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Sunday, May 27, 2012

Cincinnati.com: Aroldis Chapman remains mystery off the field

Chapman, stick?

Off the field, things were not so good. At 12:42 a.m. Monday, Chapman was pulled over for allegedly driving 93 miles per hour in Grove City, just south of Columbus. The officer arrested him after he discovered Chapman had a suspended Kentucky driver’s license, according to a police report. It’s at least the fourth time Chapman has been caught speeding since he was issued a license two years ago.

Before the saves and before the blue lights in his rear view mirror, a man filed a federal lawsuit May 18 in Miami, seeking $18 million in damages from Chapman. Danilo Curbello Garcia claims that Chapman conspired with the Departamento de Seguridad del Estado, the Cuban secret police, just so he could play baseball in Cuba.

This accusation, unproven and possibly nothing more than a money grab, is potentially very damaging.

vortex of dissipation Posted: May 27, 2012 at 07:15 AM | 23 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: international, reds

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1. Enrico Pallazzo Posted: May 27, 2012 at 10:58 AM (#4141163)

Just checked out his numbers so far. My jaw dropped.

2. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: May 27, 2012 at 11:34 AM (#4141167)

He doesn't have an ERA+ yet.

3. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: May 27, 2012 at 11:45 AM (#4141169)

He doesn't have an ERA+ yet.

∞

4. Fernigal McGunnigle has become a merry hat Posted: May 27, 2012 at 12:30 PM (#4141188)

He's allowed 40 hits in 87.1 career innings. That's completely absurd.

5. Flynn Posted: May 27, 2012 at 01:03 PM (#4141197)

He's been in the majors for basically a year and has thrown 87.1 career innings. That's completely absurd.

6. jwb Posted: May 27, 2012 at 01:24 PM (#4141203)

4.1 H/9, 0.2 HR/9, 5.4 BB/9. Hardly worth bringing a bat.

7. Lassus Posted: May 27, 2012 at 01:39 PM (#4141205)

Any decent reason why he isn't starting yet?

8. Bob from Indiana Posted: May 27, 2012 at 01:49 PM (#4141212)

Dusty Baker is an idiot is the reason.

9. Tim Wallach was my Hero Posted: May 27, 2012 at 04:18 PM (#4141319)

He faced 91 batters and struck out 43 of them. Wow.

10. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: May 27, 2012 at 04:41 PM (#4141346)

11. PeteF3 Posted: May 27, 2012 at 04:44 PM (#4141349)

do folks here realize they are talking out of both sides of their mouths?

That, and do they seriously believe that it's Dusty's call about whether or not Chapman starts?

12. gef the talking mongoose Posted: May 27, 2012 at 05:02 PM (#4141366)

do folks here realize they are talking out of both sides of their mouths?

Objection!

The preferred phrase, surely, is "typing out of both sides of their keyboards."

13. MM1f Posted: May 27, 2012 at 05:18 PM (#4141374)

That, and do they seriously believe that it's Dusty's call about whether or not Chapman starts?

Great point. The developmental future of a multi-million dollar investment, and once in a lifetime talent, like Chapman is mostly out of the manager's hands. If the Reds front office thought Chapman was ready to be a starting pitcher, he would be one.

14. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: May 27, 2012 at 05:40 PM (#4141383)

i don't know about dusty not calling the shots. everything ever stated by walk with tony and now dusty is that that once the roster is delivered to the manager it's the manager who calls the shots of who plays and when

15. PeteF3 Posted: May 27, 2012 at 06:05 PM (#4141388)

Dusty used Chapman for a 5-out save today, and it was a legit fireman situation as the Rockies had 1st & 3rd in a 7-5 game with CarGo and then Tulowitzki up to bat. Gotta say that I'm okay with this kind of usage, at least for now.

16. KT's Pot Arb Posted: May 27, 2012 at 07:56 PM (#4141414)

Danilo Curbello Garcia claims that Chapman conspired with the Departamento de Seguridad del Estado, the Cuban secret police, just so he could play baseball in Cuba.

It's a crime to play baseball in Cuba?

17. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: May 27, 2012 at 08:00 PM (#4141415)

From what I read, the plan was to start Chapman in Triple A as a starting pitcher. When the Reds' bullpen took a hit in the preseason, they determined they needed him there, with Dusty indicating that his future was still as an SP.

18. Steve Parris, Je t'aime Posted: May 27, 2012 at 08:07 PM (#4141418)

With the normal Spring Training caveats aside, Chapman looked more than ready to join the rotation in March. The Reds made moves in the winter to acquire not only a closer (Madson), but a high-leverage lefty (Marshall), so I don't doubt their intention. But as [16] mentions, the bullpen situation became dire once they lost not only Madson, but Bill Bray and Nick Masset.

I held some hope out that the Reds were simply trying to keep Chapman's innings down by having him relieve for a month or two, but it's looking more and more like he's there to stay. For this season.

19. Der_K Posted: May 27, 2012 at 11:42 PM (#4141514)

do folks here realize they are talking out of both sides of their mouths? dusty gets hammered for working starters into the ground. here he is goes in the opposite direction and folks are hollering he's wasting the guy's talent.
I don't follow. He has the repertoire to start but has mostly been used in middle relief. There's room in between being used as the worst greatest lefty reliever and pitching too many innings in the rotation.

What 17/18 said, but I think the Reds would've been well served to transition Aroldis anyway. He's (hopefully) a big, big part of this team's future. If his future is in the rotation (and I think that should be pursued), move towards that and find relievers elsewhere.

20. Andere Richtingen

Posted: May 28, 2012 at 12:51 AM (#4141532)

I have no particular insight on Chapman, but speeding around in a Lamborghini with vanity plates that read "105 MPH"? Hard to chalk that kind of stupidity up to culture.

21. Walt Davis Posted: May 28, 2012 at 01:03 AM (#4141534)

Dusty was criticized for sending Prior and Wood out to pitch 8th and 9th innings with comfortable leads and pitch counts already over 100. Dusty was never once criticized for using Prior and Wood as starting pitchers.

22. Monty Posted: May 28, 2012 at 02:23 AM (#4141545)

I got a lot of speeding tickets the two years after I got my license, so it's hard for me to point fingers.However:

I have no particular insight on Chapman, but speeding around in a Lamborghini with vanity plates that read "105 MPH"? Hard to chalk that kind of stupidity up to culture.

Man, at lease I wasn't that dumb. It's hard to argue yourself out of a ticket in that situation.

23. Zach Posted: May 28, 2012 at 03:52 AM (#4141549)

Speaking of talking out of both sides of your mouth, the article leans hard on the Cuban lawsuit story without actually endorsing it. If it's true, it's a pretty bad indictment of Chapman's character. If it's not, it's completely irrelevant and shouldn't be mentioned in an article like this.

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Sunday, May 27, 2012

Cincinnati.com: Aroldis Chapman remains mystery off the field

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