Turnbow:  Asset or liability?

A fairly balanced article though short on pointing to easily available numbers that confirm what is referenced in the article.  Basically, you know by the end of the first batter’s plate appearance whether Turnbow is going to have a successful outcome.  Turnbow’s control evaporates into dust after 15 pitches which is why the teams with batters who can follow a plan do the same thing:  wait.  Turnbow’s outings against St. Louis have been particularly infamous as last I checked Derrick was averaging a walk an inning against the Cards who as a group will just stand at home plate with their bat on the shoulder until they get two strikes.  It’s obvious what is happening and yet nobody on the Brewer coaching staff can coach or convince Turnbow to just throw one down the middle.  Part of that is the fact that Turnbow never really knows where his pitches are going.  But still, one would like to think that SOMEBODY other than a cranky old b*stard watching on TV would notice the Cardinals gameplan.

But this part DID get under my skin:

Yost also caught his share of flak for not pulling Turnbow from games before he completely melted down. Turnbow often followed one walk with another and seldom succeeded when summoned with men on base, but Yost at times didn’t have what he considered better options in a bullpen running on fumes in the second half.

“There were times when red flags would go up and I’d go get him,” said Yost. “But he’s a guy who very seldom gets through an inning clean. You have to give him a little leeway. A lot of times, he finds ways to get out of it.

“When he got in trouble last year, a lot of time it would be with two outs. You’d think that he was one pitch away (from escaping). (Fans) want you to plug in the crystal ball.

This is a bald-faced lie.  Turnbow’s implosions began from almost the first pitch.  Yost defending his stupidity.  Bah!