasn’t recorded a strikeout in 43 starts. That’s not because of velocity.
So much for trading him.
Shug
April 24th, 2012
8:23 am
Maddux’s fastball was around the high 80s; if he suddenly changed so that it was consistently in the high 70s or low 80s that would be a pretty strong sign that something’s wrong. (Regardless of whether a person standing in the middle of the interstate could tell the difference between a car going 78 and one going 88.)
dean
April 24th, 2012
8:24 am
Location, location, location!
Marteen is a Ballplayer
April 24th, 2012
8:25 am
Mark:
My first post didn’t appear to take. Do you think it is strange that Fredi G seems to be out of the loop on big moves? Last year, he said no changes to the coaching staff and Larry Parrish was fired 24 hours later. Now he indicated no rash decisions on a missed start for Jurrjens, but 30 minutes after that statement, Frank Wren demotes Jurrjens. It just seems the Braves would be better off waiting a day, discussing it with Fredi, and having him make the announcement. The way it broke down appears that Fredi G wasn’t even consulted. With all the criticism of Fredi G in the fanbase, it doesn’t help when the higher-ups don’t appear to have confidence in Fredi G or his input into the decision…maybe I’m just paranoid and this is how baseball works.
Beauvighn
April 24th, 2012
8:27 am
Now, Put Medlen in the rotation and send delgado to AAA along with him and we have a chance every night.
Steve
April 24th, 2012
8:31 am
I think he should take a cue from John Smoltz and go see a sports psychologist.
ragnar danneskjold
April 24th, 2012
8:34 am
Perhaps this means the best pitcher on the staff – Kris Medlen – will be starting again?
ragnar danneskjold
April 24th, 2012
8:34 am
In fact, Livan pitched credibly last night, we could do worse, and have done so.
Dean
April 24th, 2012
8:41 am
Keep working JJ, you still have it! You just need to work on your mechanics and get your confidence back.
NCBravesFan
April 24th, 2012
8:44 am
Velocity and movement – you can win with one or the other (or both) … but it’s just about impossible to win when you have neither.
beef pocoroba
April 24th, 2012
8:44 am
bhunt said : “he is not getting out in front of his left knee on his release. which could contribute to a loss in velocity, but more importantly is contributes to a loss in movement on his fastball. thats tailing action is completely gone. you can see it in his picture on the front page, he is way behind his knee. he is scared to put the pressure on it.”
i have been thinking the exact same thing. it seems so obvious watching him.
BUT wouldn’t a team of trained professionals who have been watching him pitch for years be making that same observation if that was the problem? how come we don’t hear anyone in the Braves organization saying this? or have they, and i just missed it?
hope to see JJ back to his old self soon
Bill
April 24th, 2012
8:47 am
Mark I remember talk about trading JJ before the All-Star break last year. In retrospect that looks like a mistake. Do you recall anything substantive about those trade talks?
Larry
April 24th, 2012
8:48 am
“How does a good pitcher go so bad?”
Mark,
What the difference between the winning car and the last place finisher at Indy or Daytona?
About 4-5 mph…this same mph Jurrjens has lost off his fastball.
sldkfjslk
April 24th, 2012
8:48 am
Opponents are hitting .411 against him.
chuckw/deadjournalist
April 24th, 2012
8:51 am
Either his knee is still hurt or he doesn’t trust his knee.
Larry
April 24th, 2012
8:53 am
Marteen is a Ballplayer,
No, this is an utter but well warranted lack of respect of a manager that piloted one of the worst collapses in MLB history and never positively influenced the outcome of a game. FG is a worm body with hardly a pulse and clearly a low cognitive aptitude.
Can you invision for a moment either Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, Earl Weaver or Tommy Lasorda not being included in such a decision? Nah!
md
April 24th, 2012
8:55 am
I remember a similar situation where one of our pitchers went through this kind of funk (Mark’s favorite Brave)……he then sought council from Dr Llewellyn……..Smoltz had gone 2-11 in the first half, 12-2 after talking with the Doc……..maybe JJ needs to do the same.
Larry
April 24th, 2012
8:57 am
chuckw/deadjournalist
April 24th, 2012
8:51 am
“Either his knee is still hurt or he doesn’t trust his knee.”
Wrong…stop making excuses! He started losing velocity BEFORE the knee injury but got by on a lot of smoke and mirrors and good fortune in the first half last season.
He’ll either need to reinvent himself as a deceptive type of pitcher or he’s done, becuase clearly his days as a good fastball pticher are behind him.
bvillebaron
April 24th, 2012
8:57 am
Simple; he has lost his confidence perhaps as a result of (1) reading too many newspapers; and (2) still thinking about his knee and the brace. Hopefully, the trip to AAA will get him straightened out; you don’t put up the kind of numbers he did before he got hurt because he was lucky.
crackbaby
April 24th, 2012
9:04 am
Love the Mad-Dog quote, MB. Thanks!
PMC
April 24th, 2012
9:05 am
I think his knee isn’t right. I think his mechanics are off somewhere and that’s why his velocity is down and his location is poor.
crackbaby
April 24th, 2012
9:06 am
JJ just needs to get his location back. Easier said than done but hopefully he can relax and take a few weeks to focus on technique and rhythm.
