Jump to content

Matusz to work out with Brady


Sports Guy

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 148
  • Created
  • Last Reply
I think a lot of the Matusz hate comes from a certain talking head making unsubstantiated claims concerning a former underwear model and an O's pitcher that a lot of folks assume is Matusz.

I've heard that but since it's unattributed, I really don't pay attention to it. His own words (unless he was misquoted) are enough for me to think there may be some issues there. Not the end of the world. Most of these guys are generally young and immature. Where he goes from now is what counts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've heard that but since it's unattributed, I really don't pay attention to it. His own words (unless he was misquoted) are enough for me to think there may be some issues there. Not the end of the world. Most of these guys are generally young and immature. Where he goes from now is what counts.

For the record was not referring to you specifically. I just noticed an overall sea change after those alleged comments surfaced.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the record was not referring to you specifically. I just noticed an overall sea change after those alleged comments surfaced.

You could be right. I definitely remember it. I mentioned it on here before as a joke, but other than that I didn't really think about it that much as I knew it was a rumour.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is it character assassination to say that he wasn't in the best shape last spring and that he was not receptive to the pitching coach? I'm not arguing over the second point either. Just saying, what's wrong with bringing up things that are on record? I don't know Matusz and I'm not sure we have anyone on the board or knows him so well as to know what makes him tick. I mean, it's great if you've (not you) had some conversations with the guy but do you know how well he prepared last offseason? I hope he's a great guy who is self-motivated but there certainly have to be some questions about how well he prepared last offseason. Otherwise, if he did such a great job getting in shape, why does he need Brady Anderson all of a sudden?

There are tons of questions. And they're legitimate. Uncertainty, doubt, skepticism are legitimate. Many of these posts seem to have a bit of a "scolding" tinge to them that's off-putting. And some are just plain speculative and conclusory.

I don't find any of it to be "attractive" - re: the Board discussions. And I'm not President of the Matusz fan club by any means.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are tons of questions. And they're legitimate. Uncertainty, doubt, skepticism are legitimate. Many of these posts seem to have a bit of a "scolding" tinge to them that's off-putting. And some are just plain speculative and conclusory.

I don't find any of it to be "attractive" - re: the Board discussions. And I'm not President of the Matusz fan club by any means.

I went back and re-read the entire thread and the only thing I found "off-putting" was yours and to a lesser extent Frobby's post. Be specific and call out who you think needs it and be more precise. Otherwise you're basically spouting nonsense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone remember a starter with so much promise having such a terrible year?

2010;10 -12 record, 32 games , 32 starts, 175 innings, 173 hits, 19 HR'S -4.30 ERA

2011;1-9 record, 12 games, 12 starts, 49 innings, 81 hits, 18 HR'S - 10.69 ERA

He said he was mentally unprepared and not in shape. He was paid $1,350,000 last season. Say what you want about him. If any of us were fortunate enough to make $1,350,000 I think we would be mentally prepared and in the best shape possible.

Gio Gonzalez $420,000 won 16 games, 32 starts, 202 innings, 3.12 ERA and is 26

Trevor Cahill $440,000 won 12 games, 34 starts, 207 innings, 4.16 ERA and is 23

it looks like the A's are getting very good value with these two starters. Duquette should be 1st in line trying to obtain either one of these starters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't that just a part of being a young player? A lot of young guys have been mentally or physically unprepared and ended up being fine.

Unprepared does not = Bust.

Where did I say he was a bust? Also, I said in a follow-up post that most of these guys are immature, so what really matters is where he goes from here. That said, it's not a great impression. Maybe now he knows what it takes to succeed after tasting failure. Maybe now he'll take the blame for his failure instead of deflecting it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone remember a starter with so much promise having such a terrible year?

2010;10 -12 record, 32 games , 32 starts, 175 innings, 173 hits, 19 HR'S -4.30 ERA

2011;1-9 record, 12 games, 12 starts, 49 innings, 81 hits, 18 HR'S - 10.69 ERA

He said he was mentally unprepared and not in shape. He was paid $1,350,000 last season. Say what you want about him. If any of us were fortunate enough to make $1,350,000 I think we would be mentally prepared and in the best shape possible.

