Why so much K-Rod bashing?

[danzig6767]

I posted something in the game thread to a post by turboricky going off on K-Rod, but he's by far not alone.

 

Why do so many here get on K-Rod almost as if he's like Axford of the last few years? I just don't get it and defies the facts? Do people expect a closer to never blow saves, allow baserunners, and/or get in scary situations?

 

He has a fabulous .091 WHIP. So many act like he's constantly got lots of runners on base and each save is a roller coaster, yet he's among the top 5 of closers at least number of baserunners allowed per inning. His 42/9 K/BB ratio is outstanding, again among the best of all closers. His .188 BAA is also top notch. He only has two blown saves even though he leads the league in saves.

 

Sure, i'd rather have someone like say Chapman or Kimbrel who throw 98mph with command, but those guys are pretty rare. OveralL though, K-Rod has been outstanding and a big part of the Brewers success so far. Will Smith has pitched a little better, but if say he was made closer and K-Rod switched to the 8th inning guy, that accomplishes almost nothing given 3 outs in the 8th inning of a close game mean as much as 3 outs in the 9th. It also takes away the flexibility of using Smith in the 7th inning at times when teams have buserunners on in a close game.

 

So what am i missing about why so many Brewers fans seem to believe his typical save outing is some really abnormal high wire act compared to other closers in baseball, even though nearly all of his stats say otherwise in comparison to closers throughout the league? Is it just because he doesn't throw 97-98mph?

[RockCoCougars]

Don't know. Outside of Lucroy and Gomez, he's the Brewer MVP if you ask me. If he hadn't stepped in the way he has, could have been a lot of extra L's thus far. He's been getting hit pretty hard lately, but that's the nature of the beast with closers. Only 2 blown saves, Kimbrel has 4.

[AZBrewCrew]

Hes making RRR look like a semi genius by him starting the season as closer over Henderson

[lcbj68c]

Perception not meeting expectations. There are folks out there hand-wringing over Ryan Braun hitting .280

[lcbj68c]

Only 2 blown saves, Kimbrel has 4.

 

And how many of those 2 have resulted in losses?

[jerichoholicninja]

He's been fantastic this year but he's also been pretty putrid during his years in Milwaukee. I think others, like myself, are just waiting for/expecting the Krod who can't find the strikezone to come back and implode the season.

[folly412]

Don't get it either. Some get nervously riled up when he comes in the game as if he's Axford, Turnbow, DeJean, piling runners on until one pitch closes or ends it. I expect him to close it down, and he's met expectation 93% of the time.

[Baldkin]

He was utterly fantastic his first 20 outings. His last 16 he's been very pedestrian.

 

I can see why people would be worried (I'm worried...)

 

16.1 IP 16H 5BB 15K 4.41ERA

[lcbj68c]

He's been fantastic this year but he's also been pretty putrid during his years in Milwaukee. I think others, like myself, are just waiting for/expecting the Krod who can't find the strikezone to come back and implode the season.

 

Is that exhausting in constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop?

 

If the shoe does drop, does that make his first 3 months any less valuable that we must lament over what we expect to come instead of enjoying the success in the present? That outlook just seems miserable.

[Fear The Chorizo]

If the Brewers didn't have KRod on their roster for the first 3 months, I would guess this team would be alot closer to 0.500 than 1st place in the division by now. Compared to the other veteran closers signed by teams to shore up their bullpens over the offseason, KRod's been awesome.

 

KRod has had some recent struggles, but some of that is inflated due to how unsustainably great he was early this year. He's been getting a TON of work, and while I love that he's able to pitch 3-4 consecutive games and it's given the bullpen an anchor at the end that's almost always available, I worry that's going to come back to bit the Brewers during the 2nd half unless he can get longer periods of rest.

[brewchicken]

It is interesting that many wait for the 'shoe to drop.' I was quite young when the shoe didn't drop and then I yearned for the ability to have a 'shoe to drop' from time to time for many years with no shoe in hand. Now, they really haven't let a 'shoe drop' so I wonder what shoe many are waiting for one to 'drop.?'

[danzig6767]

He was utterly fantastic his first 20 outings. His last 16 he's been very pedestrian.

 

I can see why people would be worried (I'm worried...)

 

16.1 IP 16H 5BB 15K 4.41ERA

I won't say i don't ever get worried either, but look at the stats among other save leaders right under him.