What Troy Aikman says about NFL QBs applies to MLB pitchers, the most important measure of success at that level is ACCURACY.
PMC
April 24th, 2012
9:07 am
The only reason velocity even matters is in the difference between the speeds of pitches.
Maddux was brilliant because of his ability to locate his pitches and change speeds… not to mention Maddux threw strikes and trusted his defense. Maddux was ridiculously efficient.
StungByAYellowJacket
April 24th, 2012
9:07 am
I too agree with everyone who states that his mental state in regards to his knee is the problem, it’s quite clear that Jurrgens isn’t confortable at all out there, I think he might perhaps be trying too hard to make an impression when perhaps his knee (or at least his mental state regarding the knee) isn’t together. Jurrgens seems to be holding something in, something that he isn’t even discussing with the Braves Personnel, he needs to let someone know what’s really going on, something tells me that we might need him come September/October.
Go Go Pilots
April 24th, 2012
9:09 am
they trade him soon watch after few starts and being knock around bad next score be at AA- ball retool his pitchin if that no works he can go into salein cars at Carfax next!
chuckw/deadjournalist
April 24th, 2012
9:10 am
Larry –
There’s a great graphic that charts JJ’s pitch velocity range, including high/low and average for his career. His velocity didn’t dip until mid-’10. Then there was another dip around the time that he injured his knee. You can see significant decline from pre-’10 injury to ‘12.
You are correct that he may need to reinvent himself as a pitcher, but don’t discount the injury issue.
Here’s the link to the fangraphs piece chart: http://www.fangraphs.com/fgraphs/5556_P_FA_20120423.png
On Maddux and JJ « Rowland's Office
April 24th, 2012
9:10 am
[...] may just need to clear his head, writes Mark Bradley, who spoke with the now-Gwinnett Brave after his last start in [...]
StungByAYellowJacket
April 24th, 2012
9:11 am
With that being said, it also seems like something still isn’t completely right with Hanson as well, he has been performing okay, but not like the Hanson that we know he can be, is there something going on with him (perhaps mentally) as well? His fastball has me a bit concerned……
Mr. Fix-It for Braves Pitching
April 24th, 2012
9:14 am
Two Words:
Leo Mazzone
DetroitBraves
April 24th, 2012
9:14 am
While a lot of people thought he was a bit over his head, and a good sell high candidate prior to his injuries last year, a healthy Jurrjens isn’t nearly this bad. Not a #1, but a solid middle of the rotation guy. A lot of people now think that he’s having trouble between the ears. Maybe he is. I have no idea. If I were to guess I would say he’s not physically well. Either way, the sell high opportunity is gone. At least for now. Hoping for the best. With Vizcaino out for the year and Jurrjens a mess the deep pitching is becoming less deep by the day. At least Hudson should be back soon.
Simplicio
April 24th, 2012
9:15 am
@Mark Bradley: Greg Maddux’s point about velocity actually supports the claim that JJ’s drop in velocity is problematic. The greater the difference in velocity between the fastball and the changeup, the more effective the changeup will be. However, the less the difference in velocity between the fastball and the changeup, the less effective the changeup will be. So, JJ’s drop in velocity on the fastball means a less effective changeup and therefore a less effective pitcher. QED.
Mike
April 24th, 2012
9:15 am
Maddux consistently threw in the low 90’s during his prime, with significantly better command (less than half the BB/9 during his prime) and movement than Jurrjens. The comparisons between JJ and Maddux are not helpful at all, as they are completely different pitchers. We now have the second half of last season, plus all spring plus 4 starts in the regular season to see that something is really wrong with JJ. His velocity is down even from last year’s low, and his horizontal and vertical movement is down. The majors are not for experimenting and figuring things out – that’s what AAA is for, and if JJ needs to get it figured out, he should do it in AAA.
Simplicio
April 24th, 2012
9:19 am
Also, the Braves have had players play through injuries the last couple of years all the while claiming that those players were in good health. For example, Jason Heyward last season. So, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if it turns out that JJ is pitching with a blown-out knee or elbow or something given the total incompetence of the Braves’ medical staff and a clubhouse culture that values players playing through injuries (even if it affects performance).
DetroitBraves
April 24th, 2012
9:21 am
One other thing, the big velocity helps pitchers overcome mistakes. Maddux and Glavine rarely made mistakes. I agree with the premise but there aren’t too many Maddux’s or Glavine’s out there, or even Jaime Moyer’s. Most pitchers need at least a little jump on their #1 if they are going to pitch at the top of a rotation.
msd
April 24th, 2012
9:22 am
last night wtf was fg doing? you get runners on 1st and second no outs. jh steals third. of course jack strikes out. runners on 1 and 3 now with 1 out and he allows jj to hit???? down 3-1 get some runs. pinch hit. no he keeps him in to bunt. brilliant! and now he’s demoted to gb. stupid coach
Trojan
April 24th, 2012
9:22 am
Hanson and JJ both concern me. Hanson’s shoulder issues scare me even with his new delivery. By the way, Hanson’s new delivery seems more painful and unnatural than his original delivery.