Sounds like you have a lot of irrational Matusz hate there. Lets look on the bright side....... his xFIP was only 5.22

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I doubt that Matusz came to ST in any different shape than he has ever done. He just wasn't ready for the ministrations of, Mark Conner, notorious for screwing with the mechanics of promising young pitchers. You can't expect him to say the pitching coach F'd me up, even if he did. His agent will advise him to do a mea culpa to the press as long as he is under contriol by the O's. I would be surprised if Brian doesn't return to form, as long as Adaiir leaves hin alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not irrational Matusz hate. Sometimes you have to say it like it is. Why make excuses for a professional athlete? He's a college guy (University of San Diego) to go with it. He's a smart guy....I think. Drafted fourth overall by the Orioles in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft The numbers above speak for themselves. They are embarassing. We need changes in how the organization and it's farm system are run. Duquette will make them. This kind of effort and performance by Matusz is not acceptable. I'm not saying to give him away but if the A's, Dodgers or White Sox want him in a deal for a #1 or #2 starter we should listen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I don't know. I suspect it's more than just holding runners, but I haven't seen anything concrete that they changed with his mechanics. Maybe they wanted him to lengthen his stride which seams abnormally short. I don't know. Connor isn't the first experienced pitching coach to say our Minor League pitchers aren't adequately prepared. The pitchers holding runners better seemed to have paid of for Wieters last year. I think you have to look at it in that context too. It's something they need to do.

I just think he came off as a whiner.

I just know that was the excuse they were using as to why they were changing his mechanics and I think it was something about his stride but I don't remember what all it was. Maybe it's something to do with pitch calling/pitch selection. He threw even more FB this year even though his velo was down, and more curve balls even though it was also down big, and less change ups which is usually his best pitch. I mean what really baffles me is that the CH only dropped .5 mph, and the SL actually came in harder by .3 mph. The FB dropped 2mph from 2010 and another 1.5 mph from 2009, and the CV was unchanged from 09-10, but dropped a full 3mph last year.

I mean, yeah I get it, you want a pitcher to be better at holding runners, especially a LHP, but if he's resistant, let him build on his first full season first, THEN work with tweaking the holding runners thing. It just smelled to me like it was the big dogs spraying their scent around, and it didn't work in this case. Not every pitcher can be forced to work a certain way, that's why some pitching coaches work so much better with certain pitchers, and others don't. I thought Adair was TERRIBLE, and I'm beyond irritated they aren't going to replace him. Every pitcher we had regressed from Kranitz to Adair, but because he's "Buck's guy" he gets to stay. Adair = Buck's Stockstill. Sorry...little rant.

I would trade the held runners for Matusz's numbers in 2010 in a second. I'm not one of those guys that faults the players first, and doesn't look at the coach. I mean people complain all the time that you never REALLY know what's going on behind closed doors, then Matusz gives you a glimpse of that, and you take it as he's blaming someone else? I just think it's hand in hand with the comment you made about him being too honest. He's not going to be super honest about one thing and then lie about the next.

I defend him more staunchly than most because it just doesn't fit his personality to be this whiny, blame shifter that people make him out to be around here. I think that his "unprepared" comment was trying to take ownership of playing so poorly to start the season. He wasn't pitching bad in ST, then he got hurt and we all know he got rushed back because the O's were desperate for a starter to do SOMETHING when he was close to returning.

He's young, he needs to improve on what to say to the media, but I do think that it was an attempt to say "I started off poorly this season and I wished I had done something differently so that I hadn't"

Whatever, it's all minor in the grand scheme, but I know he's a fighter, he LOVES the game and he's going to do whatever it takes to fix it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I doubt that Matusz came to ST in any different shape than he has ever done. He just wasn't ready for the ministrations of, Mark Conner, notorious for screwing with the mechanics of promising young pitchers. You can't expect him to say the pitching coach F'd me up, even if he did. His agent will advise him to do a mea culpa to the press as long as he is under contriol by the O's. I would be surprised if Brian doesn't return to form, as long as Adaiir leaves hin alone.

Yeah, probably why Buck has had him at every managerial position and actively recruited him. It's Mark Connor. If you're going to rip the guy at least spell his name right.

Guthrie said. "He'll be missed. We enjoyed our time, as little as it was, to work with him. We were starting to get a glimpse of all the things that Buck had said about him and his reputation as being a tremendous pitching coach as well as just a great person to work with. It's too bad his time was so short with each one of us. We were learning a lot from him."
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...