Sarfate will start Wednesday

by SC on Jul 29, 2008 5:37 AM EDT

Seems like the exact wrong guy to pick to join the starting rotation given his command problems and the fact that he's effective because he can dial it up to 11 at will in a relief role, but we'll see.

Certainly, I'd hope we can agree that the experiment is at least more worthwhile than screwing around with Lance Cormier.

Sarfate hasn't started regularly since 2006, when he took the hill starting 21 of 36 appearances for Nashville (Milwaukee AAA). He had started in 2004 and 2005, and he did OK, but he walked way too many people. His control issues are exactly what moved him to the bullpen in the first place.

It strikes me as odd that a reliever with a 1.56 WHIP is the best the O's can come up with to take over the fifth starter's role is all. I'm rooting for the dude, but his home is the bullpen. It just is.

We'll see, I guess. Don't expect any revelations.

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Brrr

I’m shuddering at the possibilities. I’ll be watching with my hands over my eyes, peeking between my fingers. “First pitch, fastball, 95! Second pitch, 95mph fastball. What a repertoire!”

by blawk359 on Jul 29, 2008 8:22 AM EDT 0 recs

Danny Cabrera...

and that worked for a good month and a half.

Kevbo: [to George Sherrill] George, you look a lot like Vin Diesel...

Flatbill: Let's get somethin' straight... Vin Diesel looks like me.

-From "The Making of Orioles Magic"

by dayzd toe on Jul 29, 2008 8:24 AM EDT up 0 recs

Cabrera was barely hitting 94...

I believe he was sacrificing velocity for control.. either that or it’s just because he’s using the two-seamer instead of a four-seamer (doesn’t make sense to me)? Who knows..

Sarfate’s can hit up to 98-99…

by Y Not on Jul 29, 2008 8:26 AM EDT up 0 recs

Also

he was throwing the 2-seamer the majority of the time. And when it starts off the plate to lefties and drifts back to the corner he’s brutal. It’s the other 65 pitches of a 100 pitch outing that get him in trouble.

Always trust your cape. -Guy Clark

by BPinOK on Jul 29, 2008 10:40 AM EDT up 0 recs

I believe he was sacrificing velocity for control..

Actually he was airing it out. The sink on his fastball probably ate into his velocity a bit but he was giving so many groundball outs that it didn’t matter.

Wolf, wolf, wolf.

by birdman on Jul 29, 2008 1:37 PM EDT up 0 recs

We've all seen him lose control..

and he is unable to get out of one inning.

Then we’ve seen him throw 3 hitless innings and dominate the hell out of a respectable hitting club a few times.

Isn’t that the story with another one of our pitchers?

by Y Not on Jul 29, 2008 8:24 AM EDT 0 recs

place holder

Hayden Penn has turned in a number of strong performances in AAA and Brad Bergesen has been dominating in AA. They both just pitched last night so either could be ready to come up next time we need them.

"There is a value to breaking the string of losing seasons as an organization or as a franchise. But breaking that streak can’t come at the expense of doing what you need to do to get your franchise to the point where it can reach the postseason." ~Andy MacPhail

by Stacey on Jul 29, 2008 9:05 AM EDT 0 recs

I dont expect to see either of them

Its Penn’s last option year, so I think they want to give him as much “seasoning” as possible.

And Bergesen has been great, but last year he struggled in Frederick, and is only 22. So I dont expect to see him and his 4.5 K/9 soon.

We need a pitcher, but I would rather run a wash up (or give a random guy in the pen a shot) out there instead of calling a guy up too soon.

by Reddrummer9187 on Jul 29, 2008 3:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

I do think Hayden Penn should be brought up. Its basically now or never for him. Given the need for pitching, I give him the spot.

Bergesen and Hernandez should probably be promoted to AAA, but I would take them any higher this year. D-Cab was rushed when we had pitching troubles, and I feel it hurt him. I don’t want to do the same to these guys.

Vertern pitching should definitely be a priorty next offseason. I know he’s not very popular here anymore, but I’d love to bring Mussina back. He can give you inning and could really mentor the young guys (something I think we really lack).

by edsachs1 on Jul 29, 2008 5:01 PM EDT up 0 recs

Never for the win

Hayden Penn has pissed off too many people in this organization. Doing what, I don’t now. I can’t imagine one case of forgotten luggage made that big an impact, but from DD on up, no one is going to give this kid a break. Maybe it’s lack of talent – I haven’t seen him pitch. Maybe he really doesn’t deserve the move up. But I do know he’s going to have to outpitch everyone else in the O’s system to get a call-up at this point.

