Age IP H BB K ERA BB/9 K/9
22 109.2 92 32 109 2.30 2.63 8.95
21 118.2 100 41 129 2.88 3.11 9.78
The older pitcher is considered the second coming and the reason that the Tampa
Bay Rays are considered solid bets to again reach October baseball; the younger guy—who did every bit as well considering the age difference isn’t even a lot of fans’ radar for the coming season.
We recognize the older player as being phenom David Price but who is this boy wonder almost duplicating his minor league performance despite being a year younger?
It’s the Toronto Blue Jays’ own Brett Cecil.
Can you imagine the hype surrounding this kid were he a Yankee or a Red Sox farm hand? Look at all the attention Price has received and the hopes pinned on him for 2009 but I’m willing to bet that only the hard core Jays’ fan is aware of what Cecil accomplished in 2008 and if they’re cognizant of him at all it’s only in passing—some youngster that is a part of the club’s indefinite future.
Right now, the rotation looks like: Roy Halladay, Jesse Litsch and David Purcey while waiting for the return of Dustin McGowan some time in May with the final two slots to be determined in Spring Training. If Price is ready to make his mark on a pennant contender then why is Cecil not ready to compete for a job in the starting rotation?
I think if he’s given a fair shot in the spring he might be the solution for one of the openings on the starting staff.
And now, the rest of the story…
Anyway, let’s have some fun and jump in the ol’ time machine to 1993. There was a 30 year old lefty that hadn’t pitched in the majors since May 1991 when he posted a 5.74 ERA. He had a career 34-54, 4.56 ERA (league average was below four back then) with decent but not overwhelming command (3.63 BB/9) but his strikeout totals (5.6 K/9) suggested that he’d never amount to much. Oh sure, he’d tossed 200 innings a couple of times and was about league average in one of those seasons but you’d have to be pretty desperate to think he had anything to offer to a team.
The Baltimore Orioles took a flyer on him and he made 25 starts, went 12-9, 3.43 ERA (130 ERA+) in 152 innings pitched. By the way he added 200 more wins since then with a 4.10 ERA (league average having risen to over 4.50 is many seasons) and tossed 3000+ innings with a couple of 20-win seasons, won a World Series game (and ring), just signed a two-year contract and has an outside shot at the Hall of Fame.
Of course, I speak of Jamie Moyer.
Well, that sounds an awful lot like the first part of Mike Maroth’s career except Maroth has better command although inferior strikeout totals. The thing is, sometimes it’s not as hopeless as we might think. It’s safe to say that Orioles fans probably were wondering why their team went dumpster diving after Moyer.
The funny thing is, sometimes lefties mature a bit later in their careers. Randy Johnson went from hard throwing, erratic underachiever before age 30 to being a five-time Cy Young winner on the cusp of 300 wins after turning 30; Al Leiter was injury prone and inconsistent before 30 then winning 129 games and a ring after the big 3-0; Kenny Rogers won 53 games in his 20’s but since the year he turned 30 won 163 topping 200 innings six times; Chuck Finley won 63 games in the seven seasons before he passed the milestone and 127 from age 30-39; Jerry Koosman was 65-53 before and 157-156 afterward but had his two 20-win (and eight 200+ IP) seasons after hitting 30; Eddie Lopat went from decent starter to part of a pitching triumvirate (along with Vic Raschi and Allie Reynolds) that won five straight world championships; David Wells was a bit of a head case before he turned 30 and a 47-37, 3.78 ERA and had never topped 200 innings but topped it eight times afterward, won 20 games once, threw a perfect game, became one of the most vaunted big game pitchers of his time and went 192-120 post-30.
For whatever reason, sometimes the light bulb goes on and southpaws that were lightly regarded around age 30 and they go on to have spectacular careers.
Will Mike Maroth join them? Who knows? However, it would be foolish to write off any lefty until you detect a rotting smell.
Maybe the starting rotation will be a pleasant surprise in 2009.
Best Regards
John
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