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Monday, December 05, 2022

Rick Porcello Announces Retirement

Former American League Cy Young winner Rick Porcello seemingly stepped away from baseball with scarcely a word about his decision to do so following the 2020 season, but in a new appearance on the Bradfo Sho with WEEI’s Rob Bradford, the 33-year-old righty publicly confirmed for the first time that he has indeed retired.

“I wanted to be with my family,” said Porcello, who also tells Bradford that he and his brother built a house together in the two years since he’s last taken a big league mound. “I wanted to get back into that type of lifestyle and be around them because every year that you’re gone is another year where your parents are getting older, and your brothers are getting older.”

Porcello acknowledged that his struggles in his final two Major League seasons muted interest during the 2020-21 offseason, though it’s known that he at least drew some interest in a potential reunion with the Tigers that winter. No deal ever materialized, however, and Porcello has now apparently opted to dedicate his time and efforts to his family and to helping grow youth baseball in Vermont, where he and his brother built their aforementioned home. In addition to the full audio of the interview, Bradford has several lengthy quotes from Porcello on his decision to retire, on his struggles in 2019-20, on building that house and on his commitment to youth baseball in his column at WEEI.

 

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: December 05, 2022 at 10:42 AM | 26 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: rick porcello

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   1. RickA. Posted: December 05, 2022 at 10:46 AM (#6107999)
Quick glance at the headline, and I thought it said Rico Petrocelli announced his retirement. I thought it was a spoof about how athletes seem to be announcing their retirement years after their last game.
   2. My name is Votto, and I love to get Moppo Posted: December 05, 2022 at 10:55 AM (#6108001)
Porcello had a pretty good career: one magical season with the Cy Young, played in a bunch of postseason games, won a ring, and had 150 wins. Still, going out at only age 33 has to sting a bit.
   3. SoSH U at work Posted: December 05, 2022 at 11:02 AM (#6108006)
The Porcello fact that fascinates me and noone else: He was the king of the decision (win or lose). If you can find a starting pitcher with a better decision to IP rate than his (1 for every 7.62 IP), you're a better searcher than I* am.

* In all honesty, being a better searcher than I am isn't difficult, but I never find any long-time SP who come particularly close.
   4. Jay Seaver Posted: December 05, 2022 at 11:53 AM (#6108019)
Still, going out at only age 33 has to sting a bit.


Heck, not even 32 when he pitched his last game, though he had a fair-sized career because Detroit brought him up at 20. Gotta respect the career he had, though - took the ball pretty dependably, was awful close to league-average over the course of his careers, won a World Series, had some notable highs.
   5. Walt Davis Posted: December 05, 2022 at 12:41 PM (#6108032)
I wonder if IP/decision peaks young? Might also help not to break in or fade away as a reliever (or it might not). Anyway, none of the big names I checked came close (Lincecum around 8.5) and the closest I came was a rando search for "kinda good guy during the 70s" and (mysteries of the Walt brain) I went for Paul Splittorff who came in at 8.3 which is still not close but is a reason to remind the world that there are two t's and two f's in Splittorff.
   6. Howie Menckel Posted: December 05, 2022 at 12:50 PM (#6108038)
use the remaining letters to get a SPOILR alert !
   7. SoSH U at work Posted: December 05, 2022 at 01:01 PM (#6108043)
Might also help not to break in or fade away as a reliever (or it might not).


I've looked in various eras and various types of starters, and I've never found anyone particularly close (even peak-young, low IP starters like Brandon Webb or Teddy Higuera come in at normal ranges).

The only player I saw who beat him was one of the relievers I looked at (for obvious reasons): Elroy Face was at 6.9.
   8. reech Posted: December 05, 2022 at 01:11 PM (#6108050)
Good for him.
Awesome that he cites family as his reason.
   9. JimMusComp misses old primer... Posted: December 05, 2022 at 01:44 PM (#6108059)
Good for him.
Awesome that he cites family as his reason.


Well, he wasn't going to cite going 1-7 in 2020 as the reason...even though....
   10. reech Posted: December 05, 2022 at 01:55 PM (#6108063)
1-7 in 2020 probably still gets him $7 million from the Tigers!!!!!!!
   11. Darren Posted: December 05, 2022 at 02:46 PM (#6108079)
I was always surprised that someone else didn't take a $5-10 mil flyer on him, but maybe he was not pursuing it either.
   12. Darren Posted: December 05, 2022 at 02:47 PM (#6108081)
Cy Young winner but never an All-Star is an odd combination.
   13. Froot Loops Posted: December 05, 2022 at 02:54 PM (#6108089)
John Denny is on that list.
   14. Zach Posted: December 05, 2022 at 07:53 PM (#6108152)
Still, going out at only age 33 has to sting a bit.

With the last year as the COVID year, no less.