"I wasn't here for the losing years. But it feels a little like the days with Earl in charge and John Lowenstein smashing birthday cakes in the middle of the clubhouse with a bat." - John "T-Bone" Shelby

by duck on Jul 29, 2008 11:44 PM EDT up 0 recs

Not Necessarily

He always just seemed to get hurt when it came time for him to be called up (wierd injuries too if you remember). I think now its just a matter of taking advantage of the last few months we can have him in AAA, because next year is sink or swim in the majors for him (I believe he is out of options).

4.98 ERA in 94 IP with 62/34 K/BB. Those are Penn’s numbers this year and thats another reason why we haven’t seen him yet.

by Reddrummer9187 on Jul 30, 2008 8:24 AM EDT up 0 recs

Wasn't once appendicitis

and then this spring it was something weird….or maybe THAt was the appendicits, and the past ones has been weird….

Kid’s snakebit, that’s for sure.

by duck on Jul 30, 2008 10:51 PM EDT up 0 recs

I've got a bad feeling about this.

"He’s in trouble. Whatever he throws me, I’m going to hit it."
-- Alex Cintron

by BrianS on Jul 29, 2008 11:36 AM EDT 0 recs

I hear you

I’m going to Bowie tonight and I’m gonna take a good look at the pitching! Even if they’re all a year or two away…

I heard Tillman has started to struggle.

The stock market will never recover, our armies will never again be #1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of their lives - HST

by the fix is in on Jul 29, 2008 11:52 AM EDT up 0 recs

Tillman has struggled some

http://firstinning.com/players/Christopher-Tillman-a/

by Reddrummer9187 on Jul 30, 2008 8:26 AM EDT up 0 recs

foghat goes with everything--birdman, 5/16/08

by j.q. higgins on Jul 29, 2008 12:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

This

is one of the silliest individual moves I’ve seen the team make since Guthrie was pulled in the MDM. Hopefully it is indeed just a placeholder which amounts to nothing more than one ugly game followed by a head-scratching, “WTF were we thinking?” press conference by Trembley.

by Jonny Pops on Jul 29, 2008 1:39 PM EDT 0 recs

I think it's a wake-up call to Liz, Burres and Olson

Get yer shit right or we’re done with ya. Olson got the message. Liz got sent down. Burres will get a few chances out of the BP to show he’s paying attention. This can’t be a long-term move. No way it works out.

by duck on Jul 29, 2008 11:46 PM EDT up 0 recs

I would be absolutley terrified to hear this

if I was a hitter in the AL East. And I don’t mean because I expect a 2.00 ERA from Sarfate.

Really, though, can the O’s lose here? What’s the downside, that Sarfate is bad and goes back to the pen? This could’ve been a lot worse.

A mind without purpose will walk in dark places.

by NHZ on Jul 29, 2008 2:27 PM EDT 0 recs

yep...

that’s it, i think.

anybody else notice that corey doyne is back in the system?!

foghat goes with everything--birdman, 5/16/08

by j.q. higgins on Jul 29, 2008 3:55 PM EDT up 0 recs

I believe he'd been injured, and never really left.

by Brotz13 on Jul 29, 2008 4:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

And struggling mightily

by Dr Orpheus on Jul 29, 2008 5:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

nope...

i believe he was non-tendered and the cards picked him up. don’t know when they got rid of him. he has definitely been on more of a rehab-type workload, though.

when do we get our first appearance of rocky cherry?!

foghat goes with everything--birdman, 5/16/08

by j.q. higgins on Jul 30, 2008 10:47 AM EDT up 0 recs

Trade Deadline

They might, also, be waiting to see if an MLB arm comes back in any trades they may or may not make. If nothing comes, then dip into the system if Sarfate doesn’t work out and bring up someone. It is obvious they still doubt Penn and they don’t want to go the AA team.

by PWubbs on Jul 29, 2008 3:50 PM EDT 0 recs

I'm looking forward to this...

Joba vs Sarfate, I hope one of them breaks 100 on the gun.

"We're excited about the future, but we also want to be excited about now." - Brian Roberts, 07/17/08

by getxstoked on Jul 29, 2008 4:03 PM EDT 0 recs

This is the first time all year that I think Millar was joking when he said we'd go to the World Series

by Y Not on Jul 30, 2008 8:34 AM EDT 0 recs

REMINDER

1:05 start, y’all!

foghat goes with everything--birdman, 5/16/08

by j.q. higgins on Jul 30, 2008 10:48 AM EDT 0 recs

Ahhh, man.....

I went to the George Michael concert (laugh all you want, it was fun) last night and forgot to check my DVR to make sure it was programmed. The stupid thing thinks I’m a Nationals fan and only records about 2/3 of the O’s games automatically.

by blawk359 on Jul 30, 2008 11:29 AM EDT up 0 recs