Kevin Gregg

[jeffy]

<!--quoteo(post=46031:date=Jun 25 2009, 08:33 AM:name=vitaminB)-->QUOTE (vitaminB @ Jun 25 2009, 08:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I think Rich Harden could be nasty throwing only one inning. He could go back to throwing his slider again. I doubt he'd be willing to move during his contract year, but I like the idea. I don't think you even have to sign Pedro to make it happen. We have enough options in the rotation to make it work.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Doesn't Harden take a long time to warm up though? I thought I read/heard that somewhere, but I could be wrong.

[Giff]

From Jayson Stark's Grumblings:
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->The Pedro Watch: If you're hanging by the TV and waiting for that imminent return of Pedro Martinez, it might be safe to make other plans. The latest word on the Pedro front is that he's still looking for what one executive describes as "a Brad Penny contract" (a prorated $5 million, plus lots of incentives). And he's interested only in being a starting pitcher. An official of one team reports that in his workout last week, Martinez was "throwing 85 [mph] -- and it's soft." Asked what he could read into that, the official replied, "Let's say it's not what I had in mind to pay $5 million for."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No thanks.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=45915:date=Jun 24 2009, 10:39 AM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 24 2009, 10:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=45908:date=Jun 24 2009, 09:58 AM:name=The Dude)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Dude @ Jun 24 2009, 09:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=45884:date=Jun 24 2009, 07:05 AM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jun 24 2009, 07:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=45872:date=Jun 23 2009, 11:02 PM:name=Runnys)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Runnys @ Jun 23 2009, 11:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Also, lets not forget guys like Heath Bell and Joe Nathan who are likely going to miss the playoffs. Then there is also that K-Rod guy. Ruby, just curious, who are your 2 shut down closers and your 20 mediocre ones?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
K Rod averages 6 BS per year and is on pace to blow 7 this year, same as Gregg.
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How are they on the same pace when Gregg has 3 and K-Rod has 2? (and I should add that one of K-Rod's came when Luis Castillo couldn't catch a pop-up)
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Probably because he's had slightly more opportunities. Also, take out the first month of the season and Gregg is 2-1, 10/12 in saves, and has an ERA of 3.57.
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Yep. He'd been terrific before that game of late. I wasn't mad at the homer so much, but the walk, and he hasn't been walking as many as he was early in the year.

He's the best option on the team right now to close, and he's doing much better than Wood is.

If Marmol got his head out of his ass, he'd be the better option, but he's got a long way to go. If you're walking more batters than innings pitched in the 7th and 8th inning, imagine in the 9th inning when hitters are trying even more to do whatever possible to get on base. What he's doing is an awful recipe for success in the 9th inning.

Guzman's been great, but he's hurt now, and I've always thought he was a bit of a question mark upstairs. You never know how a pitcher is going to be in the 9th inning.

Anyway, it's Gregg and it's going to be. He's really not been that bad, especially when you look around the league. We could be better there for sure, but it's near the bottom of our list of problems right now.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=46217:date=Jun 25 2009, 01:51 PM:name=Giff)-->QUOTE (Giff @ Jun 25 2009, 01:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->From Jayson Stark's Grumblings:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->The Pedro Watch: If you're hanging by the TV and waiting for that imminent return of Pedro Martinez, it might be safe to make other plans. The latest word on the Pedro front is that he's still looking for what one executive describes as "a Brad Penny contract" (a prorated $5 million, plus lots of incentives). And he's interested only in being a starting pitcher. An official of one team reports that in his workout last week, Martinez was "throwing 85 [mph] -- and it's soft." Asked what he could read into that, the official replied, "Let's say it's not what I had in mind to pay $5 million for."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No thanks.
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I just don't get this at all still. There's a few guys on the farm that likely give us a better chance to win than Pedro right now. It's a waste of money and we need to be careful with every cent right now.

[funkster]

I don't either.

[Coach]

So I took every team's closer and ranked them by their WHIP. I also averaged how many pitches per inning they threw.

