Brandon Backe DFA'd
by clack on Jun 26, 2009 11:22 PM CDT
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PrintBrandon Backe was designated for assignment in order to clear room for Felipe Paulino to return from the DL. This is somewhat of a surprise, because Cecil Cooper had stated earlier in the week that he wanted to keep Backe in reserve in case Paulino can't pitch deep enough in Saturday's game. Backe was interviewed after the game and said he would like to be picked up by another team so that he can play in the majors. However, if Backe isn't picked up, it is very possible that he will end up pitching for Round Rock. With a 10.38 ERA in 12 innings so far this year, it's hard to criticize the decision to DFA Backe. For Astros' fans, this is a mixed bag: on the one hand, moving Backe off the roster is probably the best action from a a baseball perspective; however, most Astros' fans hold a spot in their heart for Galveston's Backe because of his crucial big game pitchiing to get the Astros to the playoffs in 2004, as well as pitching superbly in the NLCS in 2004 and the World Series in 2005.
This leaves an interesting question? What happens if Paulino runs out of gas in the 5th inning Saturday? Several key pitchers in the bullpen have been worked hard in recent games and may be unavailable.
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Long Relief Tomorrow
Fulchino’s last game was on Wednesday, so he’ll probably be able to go two or three innings.
And although Arias pitched tonight, he hasn’t been worked too hard this week. He pitched tonight (Friday) and Tuesday night. So he should be fresh enough for an inning or two.
Between the two of them, Wes Wright, and Valverde, we should be able to find some combination to make it through to the end of the game. The only thing is that Coop can’t get too matchup-happy. Hawkins better get the night off tomorrow.
Hawkins
Bill James has a “fatigue factor” stat he used for closers. It is based on weighting the number of batters faced over the previous five games. Hawkins has the second highest fatigue factor among all closers (Pirates’ Capps is 1st).
Coop used him pretty sparsely through the first half of June, but almost daily since they’ve been back home, it seems. Here are the days he pitched from his gamelogs:
April: 7, 11, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26
May: 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 13, 14, 16, 21, 22, 26, 31
June: 1, 2, 6, 7, 11, 13, 17, 18, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26
His Days of Rest Chart:
0 (days) – 16
1 – 4
2 – 4
3 – 7
4 – 2
5 – 1
That’s 18 days of rest, cumulatively, and he’s pitched in 35 games, covering 35 IP. I’m hesitant to look at how Brocail was used last year.
What happens if Paulino runs out of gas in the 5th inning Saturday?
If it gets to that point, it looks like Lance Berkman will have to unveil his “Berkolator.”
Your friendly neighborhood Dreamshake mod.
There is a part of me
That desperately wants to see that happen.
The Crawfishboxes
A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.
by Stephen Higdon on Jun 27, 2009 1:47 AM CDT up reply actions
Backe is my homeboy
I want him on my team. I’m looking forward to him gaining confidence at RR, leading to a September call-up, or even earlier.
by goingforthecorner on Jun 27, 2009 1:46 AM CDT reply actions
I can't bring myself to empathize with Backe
He’s below replacement level, he doesn’t have good stuff, and baseball is a business even if the Astros seem to hold onto guys like Backe for longer than they probably should.
The Crawfishboxes
A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.
by Stephen Higdon on Jun 27, 2009 11:46 AM CDT reply actions
i feel bad
for backe but if only he would have put forth the effort the past two years that he did after the tommy john surgery maybe he would be a solid #2 or 3. But, it’s like Roger used to tell him bring everything you have every time you throw.
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