Both Hanson and JJ will be demanding larger and larger contracts. Our best hope is for both of them to get healthy enough to be traded for something. Their agents (Boras) will be impossible to deal with.
Trade both of them Braves. Because Boras would not allow them to sign long term anyway.
Simplicio
April 24th, 2012
9:22 am
@Stingbyayellowjacket. Hansen slightly altered his delivery to take pressure off of his shoulder and he’s also using a two-seam fastball this season (in addition to the four seam). I haven’t seen any data concerning how often he’s throwing each pitch, but that could account for the changes you’re seeing.
Rickster
April 24th, 2012
9:25 am
We’ve been asking this question at least since Mark Woehlers (sp?) was a Brave.
DetroitBraves
April 24th, 2012
9:26 am
@Mike, that’s a really good point. You see people talk about Maddux a lot now that he’s retired as if he had pedestrian stuff and got by only because of a big baseball IQ. Simply not true. He did touch the low 90s in his youth (as did Glavine) and he had plus-plus control, a plus change, and plus movement on his fastball. Even when he lost some of his fastball he had the rest. It’s not really fair to compare JJ or really any other pitcher to Greg Maddux.
Dennis
April 24th, 2012
9:29 am
Baseball history is littered with players who lost confidence and never recovered as well as some that overcome and regained their given ability. I tend to believe it is a confidence issue brought on by a number of things. Whether he can recover is open to debate. I believe with time at AAA he can regain some if not all of his abilities. With this being his free agency year, he has cost himself millions of dollars and quite probably that is contibuting to his worsening lack of confidence. As a human being and a long time Braves fan, I hope he can go down, recover his ability and come back to be a part of the staff or go on to another team and have a long and productive career.
Dr. Phil
April 24th, 2012
9:30 am
I think that most Braves’ fans had written off last night before JJ tossed the first pitch. My hope was that Fredi would take JJ out before he put the game out of reach. Demoting him to AAA was a good move for everyone concerned, including JJ. Fredi can’t throw away every fifth game, like he did with Lowe, and expect to be around in Oct.
Jardel
April 24th, 2012
9:33 am
Mark,
I think you’re forgetting something important here. Maddux always threw his fastball at around 86-87mph. If it suddenly dropped to 82mph it would have greatly reduced the effectiveness of the rest of his pitches. This is what has happened to Jair and he will continue to struggle unless he gets his velocity back and/or gains Maddux’s superior control and completely revamps his offspeed pitches to reflect a permanent lack of velocity (not likely).
George Stein
April 24th, 2012
9:34 am
I’m not certain what the expectations were, but his simple metrics never really matched his more advanced ones. Just last year, he only had 5.33 strikeouts per nine innings, which means he was relying heavily on his defense to catch more balls in play (or just walking players or giving up homers). He also was able to strand 81% of runners on base last year. That isn’t happening now.
Fish Bisch
April 24th, 2012
9:35 am
What a Brave New World without JJ. Hansen is next.
phil
April 24th, 2012
9:36 am
I hope he goes down and figures something out. If he does, great. If he doesn’t, then so be it.
We supposedly have this deep reservoir of great pitching. Ok. Let’s see it then.
And by the way, note that the bats are returning to their accustomed slumber. Last night made the third straight game with little to show offensively.
The same problem rearing its ugly head – inconsistency offensively.
ClemsonBrad
April 24th, 2012
9:39 am
I think absolutely the right move to demote him now Mark. I’m with you, it’s not about how hard he throws, but his pitches don’t even have movement right now. He is throwing meatballs over the heart of the plate every pitch….
and I don’t think this is necessarily only about his first four starts this season. This is also considering his TERRIBLE Spring and the 2nd half of last season. I know he was hurt last year, but JJ hasn’t pitched like JJ in about 9 months….
right move to demote him…I like Delgado starting a game right now better then JJ with Hudson coming back…
phil
April 24th, 2012
9:39 am
Anyone criticizing or questioning Maddux as a pitcher is a buffoon.
The man won 350 games. He was an unquestioned master and the best of our generation.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 24th, 2012
9:46 am
Joe Simpson kept talking about his lack of movement. I admit I don’t know a ton about baseball but I was always under the impression that movement depended at least in part on the arm angle. Hopefully this is just a mechanical issue that he can get straightened out with some time in the minors.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 24th, 2012
9:47 am
Totally agree that velocity is not that important, though. Jamie Moyer is collecting Social Security benefits and is still pitching, barely breaking 80 mph on his pitches, because he changes speeds and locates. If you throw your off speed pitches in the 60s, a fastball in the 80s is going to look really fast.
ltejle@gmail.com
April 24th, 2012
9:51 am
I feel badly for JJ but this is the best thing for him & the team. I think it’s all mental, a total lack of confidence and lingering doubts within himself about his knee. Paging Dr. Llewellyn or some other sports psychologist who can help him get his head on straight. I totally agree about the obsession with velocity but mostly it’s just that his pitches are too straight. I hope he works it out for both him and the team.
angel
April 24th, 2012
9:51 am
I heard Dr. D is in town…. She did a heck of a job with TJ. She is the best sports psychologist on TV.
