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I hate to do this.
Really, I hate to make comparisons for players who compete at different levels, ESPECIALLY players who face Triple-A competition as opposed to the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira on a daily basis.
But in the case of a certain Twins middle reliever, it's time to draw the line. Yeah, I'm talking about #28. You know, the guy who spent the majority of his relief appearance against Detroit last week facing the fence?
My Dad has decided to constantly remind me about an afternoon in August of 2004, the day Jesse Crain made his major league debut. I had proudly proclaimed Crain to be the second coming of Bob Gibson, strapped with a mid-high 90's fastball and sharp breaking ball that caused opponent's to have their lunch rearranged. Crain appeared in 22 games that year, posting a 2.00 ERA. Take that Dad. Over the course of the next 2 seasons, he continued to be successful, posting consecutive sub-4.00 ERA's. Really, take THAT Dad!
I'm not sure what happened next (possibly a little too much fan love), but Crain just lost it. After 2007, Crain couldn't get anyone out. Fast forward through a demotion to the minors and two terrible years and we come to 2010. Crain still can't get anyone out. He's becoming unusable.
A quick hop, skip, and a jump to the East and you'll arrive in Rochester, NY, home to the world's first voting-machine and a fellow by the name of Anthony Slama. A 26-year old righthanded reliever, Slama has torn through the Twins minor league system like a bat out of hell. Before the 2010 season, Slama saved 54 games while compiling a minor league career 1.87 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 13.3 K/9. Pretty much domination at every level possible, except the Show.
How do Slama's numbers compare to Crain's when looking at 2008 through today?
Now here's a look at Slama compared to Crain THIS year:
Now Crain has been facing major league pitching for those two years, minus a stint in triple A last year. Slama has been dominating at all three levels in the minor leagues. His strikeout totals are BEYOND impressive and overall he's managed to keep from blowing up. I'm not saying that Slama's numbers would be the same if he had faced major league pitching that whole time, but it's quite alarming.
Both of these guys are in the same age range and when one (Crain) is declining heavily, the other is starting to take off. Crain's problem is and always will be a lack of movement on his mid-90's fastball. What hurts even more is the fact that his off-speed stuff has nosedived as well.
Now I know the season is early and to draw from such a small sample can be misleading. But take those stats out a little further, regardless of competition level, and you notice one guy (Slama) continuously dominating while the other is continuously weakening.
It's time the Twin's put aside their love affair for Jesse Crain. I did a long time ago. For a bullpen that is clearly hurting, it may not be a bad idea to bring in some fresh blood. If anything, let Alex Burnett, a kid with tons of potential, go pitch his way into a bullpen spot the same way Slama has. It's time to give this kid a chance.
A sub 1.00 WHIP for Slama over the last two years is a pretty clear indication of where his production level has been and where he may end up. Sure, he will struggle and hit his bumps in the road, but after Crain's disastrous performance in Detroit, it's time to let Crain go.
I hate to admit it, but in the end, Dad was right. Again.
Really, I hate to make comparisons for players who compete at different levels, ESPECIALLY players who face Triple-A competition as opposed to the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira on a daily basis.
But in the case of a certain Twins middle reliever, it's time to draw the line. Yeah, I'm talking about #28. You know, the guy who spent the majority of his relief appearance against Detroit last week facing the fence?
My Dad has decided to constantly remind me about an afternoon in August of 2004, the day Jesse Crain made his major league debut. I had proudly proclaimed Crain to be the second coming of Bob Gibson, strapped with a mid-high 90's fastball and sharp breaking ball that caused opponent's to have their lunch rearranged. Crain appeared in 22 games that year, posting a 2.00 ERA. Take that Dad. Over the course of the next 2 seasons, he continued to be successful, posting consecutive sub-4.00 ERA's. Really, take THAT Dad!
I'm not sure what happened next (possibly a little too much fan love), but Crain just lost it. After 2007, Crain couldn't get anyone out. Fast forward through a demotion to the minors and two terrible years and we come to 2010. Crain still can't get anyone out. He's becoming unusable.
A quick hop, skip, and a jump to the East and you'll arrive in Rochester, NY, home to the world's first voting-machine and a fellow by the name of Anthony Slama. A 26-year old righthanded reliever, Slama has torn through the Twins minor league system like a bat out of hell. Before the 2010 season, Slama saved 54 games while compiling a minor league career 1.87 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 13.3 K/9. Pretty much domination at every level possible, except the Show.
How do Slama's numbers compare to Crain's when looking at 2008 through today?
Now here's a look at Slama compared to Crain THIS year:
Now Crain has been facing major league pitching for those two years, minus a stint in triple A last year. Slama has been dominating at all three levels in the minor leagues. His strikeout totals are BEYOND impressive and overall he's managed to keep from blowing up. I'm not saying that Slama's numbers would be the same if he had faced major league pitching that whole time, but it's quite alarming.
Both of these guys are in the same age range and when one (Crain) is declining heavily, the other is starting to take off. Crain's problem is and always will be a lack of movement on his mid-90's fastball. What hurts even more is the fact that his off-speed stuff has nosedived as well.
Now I know the season is early and to draw from such a small sample can be misleading. But take those stats out a little further, regardless of competition level, and you notice one guy (Slama) continuously dominating while the other is continuously weakening.
It's time the Twin's put aside their love affair for Jesse Crain. I did a long time ago. For a bullpen that is clearly hurting, it may not be a bad idea to bring in some fresh blood. If anything, let Alex Burnett, a kid with tons of potential, go pitch his way into a bullpen spot the same way Slama has. It's time to give this kid a chance.
A sub 1.00 WHIP for Slama over the last two years is a pretty clear indication of where his production level has been and where he may end up. Sure, he will struggle and hit his bumps in the road, but after Crain's disastrous performance in Detroit, it's time to let Crain go.
I hate to admit it, but in the end, Dad was right. Again.
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