How do yah feel about Issy and his closing out games?

[Fan_In_NY]

I believe Izzy is cursed! Look he won the DHL award for May, and now his luck has turned!!

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/pres ... p&c_id=mlb

[cardsfansince82]

So does "Issy" become an 8+ mill setup/middle relief guy cuz Looper is already overpaid in that role. I'm not sure what sort of trade value he has either since most teams would rather go with a cheap option if they don't think he is "lights out" anymore. Maybe the Yankees need a seventh inning guy

As for the questions about the original poster....is there any doubt that this thread would have been started by someone (perhaps with a better title)?

[businessmansspecial]

maybe they should play a little switcharoo for a little while and see what happens. It beats handing games to the other teams.

[Dwtlr]

However, one has to think about the future. Izzy makes near $9 mil this year and his effectiveness, as measured by baserunners allowed, is clearly waning. The more runners you allow, the more blown saves you are going to have. I don't know if he's under contract for next year, but I have to wonder if another option for closer will be necessary for 2007. Wainwright has the kind of stuff that really dominates. From a "stuff" perspective, Adam could be a closer. Is that his best use for this team? Well, I'd like to see what people here have to say.

From a stuff perspective its hard to know how he'll respond on two consecutive days...doubt if he'll be as sharp..

Letting Izzy work in the back part of th ebullpen for a wek to try and work some things out while Looper or Wainwright interchange closer and setup roles isn't beyond the realm of possibility but to believe La Russa wold hand the team's most important role to a rookie is ludicrous..

If Izzy isn't perking and the closer this team is going nowhere..

Having great "stuff" is only part of the formula in being a closer..Arguably Wainwright can handle that part..but the mental and durability issues are huge question marks and not to be answered on a veteran team with a nine million dollar closer hanging around..

[Fat Strat]

I'm not going to go back and read all 9 pages of this, but has anyone pointed out that...

Izzy only allowed 1 run for the entire month of May, and is probably going to right the ship and be just fine now that he's had his little hiccup?

I would like to offer that as my only opinion on the matter.

But, if he blows a save tonight (he probably won't be available after pitching two days in a row) then I'm officially on the "throw Izzy from the train" bandwagon.

[jim]

CardsnOK - yes, his ultimate results were good in May. But what is concerning are these stats for the year:

Strikes: 212
Balls: 206
AVG/OBP/SLG: 214/383/393
HR9: 1.57
BB9: 9.00 !

That's a ticking time bomb that exploded last night.

[Knot Hole Gang Vet]

CardsnOK - yes, his ultimate results were good in May. But what is concerning are these stats for the year:

Strikes: 212
Balls: 206
AVG/OBP/SLG: 214/383/393
HR9: 1.57
BB9: 9.00 !

That's a ticking time bomb that exploded last night.

Yes, those are interesting and startling figures- thanks for the research.

There is a lot of discussion of the effectiveness of our chief closer. Also, on the subject of booing at the park.

A couple thoughts come to me. If you are observing the stock market, they have a term for an expensive stock, that it is "Priced for perfection". If the company comes in with lower results, it takes a nose dive right away.

The same thing with players payroll. If a position player can get 1 hit every 3 at bats, he sticks around and is a regular. When a closing pitcher is considered, a different standard applies. The perfect closer comes in for the last of the ninth, throws 9 strikes- game over. Everything less than that becomes more and more tenuous. When his agent is selling his contract to someone, he prices his client as close to perfection as he can. If 9 million dollars is being discussed, he doesn't say," Hold on now- my client isn't going to pull off a perfect job every time. Let's talk about $200,000 instead". No, he goes for the largest figure he can.

Let's all agree that 9 million bucks a year is almost beyond our personal imagination to comprehend. Our world does not revolve around those type of numbers. So, when a closer slips rather steadily in his results, it seems only natural that lots of fans are going to be disappointed and their instant reaction is to boo him. They don't sit and rationalize that he has had a pretty decent record up till now, they just react to the moment. In their mind, he has been priced to perfection, and he is not now worth the 9 million bucks. They remember how much their seats cost, how much the beer and hot dogs cost, the whole arrangement is stored in their memory bank, and a boo comes out. Whether it is right or wrong, it is hard to blame them for that instant reflex of emotion.

[Elphie15]

Bump.

TRADE ISSY!!!!!!!!!!111111oneoneone

[Dillagii]

Issy is teh clutch!!

[Brodie]

We have percival coming up soon, trade Izzy while his stock is high

-Brodie






ps Maybe I should have used blue font?