Izzy or Isn’t He?
The St. Louis Cardinals are playing surprisingly good baseball so far in 2008, posting a 22-15 record and leading the NL Central division. However, they could be doing substantially better if not for the struggles of their closer, Jason Isringhausen. After blowing another 9th inning lead last night, Izzy has now accumulated a major league worst -2.25 WPA, thanks to allowing 13 runs in 15 2/3 high leverage innings. During the last two and a half weeks, Isringhausen has given up a lead or tie five times. Charts like this will give Tony LaRussa some kind of heartburn.
This isn’t just bad timing, either – Isringhausen is running a 5.16 FIP, thanks to command problems and an inability to keep the ball in the yard. He’s not as bad as his 7.47 ERA would indicate, but St. Louis is going to have to see him pitcher better than he is if they’re going to keep handing him high leverage situations where they can’t afford to let him give up a run. With youngster Kyle McClellan throwing well (2.87 FIP, closer stuff), the Cardinals have an alternative option. Isringhausen may be the established veteran down there, but right now, the only thing he’s establishing is that he shouldn’t be pitching in the 9th inning.
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As a Cardinal fan, it has been pretty unbearable. I thought perhaps it’s his hip flaring up again, but this seems to be a case of something in between the ears not working. Even he said in the presser afterwards he doesn’t want to close anymore.
K-Mac for closer! Looking at McClellan’s card at Josh Kalk’s, his #1 comp is Adam Wainwright. Wainwright was a heckuva closer himself for a short period of time, as October baseball watchers may remember.
Rotoworld just reported that Izzy wants to take himself out of the closers role (temporarily) and they suggest Ryan Franklin is the guy who will replace him. I agree that McClellan is the guy who should be closing instead of him, but to even humor the idea of having Ryan Franklin close makes me feel very sad for Cardinals fans.
FIP for relievers?
Ryan Franklin as a closer is hilarious. And sad. But mostly hilarious.
Especially when the Cards have the option to bring back the nickname “Mac the Ninth”
I think I just saw on the ESPN ticker that Ryan Franklin and Russ Springer will share closer duties. I’m not sure how this is an improvement. Springer at least had “closer” stuff last year, but he’s been pretty awful this year. Wonder why there’s no talk of bringing in Randy Flores, he’s been used in the highest leverage situations of all the relievers except for Izzy. (I’m not suggesting Randy Flores should close).
Well, when both ultimately fail then the fall back plan is our 22 year old AAA closer Chris Perez. He throws 98, with a wipeout slider and a decent curveball. He has some control issues but has some high K rates, and he’s pretty tough to hit.
I should say he throws up to 98, but lives 94-96. Didn’t mean to exaggerate. But I’m not exaggerating in saying his slider is almost Lidge-like. The good Lidge.
It’ll be interesting to see how Franklin manages to whine about a lack of run support coming in with a 3-run lead in the ninth.