I'm tired of watching nibblers

[eddie83]

And when you trade some of the ones you do grow...

I still can live with ERod trade. Miller was that good. Of course if we can afford O'Day I don't know why we didn't try to keep Miller but that is another issue.

[O's84]

Gallardo won't get a chance to have a 4.5 at 42.

Also you didn't adjust for era.

Maddux lead the league at age 42 with as 1.4 BB/9. That guy is pretty good.

[Es4M11]

Maddux lead the league at age 42 with as 1.4 BB/9. That guy is pretty good.

Maddux was the epitome of what a pitcher is or should strive to be, IMO.

[Ruzious]

Fwiw, both Maddux and Glavine LIVED on the outside corner. Smoltz was the only one of them that would challenge hitters in the heart of the plate on a regular basis.

[LA2]

I still can live with ERod trade. Miller was that good. Of course if we can afford O'Day I don't know why we didn't try to keep Miller but that is another issue.

It's been a lot more than just ERod is the problem.

[LA2]

Fwiw, both Maddux and Glavine LIVED on the outside corner. Smoltz was the only one of them that would challenge hitters in the heart of the plate on a regular basis.

Once they became recognized as great they also flourished OUTSIDE the outside corner. The camera views straight down on the plate were infuriating (if your team was playing against the Braves): I've never seen umps favor pitchers as much as they favored Maddux and Glavine.

[atomic]

He had good stuff.

I don't think he still does.

He still has good stuff. Didn't see the game today but from stats it appears he pitched well again. When Jiminez has his delivery down he is a good pitcher. He was very good first half of last year 2.80 Era through first 17 games I believe.

[Can_of_corn]

Once they became recognized as great they also flourished OUTSIDE the outside corner. The camera views straight down on the plate were infuriating (if your team was playing against the Braves): I've never seen umps favor pitchers as much as they favored Maddux and Glavine.

The Braves Catcher must have been really good at framing.

[Ruzious]

Once they became recognized as great they also flourished OUTSIDE the outside corner. The camera views straight down on the plate were infuriating (if your team was playing against the Braves): I've never seen umps favor pitchers as much as they favored Maddux and Glavine.

As a Braves fan, I... admit you're right. They'd take an inch at a time, and before the ump knew it, he'd be calling pitches strikes that were 4 or 5 inches off the outside corner.

[Can_of_corn]

As a Braves fan, I... admit you're right. They'd take an inch at a time, and before the ump knew it, he'd be calling pitches strikes that were 4 or 5 inches off the outside corner.

I've never met a Braves fan that would even bother to try and deny it.

[Tx Oriole]

He had good stuff.

I don't think he still does.

Well he pitched a complete game today.

[LookitsPuck]

I mean, Maddux's career BB/9 is damn impressive. It says it all: 1.8 BB/9 over 5000+ IP. Hell, from 1995 to 2008 he had a 1.3 BB/9. A 1.116 WHIP. Just amazing.

It's why guys like Gunkel are intriguing to me. Now, Gunkel's hit rate isn't Maddux. But his walk rate in the minors over 430 IP is at 1.6 BB/9.

Not saying Gunkel is Maddux or anything remotely close to it. I just dig pitchers that don't go up there and walk everyone...or go 3-2 nearly every count.

[brianod]

Nibbling occurs when you don't have confidence in your stuff. If you throw 88, you better paint the corners or you will get crushed. I don't blame the pitchers, I blame DD for not doing better. Of course, given his budget, maybe he did what he could...

[brianod]

I mean, Maddux's career BB/9 is damn impressive. It says it all: 1.8 BB/9 over 5000+ IP. Hell, from 1995 to 2008 he had a 1.3 BB/9. A 1.116 WHIP. Just amazing.

It's why guys like Gunkel are intriguing to me. Now, Gunkel's hit rate isn't Maddux. But his walk rate in the minors over 430 IP is at 1.6 BB/9.

Not saying Gunkel is Maddux or anything remotely close to it. I just dig pitchers that don't go up there and walk everyone...or go 3-2 nearly every count.

I agree but that is the same thing that we were saying about the bulldog, Wilson, before he got continually shelled. An aversion to walking people usually works best for people that have dynamic stuff:)

[Moose Milligan]

Maddux had impeccable control and movement. He was incredibly cerebral, too. I remember some article about how he was working in the bullpen and kept going from the stretch and one of the coaches asked him (pretty sure it was Mazzone) why he wasn't going from the full windup. And Maddux's reply was something like "I'll need to throw a better pitch from the stretch at some point in the game." And the coach was floored, all his years in the game he'd never thought of it that way.

There's a difference between nibblers like our guys and a Picasso like Maddux. One guy was an artist who had impeccable control, was incredibly efficient and had tremendous movement. Remember when he'd throw complete games in less than a hundred pitches?

Our guys are hoping they don't get shelled every time out and don't hit their spots. It's like comparing a filet from Ruth's Chris and a cheeseburger from McDonald's.