Trax gets rocked in final start

[Frobby]

Well, that Trachsel deal didn't work out too well for the Cubs. He lost today allowing 5 ER in 4.1 innings. He ends up going 1-3 with an 8.31 ERA. He only started 4 games: two in which he was decent (though he lost one of those) and two in which he absolutely stunk.

The O's did very well by Trax this year, both in terms of his performance for us and what he brought back in a trade. I'm actually sorry he didn't do better for the Cubs.

[longflyball]

Steve Trachsel is the Arizona Diamondbacks of pitchers this year. In 158 innings he's given up 176 hits, walked 76, and struck out 56. It doesn't take an expert sabermetrician to figure out that his ERA should be a great deal higher than 4.90.

[DrungoHazewood]

Steve Trachsel is the Arizona Diamondbacks of pitchers this year. In 158 innings he's given up 176 hits, walked 76, and struck out 56. It doesn't take an expert sabermetrician to figure out that his ERA should be a great deal higher than 4.90.

Oh, I'm not sure I'd start this debate back up. I've had many a person tell me I'm disconnected from reality by suggesting what you're suggesting. Steve Trachsel has figured out a new way of pitching that allows him to succeed where all others have failed. Or so the theory goes.

[Frobby]

Oh, I'm not sure I'd start this debate back up. I've had many a person tell me I'm disconnected from reality by suggesting what you're suggesting. Steve Trachsel has figured out a new way of pitching that allows him to succeed where all others have failed. Or so the theory goes.

I'm going to take it up. Trachsel is all about making the hitters hit his pitch and having them off balance. On days when he is off, even a little, he gets crushed. And even when he's on, he's not going to blow one past anyone so some guys are going to get hits and others are going to walk. But he is mentally tough, doesn't panic when runners are on base, and sticks to his game plan. That is why he has succeeded.

Is it going to catch up to him? Will a day come when he loses even a little more stuff, a little bit of command, and when his ratio of off-days to on-days goes up? Sure it is. Next year? Maybe. But when a guy like Trachsel has been decent this long, you have to conclude it has been more due to pluck than to luck.

[byrdz]

The O's did very well by Trax this year, both in terms of his performance for us and what he brought back in a trade. I'm actually sorry he didn't do better for the Cubs.

So, can we assume from what we've heard of Mazzone's effect on veteran starters that it was ultimately him that got us Moore and Cherry?

[longflyball]

I'm going to take it up. Trachsel is all about making the hitters hit his pitch and having them off balance. On days when he is off, even a little, he gets crushed. And even when he's on, he's not going to blow one past anyone so some guys are going to get hits and others are going to walk. But he is mentally tough, doesn't panic when runners are on base, and sticks to his game plan. That is why he has succeeded.

Is it going to catch up to him? Will a day come when he loses even a little more stuff, a little bit of command, and when his ratio of off-days to on-days goes up? Sure it is. Next year? Maybe. But when a guy like Trachsel has been decent this long, you have to conclude it has been more due to pluck than to luck.

I have read that extreme sinker-ball type pitchers, or pitchers who utilize movement and change of speed exceptionally well, like Greg Maddux, can stretch their .BABIP constraints. But Trachsel doesn't fit into either category.

I'm not really trying to say that he's been exceptionally lucky prior to 2007, although he may have been. What sticks out about 2007 is his abysmal strikeout ratio: 3.2 per 9 IP. It's virtually impossible to strike out so few batters and remain a serviceable big league pitcher, especially when you walk 4.3 batters per 9 IP.