I think we need to be worried about Chen.

[mweb]

It's the DIPS, man. Unfortunately, I called it.

Fortunately it's too early to proclaim yourself right.

[Sports Guy]

It's the DIPS, man. Unfortunately, I called it.

Actually most of us called it.

[Hank Scorpio]

Especially SG! He calls EVERYTHING!

[bryanman8]

Actually most of us called it.

Cool. You can have credit too. Congrats.

lol...I wasn't bragging and I wouldn't be surprised to see Chen finish with a 4.90ish ERA. Just saying that this is a good example of how ERA isn't a very good indicator of next year's ERA. Not striking out a lot of guys, giving up a ton of fly balls, and not having great control is not a good combination.

[StateFarmFSR]

Am I the only one that was watching the game today thinking that if I had a bat in my hand, even I could give it a ride against Chen? I did play four years in college, but jeesh, it was like watching a poor high school pitcher trying to get major league hitters out. If you only throw 84 MPH, location is a must as is mixing pitches with regularity, neither of which Checn has accomplished his last two starts. I give him one more start, then I call up Penn and send Checn to the bullpen until he gets his act together.

[Frobby]

Cool. You can have credit too. Congrats.

lol...I wasn't bragging and I wouldn't be surprised to see Chen finish with a 4.90ish ERA. Just saying that this is a good example of how ERA isn't a very good indicator of next year's ERA. Not striking out a lot of guys, giving up a ton of foul balls, and not having great control is not a good combination.

DIPS, shmips. He's allowed 9 HR in 4 starts. Nothing in last year's perfomance suggested that. If anything, it seemed Chen's HR rate should go down a bit.

HR's are up all over the league. That is really going to hurt a pitcher like Chen. But we'll see where he is a month from now.

By the way, pretty much everyone who was ragging on Chen this winter also expected great things from Cabrera because of his good K rate and GB rate. Guess what -- so far he stinks!

[elextrano8]

DIPS, shmips. He's allowed 9 HR in 4 starts. Nothing in last year's perfomance suggested that. If anything, it seemed Chen's HR rate should go down a bit.

Aside from the 33 HR he allowed...also, care to provide a reasoning for why his rate should go down?

HR's are up all over the league. That is really going to hurt a pitcher like Chen. But we'll see where he is a month from now.

By the way, pretty much everyone who was ragging on Chen this winter also expected great things from Cabrera because of his good K rate and GB rate. Guess what -- so far he stinks!

Well, at least Cabrera has shown flashes of being dominant. I havn't seen that from Chen this year at all (although I will admit not seeing every pitch he's thrown).

[TinCup]

I have been worried about Chen. I keep reading he will be, in the end, a league average pitcher and a good number 5 starter. Then Lopez comes into mind and the same can be said about him.

They will be average pitchers. Likely means we are an average team. No surprises anywhere. Bedard, Dcab, and Benson are the ones I want to see develop with Mazzone. Lopez and Chen should not be part of the future!

[Sports Guy]

The one thing this start does do is the end of the talk about an extension for him, at least as of right now.

[2632]

Chen's performances on the mound have been making those pre-game jokes less and less funny.

[Moose Milligan]

Even if you adjust his HR/OFFB rate to league average, his DIPS ERA indicated that his ERA was likely to go way up this year. So as much as you hate/refuse to admit it, DIPS has been right thus far.

Yeah, but his VRAP indicated he'd have a better year this year.

[DoobyDoo]

I'm definitely worried. He's been giving up homeruns at a ridiculous rate so far even for him and it seems like every single ball hit off him is a rocket. I'm not ready to throw him out of the rotation yet though. I think he deserves at the least a few more starts but probably more then that. With Penn out with an injury we don't really have anyone I'd want up here for anything more then one start. I don't want to rush Johnson and obviously Loewen doesn't deserve to be promoted at the moment. The pitchers who I'd think would be promoted right now if we needed another starter would be Morris, Birkins or Burres. I think each of those pitchers could be successful out of the bullpen but none are starting pitching material.

