Phillies What Goes Wrong?

Posted by Venu on October 31, 2009 at 5:39 am

Honestly, Cole Hamels(notes) seems to have no idea why he pitches the way he pitches now.

It’s his arm, or it’s not. It’s his mechanics, or it’s not. It’s his command or his choices or the hitters or the workload or the decisions he made last offseason. Or it’s not.

Hamels goes through them all, runs them through his head, sleeps on them, ices an elbow that was sore in spring, and then goes out and gives up four runs in 5 1/3 innings. He throws harder, then softer, then smarter and he’s sure he’s gaining on it, and then he looks around to find runners on base.

He hates it, of course. He didn’t come here to be average, even below average, to be the guy they give the ball to and then have everybody take two steps back to cover the gaps. He came here to throw 260 innings and win 18 games and be the World Series MVP, which pretty much describes April through October 2008.

But this, now this is unacceptable. He’s losing more than he’s winning. His ERA is near 4½. His velocity isn’t good, which is a little alarming, though it’s not horrible, either. Hitters sometimes seem to be on everything, though. In about 34 fewer regular-season innings than last year, he gave up 13 more hits. In 35 playoff innings last year he gave up two home runs. This year, in 14 2/3? Six, including three to left-handed hitters.

On the eve of Hamels’ Game 3 start against the Yankees at Citizens Bank Park, his manager, Charlie Manuel, said, “Every time he goes out and pitches it’s an adventure.” He also said he trusts him and that he expects him to throw a good game. Still, an adventure.

Baseball managers generally aren’t keen on adventures, particularly not in the final days of October. It is why Pedro Martinez– and not Hamels – was assigned Game 2 at Yankee Stadium. And it’s why Joe Blanton– and not Cliff Lee– will get Game 4, because Lee never has in the big leagues pitched on three days’ rest and now is not the time to find out if he can, especially if he’s not begging for the ball.

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