Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Kenny Rogers vs. Brad Penny

I'm sure this is one pitching matchup that will have you on the edge of your seats!

I guess I can see Ozzie's reasoning on this one - all of the deserving guys did start on Sunday (Johan, Halladay, Contreras...) but still, Kenny Rogers? Is this the best the AL can do?

Of course, there is the small fact that Kenny Rogers has been only the 3rd or 4th best starter on his own team. But who's keeping track of such things?

Kenny Rogers - 114.2 IP, 3.85 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 5.10 K/9, 65/27 K:BB, 15 HRA, 10 QS
Jeremy Bonderman - 119.2 IP, 3.46 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 8.35 K/9, 111/30 K:BB, 6 HRA, 12 QS
Justin Verlander - 110.2 IP, 3.01 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 5.61 K/9, 69/33 K:BB, 11 HRA, 12 QS
Nate Robertson - 115.1 IP, 3.36 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 6.09 K/9, 78/41 K:BB, 13 HRA, 11 QS

In my eyes, Bonderman and Verlander have clearly been better than Rogers, and Robertson is pretty debateable. Rogers is the only one that made the All-Star team.

I guess I'm probably starting to sound like a broken record with all of these All-Star complaints, but I guess I just don't understand why a guy that's the 3rd or 4th best starter on his own team is starting in the All-Star game.

Oh wait, I guess I do understand. It's because he's a 'veteran' and has won 11 ballgames.

But hey, at least this time again it 'counts!' Thanks Bud!

2 comments:

Ian C. said...

As a Tigers fan, you know where I'm coming down on this. :-)

Had Jose Contreras been on the team, and the rotations worked out, maybe he'd be Ozzie's guy. And there are other pitchers - Santana, Liriano, Halladay - you could make a case for.

But I think Rogers starting is a nice acknowledgement for the season the Tigers have had - arguably the biggest story in baseball this season.

And maybe Ozzie wants to tire out one of the guys from his closest division rivals, too. ;-)

twins15 said...

Well, my problem isn't so much with Rogers starting (because of so many guys pitching on Sunday), it's the combination of Rogers starting + him not even being one of the 2 best starting pitchers on his team for the first half.

I just don't understand why he's starting while Verlander & Bonderman are sitting at home. Especially for a game that is supposed to mean something.