Nathan 0.75 (15.5)
Franklin 0.83 (14.5)
Broxton 0.86 (16.5)
Rivera 0.89 (16)
Soriano 0.91 (16)
Franciso 0.94 (15)
Downs 0.95 (14)
Bailey 1.01 (15.5)
Soria 1.02 (16)
Street 1.02 (15)
Hoffman 1.03 (14)
Jenks 1.05 (15)
Bell 1.05 (17.5)
Howell 1.06 (16)
Cordero 1.14 (16)
Sherrill 1.16 (16.5)
Qualls 1.18 (14)
Hawkins 1.18 (16)
Fuentes 1.23 (17)
Rodriguez 1.23 (18)
Aardsma 1.28 (18)
Wilson 1.29 (19)
<b>Gregg 1.30 (20)</b>
Rodney 1.32 (17.5)
Papelbon 1.37 (18)
Capps 1.43 (17.5)
Wood 1.45 (17)
Lidge 1.85 (20)
MacDougal 1.85 (17.5)
Lindstrom 1.90 (18)

[rok]

So Gregg isn't good?

Kinda surprising how poor Lidge's and Papelbon's whips are though.

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo(post=48969:date=Jul 9 2009, 09:20 AM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Jul 9 2009, 09:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->So Gregg isn't good?

Kinda surprising how poor Lidge's and Papelbon's whips are though.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Lidge has been BRUTAL this season.

Whatever he had last year is long gone.

[rok]

And before anyone jumps all over me, when I said Gregg isn't good, I meant in relative terms.

And yeah, I knew Lidge had started out poorly, but I just assumed that he had righted the ship. I guess not.

[Coldneck]

IMO, a more fair comparison for a closer is save percentage. At the end of the day that is really the only stat that matters to me.

[rok]

<!--quoteo(post=48974:date=Jul 9 2009, 09:53 AM:name=Coldneck)-->QUOTE (Coldneck @ Jul 9 2009, 09:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->IMO, a more fair comparison for a closer is save percentage. At the end of the day that is really the only stat that matters to me.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, that can be misleading at times too. I think Save % in close games 1-2 run leads, along with whip, is pretty indicative of the quality of a closer.

[ruby23]

I think we can all agree that Gregg throws too many pitches and puts too many people on. The same can be said for Marmol and Heilman too. When it comes down to it though, they've done a good job overall. The Cubs wouldn't have a combined bullpen ERA under 3.00 if they weren't doing their jobs.

[Coach]

<!--quoteo(post=48969:date=Jul 9 2009, 10:20 AM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Jul 9 2009, 10:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Kinda surprising how poor Lidge's and Papelbon's whips are though.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Papelbon is an interesting case. He allows quite a few baserunners, but has an ERA of 1.89.
He must be clutch. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ph34r.gif[/img]

[Clapp]

Kevin Gregg since April:

34.2 IP, 2.63 ERA. He's allowed runs in just 5 outings since then. The disaster game against Houston where he allowed 4 runs in 0 IP really makes him look worse than he's been <i>overall</i>. He'd have just a 1.58 ERA since April then.

In April: 11 hits and 8 walks in 9.2 innings pitched.

In May: 12 hits(4 of which in that 0 IP game I mentioned), 5 BB in 11.2 innings pitched.

In June: 8 hits, 3 walks in 13 innings pitched.

In July: 6 hits, 2 walks in 10 innings pitched.

Just pointing this out because for some reason it seems about 99% of Cubdom hates him. He was great again tonight and has fucking balls. In a 1-run game, 3-2 count, bases loaded, 2 outs, he threw 3 straight strikes, finally getting Willingham to groundout. Then he was perfect in the 9th to get the 5-out save, after also pitching the previous 2 nights.

[savant]

Tonight was the most impressive performance by a Cubs closer that I can remember seeing.

It is also time to start considering using Guzman and Marshall in the eighth inning.