Bob the Blogger
April 24th, 2012
9:53 am
JJ has had a remarkable career to date, with an ERA+ of 115 over 700+ innings. That ERA includes the second half of last year, and this year. He’s not the first MLB player to go into a funk, and he won’t be the last. I can’t help but think he’ll work his way back. I would like to see them turn the radar gun off on his first couple of starts back.
DetroitBraves
April 24th, 2012
9:55 am
@George Stein, yeah he was over his head but his xFIP last year was 4.23, which was playable. This year it is 6.08. Small sample, yes, but that is a big difference.
phil
April 24th, 2012
9:57 am
The radar gun is not the problem. Flat pitches are the problem.
Why are they flat? Perhaps the knee brace is throwing off his mechanics?
Who knows? Isn’t McDowell paid to at least try to help with this, as I’m sure he has tried?
As long as JJ pitches like me in the backyard, his days are numbered.
Heisenberg
April 24th, 2012
10:01 am
It is not so much velocity and movement as it is location and movement. Of which there has not been enough of from JJ. Seriously, I did not think the Braves had the man-sacks to do it. Wonder how the devil will spin this to other teams during free agency? That is what happens when you sign with that baffoon. Had JJ kept his old agent, it is possible he could have already negotiated an extension with Braves. Now he may be looking at a minor league 1 year deal next year.
Curt
April 24th, 2012
10:02 am
These days everyone wants to see the long ball and everyone wants to see the 100MPH fastball. In fact, scouts reject pithers who hit their spots consistently at but never top out more than 90-91 MPH instead favoring someone who can throw the ball 95-100 but can not hit their spots but maybe one out of every 10 pitches. Scouts think a guy who throws hard can be taught to pitch but a guy who can pitch can not be taught to throw hard. In fact, teams go through a lot of hard throwers until they can find the few who can hit their spots on a conistent basis.
I believe that JJ has a a few problems 1) his mechanics have changed since his injuries. It is typical of someone to adjust their delivery to try and not get injured again. In fact this causes more problems in that they do not pitch as well as they used to and they can potentially injure another part of their body 2) His mechanics have changed because he either lost some velocity from the injury or lost some velocity from adjusting wrong from the injury or he just wants to keep up with the Joneses and throw harder. No matter the reason, trying to throw harder messes with the mechanics a pither has spent his life refining and in almost every case, those mechanics are unique to their body. It may even appear that the mechanics are the same but adding 5 mph to a pitch can make you do something very slight that causes you to miss your spots. 3) JJ’s head is messed up due to the injuries, trying to adjust to the injuries, not feeling like he can throw as well as the next guy or even as well as he used to and then everyone telling him something different to try and fix his problems. Pitching is a loney job with a huge amount of stress and some people break down (Wohlers, Ankiel) and never pitch again.
Pitchers ALWAYS pitch better when they are lose and don’t feel the pressure. JJ needs this time at AAA and see if he can relax but also someone needs to get it out of his head that he has to throw hard to pitch and let him find his old mechanics.
George Stein
April 24th, 2012
10:03 am
Totally agree, DetroitBraves. I just think people saw the W-L and ERA and believed he was an ace. I think if he can get any movement on his fastball, he’s be a perfectly suitable back-end of the rotation guy.
Ted Striker
April 24th, 2012
10:04 am
Hopefully JJ will start his next game knowing he is 0-0 for today.
Recall that pitchers, not just hitters sometimes just have to “grind it out.”
One fast ball/curve/change at a time.
Better suggestion. Grind it out AND…have some fun.
Lob one underhanded if it feels good and you think someone is trying to get in your head.
Maybe even channel some Al Hrabosky if you feel frisky.
phil
April 24th, 2012
10:10 am
Ted Striker ground it out in the movie and saved the plane load of people…
except for the ones who killed themselves listening to his tales of woe….
If Ted could do it, JJ can do it.
oldman
April 24th, 2012
10:20 am
They should have traded him in offseason and gotten a solid OF.We have plenty of pitching but need a BOPPER for the OF.
Gwinnett Fred
April 24th, 2012
10:26 am
With his impending free agency & his agent being Boras, he was not in our long term plans anyway. Let’s let some of the kids get their feet wet.
Fredi's Timeclock is Clicking
April 24th, 2012
10:28 am
It seems so obvious that the time clock on FG is clicking and he doesn’t even seem to know it……with Frank Wren obviously not including him in the discussion to send JJ down tells me that Frank is already counting the steps to move FG on out…..and tomorrow would not be soon enough….FG is NO Major League Manager – I am surprised he even knows how to put on his cleats.
angel
April 24th, 2012
10:34 am
Enter your comments here
Dawg Haus
April 24th, 2012
10:37 am
JJ will be fine once he exorcises those demons in AAA. I’m sure he’ll be back and better than ever once he gets back to the bigs.
