David Pauley's coming out party plays to mixed reviews. Sinker or not, he's leaving a lot of balls up in the zone, but did get three DPs, although it should have been 1-2-3 not 1-6-3.
From the stretch, Pauley reminds me of Derek Lowe, but without as much sink, at least tonight. He does have enough giddyap on the heater (88-91) to earn respect for it. He doesn't look like Brian Rose either though, who never had an out pitch. Rose, a high school phenom, never had the stuff to win. As I understand it, he had a personality-stuff disparity, although I have never met the man.
I would like to see more consistency in his delivery. The best pitchers tend to have a compact delivery with power focused from the leg kick and back leg drive. Pauley often seems to throw across his body, not as much as a Mark Gubicza did, but enough to cause him to lose control. His arm slot on the curveball seems more vertical than that on his fastball.
It appears that Pauley could get people out with the change or the outside fastball. He will not be able to win with two pitches, and the best curve he threw (to Zaun), somehow got missed by the umpire, who probably got surprised.
He has been very fortunate, in that some 'mistake' fastballs to Alfonzo and Glaus got popped up instead of driven out.
It's only one game, and it's not as though we can know whether this is his 'A' game (I doubt it) or his worst (also unlikely). He has shown reasonable poise considering the gravity of the situation.
The scouting report is that he gets stronger as the game progresses, and it will be interesting to see if he goes five and out, or whether he can make it into the sixth.
Preliminary grades:
Poise: A
Control: B-
Fastball: B
Change: B
Curveball: D
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2 comments:
Ron--
David Pauley pitched decently for someone who had no command of his curve. He was clearly making due, hoping that he would be able to snap some of those curve balls for strikes. Had that pitch been working for him last night, I think he would have done just fine.
I support your comments on Boston Dirt Dog this morning. I'm not sure when the boorish fans became so prevalent at Fenway. I think it has something to do with the prices of the seats. Since they got so pricey, I think people feel entitled to perfection or the right to scream whatever nonsense comes to them at the moment.
Two years ago, I took my son to a game and sat in right field, front row (facing the bullpen and center field, but that's another issue for another time.) I sat next to a drunken moron--his significant other--who felt obligated to scream and curse at Frank Catalanoto in seven second intervals for five innings using the foulest and most graphic language I've ever heard at a ball park.
I tried talking with him, pointing out my ten year old son seated next to me, to which the twit replied, but Catalanoto is such an a** h***. I smiled and excused myself and got an usher, explained the issue and the moron was escorted out shortly after his next tirade. More people should do this more often.
I'd like to see civility take back Fenway from the boors and the louts who ruin the game for the people who come to enjoy the baseball.
Thanks for posting your comment.
Fenway doesn't have to be a church concerning fan bahavior, but nobody wants it to be 'Mad Max' either.
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