Something that worries me about Matusz: does he get it?

[bd]

As odd as this may sound, I was really encouraged when Jake Arrieta came out after the Phillies game and said: I'm lost right now, among other things. His comments after his return start against the Pirates similarly suggested to me that he at least had a conceptual understanding of what was going on. With Matusz, I'm not so sure....

Some excerpts from his postgame interview that are worrying to me:

"It's a great hitting team, one through nine," he said. "I made some good pitches to get out of some innings, but when it came down to it, I left some fastballs over the plate."

"It's been just a couple pitches here and there each game. It's just being able to eliminate the mistakes and get back on track."

After being asked what he can do to correct his problems...

"Just getting back out there and working hard in the weight room and then getting on the mound and getting into a good rhythm and just being a little bit more consistent," he said. "That's all I can do."

http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_...with-risp.html

All of his comments, really, are a bit troublesome to me...

[Great 2BA FL Gator]

As odd as this may sound, I was really encouraged when Jake Arrieta came out after the Phillies game and said: I'm lost right now, among other things. His comments after his return start against the Pirates similarly suggested to me that he at least had a conceptual understanding of what was going on. With Matusz, I'm not so sure....

Some excerpts from his postgame interview that are worrying to me:

"It's a great hitting team, one through nine," he said. "I made some good pitches to get out of some innings, but when it came down to it, I left some fastballs over the plate."

"It's been just a couple pitches here and there each game. It's just being able to eliminate the mistakes and get back on track."

After being asked what he can do to correct his problems...

"Just getting back out there and working hard in the weight room and then getting on the mound and getting into a good rhythm and just being a little bit more consistent," he said. "That's all I can do."

http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_...with-risp.html

All of his comments, really, are a bit troublesome to me...

Yeah I mean he definitely had his low point earlier in the year where he acknowledged how bad he was doing. If you really look at it, 2 of the last 4 starts were OK. He still seemed to be fighting himself, but it wasn't as bad as the BOS start or tonight.

That BOS start was one of the worst all season. I don't even know how that happened because the four starts prior he was just fine. The guy is an enigma.

[socalbirdfan]

I think guys who are trying to answer questions about themselves especially when they are struggling may find the interview process difficult. I just think some guys are not always going to sound that great when it comes to their own problem solving. That's what you have pitching coaches for. Not to make excuses for him. Personally, I have seen enough of him. I'd prefer we package him right now before he loses anymore value.

[SteveA]

Jim Palmer said several times during the broadcast that with this fastball around 89 or 91, Matusz isn't a "power pitcher" but thinks he is.

[square634]

Matusz: "Nothing is working for me right now, I don't know what to do."
OH: "He lacks confidence and is mentally weak. He just doesn't have it."

Matusz: "I've made some mistakes here and there, so I need to get a rhythm and become more consistent to improve."
OH: "He just doesn't get it. He doesn't own up to his mistakes. It worries me that he would try to minimize or dismiss his results."

Reality: Matusz is a below-average starter right now. Psychoanalyzing his post-game comments is speculative nonsense.

[bd]

Jim Palmer said several times during the broadcast that with this fastball around 89 or 91, Matusz isn't a "power pitcher" but thinks he is.

Right. Sometimes it just seems to me doesn't have a really good idea of how he should get batters out; the fact that he's hundreds of times over come out of his mechanics when he was trying to be perfect with a fastball to me is testament to this. I can't count how many times I've watched a Matusz outing and seen him fly open when he was trying to "gear up" on a FB, only to see him do it again and again as the outing went on, leaving me thinking: Brian, aren't you learning something from what's happening here?

Square634: I don't cite his postgame comments for the sake of "psychoanalyzing" them/ dissecting them. I should've been more clear; what I mean to suggest is: are these kind of comments symptomatic of a bigger problem? Because a lot of the things he said are either flat wrong, or borderline delusional.

You don't have to be a genius to be a good starting pitcher; in fact, at some level of intelligence it probably begins to be detrimental. However I do think a bit of savvy and understanding can be helpful, or could be nearly requisite in Brian's case given the type of pitcher he needs (pitchability, mixing and matching) to be.

[bd]

double post, can't delete

[sangar]

Psychoanalyzing his post-game comments is speculative nonsense.

I've got nothing to add. I just thought this sentence deserves repeating in case some missed it.

[socalbirdfan]

Palmer's right and I said it and will keep saying it. Matusz throwing four consecutive FBs to anyone is a bad idea. I don't care if it's a pitcher in the NL. He has no movement on it and his lack of velocity warrants him mixing his pitches. That tells me he doesn't get it. Sounds like Palmer doesn't think he does either. Maybe Peterson can straighten him out but he better realize first he isn't a power pitcher and start to develop his secondary pitches if he wants to remain a viable alternative.

[socalbirdfan]

Matusz: "Nothing is working for me right now, I don't know what to do."
OH: "He lacks confidence and is mentally weak. He just doesn't have it."

Matusz: "I've made some mistakes here and there, so I need to get a rhythm and become more consistent to improve."
OH: "He just doesn't get it. He doesn't own up to his mistakes. It worries me that he would try to minimize or dismiss his results."

Reality: Matusz is a below-average starter right now. Psychoanalyzing his post-game comments is speculative nonsense.

If the team would either trade him or send him down to work on his mechanics then there would be no need for us to speculate. One of the reasons this board is here is to speculate as to why certain players don't perform to expectations.

I agree with your assessment of him as below average. Now, what do you do about it?

[Odenton O]

Square634: I don't cite his postgame comments for the sake of "psychoanalyzing" them/ dissecting them. I should've been more clear; what I mean to suggest is: are these kind of comments symptomatic of a bigger problem? Because a lot of the things he said are either flat wrong, or borderline delusional.

What makes you think that a pitcher's post-game comments will give you any true insight into what's going on in their head? We've all seen Bull Durham.

Honestly, to me, these sound like the same thing we hear from every struggling player.

[jjnono]

Palmer's right and I said it and will keep saying it. Matusz throwing four consecutive FBs to anyone is a bad idea. I don't care if it's a pitcher in the NL. He has no movement on it and his lack of velocity warrants him mixing his pitches. That tells me he doesn't get it. Sounds like Palmer doesn't think he does either. Maybe Peterson can straighten him out but he better realize first he isn't a power pitcher and start to develop his secondary pitches if he wants to remain a viable alternative.

Not to be too fine about this, but isn't Wieters calling the pitches? If Matusz is throwing 4 FBs in a row, that's Matt's fault...

[zero1]

At least he is confident.

[JohnnyK27]

Matusz: "Nothing is working for me right now, I don't know what to do."
OH: "He lacks confidence and is mentally weak. He just doesn't have it."

Matusz: "I've made some mistakes here and there, so I need to get a rhythm and become more consistent to improve."
OH: "He just doesn't get it. He doesn't own up to his mistakes. It worries me that he would try to minimize or dismiss his results."

Reality: Matusz is a below-average starter right now. Psychoanalyzing his post-game comments is speculative nonsense.

What is he supposed to say BD0493? ...How about "I Suck, I Suck, I S.... Well I hope you get the point. Matusz strikes me as a guy who is not particularly good with the media .... even more so when things arent going well.

[Va Beach O's fan]

I look forward to watch Brian pitch this weekend or next week down here in Norfolk.