Pitching Guru
April 24th, 2012
10:42 am
It’s not his velocity folks. It’s the lack of movement – all of his pitches are flat. He has changed his mechanics and delivery (probably a result of his injury) which took movement off his pitches. A stint in the minors may help him get back on track.
extremus
April 24th, 2012
10:44 am
The good thing here is that the Braves wasted little time in addressing what was obviously a serious problem and sent Jurrjens down to get some help. If they hadn’t they would have almost certainly ended up with this year’s version of Derek Lowe or Kenshin Kawakami in their rotation, and yet another in a long list of recent players struggling needlessly week after week at the MLB level to the entire team’s detriment.
I hope JJ can bounce back, both effectiveness and confidence-wise; only time will tell. While his career may now seem to be somewhat in question, at least the Braves, for the time being, have taken a vital step toward ensuring their early season success doesn’t get nullified by a weak link every fifth day.
jd56
April 24th, 2012
10:46 am
Chris Ankiel comes to mind when I think of a pitcher who loses his ability to pitch. Chris pitched in the world series for the Cardinals his rookie year and one year later could not hit the batters box. His career ends up as an outfielder.
Durbin was overused by KC his rookie year and ended up with Tommy John. This happens to many of the players. This is why I stress not screaming for the minor league pitchers to be brought up too soon. There is a huge difference in a pitcher being successful in the minors compared to his learning a pitching philosophy that can carry him into the majors. The major league batters will eat them alive. The batters in the minors swing at anything hoping to be seen and move up. This makes the pitchers look as though they are strike out kings. They come up to the majors and at first because no one has seen him, he might look great. Second time around he is a steak on the grill just waiting. It happens to many and many never make the recovery.
I have watched my son Chad Durbin pitch for years and the years are not the great lives people think they are. The MLB is a business and like any business it is all about Money. No loyalty on any team to any player. Chad works hard, deserves to be where he is. Yes, I see all the haters out there and am smart enough to know that they are just fans who most likely speak before they think also. I have watched this for 17 years now. I have seen parents lose it in the stands, standing up and screaming at fans because they are booing their son. We are parents, they are kids. Yes they choose this career. Yes, my son repeatedly says Dad do not read the blogs. However there are some great bloggers who actually know the game and then you have the bloggers who only know what they read. They are like the fans voting on idol. If the judge did not say somebody was not good, they might never know.
I think the Braves have a shot at a great season. The first in a long time. However fans have to remember that the veteran players are the one;s that will get you to the big payoff. Not the young pitcher who still thinks he has to throw his hardest every time and ends up with dead arm just in time for the race for the pennant. The managers know what they are doing. They are paid to know. The players know when they are not doing what they are paid to do. The pitchers sometimes are not on. It is life. Stand out there and throw at a license plate size spot from 66′6″ and see how many times you paint the corner. Stand and throw at the same spot with someone looking you in the eye.
Go Braves!
K.K.
April 24th, 2012
10:47 am
Frank: Fredi: K.K. now best pitcher in Malaysian Major Leagues and ready to come help Braves again.
Mixer
April 24th, 2012
10:47 am
It’s like that line from Moneyball: “No one knows when you can’t play the boy’s game anymore. It could be at 21 or 40 but we’re all told”.
Heisenberg
April 24th, 2012
10:48 am
jd56, the name is Rick Ankiel
journalist jimmy smith
April 24th, 2012
10:57 am
could it be his toes? toes are not to be trifled with.
journalist jimmy smith
April 24th, 2012
11:00 am
if it is jair’s toes that have gone bad that could be the final straw before this team finally hires a toe man. a good toe man would keep all toes healthy and that would help pitchers retain movement on their pitches. jimmy smith has not been doing a lot of journalism lately but this journalist knows the importance of toes in baseball and jimmy smith knows that toes are not to be trifled with.
glove51
April 24th, 2012
11:06 am
Mark, no one but JJ knows for sure if he is injured in some way. His pitching certainly suggests there is something physically wrong with him. I have it on fairly good authority that he basically has no cartilage left in his knee due to a degenerative condition.
Be that as it may, the Braves can NOT put him on the disabled list if he says he isn’t hurt.
coach13
April 24th, 2012
11:08 am
THe low 90’s?? 93 is considered low 90’s and Maddux nor Glavine every threw 93 let alone consistently. They couldn’t throw that with a running start. If for some reason you are right that fact is that Glavine and Maddux both made HOF careers out of not throwing in the low 90’s but rather hittings spots and changing speeds. JJ is not a fastball pitcher, never was. He used it to keep people off of his changeup and had/has to rely on locating his pitches.
As Leo Mazzone says, it has less to do with what pitch you throw than where you throw it.
typical know it all
April 24th, 2012
11:10 am
I just love the random reasons JJ is struggling. No one really knows. I really like the blogger that blamed the Braves medical staff. LOL
P Rose
April 24th, 2012
11:10 am
Beauvighn: “send Delgado to AAA along with him”??! I guess Delgado’s last start was the first Braves game you watched this season. In his first two outings, Delgado was a beast. Unlike JJ, who pouts, Delgado keeps his chin up. You can’t tell the score by his facial expression. You gotta love this kid.
