Well isn't that nice. I don't think he ever had a problem PLAYING CATCH with nobody hitting, and no fans watching before. His problem is supposed to be mental is it not?
“I have to throw strikes and attack the strike zone, be aggressive,” Willis said. “My situation has been walking guys and giving up too many runs.”
On not being aggressive enough: “Uh-uh, no,” Willis said. “I was trying to be too fine.”
Willis has walked 63 batters in 57 2/3 innings with Detroit, going 1-6 with an 8.32 ERA.
But when he completed his first bullpen session this spring, he ran to catcher Joe Bowen high-fived him with his glove. Then, he pointed to the sky, shaking his head for approval.
“He threw extremely well,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said, “and it was free and easy. He had a good, loose arm action and mechanics. He threw the ball well and had a good look on his face. And that’s important.”
The problem with Willis has been Anxiety Disorder. Something that no amount of looking good in BP sessions is going to tell us anything. This guy has pitched well in his career before all this, but the anxiety prevents us from knowing if he has anything at all left. His unorthodox delivery was always looked at as a reason why hitters couldn't pick up his pitches. He never seemed to regain the early success he had in Florida.
We basically have 2 guys we know can pitch better than they have the last 2-3 years. Bonderman has also been a huge disappointment lately. Some ha to do with injuries. Others had to do with maybe the same kind of thing as Willis had. HE was notorious for giving up runs in the first inning. Like the guy was way too amped up before hitting the mound.
If either of these guys could keep their ERA around 4 and the walks down we might have a ridiculous pitching staff this year, but neither seems to be a good bet. Looks like Willis has hit the weight loss wand and is probably in good shape, but let's hope he can get the right medication and therapy to just get the job done.
Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons, Rasheed Wallace, Barry Bonds, and the world of sports.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Damon Reportedly Agrees to 1 year $8 Million With Tigers
Well, well, well. I guess you can all thank me for this signing folks. I posted to tell him to make up his mind just a couple hours ago, and there it is :D.
Yup...Johnny Damon gave me a call about 30 minutes ago and told me that he read my post and wanted to make sure that I was cool with the signing. I said I was, but only felt a 1 year deal would be the way to go in case he all of a sudden got really old really fast ;).
Anyways, I couldn't be happier with the signing. We have needed a decent lead off hitter ever since I can remember. Plus we have heard the tired old "we need a left handed bat" every year over and over again from DD and Leyland for about 5 years now.
Before you start talkign like an idiot and saying things like Damon has a noodle arm, and "OMFG I'M RAGE'D" because you are concerned about Illitch's pocketbook, just STFU. The difference between Damon throwing out 5 people a year from LF and some other yokel throwing out 6 guys a year is not even worth mentioning. You know for a fact he has better range than Guillen does, and his lack of defense has been completely overblown for years. WE NEED THIS BAT BADLY like you probably need some face moisturizer on your pocked up noggin.
So...this means that we can give Austin Jackson either a little bit more time in the minors, or at the very least not force the kid to be the leadoff hitter now. I'd like to see him get a shot to make the team, but my expectations certainly aren't high right now. Everything I have read says he needs a lot more work at the plate, but if he is hitting at the bottom of the order we aren't exactly in the same situation we were before Damon signed.
Yup...Johnny Damon gave me a call about 30 minutes ago and told me that he read my post and wanted to make sure that I was cool with the signing. I said I was, but only felt a 1 year deal would be the way to go in case he all of a sudden got really old really fast ;).
Anyways, I couldn't be happier with the signing. We have needed a decent lead off hitter ever since I can remember. Plus we have heard the tired old "we need a left handed bat" every year over and over again from DD and Leyland for about 5 years now.
Before you start talkign like an idiot and saying things like Damon has a noodle arm, and "OMFG I'M RAGE'D" because you are concerned about Illitch's pocketbook, just STFU. The difference between Damon throwing out 5 people a year from LF and some other yokel throwing out 6 guys a year is not even worth mentioning. You know for a fact he has better range than Guillen does, and his lack of defense has been completely overblown for years. WE NEED THIS BAT BADLY like you probably need some face moisturizer on your pocked up noggin.
