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Sunday, March 09, 2008

MLB: Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw promoted to big league camp

“Do I look like I’m negotiating?”

Dodgers manager Joe Torre caught himself in mid-sentence, realizing that comparing Clayton Kershaw to Sandy Koufax is exactly what he didn’t want to do.

But Torre couldn’t help himself.

When a phenom arrives, these things happen. Kershaw is playing the part. He mowed through Major League hitters Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew and Sean Casey in a perfect 10-pitch inning on Sunday, after which Torre acknowledged that the teenager (he turns 20 on March 19) had been promoted from Minor League camp and into the Major League clubhouse for the rest of Spring Training—and who knows how long after that?

Only hours earlier, Torre was saying he was “about as close to 100 percent without being 100 percent” sure that Kershaw would not be in his starting rotation when the season opens in three weeks. He cited the flameouts of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior as cautionary examples of rushed talent and left only slight wiggle room to change his position “if everything else fell into place.”

But the buzz Kershaw has created with his 97-mph fastball and jaw-dropping curveball already had teammates raving. Then Torre watched another inning and joined in Clayton-mania.

Repoz Posted: March 09, 2008 at 10:57 PM | 21 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
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   1. Robert S. Posted: March 09, 2008 at 11:21 PM (#2709423)
I have a perfect compromise, Joe: Use Kershaw like Proctor or Quantrill. Cap his innings at 100, but don't be shy about him making 85 or so appearances. Everybody wins. Besides, not many LOOGYs can throw 97!
   2. BeanoCook Posted: March 09, 2008 at 11:32 PM (#2709428)
85 appearances is insane.
   3. The importance of being Ernest Riles Posted: March 09, 2008 at 11:34 PM (#2709429)
His curveball looked pretty nice today...
http://dodgerthoughts.baseballtoaster.com/archives/920274.html
   4. npurcell Posted: March 09, 2008 at 11:36 PM (#2709430)
youtube link....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2M0c6DxCMY

"public enemy number one!"
   5. shoewizard Posted: March 10, 2008 at 12:24 AM (#2709455)
Keeper league. Roto 5x5

Justin Upton or Clayton Kershaw?
   6. plink Posted: March 10, 2008 at 12:48 AM (#2709462)
Justin Upton or Clayton Kershaw?


Upton, and it's not even close. He's a pitcher, for cryin' out loud!
   7. Walt Davis Posted: March 10, 2008 at 12:52 AM (#2709467)
I don't think either Prior or Wood were rushed. It's certainly fair to say that Wood was overpitched in his rookie year and rushing him back for the playoffs was insane (and both he and Prior were overpitched in 2003), but there's no way they weren't ready for the majors. Wood struck out 233 guys in 166 IP -- you're gonna keep talent like that in the minors?

And it's ridiculous to refer to Wood as a "flameout". He has about 1200 IP in his career with a 117 ERA+. From 2001-2003, he threw 600 IP with an ERA+ around 120-125. Wood was hurt twice (followed by a string of owies), not a flameout. Amazingly (i.e. I'm old), he's entering his 10th season (11 if you count the year entirely on the DL).

There are a million things to (potentially) criticize the Cubs for with regard to Wood and Prior, but the idea they would have benefited from another year or two in AAA strikes me as off the mark.
   8. philly Posted: March 10, 2008 at 01:24 AM (#2709481)
And it's ridiculous to refer to Wood as a "flameout". He has about 1200 IP in his career with a 117 ERA+. From 2001-2003, he threw 600 IP with an ERA+ around 120-125. Wood was hurt twice (followed by a string of owies), not a flameout. Amazingly (i.e. I'm old), he's entering his 10th season (11 if you count the year entirely on the DL).


Just to reinforce that point. To date Wood has the 11th highest WARP1 total from his draft class and if you just look at pre-FA WARP he has the 6th highest total.

There's certainly a lot of "what could have been" with Wood - hell that pre-FA total includes a year burnt on the DL - but would was a valuable player in relation to his peers. That's easy to see as long as you don't automatically assume his peers are Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens.
   9. Yankee Redneck is a Pinhead. Posted: March 10, 2008 at 01:44 AM (#2709491)
But the buzz Kershaw has created with his 97-mph fastball and jaw-dropping curveball already had teammates raving.


Wouldn't it be good to be in his shoes?
   10. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L) Posted: March 10, 2008 at 02:13 AM (#2709512)
Better than being in El Duque's shoes, for sure (or Kaz Matsui's underwear, for that matter).
   11. Jarrod HypnerotomachiaPoliphili(Teddy F. Ballgame) Posted: March 10, 2008 at 02:51 AM (#2709525)
The curveball in the video was great, but the real pleasure was hearing Vin Scully, even for just a few seconds. Man, I wish he could somehow call the games for every team.
   12. Russlan will never be fond of Jason Bay Posted: March 10, 2008 at 03:06 AM (#2709533)
Better than being in El Duque's shoes, for sure (or Kaz Matsui's underwear, for that matter).

