By Breedlove
Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on July 6, 2000.
Fourth installment of a six part Breedlove series evaluating the 2000 Astros.
What a freaking train wreck we have witnessed. Last season the Astros had the third best pitching staff in the National League. They were also the third best team in the National League. In 2000 the Astros have the worst pitching staff in the National League. They are also the worst team in the National League. Coincidence? I think not.
Before getting started with the pen, here’s a list of the stats in which the entire Astros pitching staff is the worst in the National League: wins, saves, ERA, hits, runs, earned runs, doubles, triples, and homeruns. But hey, they’re only second worst in groundball-to-flyball ratio, walks plus hits per inning pitched, and wild pitches.
It turns out it’s not for nothing they call it the bullpen. You can smell the prairie patties the second you step into Enron Field. Here’s a list of some of the collective magic they’ve worked in acquiring a 10-19 record, a 4.87 ERA, and 10 saves: the bullpen has faced 219 first batters and retired 133, for a stellar 60.73%. That’s no joke – the opposing first hitter has an on-base percentage of .394. The bullpen has inherited 108 runners and allowed 35 to score, for a not-too-terrible 32%. Probably the single most annoying number is that the bullpen has had 23 save opportunities and converted only 10, for a putrid 43.5%.
To be fair, the Astros bullpen is not that bad, statistically speaking. Considering the lack of both a true long reliever and an able closer, they’ve gotten by pretty well. The Cubs, Expos, Giants, and Mets all have worse ERA’s from their relievers, and the Cardinals aren’t far ahead of the Astros. There are some pretty good pitchers’ parks on that list.
Larry Dierker’s propensity to go with his starters as long as possible remains in effect: the Astros bullpen is middle of the pack in innings pitched, despite Jose Lima’s efforts to get them in games before the announcers make their first comments on the desserts at Ruggles.
It’s too bad, but the truth is baseball isn’t just about statistics; it’s also about timing. The relievers have been good when the game is out of reach in the opponents’ favor and rotten when the game is close. Billy Wagner blew 9 of 15 save opportunities before he went on the DL, but the rest of the motley crew have only converted 4 of 8 save chances.
Player W-L APP IP SV ERA K/BB
Cabrera 0-2 33 36.1 0 5.70 24/12
Henry 1-2 37 44.0 1 4.30 35/23
Maddux 2-2 21 26.1 0 6.26 17/12
Perez 2-1 30 20.1 0 5.31 18/14
Powell 1-1 26 23.0 0 4.70 12/17
Slusarski 1-5 25 36.0 1 4.25 26/17
Valdes 1-1 17 19.0 2 1.89 13/9
Wagner 2-4 28 27.2 6 6.18 28/18
Jose Cabrera – Jose has allowed far too many baserunners with his WHIP of 1.597. Opponents are batting .309/.372/.503 against him. They’re making him throw the fastball for strikes, and so far this year it has little life. He has accumulated 5 holds when he hasn’t been in New Orleans… a trip apparently earned by pissing Larry Dierker off on a personal level.
Doug Henry – Henry has honestly been pretty effective. He had some frustrating early season troubles, and he’s allowed a homerun every 5 innings, but opponents are just hitting .209/.315/.437. Henry has 6 holds thus far; the biggest knock against him has got to be that he doesn’t keep the ball on the ground. Maybe that’s what he always looks so irritated about… either that or he’s still seething over losing the first annual TalkZone ‘Best Porn Star Moustache’ competition.
Mike Maddux – So I was watching the sausage race in Milwaukee the other day. The bratwurst won, but Maddux’s fastball was second runner-up, just like his lip hair in the first annual TalkZone ‘Best Porn Star Moustache’ competition. Opponents haven’t had much more trouble with Mike’s fastball than the bratwurst (OPS of .851.) On the plus side he’s got a brother named Greg and none of the 7 runners he’s inherited have scored. Did you hear that, Larry? His 1.29 GB/FB ratio will get him plenty of use at Enron, even if he is 38 years older than the park.
Yorkis Perez – This is the lefty specialist the Astros acquired for Trever Miller in one of those ‘both our losers need a change of scenery’ kind of trades. Or maybe it was more of a ‘neither of us can stand to watch our guy anymore’ kind of deal. Either way, Yorkis allows a homerun every 5 innings and he’s blown two saves. Only 4 of 20 inherited runners have scored against him? in spite of our “lefty specialist” holding left-handed hitters down a whole .010 on their batting average.
Jay Powell – What’s nice is the 1.20 GB/FB ratio, opponents are just hitting .214/.346/.287, and he’s got 5 holds. Those are Stonewall numbers. How does that lead to a 4.70 ERA? He’s walked 17 in just 23 innings, and he prefers to do it with nobody out yet. Ka-Powell! Jay has failed utterly to pitch around his fielders’ mistakes, and now he’s on the DL for right shoulder tendinitis. Don’t worry, Billy’s tendinitis was in his elbow. This is, like, totally different.
Joe Slusarski – A newcomer from New Orleans, this righthander hasn’t been around long enough to draw the ire of Astros fans. But it’ll happen, mark my words. Not that Slu’s an especially bad player? it’s just that there’s nobody we love to rag on more than a reliever. By definition their appearances come closer to the ends of games, so their mistakes are more vulnerable fodder for the peanut gallery. Opponents are hitting .252/.315/.444, he’s got a 1.20 GB/FB, and he’s allowed 6 of 18 inherited runners to score.
Marc Valdes – Thank goodness the Astros had Joe Slusarski to represent New Orleans. That left them able to trade ‘Gator’ Russ Johnson to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Marc Valdes. Good luck, Russ, we’ll surely miss you? but we missed decent relief pitching even more. Opponents have only managed to hit .269/.352/.295 off Marc, he’s got a 1.26 GB/FB, and he’s a double play inducing machine. He’s even saved a couple of games lately. On the minus side, he’s allowed 4 of 9 inherited runners to score, he spells both his names wrong, and each of his eyebrows placed in the first annual TalkZone ‘Best Porn Star Moustache’ competition.
Billy Wagner – Nine blown saves, a HR every 4.5 innings, seven wild pitches, one working elbow, done for the season. ‘Nuff said.