 

Romo 4.83/9.95 ERA the last two months

Rosenthal has been good in June, but struggled in April/May

Jansen is a big strikeout guy, but had a 4.86/6.75 ERA the last two months

 

FWIW, K-Rod not having a big fastball gets me nervous at times also that he'll leave one over the plate and get it crushed. My main point was that nearly anytime i read a game thread and the 9th inning of a close game is coming, there is a common theme of oh god here comes the K-Rod high wire act to suffer through as if he's constantly got multiple baserunners on or an abnormal mount compared to other closers, even though he has a great 0.91 WHIP. Or as soon as a guy gets a hit, often out comes the K-Rod is going to blow this posts. If god forbid he actually blows a save, the venom can get pretty harsh as if he's just been lucky so far this year and now comes his complete implosion.

 

Prior to his game today, K-Rod had 1.74 ERA/0.87WHIP/.171BAA in 10 games this month, after struggling in May. He's never going to be Kimbrel or Chapman like who can simply dominate hitters with 98mph heat, but bottom line is he's been very productive, so i just wonder why some get on him so much whenever he has a bad game, which all closers do?

[yfinn6]

I think, sometimes, you need to take in-game threads with a grain of salt. I made a comment that Braun was down to .280, and I suppose I'll be labeled a 'hand-wringer' over Braun's season when it was merely an observation. Point is, people get excited during the games and sometimes exaggerate situations to be much worse or much better than they are.

 

I think K-Rod's crazy delivery adds to the perception that he doesn't have control of what he's doing out there. Obviously he does things differently than Kimbrel and Chapman, but he still gets great results. In the heat of a game (and in-game thread) people can get a little carried away. I get it, and don't know that I would call it bashing. Ditto for all the Braun posts in the in-game threads.

 

I know which post you're referring to, and thought it a bit over-the-top, even for an in-game thread.

[DuWayne Steurer]

He's been fantastic this year but he's also been pretty putrid during his years in Milwaukee. I think others, like myself, are just waiting for/expecting the Krod who can't find the strikezone to come back and implode the season.

 

What?

 

He was amazing the last half of 2011......he was very mediocre in 2012.....he was absolutely lights out while we had him in 2013.....virtually unhittable, and he's 25 of 27 in save chances this year, while having a WHIP under 1.

 

3 of the 4 years that he's been a Brewer he's been either very good to exceptional.

[pacopete4]

People are pessimistic, that's why. He isn't supposed to be doing this well for us and a lot of people cannot give RR the credit deserved for making that move to start the season. Either way, either get on board or shut your pie holes because he's been absolutely fantastic this season. Keep pounding that zone Krod!

[LouisEly]

He's been fantastic this year but he's also been pretty putrid during his years in Milwaukee. I think others, like myself, are just waiting for/expecting the Krod who can't find the strikezone to come back and implode the season.

 

For his career, as a Brewer he has a 2.92 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 9.6 K/9, 2.93 K/BB. [sarcasm]Pretty putrid.[/sarcasm]

I have no problem giving up solo HRs when your team is up by two runs in the 9th inning. The last thing you do is walk guys with a multi-run lead; take the 70% chance that they will make an out by throwing a strike and putting the ball in play.

[liveforoctober]

Hes making RRR look like a semi genius by him starting the season as closer over Henderson

 

Let's not forget Melvin. He picked up Frankie last year on a throwaway contract and dealt him for Nick Delmonico... then a few months later brings him back and the guy leads the league in saves. That is some sneaky genius GMing...

[TURBO]

ummmm, I did not "go off" on K-Rod...

 

You probably shouldn't rely too much on posts in the game threads as they are made during the heat of actual games.

 

Maybe I should have just said "K-Rod makes me nervous" and I wouldn't have had a thread about my IGT comment.

 

 

Oh, and PS, I do hate watching him pitch, that is how I feel in and out of the IGT thread.

[DuWayne Steurer]

ummmm, I did not "go off" on K-Rod...

You probably shouldn't rely too much on posts in the game threads as they are made during the heat of actual games.

 

Maybe I should have just said "K-Rod makes me nervous" and I wouldn't have had a thread about my IGT comment.

 

 

Oh, and PS, I do hate watching him pitch, that is how I feel in and out of the IGT thread.

 

 

I think that's true for a lot of people. Mostly it seems there's a lot of ire directed at Braun lately in the IGT's. Heck, in today's IGT, after two batters tee'd off on him, I said "I see K-Rod is in to throw batting practice today". THat's what the IGT is for, IMO. I think K-Rod is fantastic, but when he's bad on a given day, I'll make a comment about it on that day.