JJ does seem to suffer from a lack of confidence and a defeatist attitude when things go wrong. But what alrmed me last night wasn’t so much his location, as Joe Simpson kept harping on, and as Bradley echoed here, or his lack of velocity, which is the main thrust of Bradley’s article. What was unacceptable last night was the complete and total lack of any movement on the ball at all. JJ threw the ball right down the middle of the plate, straight as an arrow. He’ll be hammered in AAA pitching like that. Even Livan Hernandez, our mop-up guy, came in and made the ball move on the hitters. JJ is not our ace anymore; he isn’t even a AAA pitcher anymore, much less a big-leaguer. I hope he figures it out, but thank goodness for the team’s depth of starters.
P Rose
April 24th, 2012
11:10 am
Beauvighn: “send Delgado to AAA along with him”??! I guess Delgado’s last start was the first Braves game you watched this season. In his first two outings, Delgado was a beast. Unlike JJ, who pouts, Delgado keeps his chin up. You can’t tell the score by his facial expression. You gotta love this kid.
JJ does seem to suffer from a lack of confidence and a defeatist attitude when things go wrong. But what alrmed me last night wasn’t so much his location, as Joe Simpson kept harping on, and as Bradley echoed here, or his lack of velocity, which is the main thrust of Bradley’s article. What was unacceptable last night was the complete and total lack of any movement on the ball at all. JJ threw the ball right down the middle of the plate, straight as an arrow. He’ll be hammered even in AAA pitching like that. Even Livan Hernandez, our mop-up guy, came in and made the ball move on the hitters. JJ is not our ace anymore; he isn’t even a AAA pitcher anymore, much less a big-leaguer. I hope he figures it out, but thank goodness for the team’s depth of starters.
Heisenberg
April 24th, 2012
11:11 am
Sending him to Gwinnet would seem to indcate Braves want him to work it out and return to the big league rotation. Otherwise he would have been banished to Mississippi to ride out the last year of his contract without being able to skeep in his bed at home.
typical know it all
April 24th, 2012
11:11 am
Toe man? Really? now I have read everything! LOL
jason
April 24th, 2012
11:17 am
it is purely mechanics which lead to location everything was belt high last night!!!!!!!!!! How about Freddi NOT pitch hitting in the 4th for JJ???? What the heck was that about. It wass clear JJ did not have it. Pinch hit and get some runs. Instead we do not and do not and pull JJ 2 batters later in the bottome half?? Come on Frddi, gotta do better
59bulldawg
April 24th, 2012
11:30 am
I applaud the Braves for making the move. But I hope JJ gets it worked out and comes back up ASAP!
Will
April 24th, 2012
11:31 am
How many pitchers have seen their velocity drop and then injured their arm trying to overthrow? Pitchers really do suffer career ending injuries caused by the stuff in their head.
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
11:49 am
Here we go again, more inaccurate comments, inconsistency offensively, or something like that, in the last 3 games. Come on man.
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
11:54 am
Most of the comments here, have been in the nature of encouragement, and hope that JJ can get his stuff together.
But I hope that JJ has not been reading any of the comments from a lot of the negative fans(as they like to refer to themselves as), and has let it get into his head. haha. Just kidding.
DawgDad
April 24th, 2012
11:55 am
Anyone old enough to remember Steve Blass?
JJ’s problems likely trace to the knee injury or arm/shoulder problems that have not yet manifested themselves as an “injury”. It’s a good move to send him down; listen, with his track record as soon as he starts getting people out consistently the Braves or some other team will come calling in a heartbeat.
ole Brave
April 24th, 2012
11:55 am
Give JJ a week are two with “the rocker” Leo..The Best Pitching coach Braves have ever had. Bet you $$$ you would see a differences.
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
11:57 am
Why hasn’t any other team or organization hired Leo, since he was laid-off from the Oreos.
IHEARTCARROLL
April 24th, 2012
11:58 am
@Marteen is a Ballplayer,
Your posts are courteous, relevant, and grammatically correct. What are you doing on this blog ?
Marteen is a Ballplayer
April 24th, 2012
12:03 pm
IHEARTCARROLL…just hoping that Mark Bradley gives me his job after he is too old to continue…like Willy Wonka did for Charlie
ole Brave
April 24th, 2012
12:09 pm
reckingball its seems you always being negative to fans that express opinions against players are team. What makes you the judge of fans opinions? If you don’t agree say so but don’t just group all fans that don’t agree with. We all know you can see no wrong with Braves.It would really be du,du if everyone agreed with you.
It would be good to read something you have to say about baseball.
ole Brave
April 24th, 2012
12:15 pm
I don’t know and you don’t know why Leo has not returned to baseball. That doesn’t mean he was not a great coach. He just may never wanted to return. Why don’t you call and ask him you so smart.
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
12:17 pm
I hope that JJ can get it together, it is important to the Braves organization.
Dr Redbird
April 24th, 2012
12:19 pm
Several valid points here. One, he’s still babying his knee and his mechanics are off. Two, he’s doubting himself because nothing’s working right now. I also add that as a sinkerball pitcher, your margin for error is thin; leave that thing up just a little and it’s gonna get creamed. It’s one reason Derek Lowe was so Jekyll-and-Hide, going from unhittable to very hittable. JJ is still a good pitcher, and not the first guy to go through this. He just needs some success and to start trusting his stuff, and his knee.
