Pick a Pitcher, Any Pitcher (of these six)

by TheJay on Aug 18, 2008 11:27 AM CDT

Alright, here's the deal. I'll list the 2008 stats of six veteran major league pitchers below with their names removed. Imagine, if you will, that you are the GM of a major league team and you absolutely, positively need to have one of these guys, no bones about it. Maybe the owner likes their names, maybe he wants them to market his new cologne (Eau de Mediocre), maybe they're all natives of your team's market. Who knows? Just assume they all come at no cost to you and you need to pick one of these veterans to stabilize your team's rotation and help take you to the playoffs through grit and baseball knowledge and ~~syrupy~~ veteran-y goodness or something like that.

Here are the contenders:

Player A: 24 starts, 142.1 IP, 4.62 ERA, 162 H, 54 BB, 72 K, 21 HR, 2 HBP
Player B: 22 starts, 129.0 IP, 4.67 ERA, 137 H, 49 BB, 68 K, 14 HR, 7 HBP
Player C: 23 starts, 135.2 IP, 4.58 ERA, 156 H, 41 BB, 78 K, 16 HR, 7 HBP
Player D: 23 starts, 138.1 IP, 4.55 ERA, 156 H, 24 BB, 56 K, 25 HR, 5 HBP
Player E: 20 starts, 121.0 IP, 4.54 ERA, 130 H, 35 BB, 70 K, 12 HR, 3 HBP
Player F: 21 starts, 123.2 IP, 4.80 ERA, 152 H, 27 BB, 63 K, 17 HR, 2 HBP

Once you've made your choice, click here to see which lucky vet you'll be taking home for the last six weeks of the season. Oh, while I didn't put each pitcher's '08 salary up because I thought it would sway things too much, I think it's worth noting that the lowest-paid guy of those six is making $5 million this year.

1 recs | Comment 24 comments

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For what its worth, I picked “C” before looking…

by Saberilliterate on Aug 18, 2008 11:45 AM CDT 0 recs

I'll take D

He has the lowest strikeout rate, but they all have shitty strikeout rates, and he has the highest K/BB (tied with F) and the lowest (H+BB+HBP)/IP. Can’t wait to see who I picked.

BCB's "very own marginally deserving all-star!"

by battlekow on Aug 18, 2008 11:45 AM CDT 0 recs

Interesting

BCB's "very own marginally deserving all-star!"

by battlekow on Aug 18, 2008 11:46 AM CDT up 0 recs

I go with D as well

for similar reasons.

A is also an innings eater (likee D) so that has some benefit.

so…which one is Kip Wells? I never figured out why the Cards have (had?) him, with career losing record and shitty ERA.

by PagsBrewCrew on Aug 18, 2008 5:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

Wells is a FA

Courtesy of MLBTR, the Royals are interested in signing him.

BCB's "very own marginally deserving all-star!"

by battlekow on Aug 18, 2008 5:40 PM CDT up 0 recs

D? Really?

Worst strikeout rate per 9 IP and 25 bombs?

No thanks. You’ve gotta keep those HRs in mind. I’ll take E (though I think he’s out for the year…). Low HR/9, decent walk rate, best K/9 IP of the bunch.

by mikeynaked on Aug 18, 2008 11:03 PM CDT up 0 recs

Well, he didn't give us FB rates, so just going off the HR could be deceptive

Though that’s not really in the spirit of things.

BCB's "very own marginally deserving all-star!"

by battlekow on Aug 18, 2008 11:08 PM CDT up 0 recs

also

The bombs were semi-worrisome, but then I looked at the ERA – no worse than the others.

So, either he buckled down with runners on base, or allowed few runners to begin with.

by PagsBrewCrew on Aug 19, 2008 10:43 AM CDT up 0 recs

I'll go with D

Just eyeballing it, I think he might have the best WHIP of the bunch. It’s like a Rainy Christmas. Who did I get?

Ewwww. “Punching for Jesus.”

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Aug 18, 2008 11:55 AM CDT 0 recs

Is there really any difference between the six? Not over the course of 7 or 8 starts.

"You are only a success at the moment that you do a successful act"
-Tex Winter

by stork02 on Aug 18, 2008 12:02 PM CDT 0 recs

I took E

Low HR rate, walks and strikeouts okay, durability might be a question compared to the others.

I didn’t expect that to be who it was when I looked to see which crappy vet I got.

by kingcharlesxii on Aug 18, 2008 12:51 PM CDT 0 recs

yeah, durability is definitely a question with E

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on Aug 18, 2008 12:54 PM CDT up 0 recs

i'm upset

he’s beyond shitty… but… not.?

I'll warm up with you anytime

by ufoboy90 on Aug 18, 2008 9:22 PM CDT up 0 recs

Surprising that "Player A" has the most starts of this muck of mediocrity

considering that DL stint. I took C, for what it’s worth… Remember when Player E had that long win streak and everyone thought he was going to be a Cy Young caliber guy?

And neck size to baby eating ratio.

by jihad on Aug 18, 2008 2:00 PM CDT 0 recs

Damnit jihad, now everyone knows that E is Ruben Quevedo

BCB's "very own marginally deserving all-star!"

by battlekow on Aug 18, 2008 2:55 PM CDT up 1 recs

I think "long win streak" does not equal "run of surprisingly effective pitching by crappy pitcher"

And neck size to baby eating ratio.

by jihad on Aug 18, 2008 3:35 PM CDT up 0 recs

I picked E

Well, E would have been a reasonably mediocre choice 2 weeks ago.

(And if I had time, I’d go through and see if any of these guys are worth more than “best starter currently in organization” but right now I don’t.)

by morineko on Aug 18, 2008 5:03 PM CDT 0 recs

I went with E too...

bad luck on the timing, but I suppose my hypothetical GM alter ego would have been alert enough to catch that

development, at least.

C would have been my second choice…that one deserves a big D’oh.

by Zeyes on Aug 18, 2008 9:39 PM CDT up 0 recs

Not if your hypothetical GM alter ego was Gord Ash.

BCB's "very own marginally deserving all-star!"

by battlekow on Aug 18, 2008 9:57 PM CDT up 0 recs

I picked A.

Doh!

Once again The Jay uses the his cat-o-nine-tails logic to lash me for my emotional, irrational dislike for a mediocre Brewer.

I am officially The Jay’s bitch.

When will I learn?

FDR can suck it. - Jeff Sackmann

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Aug 18, 2008 6:44 PM CDT 1 recs

I chose "C" as well

Lordz Of Vengeance....If I'm not drunk, I'm at work.

I am anti-Suppan and pro-Durham.

by Dikembe Meiztombo on Aug 18, 2008 9:58 PM CDT 0 recs

Somehow

I ended up with Brooks Kieschnick.

C. Magruder scored, R. Weeks to second on balk

by alkaseitzer on Aug 24, 2008 1:16 AM CDT 0 recs

Need better stats

Based on those stats alone, I’d take E on the strength of his relatively high K/9 and K/BB, because I have no idea how the park factors are affecting the other stats.

by Ikcelaks on Aug 25, 2008 8:35 AM CDT 0 recs

Park factors can affect those two too

if a pitcher is in Colorado or Arizona.

by PagsBrewCrew on Aug 25, 2008 1:29 PM CDT up 0 recs

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