OTOH, maybe sucking in a short season at reduced pay in empty ballparks while getting nasally probed makes you reevaluate what you want out of life. My organization certainly had a lot of surprise departures after COVID let up.
   15. DanG Posted: December 05, 2022 at 10:20 PM (#6108170)
Not surprising he had nothing left in his 30's. Through his age-25 season he had 180 GS and 1,073 IP. I believe the only pitchers to debut in the past 20 years who were worked harder as youngsters were Felix Hernandez, Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw.
   16. Bleed the Freak Posted: December 05, 2022 at 11:18 PM (#6108180)
15. DanG Posted: December 05, 2022 at 10:20 PM (#6108170)
Not surprising he had nothing left in his 30's. Through his age-25 season he had 180 GS and 1,073 IP. I believe the only pitchers to debut in the past 20 years who were worked harder as youngsters were Felix Hernandez, Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw.


Was hoping he could be a rubber arm and clear the 4000 IP mark, and fashion a Dennis Martinez length career, but alas, he fell short.

Ironically, his best FIP season was his final one, how often does that happen, though his ERA was woeful with awful BABIP and LOB%.
   17. Steve Parris, Je t'aime Posted: December 06, 2022 at 08:26 AM (#6108203)
Not surprising he had nothing left in his 30's. Through his age-25 season he had 180 GS and 1,073 IP. I believe the only pitchers to debut in the past 20 years who were worked harder as youngsters were Felix Hernandez, Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw.


I wonder how much that list expands if you count minor league innings. Porcello had one full year in the minors after he was drafted, and was then essentially in the majors for good. From his age 20-24 years he made most of his starts but kept his innings in the 170-190 range. He didn't have a big IP (220+) year until his CYA season, when he was 27. Looking at those other guys, Kershaw and Felix were both 23 in their first heavy usage seasons. Bumgarner was 22 if you count his playoff innings.

Overall, it looks like Porcello's workload was managed well (not that you said it wasn't). He was never a hard thrower to begin with and I imagine he lost his effectiveness quickly once his velo started ticking down.

   18. kcgard2 Posted: December 06, 2022 at 09:05 AM (#6108207)
If you can find a starting pitcher with a better decision to IP rate than his (1 for every 7.62 IP), you're a better searcher than I* am.

The first guy I tried was Edwin Jackson, who comes it at 8.17 (better than Walt's finds). 7.62 is going to be REALLY hard to outdo I am thinking. Anything below 8 looks probably rare. Jason Bere also 8.17. Jose Lima and Jeremy Bonderman 8.21. Pettitte at 8.11, getting closer. I thought the key might be dudes who had tons of complete games from the 70s, but that doesn't seem to be the key. Then I though dudes who played for historically great teams, but that doesn't either, though it at least seems to point in the general direction. Fellow Red Sock Daisuke Matsuzaka gets under 8 - 7.98! Maybe the key is Red Sox. Mike Maroth 7.85! I'm getting warmer. Brian Bannister at 7.67, but maybe you say 667 IP isn't enough. Kyle Davies 7.13 - 770 IP. These early millennium Royals are very fertile ground for this exercise.
   19. The Duke Posted: December 06, 2022 at 09:37 AM (#6108211)
Ryan Helsley is at 6.7 but he's a reliever. Still....
   20. SoSH U at work Posted: December 06, 2022 at 09:37 AM (#6108212)
Mike Maroth 7.85! I'm getting warmer. Brian Bannister at 7.67, but maybe you say 667 IP isn't enough. Kyle Davies 7.13 - 770 IP. These early millennium Royals are very fertile ground for this exercise.


Naturally, the lower you go in IP, the more likely you'll find someone who defies the norm. But I haven't found anyone near his number in anything resembling his IP total (over 2,000).

Good searching.
   21. The Duke Posted: December 06, 2022 at 09:40 AM (#6108213)
It's a weird stat - you need to find someone who pitches 5-6 consistently not 7-9 which throws out the old pitchers who went deeper. I suspect the newer starters are more likely
   22. The Duke Posted: December 06, 2022 at 10:32 AM (#6108217)
Wainwright is about 8.05 which is good for that many innings
   23. The Duke Posted: December 06, 2022 at 10:44 AM (#6108221)
Marco Gonzales is 7.73. He's the quintessential 5 IP pitcher.
   24. SoSH U at work Posted: December 06, 2022 at 11:58 AM (#6108237)

Wainwright is about 8.05 which is good for that many innings


Among SPs with a lot of innings, he was the closest I found to Porcello.
   25. Zach Posted: December 06, 2022 at 12:09 PM (#6108239)
These early millennium Royals are very fertile ground for this exercise.

Try looking for struggling pitchers on teams with bad offenses. Lots of 4-5 inning Ls.

The Royals infamously had a pitcher complain that his teammates wouldn't pick him up enough to get any no-decisions.
   26. What did Billy Ripken have against ElRoy Face? Posted: December 06, 2022 at 12:14 PM (#6108242)
The only player I saw who beat him was one of the relievers I looked at (for obvious reasons): Elroy Face was at 6.9.
F*** that guy.

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