Alphare
April 24th, 2012
12:31 pm
The guy is hurt. Lots of time they don’t admit it, like Heyward last year, the young gun 3 years ago(forgot his name).
When a guy suddenly played differently, he is hurt and is trying to work around it. That’s a telling sign.
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
12:31 pm
ole Brave, just because I don’t cut the Braves down with every comment(like so many people do), doesn’t mean that I see anything that can’t be improved, with the Braves.
Leo, had some great pitchers to work with, that helped him get the reputation as a good coach, I was just asking why he has not been hired after leaving the Birds. No one seems to know.
Here is something about baseball for you, the Braves have a good ‘baseball’ team, and a very good chance of making the ‘baseball’ playoffs.
go braves
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
12:36 pm
ole Brave, I attempted to reply to your nasty comment, but MB’s blog machine ate, my entry.
It is not worth trying again.
go braves
Brave Hokie
April 24th, 2012
12:38 pm
Another scarred feable minded {soon to be ex-} Brave…
And to think of what Wren could have gotten for this SOS just a while back…?
Blackberry Cobbler
April 24th, 2012
12:46 pm
Ok, so JJ goes to AAA.
How much longer do we wait on Uggla to start showing something. He’s off to the same crappy start as last year. And why does FG have him batting 4th?
When do we give up on this experiment and go get a hitter?
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
12:47 pm
ole Brave, you see this guy in front of me here –@12:38–, this is what I am talking about as negative. Does that sound like a fan to you?
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
12:51 pm
ole Brave, when I say something about negative, I’m really talking about comments such as this one made by this guy >> @12;38 <<.
Does this guy and/or girl sound like a 'fan' to you.
BTW, this blog keeps eating my stuff up, so if it makes it, I will say bye-bye.
Miss Pelled Teabag Signs
April 24th, 2012
12:53 pm
Time to develop an additional pitch – or else…
southern hope
April 24th, 2012
12:53 pm
Blackberry, didn’t Uggla hit a home run last night?
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
12:55 pm
Ole Brave,…Here is something else, Uggla hit the game winning RBI in a 10-8 win, and a 3-2, win this year.
Someone being negative and uninformed.
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
12:57 pm
well, one out 3 comments don’t get eaten up by the blog monster.
I’m .333.
Miss Pelled Teabag Signs
April 24th, 2012
12:57 pm
Ole Brave needs to get English grammar lessons… whew…
Marteen is a Ballplayer
April 24th, 2012
12:58 pm
Blackberry, Dan Uggla certainly is not off to a brilliant start, but he is doing far better than he did last year. He is hitting for his career average at .258. April is, and has always been, his worst hitting month throughout his career. Uggla’s position in the batting order is determined by two things…if Chipper is playing and the pitching match-up.
And while I will not blindly defend him as I expected more coming out of Spring Training, we have faced nearly every pitcher that owns him through his career over the first 17 games…he has still managed 3 HR’s and that is why you see him in the middle of the line-up…to clear the bases once the table has been set.
If it makes you feel better, you can go to the Angels website and complain about Pujols .243 average, 0 HR’s, and 4 RBI’s.
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
1:03 pm
Also, ole Brave, 1 final attempt, when I refer to negative ‘fans’ I am usually talking about comments like the one >> 12:38pm <<.
Now, does this person sound like a real Braves fan to you?
Sorry, but he and/or she doesn't sound like one to me, and I am going to say so.
go braves
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
1:06 pm
I give up, please fix your blog.
Hillbilly D
April 24th, 2012
1:09 pm
In my opinion, the radar gun is one of the worst things to ever happen to baseball. They don’t scout pitchers anymore, they scout throwers. Hitting is about timing and pitching is about upsetting that timing, as they say. You do that with location, movement and changing speeds. Even Nolan Ryan got hammered on the days that he couldn’t throw his curveball for strikes. Most all Major League hitters are fastball hitters and if that’s all you got and they can sit on it, they’re going to beat you like a rented mule.
It’s said that Greg Maddux once told Carlos Zambrano, that when he got in trouble and felt like he should muscle up on one, he should go the opposite way and take off as much as he was going to add. I’ve seen a lot of great pitchers through the years but Maddux knew as much about how to pitch as anyone I’ve seen.
So, it doesn’t matter how hard somebody throws or doesn’t throw, what matters is can they get people out.
reckingball
April 24th, 2012
1:13 pm
ole Brave, what Hillbilly D said, I agree with him, now that is baseball talk.
Whopper Dawg
April 24th, 2012
1:21 pm
I am glad the Braves went ahead and pulled the trigger. I wasn’t watching his velocity last night, I was watching Dodger batting practice.