[danzig6767]

ummmm, I did not "go off" on K-Rod...

 

You probably shouldn't rely too much on posts in the game threads as they are made during the heat of actual games.

 

Maybe I should have just said "K-Rod makes me nervous" and I wouldn't have had a thread about my IGT comment.

 

 

Oh, and PS, I do hate watching him pitch, that is how I feel in and out of the IGT thread.

It wasn't about you singularly. I see it a lot from others when it comes to K-Rod and just don't understand it given how effective he's been, especially for a guy who wasn't expected to be as important to the success of the team as he's been.

 

Given Henderson wasn't effective early, then has been out for a long time with his injury, and Kintzler hasn't been as good as the team hoped for, Smith and K-Rod have been so hugely important in holding on to a ton of small leads all year long. Without those two, no way are the Brewers 17 games over .500 and with the best record in the NL. Yet for whatever reason, a sizable number of fans act like K-Rod has been more of a ticking time bomb high wire act than the highly effective godsend pitcher he's really been.

 

BTW, why would you hate watching him pitch? I give K-Rod a lot of credit. The guy was used a ton while young and in turn lost velocity. So he went about remaking himself as a pitcher from a power fastball/slider thrower to a savvy changeup/command pitcher. Not a lot of guys can pull that off and still be this effective.

[Roderick]

It seems like KRod pitches differently when he has a multiple run lead. It seems to me, he has went more out of the way to not walk anyone, unlike prior years, which will mean more guys are going to put it out of the park on you. But when it gets down to one run lead, he hasn't let the run(s) scored bother him.

[JohnBriggs12]

In game threads reflect the emotion of the moment. What's the big deal? In K-Rod's case "waiting for the other shoe to drop" is rather natural for those of us that remember his 2012 season. Now that was ugly. As great as a player has performed, things can change quickly so you don't turn a blind eye.

[brwrsfan]

I'm perfectly fine with him giving up some HR with multiple run leads. That's the idea right? Let them hit the ball, they're going to make outs more often than not. Just don't walk guys. And yesterday, yeah he almost gave up 2 HR, but he didn't. He almost certainly doesn't throw the same if Dickerson scores or is on base.

 

He also seems to have a unique ability to really, really focus with men on base. Like he thrives on it. I get nervous when he pitches sometimes, but I think that's more in my head on the "twenty minutes of terror" stuff, as his numbers really have been quite good this year.

[thebruce44]

I bash him because he bashed his wife. He's not someone I'm happy about rooting for.

[TheCrew07]

K-Rod is a guy you like more if you are a purely statistical type of fan.

 

If you watch him closely he gets by being effectively wild, he rarely even comes close to target setup by the catcher and gives up a ton of loud outs. I remember a game earlier this year where he threw more balls than strikes but made it out of the inning unscathed.

 

I don't trust him, I never have, as I hate his mechanics as a pitcher. If he ever loses his plus secondary offering he's done. I often wonder why hitters don't just sit on his off-speed and force K-Rod to throw a FB, he can't throw it by them and the breaking stuff is rarely located in the zone. It's pretty much the same way I've viewed Estrada... why wouldn't you just sit change and react to one of those juicy 88-90 MPH waist high FBs when you get one?

 

Pitching coaches and industry insiders often talk about hitters getting themselves out and I think with a guy like K-Rod that sentiment rings very true. He's not hard to figure out, he just lets hitters make enough to mistakes to be successful. Now that I'm thinking about it maybe that's my biggest problem, he success doesn't have as much to do with his pure talent as it does relying on the opposition to make mistakes. If hitters won't chase then he's in trouble but the flip side is that when things are going well for him then he's getting hitters to chase those pitcher's pitches.

 

With his velocity down he's been pretty much the same whether he gives up runs or not; he understands how to setup hitters it's just the sequence of the pitches which will be the determining factor, if he has to give a hitter a FB when they are looking FB he's in trouble.

 

He's relatively cheap for the position and thus far he's been effective so has been a good acquisition. I don't like his abusive (allegedly) past so I don't care for him as a person, and as I said I'm not thrilled with his mechanics or his pure talent at this point in his career either. I don't hold closers in very high regard at all so I'm pretty indifferent to his status, I'd much rather have a pen full guys capable of going multiple innings and a manager willing to utilize the pitchers in longer outings than the standard 1 inning rule. I understand that's just my utopian view of the bullpen and isn't realistic at this juncture given the pitchers on the staff and the manager so K-Rod is fine for what he is, but I really don't want to bring him back for 2015.