Still Think Rich Hill Is "Back"?

Check the stat line. His numbers after five starts this year are eerily similar to the numbers after the five starts he made for the Cubs in 2008.

almost 3 years ago Al Yellon 25 comments 0 recs |

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Yup, he's still wild

Only a .238 avg. against, but 16 BB in 22 innings is not nearly good enough. A lot of damage in this last start where he managed only 2/3 of an inning, giving up only a single but 4BB and a HBP. If he could find the plate he would be successful but at this point who knows if he’ll ever find it.

by Luis on Jun 8, 2009 6:30 AM CDT reply actions

Brutal outing yesterday...

4 walks and only got two guys out before being yanked. Reminds me of the game in St. Louis last year.

Rich Hill is done. Dude can’t throw strikes. If he pitched with his right hand, he would be out of the league by now.

by kanderber on Jun 8, 2009 8:35 AM CDT reply actions

weird

The strange thing about his control problems is that he isn’t THAT wild. Rick Ankiel was the poster child for “Blass disease” (or would Jim Blass have been?).

When Ankiel went, it was pretty clear, he just completely lost control. Hill though is much more subtle. No doubt, 16bb in 22 innings is not good, but it isn’t out of this world wild.

Any thoughts on whether this really is something like Blass disease, or rather just difficulty controlling a huge curveball?

Eamus Ursuli!

by WGNstatic on Jun 8, 2009 8:58 AM CDT reply actions

Exactly...

The comparisons to Ankiel and Blass are faulty. Those guys couldn’t even keep the ball in the batters’ box. Hill, on the other hand, is still getting the ball over the plate. The fact that he has 22 K and 19 H in 22.1 IP indicates he’s still around the plate. He just can’t seem to keep it in the strike zone.

I mean, right now, Hill’s WHIP and K numbers look pretty similar to those of Carlos Marmol. The difference is that Marmol isn’t giving up the hits that Hill is giving up.

by SouthernCub on Jun 8, 2009 9:03 AM CDT up reply actions

Rich Hill is awful

But lucky for him the Baltimore Orioles are in full blown rebuilding mode and are in need of pitchers to eat up innings until the rebuilding process gets to a more advanced stage. Hill’s problems stem completely from HUGE reliance on a big breaking curveball. Too huge of a reliance.

You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it's me, I'm a little messed up maybe, but I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh, I'm here to amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny?

by BLou on Jun 8, 2009 9:29 AM CDT reply actions

luck for felix pie too

whos playing pretty bad but they dont want to risk him through waivers so he gets to stick around

by Glacier on Jun 8, 2009 4:57 PM CDT up reply actions

Actually, Al...

…I think the exact quote was, “He’s baaaaaaa-aaaaaaaack.”

Seriously, I’m kinda sad to learn of his awful outing last night for a couple reasons. First, I believe the quality of the PTBNL depends on Rich’s success as an Oriole. Second, I was pulling for Rich to a certain extent. Not that I want him back in a Cubs uniform, but it would be a nice comeback story if he could at least refashion himself into a decent middle-of-the-rotation starter.

The fact that he was pulled so early from the game is a pretty big setback. It also takes a lot of steam out of the argument that Lou somehow messed Rich up. Clearly, Trembley is seeing the same “hopeless” lack of control that Piniella and Rothschild saw. (I don’t necessarily mean “hopeless” in the long-term sense, but obviously it applies to the game at hand.)

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Jun 8, 2009 10:35 AM CDT reply actions

Your key point, of course...

… is that this apparently is Rich Hill, nothing that Lou or Larry did to him. It is sad, because he does have talent.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Jun 8, 2009 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions

Right.

If it was Lou’s withering gaze that caused Rich to issue walks, he should’ve been able to hit the strike zone when he was sent to Rookie Ball or Venezuelan Winter Ball (IIRC) or Baltimore.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Jun 8, 2009 10:56 AM CDT up reply actions

Funny isn't it...

…how Lou Piniella and Dusty Baker got ripped to shreds for their usage / non-usage of certain young players…yet NONE of those players ever amounted to anything once they left Chicago. Hee Seop Choi, Bobby Hill, Corey Patterson, Jason Dubois, Rich Hill, Felix Pie, Matt Murton. But nobody on this board ever wants to speak about these two managers being vindicated because it is more fashionable to rip them to shreds.

by BLou on Jun 8, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions

I have plenty of other reasons to rip Dusty to shreds

and fashion has nothing to do with it.

by redward on Jun 8, 2009 1:00 PM CDT up reply actions

+1

I think Murton was ruined by Dusty. Pie..who knows what his deal is.

"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher

by Musicdude10 on Jun 8, 2009 3:23 PM CDT up reply actions

Crikey

Matt Murton will forever have his goofy sumbeech fan club.

by BLou on Jun 8, 2009 3:33 PM CDT up reply actions

OK, I'll bite.

How was Matt Murton ruined by Dusty? Matt got 508 PAs under Dusty in ’06. And he actually put up farily respectable numbers. If anything, Dusty did more for Matt Murton than any other manager since.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Jun 8, 2009 4:07 PM CDT up reply actions

eh

one start. Let’s see what he does with the next one.

I'm a Cubs FANATIC. They are my team, through thick and thin. When they play over their heads, and when they play under the gutter. When they win the division, and then get swept in the division series. When they get no-hitters and when they blow no-hitters. And some day, when they go all the way and get those rings. This is the kind of fan I am.

by drewishdrewid on Jun 8, 2009 12:07 PM CDT reply actions

Well, it was BARELY a start.

.2 IP. But, yeah, still a long way to go. And I assume, barring an injury, the O’s will keep sending Hill out there.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Jun 8, 2009 12:17 PM CDT up reply actions

Sad

Rich is a good kid.

I really am rooting for him to turn it around.

Jay is our Quarterback. I REPEAT JAY IS OUR QUARTERBACK. Did I mention we have a Quarterback who happens to be named Jay?.

by puckishcubsfan on Jun 8, 2009 12:28 PM CDT reply actions

Such a great picture...

It looks like his neck is at least a foot long… at least he’s happy to be an Oriole.

by lswaidz on Jun 8, 2009 12:34 PM CDT reply actions

Oh man...someone needs to photoshop that picture onto the neck of a giraffe.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on Jun 8, 2009 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions

ostrich

by drewishdrewid on Jun 8, 2009 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions

You'd be happy too if somebody was paying you a major league salary for being the equivalent of human batting practice on the mound

To not be able to get the ball over the plate yet still make half a million dollars would make anybody happy.

by BLou on Jun 8, 2009 12:49 PM CDT up reply actions

Rich Hill

is an intellectual that probably thinks too much out on the mound. I’ve got to believe his mind is going a million miles a minute between pitches and he’s constantly trying ti tinker with his motion. His curve ball was a thing of beauty but probably the hardest to consistently throw for strikes, Too bad for him and baseball.

If you like Selig's handling of the steroid issue, you'll love his choice for next Cub owner.

by tharr on Jun 8, 2009 4:30 PM CDT reply actions