Rob in Fayetteville
April 24th, 2012
1:40 pm
It’s interesting that Greg Maddux’ velocity is mentioned here. Early in his career, he threw harder, occasionally touching 93 on the radar gun. I have the video of the 1989 NLCS when Maddux was pitching for the Cubs, and his arm movement was different then, reaching back much farther than he did during his prime. Even NBC announcer Vin Scully described Maddux as a “fireballer.” When Maddux learned to tone down his delivery and pitch to location, he went from a very good pitcher to one of the best in history, with an 86-to-88 MPH fastball with incredible movement. I hope that JJ learns to stop worrying about all the peripherals and just focus on making great pitches. Look at 49-year-old Jamie Moyer. His fastball is what, 78 MPH? And he’s still getting guys out. Location, location, location. That, and what Hillbilly D mentioned about changing speeds. Hopefully that’s what JJ will work on.
duronimo
April 24th, 2012
1:52 pm
Mr. Durbin, Nice blog from a parent’s viewpoint. I wish your son the very best.
russ from rex
April 24th, 2012
1:56 pm
whole thing with jj was handled poorly. what would been wrong with getting team home and making the move. seems there is a disconnect between fredi and frank. outside of two fire sale deals that a 3 year could have made wren has done nothing..firesale was bourn and uggla
Home of the Braves
April 24th, 2012
2:17 pm
Cory Gearrin has been called up from Gwinnett.
COOPER
April 24th, 2012
2:19 pm
JJ started pitching poorly when he started walking 4 or 5 every start. I pitched until I was 21 and was told by more than one coach that I had the best control of any pitcher they had ever coached, my problem was speed because I just wasn’t tall enough and I had short arms. I never had a 500 season or losing season. As a pitcher you have to experiment with where you stand on the mound , even just a few inches can make a difference where the ball ends up. You also have to make such you don’t advertise what type pitch you are throwing. The next thing that has to be perfected by you is your arm slot. I was about 3 quarters , just between straight over head and side arm. Every mound is different and you can’t waste pitches before the game starts , you only have a few warm up pitches to decide where on the ribber to stand .
If I had been able to throw harder and had been given a chance at the professional level , the one pitch that I didn’t have down pat was a great change up. I would have never made it without a GREAT change up.
When I watch JJ pitch he thinks too much. His delivery should be natural . It is also important to get ahead in the count but not a must if you can control your pitches. I will watch great pitches go 3 balls 2 strikes and then throw 4 or 5 straight strikes with different pitches before getting the batter out.
This is a critical time in JJ’s professional career and I wish him the best.
One last thing that may have hurt him is if he ever stepped on the first base line when heading to the mound or returning to the dugout. The baseball Gods are not very forgiving.
Leo Fullabaloney
April 24th, 2012
2:40 pm
No…he’s just fine, the Braves are just fine….this is a World Series caliber team.
COOPER
April 24th, 2012
2:42 pm
I didn’t mean for it to sound like every pitcher doesn’t need to be able to THINK. Maddox and Glavine were thinking pitchers . They had their control down so good that they could concentrate on out thinking the batter. Smoltz was a power pitch and was not very good at out thinking the batters. Jurrjens is in between but you can never be a thinking pitcher until you can control where the ball is going. On the professional level you it can never be okay to walk 4 or 5 batters in less than 6 innings.
journalist jimmy smith
April 24th, 2012
2:43 pm
maybe jair needs some meebo to get his pitches dancing like this blog dances all over the place. being a famous journalist makes no difference when everything is jumping around like this. not even a good set of toes could fix this.
COOPER
April 24th, 2012
2:51 pm
I would start Hudson throwing no more than 5 inning for 3 to 5 starts and let Medlen start if Hudson needed to miss a start every once in a while. It is important to get Hudson back in the starting rotation but it is just as important to get Medlen there too. The Braves don’t need to forget how dominate Medlen was before he got hurt.
P B Orr
April 24th, 2012
2:59 pm
The simple answer, Mark – is laziness – look at his upper body – no strength at all. No pop, no break, no nothing. Batting practice. Either he was roiding and had to quit, or he’s just too morose to bother with strength training. And now he has no trade value.
glorydays
April 24th, 2012
3:21 pm
I’m impressed!! Didn’t think there was anyway they would send down Jurrjens. I guess he has just really been THAT bad. Good for them. Now we see what JJ is made of to see how he handles it. May he should talk to Halladay.
Clusters Sonny
April 24th, 2012
3:58 pm
We’z luvs us some Jire Jugens but man he has some werk to do. I should go give him advice the Clusters Sonny way.
Bob Horner's Blonde Mullet
April 24th, 2012
4:20 pm
amazing to see how fast people turn on one of our best pitchers. Jar Jar knows how to pitch, as is evidenced by his career numbers. He’s one of our best pitcher, if not the best when he’s on. How can anyone say “good luck in your next career?” What morons
glorydays
April 24th, 2012
5:56 pm
This also sends a needed message to all that Braves will be patient; but, they also need results. This makes the studs in the minors feel like they do have a shot at coming up
glorydays
April 24th, 2012
5:58 pm
Also, JJ has ALREADY provide a positive ROI, just be patient with him and allow him time to get his head on straight. He’ll be back up when he does.
Gritsfed
April 25th, 2012
2:28 am
I know he had that terrific 12-3 run last year but I think something changed in him when he was on the mound on that horrific day in 2010 versus the Rockies, the Braves had a 10-2 lead and lost it.