So...this means that we can give Austin Jackson either a little bit more time in the minors, or at the very least not force the kid to be the leadoff hitter now. I'd like to see him get a shot to make the team, but my expectations certainly aren't high right now. Everything I have read says he needs a lot more work at the plate, but if he is hitting at the bottom of the order we aren't exactly in the same situation we were before Damon signed.
It's That Time of Year: Pistons Give Me No Joy
It seems like 20 years since the Pistons were one of the best franchises in the NBA. The last couple years have been rather brutal you can't deny that. Trading Billups for AI was the ultimate disaster for us. Even with the extra cash we got, we ended up blowing it on a guy in Ben Gordon who missed half the year, and sucks ass right now. The signing was ridiculous in every way. Made absolutely no sense at all, and we are going nowhere anytime soon with it.
Usually about the AS break is when we see just how crappy the team is and it is basically that time now. There is almost nothing interesting abut the games right now. Rather watch relacore commercials honestly. I don't even watch anymore because there is nothing I care about in any sense. MAKE IT GO AWAY JOE.
Oh yeah...how long before the team gets sold? Please sell it to a rich spendthrift that doesn't care about the Luxury Tax. KThanks.
Usually about the AS break is when we see just how crappy the team is and it is basically that time now. There is almost nothing interesting abut the games right now. Rather watch relacore commercials honestly. I don't even watch anymore because there is nothing I care about in any sense. MAKE IT GO AWAY JOE.
Oh yeah...how long before the team gets sold? Please sell it to a rich spendthrift that doesn't care about the Luxury Tax. KThanks.
Make Up Your Mind Damon
Didn't realize that Johnny Damon and Brett Favre were such good friends. I can't remember a guy who probably is not a superstar, and not really even that hot of a commodity being such a pain in the ass to sign. Especially a guy that is what 37 years old, and probably more interested in dealing with his arthritis treatment than playing baseball?
It has been at least 6 weeks since I first heard the rumors about Johnny Damon signing with the Tigers. Now 6 weeks later I have heard that it was a done deal at least 3 times over the last 2 weeks. Then Damon wants to squeeze a few more dollars out and it starts all over again. Now he is flirting with the Chicago White Sox, but they say they aren't signing him because they offered way less than we reportedly did.
So basically we are overpaying hi in the market, and he is bending us over to wait for him to get shot down everywhere else. Good old Boras and DD and helping his clients drive their price up at the expense of the Tigers.
It has been at least 6 weeks since I first heard the rumors about Johnny Damon signing with the Tigers. Now 6 weeks later I have heard that it was a done deal at least 3 times over the last 2 weeks. Then Damon wants to squeeze a few more dollars out and it starts all over again. Now he is flirting with the Chicago White Sox, but they say they aren't signing him because they offered way less than we reportedly did.
So basically we are overpaying hi in the market, and he is bending us over to wait for him to get shot down everywhere else. Good old Boras and DD and helping his clients drive their price up at the expense of the Tigers.
Play Ball! Pitchers and Catchers Report
Other than Football, and basketball, and, no that's it, baseball is something I anticipate quite a bit. I consider baseball to be my favorite sport overall. While I do enjoy watching football, and the NFL in particular a tad more than baseball most of the time, I enjoy everything about baseball overall more.
Baseball just has so many little stories going on in the games, and in the stats. If you aren't a big baseball fan you might argue other sports have just as much strategy like say football, but you don't get it. Nobody says there isn't strategy in these games, but there are just so many little things in baseball that are interesting. The slight movements int he field based on the hitter at the plate, or the situation in the game. With a man on first, or a runner in scoring position with 1 out and it is a 1 run game. The way the pitcher does things on the mounds. Stealing signs. It is endless.
So...when pitchers and catchers report I start getting excited again. Even moreso than finding a quick weight loss solution :D. I can't wait.
Baseball just has so many little stories going on in the games, and in the stats. If you aren't a big baseball fan you might argue other sports have just as much strategy like say football, but you don't get it. Nobody says there isn't strategy in these games, but there are just so many little things in baseball that are interesting. The slight movements int he field based on the hitter at the plate, or the situation in the game. With a man on first, or a runner in scoring position with 1 out and it is a 1 run game. The way the pitcher does things on the mounds. Stealing signs. It is endless.
So...when pitchers and catchers report I start getting excited again. Even moreso than finding a quick weight loss solution :D. I can't wait.
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