Just become a Met fan already, man. You are obsessed with them.

Scully's great. Love the "public enemy #1" line.
   13. npurcell Posted: March 10, 2008 at 03:17 AM (#2709536)
"That was some of the best stuff I have seen in a long time as far as a new arm,'' Casey said. "The first pitch was a hammer, and I hate to say it was almost (Barry) Zito-like, but it broke with this 12-6 tilt. Imagine that from a guy who hits 97 (mph) with his fastball. Then he threw me another one that froze me. That was great stuff, big-league stuff, and I think he could help that team this year.''

http://tinyurl.com/ywvl2w
   14. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L) Posted: March 10, 2008 at 04:20 AM (#2709556)
Just become a Met fan already, man. You are obsessed with them.
I do end up seeing about a third of their games on TV, and about 5-6 starts in person...
   15. Walt Davis Posted: March 10, 2008 at 05:18 AM (#2709577)
Philly, where does Prior rank? I would imagine that 657 IP of 123 ERA+ will put him top 10-15 in his draft class at least. A quick scope of the first round suggests no worse than 5th (Mauer, Teixeira, Bonderman, Wright) with Kotchmann and maybe Mathis, Sowers and Gross having a chance to pass him eventually in pre-FA totals. Assuming a couple later rounders have or will pass him, it still seems he'll be top 10.

Not too bad a draft class that.

I didn't realize that Van Benschoten had even made the majors. Man has he stunk (1-10, 49 ERA+, WHIP>2, BB>K).
   16. Rocco's Not-so Malfunctioning Mitochondria Posted: March 10, 2008 at 02:31 PM (#2709745)
I didn't realize that Van Benschoten had even made the majors. Man has he stunk (1-10, 49 ERA+, WHIP>2, BB>K).


In a world where Pirates management isn't idiotic, he would have been an outfielder years ago.
   17. Charles S., consistent since he changed his mind Posted: March 10, 2008 at 02:53 PM (#2709775)
Wouldn't it be good to be in his shoes?

Nice one, Reggie. Just wanted you to know that somebody got it.
   18. DCA Posted: March 10, 2008 at 03:21 PM (#2709796)
Philly, where does Prior rank? I would imagine that 657 IP of 123 ERA+ will put him top 10-15 in his draft class at least. A quick scope of the first round suggests no worse than 5th (Mauer, Teixeira, Bonderman, Wright) with Kotchmann and maybe Mathis, Sowers and Gross having a chance to pass him eventually in pre-FA totals. Assuming a couple later rounders have or will pass him, it still seems he'll be top 10.

Sowers didn't sign that year. Bonderman has had one above average season in 5 full in the majors. Unless he wins the CY this year I'd take Prior's first 6 years over his. Mathis and Gross are longshots to deliver Prior's value. Neither appears likely to have a starting job in the near future. In particular, Gross already has three years in and is a corner OF with an OPS+ < 100.

From the 2001 draft, the best of the rest who signed are Shoppach, Hardy, Haren (2nd), Keppinger, Barfield (4th), B.Harris, Howard (5th), Tracy, D.Johnson (7th), Youkilis (8th), L.Scott (9th), Soto, Uggla (11th), Bartlett (13th), Chris Young the OF (16th), Gomes (18th), Duke (20th), Parra, Kinsler (26th), Gathright (32nd), Shelton (33rd), Gaudin (34th). I skipped pitchers like E.Jackson and Albers who haven't produced yet and all RP (Heilman and Medders probably the best). Notice the nice late round drafting by the D-Rays.

Haren and Howard have already or will soon pass Prior. I would expect that either Hardy or Youkilis will, and maybe a couple of the others if they break out (Soto, Young) or age well (Uggla, Kinsler). So right now, I'd put Prior 6th (Mauer, Teixeira, Wright, Haren, Howard) and he'll probably end up around 10th.
   19. Yeaarrgghhhh Posted: March 10, 2008 at 03:28 PM (#2709802)
that pitch was sick.
   20. Walt Davis Posted: March 10, 2008 at 06:04 PM (#2709915)
Bonderman has had one above average season in 5 full in the majors. Unless he wins the CY this year I'd take Prior's first 6 years over his.

I know, but here's where we get into quantity vs. quality. Bonderman will be very lucky to have a 100 career ERA+ by the end of the year but, assuming healthy, he will have 1100+ IP to Prior's 650-700 (if he pitches at all this year). That's an extra 2.5 seasons (out of 6) of mediocrity which is pretty valuable these days. So I'm not so willing to assume Bonderman was less valuable than Prior. Now if somebody wants to run some numbers....
   21. Walt Davis Posted: March 11, 2008 at 01:20 AM (#2710147)
ahhh, I was confusing Mathis with Napoli (or turning them into one actually). Yeah, Mathis would seem to have almost no shot at out-valuing Prior.
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