Baseball for the Thinking Fan

Login | Register | Feedback

btf_logo
You are here > Home > Baseball Newsstand > Baseball Primer Newsblog > Discussion
Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand

Friday, November 06, 2009

Bradley: With Hudson back, should Hanson become a closer?

or...With Bisher leaving, should Bradley go with him?

I’m just throwing it out there, OK? So don’t all scream at once. (If you do choose to scream, please take turns.) So here goes:

With the re-signing of Tim Hudson, the Braves have six starting pitchers under contract for 2010. The baseball truism holds that a team can never have too much pitching, but this one just might. The obvious solution would be to make Kenshin Kawakami a reliever, except for a couple of things: He makes too much money (around $8 million) to slot into middle relief and he generates too many baserunners to close. So …. what about this?

Tommy Hanson as closer.

I know, I know. Would any organization in its right mind redeploy its best pitching prospect in a generation so soon? And the answer would ordinarily be a resounding “Heck, no!’ Except that one organization has done pretty well with a redeployed starter as its closer.

The organization: The Boston Red Sox. The starter-turned-closer: Jonathan Papelbon.

Thanks much to the relief of Tyler Hissey.

Repoz Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:06 PM | 31 comment(s)
  Related News: GeneralSabermetricsAtlanta

Reader Comments and Retorts

Go to end of page

Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

Page 1 of 1 pages
   1. Craig K  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:14 PM (#3381440)
No.
   2. Tripon  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:14 PM (#3381442)
yes, do it. Turn the best young pitcher the Braves were able to develop into the closer.
   3. Maxwn  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:16 PM (#3381446)
No.

This.
   4. rLr Is King Of The Romans And Above Grammar  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:16 PM (#3381448)
McCann should be the primary pinch-hitter, too.
   5. 3Com Park  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:17 PM (#3381451)
I'd definitely want Hanson pitching 75 innings instead of 175.
   6. 1k5v3L, Useless  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:19 PM (#3381456)
Milton Bradley shouldn't have written this article.
   7. STEAGLES came to play  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:20 PM (#3381457)
is this guy paid to write things like this?
   8. Tripon  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:22 PM (#3381461)
Why wouldn't the Braves trade Hanson for Dancing Paps if they need a closer that badly?
   9. J. Bowman is the New Market Inefficiency  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:24 PM (#3381464)
I could point out that Papelbon became a reliever at least partly due to durability concerns, and the fact that Hanson threw ~130 ML innings this year would be a point in favor of his being able to handle a starter's workload. In fact, I just did.
But "No" does sum it up best. Kudos to you, Craig K.
   10. Nasty Nate  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:24 PM (#3381465)
is this guy paid to write things like this?


With Francouer gone, the AJC sports dept is drifting rudderless and topicless. Writing about Hanson or Hudson every week is a poor substitute, but they will have to make do.
   11. Shalimar  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:43 PM (#3381490)
Or you could trade Lowe or Vasquez for an outfielder. I wouldn't though, it's amazing how many problems like "we have too many pitchers" seem to get solved of their own accord by opening day.
   12. Jeff K.  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:52 PM (#3381501)
Paging Randal. Randal to the Hanson thread.

I'd rather see Hanson cover "Closer" than see Hanson as the closer.
   13. Teal & Black  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:55 PM (#3381503)
I’m just throwing it out there, OK? So don’t all scream at once. (If you do choose to scream, please take turns.) So here goes:


OKAY, I'LL GO FIRST. THIS IS VERY DUMB.
   14. Justin T  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 05:57 PM (#3381505)
Holy ####.
   15. SteveF  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:03 PM (#3381519)
I keep looking for the surgical scars on this dude's head.
   16. Confined to the Halls of Congers (formerly Y...)  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:03 PM (#3381521)
What's the story with Lowe? Superficially, his 2009 numbers look a bit like his 2004. Was it just a down year for him, or has his stuff diminished?
   17. Teheran's Uranium Enriched Missiles  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:09 PM (#3381530)
What's the story with Lowe? Superficially, his 2009 numbers look a bit like his 2004. Was it just a down year for him, or has his stuff diminished?


Started off well, had his usual midseason swoon, and instead of picking things in Aug/Sep, he started picking up injuries, and just sucked.
Dunno if it is the start of the decline or just a off year. Hurts his trade value this offseason too
   18. Sam Hutcheson (perhaps some sort of ninja)  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:15 PM (#3381540)
@Lowe: Had bad BABIP luck too, if you believe in such things.

@Hanson >> closer: There's a reason Mark Bradley covers the Hawks.
   19. Latnam's first name is Bob Lemon's middle name.  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:23 PM (#3381546)
I think a large portion of my faith in humanity left from just reading this headline, and knowing that the person who wrote it was serious.
   20. Teheran's Uranium Enriched Missiles  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:24 PM (#3381547)
I think a large portion of my faith in humanity left from just reading this headline, and knowing that the person who wrote it was serious.


