Jim Johnson Today, 2013

[mark_beckens]

Since June 1st

28 games 1-2 22 saves, 3 blown saves, 25.2 innings, 24 hits, 6 runs 5 earned, 9 walks 17 k's 1.75 ERA

[UpstateNYfan]

JJ always looks sort of like a guy going to work in the morning....disinterested. Well, he gets the W, one of the great injustices in the game. I wish a scorekeeper would have the nerve to change it. He does have a choice.

[UpstateNYfan]

Since June 1st

28 games 1-2 22 saves, 3 blown saves, 25.2 innings, 24 hits, 6 runs 5 earned, 9 walks 17 k's 1.75 ERA

And how many HBP???

[Orioles2012]

Since June 1st

28 games 1-2 22 saves, 3 blown saves, 25.2 innings, 24 hits, 6 runs 5 earned, 9 walks 17 k's 1.75 ERA

Thats a Terrible WHIP for a closer. Hes really lucky to have done that well honestly.

[tinamodotti]

MLB seriously needs to revisit their official stats if someone can log a Blown Save and a Win from the same single inning of work.

[CA-ORIOLE]

MLB seriously needs to revisit their official stats if someone can log a Blown Save and a Win from the same single inning of work.

Yep. Just horrible.

[mark_beckens]

And how many HBP???

5, does that change the other stats?

[Hooded Viper]

I know it would never happen, but I'd make JJ the 3 run closer, and choose anybody else if the lead is 2 or less.

Right and if Buck would have sent Tillman out in the 9th and he blew it you would have been the first in line to roast him!

[slakattack]

Buck's presser: "I was proud of Jim for not letting that get away from him...the blown lead will be forgotten"

It's easier to just close your eyes and blindly press the Jim Johnson button, regardless of context, recent history or logic

[Emory Eagle]

Yeah, he should absolutely work on allowing less baserunners. Perhaps by controlling his off-speed stuff more consistently?

[mark_beckens]

My opinion:

The anti-JJ stance on here is bordering on absurd.

Totally agree with this. Since June he has pitched very well. We can't expect him to be perfect, just because he was almost perfect last year.

[Can_of_corn]

My opinion:

The anti-JJ stance on here is bordering on absurd. He didn't pitch bad at all tonight and I can't believe anyone watching the game would think he did. It took 2 singles and a walk to score a single run. The walk was well pitched to one of the top 5 hitters in the league. We should be ecstatic that batters can only get one base efforts at most against him. Doubles and HR kill relief pitchers. He isn't giving those up.

The effort to get out of a 1st and 2nd, no outs, tie game, bottom of the 9th, 41K in the stands was outstanding. He threw great pitches to the last three batters.

Hunter's outing was a walk in the park and some of us you think he did something. The inning led off with a back up catcher pinch hitting that had zero bat speed against a team that was just demoralized by a 3 run top of the inning.

BTW, Mariano give up a 2 run, 2 out, 2 strike homer to tie the game at home tonight to blow his 4th save and 2nd in a row. Both teams have good players folks. Perfection shouldn't be expected.

I am not talking about tonight specifically.

I am not advocating JJ being removed entirely from closing duties.

The man allows too many baserunners (1.225 WHIP) and doesn't strike out enough batters (5.8).

[25 Nuggets]

Look at his last three seasons and you'll see that he's brought up his H/9 and BB/9 to his career average. He is definitely having worse control than 2011-2012. Does that mean he'll get back to previous form though, or not?

I don't care so much about his strikeouts so long as he gets his WHIP closer to 1.100 (and consequently, more ground outs and double plays and a lower ERA).

EDIT - just to piggy back on this idea, here are his six full seasons organized by ERA+:

2008 - 200 ERA+, 1.194 WHIP, 5.0 K/9

2012 - 168 ERA+, 1.019 WHIP, 5.4 K/9

2011 - 158 ERA+, 1.110 WHIP, 5.7 K/9

2013 - 132 ERA+, 1.243 WHIP, 6.8 K/9

2010 - 123 ERA+, 1.405 WHIP, 7.5 K/9

2009 - 111 ERA+, 1.371 WHIP, 6.3 K/9

Notice the trend? I didn't know the correlation was that strong. The better he does, the less he strikes people out.

[Malike]

Right and if Buck would have sent Tillman out in the 9th and he blew it you would have been the first in line to roast him!

Don't drink and post, you sound ridiculous. I've had 0 exchanges with you, I do not flip out over the manager, and Tillman is a horse. You are a mean drunk, I hope you live alone.

[mark_beckens]

Look at his last three seasons and you'll see that he's brought up his H/9 and BB/9 to his career average. He is definitely having worse control than 2011-2012. Does that mean he'll get back to previous form though, or not?

I don't care so much about his strikeouts so long as he gets his WHIP closer to 1.100 (and consequently, more ground outs and double plays and a lower ERA).

EDIT - just to piggy back on this idea, here are his six full seasons organized by ERA+:

2008 - 200 ERA+, 1.194 WHIP, 5.0 K/9

2012 - 168 ERA+, 1.019 WHIP, 5.4 K/9

2011 - 158 ERA+, 1.110 WHIP, 5.7 K/9

2013 - 130 ERA+, 1.225 WHIP, 6.8 K/9

2010 - 123 ERA+, 1.405 WHIP, 7.5 K/9

2009 - 111 ERA+, 1.371 WHIP, 6.3 K/9

Notice the trend? I didn't know the correlation was that strong. The better he does, the less he strikes people out.

I'd guess, he gets ahead makes them swing at his pitch defensively, hitting weak grounders. In the games he's gotten in trouble this year, seems he falls behind and has to throw more hittable pitches in counts the batters know a FB is coming.