AAAAARRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!
Sorry, had to let that out. I don’t get him. He really should be a better pitcher than he is; he has two good pitches and good control, but he hasn’t had good strikeout numbers (except for 2004) and as you’ve probably noticed he tends to go into deep funks where for two or three weeks he can’t get anyone out. Everyone says that it’s an injury thing and that he was going fine until he was hit by a comebacker, but I tire of this.
He’s also the default closer candidate. It’s not that the Braves want him to be the closer. They want Joey Devine or Oscar Villareal to win the job. But if neither of them is great, and the Braves don’t make a move, you know who Bobby will have to turn to even if he doesn’t want to.
Reitsma was the only pitcher to be in the Braves’ bullpen on Opening Day who was still there in the Division Series. He and [NAME DELETED BECAUSE I AM TRYING TO WIPE HIM FROM MY MEMORY] were the only relievers to make it through the regular season, or even two-thirds of it. It was that kind of year. Reitsma has 29 career saves, which is more than the rest of the relievers on the major league roster combined. I still think he should be in the rotation, but the Braves have too many more qualified candidates. I expect him to win fifteen games somewhere in 2008.
In the event all the young’ns fill in capably down in the pen, is there any chance of Chris starting? I cannot recall whether folks on this site hypothesized that he may be a better starter than reliever.
Yeah, Reitsma is an interesting one. A couple of positive things tough: his control appears to have got consistently better
and also his HR/9 has improved dramatically
Sorry meant to post 2 links there
http://www.fangraphs.com/graphs.aspx?playerid=348&position=P&page=4&type=full
http://www.fangraphs.com/graphs.aspx?playerid=348&position=P&page=2&type=full
I’ve been saying that Reitsma maybe should be in the rotation basically since the Braves acquired him. Last year, I compared him to Derek Lowe…
And if he was a starter, Bobby wouldn’t be tempted to let him close
I just wonder how come Larry Bowa upon hearing the Braves got a Reds reliever said “Gee I sure hope it’s not Reitsma because he’s great.”
Tell you the truth I have a gut feeling that if he’s let out of jail then Ugueth Urbina will be signed by the Braves.
Really? I thought we’d stay away from guys with character issues, and I would think that reportedly setting people on fire and attacking them with machetes qualifies as “character issues.”
The key words there, Michael, are “Larry Bowa”. This is a man who can play next to Mike Schmidt for eight years then say that Scott Rolen is the best third baseman he’s ever seen.
I hate Chris Reitsma. He is a clown.
Why would Reitsma be better as a 200-inning starter than a 70-inning reliever when his main problem seems to be a lack of stamina?
I don’t think Reitsma’s main problem is stamina during an outing, but rather a problem with pitching frequently. Some guys don’t recover as quickly, and starting can be a better option for those guys.
Gryn, you are right, and that’s why I agree with Mac. He should be a starter.
Yeah, his problem seems to be pitching without enough rest. Not necessarily stamina. As a starter he would get four days of rest. It would be interesting to see him as a starter.
Smitty, heard any more trade rumors?
I know this has probably been said before (and I know I have heard it on Braves telecasts) but Reitsma really seems to be the victim of a ton of cheap hits. Almost every time he had a bad outing, he seemed to give up 2 or 3 weak ground balls that just happened to find the gaps. I know a lot of people hate him with all of their being, but I really don’t mind him that much at all. I honestly think he is one of the unluckiest pitchers I have ever seen. Also, I have read some things about him, and apparently he is a genuinely good person, a real character guy. I know character doesn’t always win games, but I like having guys like that in the clubhouse.