Comments on: 1 and 1A http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/1-and-1a/ Daily baseball statistical analysis and commentary Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:39:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: joser http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/1-and-1a/#comment-34473 joser Fri, 23 May 2008 20:12:20 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/1-and-1a/#comment-34473 Haren is 27. Webb is 29. Felix is 22. In five or seven years, we can revisit that question and decide if Felix deserves the name or not. So few pitchers have become regular starters under 20 that it's hard to know exactly how long it will take for Felix to grow into his talent (let alone other people's expectations). Bedard has been hurt (no surprise there, except perhaps to the Mariners). When he's been healthy he's pitched well; when he hasn't he's been hammered. The Mariners' front office was deluded when they traded for Bedard -- ignoring Pythagoras, they though they had a team that was just one piece away from contending, rather than a mediocre team that ran off a very lucky streak of wins. Had they got lucky again, and then some, and all their aging veterans had staved off decline (or, in Sexson's case, magically recovered from it) they might've had a shot (particularly if Oakland's rebuilding had gone badly and if the Angels had gotten hurt and stumbled). But that's a lot of ifs and wishes and reality came down and smacked them upside the head. The one positive of crashing this badly is that it may finally force them to get rid of Bavasi and hire a GM who is operating in the 21st century. Haren is 27. Webb is 29. Felix is 22. In five or seven years, we can revisit that question and decide if Felix deserves the name or not. So few pitchers have become regular starters under 20 that it’s hard to know exactly how long it will take for Felix to grow into his talent (let alone other people’s expectations).

Bedard has been hurt (no surprise there, except perhaps to the Mariners). When he’s been healthy he’s pitched well; when he hasn’t he’s been hammered.

The Mariners’ front office was deluded when they traded for Bedard — ignoring Pythagoras, they though they had a team that was just one piece away from contending, rather than a mediocre team that ran off a very lucky streak of wins. Had they got lucky again, and then some, and all their aging veterans had staved off decline (or, in Sexson’s case, magically recovered from it) they might’ve had a shot (particularly if Oakland’s rebuilding had gone badly and if the Angels had gotten hurt and stumbled). But that’s a lot of ifs and wishes and reality came down and smacked them upside the head. The one positive of crashing this badly is that it may finally force them to get rid of Bavasi and hire a GM who is operating in the 21st century.

]]> By: DCFan http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/1-and-1a/#comment-34434 DCFan Fri, 23 May 2008 06:05:17 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/1-and-1a/#comment-34434 This is exactly what the Mariners thought they were doing when they traded for Eric Bedard - put his alongside King Felix and you have a 1-2 punch to contend in a short playoff series (assuming they make it to the playoffs in the first place with a overall improved rotation etc) Didnt work out. My question is - why is King Felix still a "king" ? Shouldn't it be King Brandon or King Dan Haren ? Felix for all the hype has not perfomed anywhere close to expectations - like Brandon or Dan Haren whom you point out in the post. Also, Bedard has not taken the world by storm either. This is exactly what the Mariners thought they were doing when they traded for Eric Bedard – put his alongside King Felix and you have a 1-2 punch to contend in a short playoff series (assuming they make it to the playoffs in the first place with a overall improved rotation etc)

Didnt work out.

My question is – why is King Felix still a “king” ? Shouldn’t it be King Brandon or King Dan Haren ? Felix for all the hype has not perfomed anywhere close to expectations – like Brandon or Dan Haren whom you point out in the post. Also, Bedard has not taken the world by storm either.

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