[jim busby]

Halama should be off the team.

Chen is getting too many balls up in the strikezone.

If he continues to do that, he may set the record for most homers given up in a season.

I still say Chen ends up in the 4.3-4.75 range in terms of his ERA, which will be fine for a #5 starter in the AL.

As probably the board's biggest Chen booster, yes, I am worried, but not depressed.

SG is right on the button here: Chen is pitching up in the strike zone. I see it, SG sees it, the hitters (unfortunately) see it all too well.

Fortunately, Leo Mazzone also sees it, and he and Chen will work on correcting it.

Chen almost has a Ph.D. in engineering, and Leo definitely has a Ph.D. in pitching-coaching, so I think things will turn out all right.

In addition to Chen's obviously weak performances, two things are leading to our heightened dismay: (1) We started the weekend with high hopes (thanks, Chris Ray), we thought the Friday game would be a springboard, and it was not. The Orioles looked flat Saturday and Sunday, and on Sunday, the contrast between Randy Johnson and Bruce Chen was stark. (2) An Internet board leads to instant analysis and either acclaim (Chris Ray!) or depression (Bruce Chen). But pitching improvement is not instant. It is the result of dogged hard work, which Chen, the ultimate survivor, will put his heart into, as will Leo, the ultimate pitching doctor.

Will Chen regain his 2005 form?

I think so. I was more confident at the start of the season, but I still put my faith in Bruce and Leo.

Hey, SG and I figured out the problem for them. Now all they have to do is solve it.

[Dipper9]

As probably the board's biggest Chen booster, yes, I am worried, but not depressed.

SG is right on the button here: Chen is pitching up in the strike zone. I see it, SG sees it, the hitters (unfortunately) see it all too well.

Fortunately, Leo Mazzone also sees it, and he and Chen will work on correcting it.

Chen almost has a Ph.D. in engineering, and Leo definitely has a Ph.D. in pitching-coaching, so I think things will turn out all right.

In addition to Chen's obviously weak performances, two things are leading to our heightened dismay: (1) We started the weekend with high hopes (thanks, Chris Ray), we thought the Friday game would be a springboard, and it was not. The Orioles looked flat Saturday and Sunday, and on Sunday, the contrast between Randy Johnson and Bruce Chen was stark. (2) An Internet board leads to instant analysis and either acclaim (Chris Ray!) or depression (Bruce Chen). But pitching improvement is not instant. It is the result of dogged hard work, which Chen, the ultimate survivor, will put his heart into, as will Leo, the ultimate pitching doctor.

Will Chen regain his 2005 form?

I think so. I was more confident at the start of the season, but I still put my faith in Bruce and Leo.

Hey, SG and I figured out the problem for them. Now all they have to do is solve it.

I solved my problem with Chen by releasing him from my Fantasy Baseball team this morning. Now I know in real life things are not that cut and dry, and I do believe that given some time and hard work he will come out of this, but unfortunately I can't give him that long of a leash in Fantasy baseball or I'll be out of it before it begins! Good luck Chen...hopefully you will return to me soon! Fly away little nightingale....fly away!!!!!!!! :002_scry:

[TinCup]

I solved my problem with Chen by releasing him from my Fantasy Baseball team this morning. Now I know in real life things are not that cut and dry, and I do believe that given some time and hard work he will come out of this, but unfortunately I can't give him that long of a leash in Fantasy baseball or I'll be out of it before it begins! Good luck Chen...hopefully you will return to me soon! Fly away little nightingale....fly away!!!!!!!! :002_scry:

Smart move Dipper. Who takes his place?

Imagine if fantasy rules applied with the real game?

Whoa, getting dizzy just thinking about all of the roster moves....

Chen has a lot of improving to do. We are limited in options at this point, so he clearly will get more benefit of the doubt for the time being.