Minor League Notes - 04/20/2009

Let’s just go with Gamel is a beast and all should bow down to his DH-i-ness. There is no way he’ll stick at 3rd. I’d like to see who’s worse at 3rd though, Braun or Gamel.

April 9th: 3.0 IP, 15 BF, 65 pitches (31 strikes)
April 14th: 4.0 IP, 16 BF, 78 pitches (44 strikes)
April 20th: 4.0 IP, 20 BF, 82 pitches (43 strikes)

On Gamel’s errors…there was an article linked at BF.net the other day detailing a conversation Gamel and Don Money had:

Defensively, however, Gamel has been a work in progress. He had 34 errors at third base in 2006, his first full year of pro ball, 53 errors in the Class A Florida State League in 2007 and 32 more last year. But Money is seeing improvement.

“He made 55 errors or whatever it was. Hopefully, you get better,” Money said. “When I asked him, I said, ’What’s your problem – throwing or fielding.’ And he said 50-50. I said, ’We’re going to eliminate a lot of your throwing errors, because that’s all footwork, and his footwork was all fouled up.”

Anecdotally, that might be working out given that only the first of Gamel’s four errors so far was of the throwing kind. I think I could live with a guy who simply doesn’t get to balls in play well…worst that could happen is probably either a bobble or a ball getting through to the left fielder, and a 1-base error. Much better than somebody whose problems consist of throwing the ball past his teammates all the time…

“All of the strikeouts can’t be helping, though”.

I know what you’re saying here, but for everyone else, overall it’s a misconception that strikeouts create higher pitch counts. I think it was Tango who had evidence that striking people out is going to give you lower pitch counts than allowing balls to be put in play. There’s a balancing point with strikeouts vs. pitch to contact. I don’t know the exact details, but the gain from not allowing the ball to be put in play— a guaranteed out— is almost always worth the extra pitches, and you usually come out ahead with the emphasis on strikeouts. Strikeouts are never a bad thing. He can tone down the walks, though.