Given that you work in the DA's office...
   21. The Buddy Biancalana Hit Counter  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:30 PM (#3381553)
I think a large portion of my faith in humanity left from just reading this headline, and knowing that the person who wrote it was serious.


276 comments for this post on AJC.com. The post above it asks Falcons fans to opine about DeAngelo Hall. That one has 320 comments. I think he's serious about something just not necessarily the premise of the posts.
   22. puck  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:34 PM (#3381557)
I'd definitely want Hanson pitching 75 innings instead of 175.


Way to wear down your closer.
   23. Confined to the Halls of Congers (formerly Y...)  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 06:44 PM (#3381565)
Would the Braves do Lowe & a big chunk of his salary for Luke Scott?
   24. Petunia: Pursuing a Prurient Pastime, All the Time  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 08:27 PM (#3381613)
I'd rather see Hanson cover "Closer" than see Hanson as the closer.


Oh, very well done.
   25. bunyon  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 08:56 PM (#3381626)
You know, I've been thinking about this one for awhile. I'm pretty sure that if the Cubs in 1989 had had Greg Maddux as closer, they'd have won the World Series.

And the Red Sox clearly messed up not converting Clemens to closer before the 1986 season.
   26. Joshua Gibsons Ruth (Voxter)  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 09:12 PM (#3381632)
I think the Braves should go to an all-closer pitching staff.
   27. rLr Is King Of The Romans And Above Grammar  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 09:39 PM (#3381645)
I think the Braves should go to an all-closer pitching staff.

But who would pitch the eighth?
   28. Latnam's first name is Bob Lemon's middle name.  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 09:41 PM (#3381648)
Given that you work in the DA's office...


Whoa, whoa, you wound me. I actually work in the public defender's office. Which is like the DA's office, in that it is the exact opposite of that. We do see the same people though, and one would've thought I'd have lost my faith in humanity long ago.
   29. Tripon  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 09:44 PM (#3381649)

Whoa, whoa, you wound me. I actually work in the public defender's office. Which is like the DA's office, in that it is the exact opposite of that. We do see the same people though, and one would've thought I'd have lost my faith in humanity long ago.


Is your life like Raising the Bar where you get to sleep with your hot co-workers with no repercussions?
   30. The District Attorney  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 09:44 PM (#3381650)
I actually work in the public defender's office. Which is like the DA's office, in that it is the exact opposite of that.
It's true, I've never seen the man.
   31. rLr Is King Of The Romans And Above Grammar  Posted: November 06, 2009 at 09:45 PM (#3381651)
Is your life like Raising the Bar where you get to sleep with your hot co-workers with no repercussions?

Or is it like Twelve Angry Men where you sit dumbly next to your swarthy client and let Henry Fonda prove reasonable doubt in the jury room?
Page 1 of 1 pages

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

 

<< Back to main

Support BBTF

donate

Thanks to
Harry Balsagne Teaches The Correct Way to Hit!!
for his generous support.

My Bookmarks

You must be logged in to view your Bookmarks.

Vivid Seats is a sports ticket broker, concert ticket broker and theater ticket broker offering the best baseball tickets like Yankees tickets, Cubs tickets, and Red Sox tickets, as well as Police reunion tour tickets and Jersey Boys tickets.

We have baseball tickets, the NFL schedule, college football tickets and Cowboys tickets. We have NBA tickets like Celtics tickets and Lakers tickets. Plus, buy concert tickets, Patriots tickets and Colts tickets. Also check out our MLB baseball schedule

Baseball Bats

JustGreatTickets.com provides the best value for Chicago Cubs Tickets, MLB tickets including Red Sox Tickets, Yankees Tickets, SF Giants Tickets, LA Dodgers Tickets, Cleveland Indians Tickets. Get the best concert tickets like Jonas Brothers tickets and more Chicago Tickets.

Concerts Theatre NFL Angels Dodgers MLB Celtics Theater NBA Tickets Venues NHL Lakers Tickets NFL Yankees NHL Phillies NBA Wicked Marlins MLB Concerts Cubs Mets Red Sox Wicked WWE Red Sox Mets Yankees Dodgers

Major League Baseball: All Star Game, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, LA Angels, Washington Nationals, Chicago White Sox, and the Chicago Cubs.

Find terrific deals on Yankees tickets for the new home, Cubs tickets for classic Wrigley, or Red Sox tickets for Fenway with OnlineSeats. We have seats for every baseball game, including Dodgers tickets.

Page rendered in 0.6804 seconds
82 querie(s) executed