Duncan interview from small local daily

Forsch31 — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 04:46:54 -0000

Duncan talks about Kinney, Izzy, and Perez in the Branson Daily News.

Duncan talks about Kinney, Izzy, and Perez, and how losing a steady closer hurt the bullpen as a whole, in the Branson Daily News. Just thought people may be interested.

He also talks about how losing a steady closer helped hurt the bullpen's performance:

“After we lose (Isringhausen), we were scrambling trying to fill that role with other guys out of the bullpen,” said Duncan, whose off-season home is in Kimberling City. “What you end up doing then is being weak in more than one spot. The closer is a critical role. Any club that loses its closer is going to suffer from it.”

Just thought people might be interested....

Crazy Six Rotation

Forsch31 — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:20:39 -0000

While everybody seems to be talking about LaRussa's (and the Brewers') decision to employ the Crazy 8 line-up again, I keep thinking about that other, less successful experiment last season--the six-man rotation LaRussa employed in August. It effectively derailed whatever playoff chances the Cardinals still had, but I think a lot of that is more due to Mike Maroth and Kip F. Wells being integral parts rather than the theory itself.

Even with the injury woes, the Cardinals have a good number of pitchers with starting experience; in addition to Wainwright and Looper, they have Thompson, Wellemeyer, and Reyes with Parisi from the farm and, in a pinch, Franklin. That combined with at least one of Pineiro and Clement being ready within the first month of the season. Even if they manage to pick up another starter, the number of guys who can make a start are there. The real issue is how durable those arms are. Wainwright is the only one with 200 innings at the major league level, that was just last season.

So, I think about the six-man rot. It could allow pitchers to go more innings in fewer starts, but I'm not sure if it would work. Would a longer lay-off actually cause more injuries? Or would it allow the Cardinals to protect a fragile but talented staff over the long haul of the season?

SB Nation User Blog: Forsch31

Duncan interview from small local daily

Crazy Six Rotation