Hawkins (not Hawk) pisses me off...
Hawkins gave up the winning run in yet another one run loss for the Cubs. The Cubs entered the 9th tied at 5 apiece with the so-called "red-hot" Brewers (today was their 7th straight win). I've sort of been defending Hawkins all year, and I still think he's a great setup guy, but after this one, he officially pisses me off. The Cubs even tied it in the top of the 9th! Oh well... not too much time to post today, so that will the only thing I point out. Oh, and that winning run for the Brewers? Yeah, it was a two-out single to end the game. That pesky, pesky third out......
Here's to tomorrow!
4-6-05 - Update: Here is a comment that Jim made, which I feel obligated to include in this post, as I may have been a little tough on Hawkins: "Hairston should have caught the ball. He was there. He had a great jump on it. You can't blame Hawkins for that one. "
Sorry y'all... we don't get them ball games on the tele' out here in the backwoods of central PA!
posted by Hyposquasher @ 8:45 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Hairston should have caught the ball. He was there. He had a great jump on it. You can't blame Hawkins for that one.
I think it's a by-product of not being able to finish off games. There are always plays that can be made in the field by Hairston, Hollandworth and whoever else, but at the end of the day, these plays shouldn't need to be made. Hawkins is a K machine in the 8th, and the 9th seems to be a whole different story.
I still have some faith in Hawkins, because at this stage, thick in the middle of a 5-game losing streak (including 2 losses by 1 run), he's about the best reliever we've got.
Funny how Carlos Lee has the best career batting avg. vs. Hawkins: 6-21 (.286), HR, 3 RBI.
Jim - I wasn't watching this one or listening to it, so thanks for the update about Hairston. I should probably post some form of retraction... maybe I'll just edit the post to include this fact. Thanks again!
JT- I think it's ridiculous to say that a pitcher should count on a strike out instead of counting on his fielders to make plays. That's not good pitching. In fact, that's the kind of pitching that has at times gotten other pitchers into trouble. Remember Farnsworth?
Angry -- Forgive me. I wasn't trying to suggest that chasing the strikeouts is the hallmark of "good pitching". It was more to suggest his comfort level, or at least how Hawkins appears to me - in those short-relief, set-up outings, he just appears more confident, more self-assured in getting onto the mound and getting his job done.
With regard to the 9th, and any inning at all for that matter, I completely agree: it's about the entire team. In this instance, Hairston made an effort at the catch and it wasn't to be. There will be those days, and there will be the days where things go our way entirely. Fair enough.
Regarding Hawkins, I wasn't trying to say that being a K machine in the 8th meant he should be a K machine in the 9th. Good pitching, and good baseball for that matter, is founded upon confidence and talent. Hawkins has both of those, and sometimes only one at a time.
Apologies, and thanks for giving me a chance to clarify.
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